Direct Acoustics collaborated with Tilgate Park, a council-owned recreational park located in West Sussex, to develop a sustainable acoustic mitigation solution that would help them obtain planning permission for a permanent marquee. The goal was to meet the high demand for weddings at the park while addressing the challenge of controlling sound levels for nearby residents living just 200m away.
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This summer, the team headed to Ibiza to install our Zone Array directional speaker system for a party tipi in a residential villa.
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The Ferry House
Demonstration to installation
On the Isle of Sheppey resides the gorgeous Ferry House, a 16th-century venue that has been lovingly restored to preserve its heritage and country character. Ferry House offers a rustic oak barn and a waterside oak gazebo with a perfect panorama overlooking the private gardens and sea estuary, as well as a stunning events suite.
Here at Direct Acoustics, we were delighted to have the pleasure of proposing a sustainable acoustic mitigation solution fitting the events marquee with our most advanced flagship technologies to significantly reduce the breakout of amplified music whilst still maintaining high-quality audio.
To prove concept, and ensure the acoustic impact at the residential dwelling positioned 186m away was significantly reduced, whilst also improving upon disturbance generated within the Ferry House’s hotel rooms which are in very close proximity to the events marquee, Direct Acoustics undertook a demonstration of our 64x panel Zone Array directional speaker system.
This cold winter’s demo proved the Zone Array could meet pertinent acoustic criteria in the quietest conditions at the nearest receptor, but to see a significant improvement inside the venue’s hotel rooms just 30m away, an additional mass barrier would be required in the form of our MAL22 acoustic lining.
The Ferry House hosts over 70 events per year in the quiet & flat landscape of the Isle of Sheppey
A MAL22 acoustic lining enclosure and 64x panel Zone Array dedicated to containing both amplified and non amplified noise sources to a dedicated area.
Hosting back to back weddings whilst vastly reducing the acoustic impact on not just the neighbours but also on the venues own hotel rooms a matter of metres away.
March 2022 saw Direct Acoustics begin our installation at The Ferry House, initially installing our MAL22 acoustic lining into the walls, roof and gable-end of the venue’s HTS TENTIQ clearspan marquee creating a dancefloor enclosure with a single open-fronted end.
The purpose of the enclosure is to deflect and contain noise generated from reaching both receptors positioned behind the dancefloor but will still allow guests, situated in the marquee to walk in and out of the enclosure freely.
To gain additional control of amplified music, our Zone Array system was implemented inside this acoustic enclosure along with a Symetrix Prism Process Limiter. Every unique solution we provide ensures control takes priority and disturbance at nearby residential dwellings becomes a non-issue. Whilst the Zone Array localises low frequency onto the dancefloor, our installed limiters manipulate every frequency and volume level emitted through each individual speaker to ensure the system does not cause complaints.
Perfect for venue-operators looking to take back control and grow their business with more frequent late-night events, whilst leaving the environment and neighbours in peace.
Aesthetically our Zone Array system can be invisible to guests, its slim 70mm thickness means it can be installed and hidden behind the lining of the events marquee, allowing the venue to keep control of its curated aesthetic.
Awesome Events is a leader in the events industry, hosting and organising the best in conferences, summer parties, christmas parties, awards and much more. Awesome Events, part of the Awesome Group, offers an all in one events solution providing everything from quirky venues to bespoke stages and set builds, as well as A/V solutions and full event management.
Run by Denis McCourt, the Awesome team first approached Direct Acoustics back in 2009 upon acquiring their first venue in Bloomsbury, in which they wanted to develop it into an events space using a big top circus tent and clearspan marquee over a six week Christmas period. Awesome was keen to run back-to-back shared and exclusive corporate Christmas parties and needed a proven sound solution to keep Camden council, and his Bloomsbury neighbours, happy.
Preventing amplified music from not just bleeding between two venues a matter of metres apart but also meeting Camden Council’s inaudibility target at the nearest noise sensitive receptors, situated just 45m away.
Prove the concept to the Awesome Events team and Camden Council Environmental Health Department & then implement multiple Zone Array installations within two central London venues.
Planning and licensing permission granted and a decade of successful Christmas corporate event runs.
The venue itself had historic amplified music noise complaints and due to the sheer size of the space (2000 capacity) plus the clever way that Awesome had split it up into four spaces, meant that multiple office Christmas parties could be hosted at any one time. Unsurprisingly multiple events playing separate DJ sets at the same time was always going to be a challenge to control.
To prove the effectiveness of our equipment, specifically our Zone Array directional speaker system, we had proposed that Direct Acoustics set up a demonstration of the Zone Array within the Bloomsbury Coram’s Fields, without any structure in place to show the Awesome team and Camden Council how the system performed in a worst case scenario.
Being in the centre of town, there was a consistently high L90 background ambient due to the nonstop hustle and bustle generated from passing traffic – which played into our favour during the demonstration. The venue is surrounded on all four sides by residential dwellings and student housing, the latter being just 45m from the venue source and so deemed by the council as the most noise sensitive location. A combination of the high background level and the significant directionality of the Zone Array proved amplified music to be inaudible at the student housing.
Once Camden Council signed the Zone Array off as a feasible mitigation solution, Awesome Events committed to installing a number of our systems into their Big Top Circus Tent, and also into the neighbouring Fountain Room, to allow the team to run two events simultaneously and successfully for the last decade.
The Awesome team is constantly on the hunt for additional London sites to grow their corporate Christmas market. Our Zone Array has now provided the ability to open up a potential pool of sites which before the Awesome team may not have considered as they feel safe in the knowledge that our technology will meet the required noise criteria to host their long event runs.
Ever wondered what makes a cracking Christmas corporate party? Head over to our latest blog post for a few pointers.
Whilst 2020 has, unfortunately, seen many venues have to close their doors, there have been a few new ventures giving it ago and during Christmas last year we were asked to consult on an exciting, trendy new venue in Shepherd’s Bush London: The Hawk’s Nest.
A wicked concept; outdoor cocktail bar meets pizzeria, the Hawk’s Nest consists of an indoor area and outdoor covered seating area full of flowers and vast wall art in an open and covered seating area.
Running parallel to the railway line, to the west of the Hawk’s Nest at a higher level is a block of flats. The flats were the nearest residential dwellings and were unsurprisingly at risk of being disturbed by patron noise.
An outside venue looking to achieve planning permission, needing to control the general hubbub of people noise in a relatively residential area of West London, with close proximity to flats in the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
MAL16 marquee acoustic linings to line the roof of the structure and contain noise within the covered seating area.
Planning and license permission granted and the continuation of a successful business relationship.
To get a handle on the level of work required to combat any noise pollution and to help us analyse and suggest a mitigation strategy, Direct Acoustics gathered underlying data when the venue was open and when it was closed. Over the 10 hour period that the venue was open, an average 64.8dB LAeq was established compared to over the same period when the venue was closed, an average of 51.5dB LAeq.
To meet reasonable internal bedroom target levels as set out by World Health Organisation (WHO) of 35dBA LAeq and considering their statement: “It should be noted that it should be possible to sleep with a bedroom window slightly open (a reduction from outside to inside of 15 dB)” the goal for The Hawk’s Nest was to not exceed an average of 50dB LAeq and the property facade during the venue’s operational hours.
Considering the 15dB broadspectrum reduction required, Direct Acoustics proposed the implementation of our MAL16 acoustic linings to be installed into the roof and gable ends of the existing marquee. As the structure of the marquee was constructed within two large brick 4m + walls, linings were not needed in the walls, unlike typical marquee set ups.
Once the lockdown had lifted, it was happy drinking for the punters of West London!
The acoustic linings that we manufacture are highly proficient at containing sound within any structure. The MAL range which we used at The Hawks Nest is specifically designed for and fabricated to slide directly into the structural frame of the marquee. This lining provides a high degree of control to non-amplified sounds such as the laughter, cheering and chinking of glass found in any bar.
We manufacture our acoustic linings in two weights dependent on the sound reduction required:
MAL16 (2.6kg/m2) – 16dB Rw
MAL22 (6.9kg/m2) – 22dB Rw
The composite make-up employed utilises both absorption and mass to create the most effective acoustic marquee lining available. After spending years researching and developing sound solutions, Direct Acoustics now manufactures our own line of acoustic and thermal linings at our workshop in Sussex. The linings are unparalleled in the industry and have undergone UKAS accredited lab tests to identify their frequency specific sound reduction index.
If you would like to find out more, get in touch with the team today.
Stanbrook Abbey
Our second installation for the Handpicked Hotel Group, Stanbrook Abbey Hotel is a former Grade II listed monastery, and retains many of the original features making it a charming setting for a wedding. And so it’s no wonder that the venue hosts over 100 events every year and were keen to install a permanent marquee in the grounds to cater for larger receptions.
Stanbrook Abbey’s closest neighbours are just 91 meters away, and to obtain planning permission for the marquee, a noise impact and feasibility assessment had to be submitted.
The timeline consisted of Direct Acoustics obtaining underlying background levels without an event in operation (the lowest measured at Stanbrook was 25.19dB LA90). From there we ascertained the level of mitigation required by running a set of calculations with music at viable operational levels using a point source datum.
To give you an idea about the ambient range, the lowest ambient we have recorded is 17.2dB LA90 at Oakley Hall in Hampshire and the highest was 56.5dB LA90 at The Bloomsbury Big Top in Corums Fields, Central London. 25dB to 35dB is our average gathered L90 within the UK and Ireland based upon 250 sites Nationwide.
Stanbrook Abbey hosts over 100 events a year all with finishing times post 11pm and neighbours just 91m away.
To allow the Abbey to secure their planning permission for an event marquee, we utilised our bespoke acoustic linings and Zone Array directional speaker system.
Planning permission was successfully granted with no appeals and the marquee has been operational for over two years with no complaints.
Direct Acoustics were approached to work in conjunction with the acoustic consultants, production company and marquee supplier to create a bespoke solution for the event. Considering the proximity, low ambient level and required volume level on the dancefloor it became clear that we’d need to employ our full range of products to meet the brief.
At this operational level through a standard point source speaker system and utilising the inverse square law to predict the correlating level at the NSD, we ended up with a level of 55dBA. Considerably higher than the 25dB LA90 background level!
Using real world propagation over distance data gathered with our Zone Array directional speaker system (frequency specific data can be provided upon request), the music noise level was reduced to 41dB, a significant improvement but still 16dB above the required 25dB target level.
Fortunately our MAL16 acoustic lining provided suitable attenuation upon the overall level and across the frequency spectrum to ensure the 25dB background level was not exceeded when events were taking place.
Planning permission was successfully granted with no appeals and the marquee has been operational for over two years now, all without complaint.
If you’re looking to obtain a licence or planning for a permanent development then there’s a few important things to consider.
Answers to these questions will determine the acoustic criteria your local environmental health department will expect you to meet and how much mitigation, if any, would be required to comply.
Head over to our Noise Impact Assessment page for further information on how we work with acoustic consultants to get you planning or give us a call and we would be happy to discuss the process over the phone.
The Venue
Situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty, just outside of Henley-on-Thames, The Venue is a peaceful weekend retreat, perfect for getting away from it all. When hosting weddings throughout the summer, the wedding party usually takes the whole country house and potter about the various zones within the property for a long weekend or week.
The property has close neighbours and had an historic amplified music issue, which was addressed in the barn with our Zone Array directional speakers, allowing them to meet their licensing requirements. On occasion, during a particularly loud wedding breakfast, the ambient in the day went from 45dB to a quick 10 second peak of 55dB. Due to the issues in the past, The Venue decided to nip this in the bud, before it inconvenienced the neighbours too much.
A venue with historic amplified noise issues needed the ability to control the hubbub during wedding breakfasts and daytime activities.
Zone Array in the barn to control amplified music and a custom designed soundproof enclosure to keep noise levels under control.
Even the rowdiest of parties would now not disturb the neighbours!
Controlling amplified music at a wedding venue can be relatively simple when implementing the correct acoustic design and management mitigation steps, because recorded amplified music in general, is constant when you have a fixed volume level.
Controlling the hubbub (loud noise or many voices talking at once), however, presents more of a challenge. Wedding guests can be raucous or meek in equal measure and a hilarious best man/women speech can raise the laughter and applause levels without warning.
Working with the management team we designed a compact soundproof permanent enclosure on the property. A space designed to host the wedding breakfast and any other daytime activities with a heavy amount of sound insulation, to control even the rowdiest of parties. It utilised 10.8mm acoustics glass wrapped in an oak timber frame, our heavyweight MAL22 acoustic linings in the roof and two acoustic door sets. A rather lovely example of functional beauty we think.
Syon Park
A 21st birthday party that posed the challenge of needing to deliver exceptional volume levels with people sleeping less than 80m’s away. We created a one of a kind marquee to achieve it.
The 200 acre London residence of the Duke of Northumberland with its grand 16th century house makes Syon Park a picturesque and unique venue. Looking to celebrate a 21st in style, the client chose the site but understood it couldn’t accommodate the size or style they desired and opted to use a temporary marquee attached to the rear for the main party.
However, this posed an issue, less than 50m’s from the marquee were a number of houses. The proximity of these dwellings meant noise disturbance would be an issue, especially with the client wishing to party until 4am
Unrestricted dancefloor level and a 4am finish time with neighbours less than 80m’s away meant any typical audio setup would always cause a noise poblem
Employing multiple layers of composite soundproofing including our innovative Acoustic Lining alongside the Zone Array, unique bass floor and standard PA we created a one off acoustically enclosed marquee
Working alongside multiple organisations we ultilised a control at source and boundary strategy to allow a 100dB dancefloor level with no impact to nearby residents
Direct Acoustics were approached to work in conjunction with the acoustic consultants, production company and marquee supplier to create a bespoke solution for the event. Considering the proximity, low ambient level and required volume level on the dancefloor it became clear that we’d need to employ our full range of products to meet the brief.
After extensive planning and coordination with all parties we formulated a mitigation plan. Our team, collaborating closely with suppliers, worked within a tight timeline to install the solution in the 15x15m marquee with a 4m leg.
We fitted a double layer of our marquee acoustic linings combined with traditional soundproofing in the marquee totaling 4000Kg’s, achieving an impressive 48dB Rw Ctr.
A 112 panel Zone Array was installed in conjunction with a standard PA and a unique vibrating bass floor giving the acoustic consultants complete control over volume and frequency specifics.
The consultants were onsite to monitor the event and reported running the dancefloor at 100dB whilst having no audible impact on the nearby residents. In fact they ended up turning down the system because it was too loud for the guests!
The combination of the bass floor and Zone Array created a unique setup complimenting each other. They delivered great results across the spectrum of sound whilst maintaining complete control in where and how much sound was present. Add in the extensive soundproofing we installed to absorb the excess sound energy and we ended up with a one of a kind environment that performed beyond expectations!
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Established as England’s first ever public picture gallery, Dulwich Picture Gallery is a unique and architecturally intriguing venue.
The events team have been holding events for years, predominantly within the gallery itself however occasionally the need for larger parties to be held within the grounds of the venue arises.
Historically a few events have seen noise complaints occur, understandably considering neighbouring properties are just 83 metres away. This proved an issue for one particular couple who needed to obtain a TENS licence from Southwark Council. As is becoming often with granting TENS applications, Dulwich Picture Gallery needed to prove noise emissions could be controlled to meet relevant criteria and ensure complaints would not occur.
A wedding party needed unrestricted volume limits but with houses only 83m’s away any typical setup wouldn’t be able to offer the control to get permission
Zone Array directional speakers and a combination of MAL16/MAL22 acoustic linings.
Dancefloor levels of 98dB were achieved while the boundary readings did not exceed 43dB
Direct Acoustics compiled a site specific acoustic mitigation design, incorporating the bride and grooms need for an 8 piece jazz band, 1am finish and uncompromised dancefloor volume levels.
After a night of ambient data gathering for Richard, a venue specific noise management plan and regular mediation, Southwark Council approved the TENS application in the knowledge that our heavyweight 22dB acoustic lining and Zone Array speaker system will be used to full effect to create a soundproof marquee dance tent
Within the incredibly tight timeline we installed a 80 panel Zone Array above the dancefloor and fitted the marquee facing the nearby residents with our Acoustic Linings.
During the event we had a acoustic engineer taking measurements, relaying this information to a sound engineer in the marquee who could control the overall volume and specific frequencies.
The combination of the high directionality of the Zone Array with the acoustic absorption of the lining meant we were able to provide 98dB on the dancefloor while at the boundary maintaining only 43dB even while a 8 piece jazz band played! The client was ecstatic at how well the night went and the gallery very pleased with the results and lack of any complaints.
Malta Camp
Summer of 2018 Direct Acoustics worked with the Order or Malta charity to deliver a week of partying for 500 young people with disabilities
The Order of Malta worked hard to organised week of activities and adventures had been organised for the 500 young people and their carers with each day finishing up with a night of partying. To accommodate the number of guests the organisers chose to erect a marquee in a schools field giving them the flexibility of size and logistics of transporting that many people. However, less than 200m’s from the marquee across open fields were a number of residential properties. The organisers approached us to provide insight into the likely impact of music late into the night, our engineers spent an evening collecting ambient data and modeled a typical PA setup with this information. The results weren’t encouraging, any standard sound system would result in significant disturbances to the residents and have a high possibility of leading to a noise complaint that could shut down the much anticipated party.
Five nights of loud music and guests in a standard 5m clear span marquee with houses only 200m’s away that needed to be able to go on late into the night.
A 144 panel highly directional Zone Array with precise control over volume combined with the noise mitigating capabilities of our heaviest lining installed throughout the marquee. With acoustic engineers attending each event.
We created an acoustically sealed marquee that allowed the dancefloor to sit at an impressive 99dB with the boundary at only 40dB. The guests danced the night away while the neighbours slept peacefully.
With careful consideration of the clients requirements for required volume level and late finishing time we developed a solution that combined Direct Acoustics strongest tools and experience.
We proposed the use of our heaviest weight acoustic lining that can absorb up to 16dB of sound be installed throughout the marquee. This would create a acoustically treated environment that would cut out the unamplified noise and aid significantly with amplified music.
Developed to fit within the Kader track of a clear span marquee the acoustic lining was the perfect soundproofing solution for this event. We were able to install during the erection of the marquee keeping to a tight timeline required by the client.
However, alone the acoustic lining wasn’t going to be enough to mitigate against amplified music. Our highly directional Zone Array with it’s ability to isolate the bass frequencies to just the dancefloor and exceptional volume drop off over distance compared to a standard PA was required.
We installed 144 Zone Array Panels in a dispersed configuration to give the greatest distribution of sound across the large dancefloor whilst maintaining the directionality engineered into the system. To achieve the greatest results we provided an acoustic and sound engineer on site for all five events to closely monitor the levels on the dancefloor and boundary.
The combination of the three tools used, the Acoustic Lining, Zone Array and our onsite presence resulted in five nights of fun for the guests and five nights of peaceful rest for the neighbours. We were able to maintain a more than respectable 99dB on the dancefloor while not exceeding 40dB at the boundary, well within the acceptable limits.
No noise complaints were lodged and the client was exceptionally happy with the results of the system and event!