Due to the fact that Red Rocks Parks and Amphitheatre is an outdoor concert venue, you’re not likely to find any suspended ceilings or ceiling panels at this incredible Colorado tourist attraction. That being said, just like the ceiling design professionals at LA Ceilings, Red Rocks has its number of acoustic engineering challenges. Given that this outdoor venue features two massive red rocks (hence the name) on each side of the venue, it should come as no surprise that it took people awhile to optimize the sounds coming from the stage.
Looking At The Acoustical Challenges Of Red Rocks Amphitheatre
A Los Angeles Ceiling Service You Can Trust
So, we’re going to take a look at some of these acoustic challenges in today’s blog post from the acoustic ceiling professionals here at LA Ceilings. The next time your building needs ceiling installation, suspended ceilings, metal ceilings or wood ceilings in the Los Angeles area, trust the acoustic experts to do it right. Learn more about our services here.
Having No Walls Presents Challenges
There are many top-class acts booked for Red Rocks Amphitheatre each year, but the Colorado Symphony Orchestra is a local favorite. However, this presents issues with sound in terms of bouncing it back to the audience and musicians, as the outdoor venue has no real walls to do so. When artists play music outdoors, there’s no type of true shell structure that’s supporting and providing directional support for the acoustic instruments.
Indeed, when the Colorado Symphony Orchestra plays with another band at Red Rocks, it usually requires a team of four of five onstage managers plus two engineers in order to balance the sound of the band and the orchestra playing together.
High Altitude, Thin Air
Another unique acoustical challenge that an outdoor venue like Red Rocks presents is the fact that it’s high altitude – well over Denver’s “mile high city” moniker. This means that the air is thinner, thus affecting sound waves traveling through the air. Therefore, sound engineers have to provide a little bit more power to give the onstage sound just a little more “umph.” To do this, the sound team at Red Rocks uses roughly 80 onstage microphones that are each clipped onto an individual instrument. They also use a state-of-the-art PA system.
What’s also neat about how these sound engineers overcome these acoustic challenges is that the symphony itself is arranged in a strategic position. The musicians are arranged such that the sound from a loud rock instrument, like a kick drum, doesn’t bleed through the microphone of another quieter, softer instrument, such as a violin.
Weather Considerations
Having a large outdoor music venue means that adverse weather conditions always pose a threat. While our Los Angeles acoustic ceiling installations are performed indoors and adverse weather isn’t nearly as much as a consideration for proper acoustic design, it’s interesting to note how weather conditions can affect sound, whether it’s acoustic or amplified.
For example, howling winds can distort the volume of the music, especially if you’re a concertgoer that’s sitting up near the most exposed seats at the top of the amphitheater. Keeping expensive equipment dry is always a concern as well, which is something our ceiling installers can relate to, as we’d hate to have water or something else leak down from our acoustic ceilings and onto costly office equipment, furniture, and so forth.
Acoustic Ceiling Perfection Comes With Time And Experience
It took awhile for Red Rocks to get optimal sound for different shows figured out, and as a Los Angeles suspended ceiling company with over 37 years of experience, we understand. From business types like retail shops, banks, hotels, hospitals, churches, colleges and more, get a free acoustic ceiling quote from us today!