Sound System Optimization Methodologies for Plays & Musicals

Theatrical sound designers face the challenging task of creating a nearly identical aural experience for each audience member. However, when we place speakers in a theatre and listen to amplified voice, sound effects, and music, we hear the result of our artistic and technical choices combining with the room itself. The problem of navigating the acoustics of the theatre and the effects of placing speakers in certain locations is tackled through the process of system design, prediction, tuning and optimization. My aim was to better understand the environment in McKenna theatre by using 3D speaker prediction software, tuning and re-tuning the speakers in the space, and using my system within the artistic context of our departmental production of Romeo and Juliet. I studied manufacturer webinars from Meyer Sound, recreated the space in d&b Arraycalc, and interviewed professional sound designers about how they handle this process. By experimenting with using my ears and SMAART (Sound Measurement Acoustic Analysis Real-Time tool) I was able to analyze the choices that others and myself have made in choosing speaker type and placement in McKenna Theatre. This is a skill that sound designers have to continually work to improve.