…And How to Fix Them!
Audio systems are integral to nearly every kind of business. Doctors' offices use gentle music in waiting rooms to comfort patients. Restaurants and hotel lobbies set the mood with upbeat playlists, while churches share music and sermons to foyers, lobbies, and classrooms over the ceiling audio system.
As essential as commercial sound systems are, they can also cause many issues for businesses. Whether audio is too quiet in a church, too loud in a restaurant, or echoes in the conference room, it’s a common frustration for most organizations.
No matter what type of business you manage, you’ll likely run into audio issues. You’ve probably discovered these problems after your business has already been running for a while—and it may be too late for a major renovation.
Well, no fear here! Read on to learn how we can solve common commercial sound system issues in your Kansas City business.
SEE ALSO: Top 10 Commercial AV Solutions to Transform Business
1. You Can’t Get the Volume Level Right
According to a Consumer Reports study, excessive noise levels were restaurant customers’ top complaint. After all, people don’t like it when they can’t hear their party’s voices over the stereo. But many businesses crank the volume because if they turn the speakers down any lower, guests won’t be able to hear the music under all the chatter and activity.
If that’s the case in your space, the problem is likely not the audio equipment, but your room’s acoustics. Closed-off spaces with hard surfaces will experience excessive reverberation as music plays and people talk.
To fix this, you’ll need to balance audio levels with acoustic treatments on walls, ceilings, or floors. Acoustic coffered ceilings, including tin ceiling tiles, can help balance audio so you can play music comfortably without overpowering the space. Most of your guests won’t realize wall and ceiling panels are for sound dampening—they’ll think it’s just part of your interior design!
2. Other Noises Are Causing Distractions
Are kitchen noises bleeding into the rest of your restaurant? Is laughter in the conference room distracting the rest of the office? And in your house of worship, is noise from the children’s room disturbing worship services?
It’s time to install soundproofing treatments. While acoustic treatments balance sound in a space, soundproofing contains noise in a room or prevents outside sounds from coming in. The only way to truly soundproof a room is to add more mass to walls, doors, and ceilings. Seals around doors, absorption panels on walls, and (when possible) wall insulation can go a long way to soundproof a space.
3. There’s Audio Feedback or Echo from Room Reflections
When microphones are involved, audio feedback or echo is common. Feedback happens when a microphone picks up audio from the speakers and feeds it back through the speakers, creating a loop. You can reduce feedback and echo by placing speakers ahead of microphones, facing the audience.
Echo can also happen in conferencing settings. During conference calls, if you hear echo from your speakers, it’s likely not an issue on your end. Someone on the call is playing sound back into their microphone. Simply asking participants to mute their microphones or wear headphones can often fix the issue.
However, if you hear echo in your room and not from the speakers, you’d benefit from installing acoustic treatments on walls and floors to balance the sound.
Improve Your Commercial Sound System Today
Could your business benefit from acoustic treatments, soundproofing, or a new commercial sound system? Advanced Sound & Communication is your destination. Contact us here to learn more about our services and to get started today!