Acoustic Treatment

Sound versus Noise

Sound matters in any customer zone, but in GroupX studios where music is integral to the experience it really comes to the fore. The problem is, even the best stereo system can only perform to a point if your acoustic environment is poor, and as soon as sound becomes distorted or unwanted it simply turns into noise.

Hutchison-t can survey your space and integrate acoustic treatment during studio design, or we can carry out a remedial assessment that will bring it up to scratch. And, as ever, we have some technology tricks up our sleeve as well.

Acoustic Absorption

There’s a very simple way to explain acoustic absorption: if you stand in the middle of a studio and clap your hands, you shouldn’t hear the clap echo back. If it does, your studio has poor acoustic absorption and the soundwave is reverberating back from hard or acoustically reflective surfaces. Factor in instructor speech and the cumulative effect of loud, continuous music, and your crisp, clear audio output becomes fuzzy, chaotic, and unclear.

Acoustic absorption is about minimising soundwave reverberation by creating an absorbent external environment that slows reflections down to within parameters inaudible to the ear (just 0.7-1.1 seconds). Hutchison-t will assess your studio’s function and exact acoustic criteria, and can specify a range of attractive acoustic baffles, panels, and other material finishes that are robust enough to withstand studio wear-and-tear.

Sound Isolation

Sound isolation is simply about keeping sound contained in a room. Anything that can be heard outside the space is immediately classed as noise. Though this can be acceptable within limits, poor sound isolation will irritate other members, and, in worst case scenarios, result in neighbourhood upset and even local authority sanction.

Hutchison-t can assess your studio’s existing sound insulation and internal ambient noise, and can identify exact music breakout routes or paths of noise transmission. The usual suspects apply – windows and ventilation ducts for example - but group exercise spaces are also prone to more unique problems like noise transmission via speaker brackets. We’ll be able to indicate precisely where studios need improved insulation, and can specify a number of solutions for specialised problems such as anti-vibration bracket attachments.

Hear the Difference: Optimising your Audio

Hutchison-t’s intelligent audio system design can help you combat challenges that sit on the border between audio and acoustic. Digital Signal Processors give you dynamic control all aspects of your audio system; a limiter will help you set a maximum volume level; a digital speaker management system will keep the limit secure; and a well-designed, precisely positioned set of smaller speakers will help keep sound isolated better than fewer larger speakers by distributing sound equally throughout a room.

Hutchison-t can optimise your audio and acoustics so that everyone’s needs are met, giving you the most aesthetically impressive, economical, safe, (and legal!) GroupX music solution.

GymBox, London

Making the gym experience unique’ is the GymBox philosophy; from its larger than life trainers to its fun, social environment. So when our client at GymBox London wanted to replace messy noticeboards with slick touchscreens, they had more in mind than simple aesthetics. We gave them a slick, interactive digital marketing solution. We gave them a slick, interactive digital marketing solution.