Sound Design for the multiplex

Functions of Sound

(A) Airborne Sound Insulation :

The insulation against noise originating in
air, e.G. Voices, music, motor traffic, wind. A
noise source in one room sends air pressure
waves which induce vibration to one side of
a wall or element of structure setting it
moving such that the other face of the wall
vibrates in an adjacent room. Structural
isolation therefore becomes an important
consideration in the acoustic design of
buildings. The most important acoustic
control method is adding mass into the
structure, such as a heavy dividing wall,
which will usually reduce airborne sound
transmission better than a light one.

(B) Impact Sound Insulation : the insulation

against noise originating directly on a structure by blows or vibration e.g.
footsteps above, furniture being moved, drilling and hammering the structure.

A noise source in one room results

from an impact of an object onto a
separating surface, such as a floor
and transmits the sound to an
adjacent room. A typical example
would be the sound of footsteps in
a room being heard in a room
below. Acoustic control measures
usually include attempts to isolate
the source of the impact, or
cushioning it. For example carpets
will perform significantly better
than hard floors.

Impact Transmission

 Flanking Transmission
A More Complex Form Of Noise Transmission, Where The Resultant

Vibrations From A Noise Source Are Transmitted To Other Rooms Of

The Building Usually By Elements Of Structure Within The Building.
For Example, In A Steel Framed Building, Once The Frame Itself Is
Set Into Motion The Effective Transmission Can Be Pronounced.

Problem: Good Wall Design But Poor Noise Reduction

Cause: Flanking Transmission Along The Top Layer Of A Concrete Floor.

Solutions:

Avoid Installing Floor Systems That Are Rigidly Connected Under A

Lightweight Wall. Flanking Sound Can Travel Along The Top Layer Or In The Joist To
Radiate In The Room On The Other Side Of The Wall. Eliminate By Introducing A Break
In The Structure As Shown In Figures.

Functions of Sound in the Theatre

o Functions and Conventions of Sound
1. Acoustic ability to hear the actor
2. Reinforcement amplify the actor, singer,
orchestra for audibility
3. Atmosphere or ambience, creates mood or
aural environment
4. Framing Preshow, Intermission and Curtain
Call effects and music,
can establish time period, location, mood and
style
5. Transition Bridge scenes, suggest changes
of time or location
6. Underscore reinforces psychological content
of moments, not
heard by the actors, may function as a leitmotif
or theme
7. Spot Effects momentary sounds to highlight
a specific moment,
can be practical (phones, thunderclaps) or
stylistic
8. Featured Music program music in an opera
or musical or music
required by the script, may follow any of the
above conventions
9. Voice Over recorded speech.

o Aspects of Sound Cues

1. Volume
2. Fade change of volume, includes time to
complete change
3. Focus relation of the cue to the action, voices
and environment
4. Mix relation of separate sound elements in a
cue
5. EQ Equalization, altering the frequencies
present
6. Location where the sound comes from,
speaker location
7. Movement the transition of a sound between
locations
8. Cueing placement of the cue in the script or
score

o Styles of Sound Design

1. Realistic sounds function as close to reality as
possible
o The Intent of Sound Cues
1. Why is the cue there, what is its
function?
2. Is the sound associated with a
particular character?

Strong attention paid to factual detail, toilet flushes,

music from
practical (functioning) radios, phone rings; clearly
represent reality

3. What is the psychological intent?

May use preshow and intermission music, but little

underscore

4. What is the period, time and location?

2. Cinematic variation on realism

5. Interaction with the actors and the

world of the play

Extensive use of ambience and environment, very

detailed

6. Reinforce the action onstage

Involved musical underscoring, leitmotifs for

characters

7. Illustrate and support emotion

8. Create focus

3. Representational sparser form of cinematic

realism

9. Dramaturgy Leitmotif and

foreshadowing

Environments introduce scene and then fade out or

use single element to establish locale

Music is more specifically used.

4. Abstract sounds reflect the artists interpretation
of the world
Can be impressionistic or expressionistic, design is
conceptualized
Sounds are distorted, unnatural or used in a different

Sound Absorption Measurements

In the theatre, 6 mm multiplex panels on a 25mm cavity filled with low-density foam
were used as low frequency, sound absorption material. The absorption of these
types of materials relies on the resonance of the panel at a typical frequency. The
absorption coefficients of the 400 m wooden panels had to be estimated for the
ODEON prediction model. The resonance frequency was determined by recording
the sound when tapping on the panels using DIRAC external input and a
microphone.

Wooden panels as
sound absorption

From the recording, the resonance

frequency of the panels could be
determined from a clear peak in the FFT
spectrum graph. The resonance
frequency of the wooden panels seemed
to lie in the 250 Hz octave band
(theoretically 200 Hz). This explains the
shape of the reverberation time curve
which has a dip at the 250 Hz octave
band.

Promising sound absorbing materials were

gathered at the nearby market in the
slums. These are the only materials
directly available to the theatre. One of
these materials is a low-density foam that
is used for cushions and mattresses. The
cushions could be used as baffles and the
mattresses could be put against walls and
ceiling.
The sound absorption of the cushions has
been tested in an improvised laboratory
setup in an empty reverberant room inside
the theatre. The baffles proved to be sound
absorbing up to 100% for frequencies from
125 to 4000 Hz. The mattresses proved to
be sound absorbing comparable to mineral
wool of the same thickness.

Cushions used as sound

absorbing
baffles

Measured Speech
Intelligibility values
using a small
loudspeaker sound
source

Noise and vibration control in

multiplex cinemas

Junction box treatment:- as wall

treatment

Floating floor construction method

Acoustic Cinema
Neighboring auditoriums should be separated with

partition walls of approximately 85 db 18-20000 hz.

Acoustic deflecting surfaces on the ceiling with low
acoustic delay difference time.
The reverberation time can increase with increasing
room volume and decrease from 0.8-0.2 secs from
low to high frequency.
The rear wall behind the last row of seats should be
sound absorbent to prevent echo.

Acoustic Treatment Done In

Auditorium
ACOUSTIC TREATMENT
A double layered gypsum board(2 x 15 mm thick) for false ceiling with
100 mm thick fiber glass(32 kg/cum) .
For walls fiber glass(32 kg/cum) of 100 mm thickness and black tissue
facing is supported in 100 mm GI stud frame work@610mm c/c with
chicken mesh on both sides of insulation with air gap.
The side walls have been treated with 100 mm thick fiber glass (12
kg/cum ) supported in 100 mm GI stud framework @ 610 mm c\c with
chicken mesh for air gap and finally fixing 2 layers of gypsum board ( 15
mm thick ) over GI frame work.
The side walls above 2400 mm have been treated with 50 mm thick
fiber glass (32 kg\cum) with black tissue facing supported in 48 mm GI
stud framing @ 610 mm c\c with chicken wire mesh.
Fix 100 mm thick acoustic panels comprising 100 mm thick fiber glass (
80 kg/cum ) wrapped with acoustically transparent fabric supported in
100 mm GI stud framework with one side chicken wire mesh & other
side finished with perforated GI sheet. The panel is to be mounted on
single layer of 15 mm thick gypsum board fixed on the wall with GI
section.

Slap Echoes and reverbation

When surround sound evolved, the Academy directive stated

that the story must not be dependant on the added sound

tracks.
An audience attending a mono only cinema must be able to
understand the story. Because excessive slap echoes and
reverberation destroy intelligibility and stereo imaging, the
added sound tracks have limited effect.
Many films are produced with dialogue from the center
speaker only, left-right and surrounds minimally used similar to
the percentages shown in the below pic.

 A simple hand clap at the front of the

cinema will reveal the slap echoes

across the walls floor and ceiling
which evolve into reverberation, and
will be clearly heard.
As a general rule the first early
reflections within 30 milli-seconds are
heard as being part of the direct
sound. Whereas after 30 milliseconds the later slap echoes and
reverberation are heard as being
from the room.
But most often the sound from the
speakers will be continuous and
constantly generating slap echoes
and reverberation throughout the
cinema room, which becomes
included within the following

 COCONUT HUSK,

MATTING, BATTENING

Conclusion
As the building has been renovated and converted into a cineplex , as

expected it has not been given those bright and vibrant lighting as is
seen generally in other cineplexes , rather out here the lighting is very
subtle and classic sort , which has been done on purpose as all the
interiors of the building are done in the classic style.
Being a cineplex one of the main concern for the people running it

was the acoustics of the building , which they have taken lots of pain to
make efficient.