PA Scrim

[simonwest]

Hey Folks,

 

I was wondering as to whether any one could recommend a company that can produce good quality PA scrims ( with graphics ), but have a statement as to their sound transmission properties.

 

I am aware of many companies who do PA scrims, but I have not seen any that provide sound transmission data online. Emails so far have not proved fruitful.

 

 

If someone knows of a company, then if you could post it I would be grateful

 

 

Many thanks

 

Simon W

 

:D

[minty]

I can recommend Sunbaba, they have always been very helpful in the past,

 

+44 01638 507 684

 

Don't know weather they'll have the figures you require, but there fairly helpful people

 

HTH

 

M

[simonwest]

Thanks for that

 

If your wondering as to why I am asking,

 

It's for a classical outdoor event in which I have a hung array, I have been asked to provide a scrim to cover the PA hangs to allow for advertising etc...

 

Except as its classical event, I have critical listening and as we all know, pretty much any fabric infront of a PA will affect the sound in some way with respect to its sound reduction index etc....

 

For most Rock and Roll applications I am happy with a number of manufacturers scrims, but for classical with a critical listening audience, I might aswell attempt to go that extra mile!

 

 

M > I will contact that company and ask

 

In the mean time, does anyone else have any suggestions?

 

Many thanks

 

Simon W :** laughs out loud **:

[johnhuson]

As per Martins post, I would also very much recommend Sunbaba though I can't say if they'll give you transmission information. Having said that personally I think you may be worrying too much about the audiences perception. In my fairly extensive experience of outdoor classical events most of them are more interested in their food hampers and fine wines, than whether the PA scrim is effecting the audio. Also as it is an outdoor event then wind, humidity etc. is going to cause you far more audio problems than a PA scrim!

[minty]

I would imagine all any manufacturer could give is the standard absorption coefficients at the standard frequency intervals. However, as your putting this into a temporary outdoor rig, I'm not sure what useful info you could get from these. For starts you cannot accurately say how far from the scrim the hang will be (and they will both move slightly with the wind etc.) you can't predict the humidity and most important of all you can't predict the weather.

I am holding a sample of Sunbaba's 'DigiSound' which apparently is 'The Ultimate PA Scrim' and whilst I don't doubt the technologies used to design this product are probably mind bindingly clever, to me it seems light, strong, takes a good hi-res image, and most importantly fairly thin, which means it is only likely to absorb / reflect HF in anything like a noticeable way, and I doubt that even at the 8K plus area it will be a severe amount.

 

I'm not trying to be down on your attention to detail, but I wonder weather any data you can get hold of will actually help to produce any worthwhile results?

 

Also It has just occurred to me, that when I use a system outdoors with scrims in place, I usually eq the system after the scrims have gone up, maybe the reason I've never noticed them is that I have just compensated and added a little more hf on the FOH graphic?

 

Just a collection of rambling thoughts...

 

Martin

[Simon Lewis]

I'd agree that unless the scrim was particularly "opaque", other environmental factors would tend to dominate. Having heard an orchestra amplified through an old Turbo "Festival" system, (and having only just stopped the memories of 'chalk on blackboard' violin sounds!) getting a natural balanced sound will be more noticeable to the audience.

 

Also, these concerts tend to fall into two camps... The local council freebies, where the great unwashed sit and talk through music they don't know, clap at the wrong times and only listen to 'Rule Britannia' with 2 tonne of fireworks going off, and those who have paid loadsamoney to sit on damp grass and out do everyone else with their evening jackets and silver tableware.... ;-)

 

Simon

[simonwest]

Hi All

 

The reason for me asking this, is because the camp of people falls into the critical listening catergory....and also, I have a habit of applying attention to detail wherever possible.

 

I also ask this because, whilst working for another pro audio company where by there were PA scrims required. I did notice quite a large change in their so called 'transparent' scrims, and so forth makes me apply attention to detail wherever possible!

 

Granted in many situations I work in, there is an eliment of working on the fly as with everyone within our business, but as I have enough time to plan this event from a FX/LX/Staging point of view, theres no harm in doing a little homework.

 

Also, some (not all) PA scrims are transparent and pass audio very well. But, when it has rained (yes weather is a considerable factor anyway but just pass this to one side for the moment), it is possible for the rain water to gather in the scrim (soaking it up) causing a 'bulk' which hinders projection before its past 1m!. Although on this gig I am sure it wont happen as it is usually a hot day in the south, it kinda hences my reasoning for gaining enough knowledge about the scrim that will be purchased as possible, whilst being in a position to make an influence on the purchase (unlike most events in the audio world).

 

Hope this clarifies as to why I'm asking...

 

Many thanks for the responses so far, I appreciate them all...

 

Regards

 

Simon W