Gymnasiums don’t have to have hard, reflective surfaces in every direction… The use of drapery with convention hall-style curtain rods could at least eat up some high-frequency reflections, as could office-style gobos. Both solutions can be surprisingly portable. Another clever trick to increase absorption is using soft-upholstered chairs.
Deploying a proper-sized P.A. for the space adds another plus. And if we can direct SPL where we want it to go (and away from where we don’t want it to go), we gain even more advantage, as does leveraging cardioid sub arrays. Keeping stage volume under control is another goal. Add them all up, and we can achieve decent quality audio and win the battle against those nasty, box-shaped multi-purpose spaces.
John McJunkin, from “Sound Sanctuary,” FOH, April 2024, page 35
