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For those who didn’t get to the acoustics seminar at Music Education Expo in March - ‘Simple Solutions to Four Acoustics Problems’ presented by Martin Loft and Mark Rasmussen from Black Cat Acoustics - here is a quick review. The presentation will be available soon on YouTube.

Problem 1 - Reverberant sound levels.

Reverberant sound levels and reflections, commonly described as echoes, are formed by sound bouncing back off hard surfaces. We can measure the time it takes to reflect and decay by 60db and this is known as the “reverberation time”. These reflections occur due to hard surfaces which allow much of the generated sound pressure levels to propagate as reverberant sound. Building Bulletin [BB93] provides guidance for acceptable reverberation times in schools.

To provide a solution we use absorptive, open cell products such as acoustic panels which may be combined with diffusive products. Acoustic panels can be the same colour as the surrounding decor, or they can be covered in fabric or made into a coloured pattern and used as a design feature.

Problem 2 - Structure-borne noise transfer.

Unwanted sound can be generated through floors and ceilings, from outside the building and from plant such as air-conditioning within the structure which can lead to a noisy environment in which to work. Structure-borne noise transfer can be attributed to a lack of insulation in walls, floors and glazing, holes in the structure, common walls, service ducts and pipework.

By measuring the ambient noise of a space typically over a 30minute period a benchmark can be established and compared to recommended levels. Readings in excess of these ideals indicate it’s going to be a difficult space to work in.

Solutions to structure-borne noise transfer are to use additional insulation, increased mass, secondary walls, floating floors and resilient fixings for plant and machinery. Pipework is one of the largest problem areas as these are so wrapped up in the structure of the building in some extreme cases the cheapest solution is actually to change the use of the area. Although you can limit the problem with acoustic covers on the pipes if they are accessible, or install an internal sound isolating room such as our Music Practice Rooms.

Problem 3 - Problems associated with difficulties in hearing speech in a learning environment.

Problems associated with difficulties in hearing speech in a learning environment are not due to a lack of volume but when the words themselves are hard to understand. Also, a linked problem is when you hear too much, such as several conversations going on simultaneously. It is due to sound waves bouncing all over the place and are frequently a combination of reverberation times and/or high ambient noise.

Because the problem is a combination of the previous two, the solutions are going to be a combination of the previous two as well, such as acoustic panels and acoustic curtains which can be deployed quickly to change the characteristics of a room’s acoustics.

Problem 4 - problems with music or speech on a stage not being heard in the auditorium.

Finally a quick look at problems with music or speech on a stage not being heard in the auditorium. The problem here is not down to increasing volume of the performer, you can’t just “sing louder” or play your musical instrument louder as that would be exhausting for the artists and ruin any kind of light and shade within a piece.

The solution is to use panels designed to reflect the sound back into the auditorium such as a full sized combination of shell “towers” and overhead reflective panels being installed at the venue. Schools or colleges with a smaller space can use ranges designed to be folded up when not required.

The Black Cat Music team will be attending the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association Annual Conference at Torquay in May. Conference delegates are invited to drop by the Black Cat Music exhibition stand where examples from their comprehensive range of music education and performance equipment will be on display.

The 2013 ISBA annual conference will take place at the Riviera International Conference Centre (RICC) in Torquay from Wednesday 8th May - Thursday 9th May. The ISBA hosts an annual members only two-day conference every year in May. The event, which is held in selected locations throughout the UK, attracts some 400 bursars and senior management staff from member schools and around 100 exhibitors.

Janet Parr has plenty of hands-on experience with the Wenger Classic 50 music stands from Black Cat Music, so we asked how they measured up against other stands on the market.

“Why buy any other music stand other than the Classic 50 ?“ Janet asked, “They are indestructible as far as I see!“ She went on to explain why. “We have had them at Colchester Institute for a number of years, amongst other stands, and only the Black Cat stands are as good as new. All the others have broken or lost screws, suffer from rust problems, are bent so you can't change the height without suffering from RSI, or have so many bits missing they no longer have any use as a music stand. The Black Cat stand however stills changes height and keeps it, still tips ready to be a conductor’s stand and looks as good as new.”

Janet Parr continued, “The Essex Youth Orchestra caught onto the idea and now have their own set! I'm not sure how long they've had them, but they get taken on foreign tours each year, are used in frequent rehearsals and concerts and they all still work! Of course I have my own Black Cat stand which seems to disappear when my husband needs a conductor’s stand and I'm left with a substandard model which has great big holes in the music rest part. Who would design a stand that has holes in it! When you use a pencil to write on the music it goes straight through puncturing your music and when the sun shines, it shines through the music so you can't read it! Give me back my Black Cat which passes both these tests perfectly.I honestly think there isn't a stand to beat it.”

Congratulations to The Ladies Association of the British Barbershop Singers (LABBS) on retaining their title at the European Female Chorus Championship which was held March 14th to 17th at The Koningshof in Veldhoven, Netherlands.

Marion Morley from LABBS speaking to Alice Dagger, marketing manager for Black Cat Music, said, “It was a fantastic international convention hosted by Holland Harmony. The Ladies Association of the British Barbershop Singers (LABBS) are delighted to announce that they retained the championship.”

“Congratulations also to The Mix - a new champion European female quartet . All-in-all the event was a great celebration of female choruses!”

Black Cat Music is offering Wenger all black Bravo Music Stands at a reduced price throughout April.

The Bravo Music Stand is designed and engineered to high quality standards to provide a long, trouble-free life. Bravo’s polypropelene desk will not chip, bend or scratch and includes a useful accessory shelf, handy for keeping pencils or reeds to hand. Height is adjustable in just a single smooth motion, from 61 cm to 116 cm. Wenger’s premier heavy-duty stand usually retails at £69.60, but can now be owned for £62.64 plus VAT and delivery.

Full details and the offer which applies to the black stand and black base versions is published on Black Cat Music web site.