PS 8 Sound System
By Wendy Azzouni
Concerts, plays, movies, and meeting all are sounding much better at PS8 now that a snazzy sound system has been brought out of the closet and into the light of day.
The sound system, which includes four large speakers, was first used for the Holiday show on December 23. Since then, students have viewed, and clearly heard, educational films and other shows, including the inauguration of President Obama.
"We did movie night with it, and it was really like being in a movie theater," Principal Phillips said. "An occasional kid talking is overpowered by the big sound from the speakers."
The sound system, which was purchased with magnet grant money several years ago, had been in a closet in the auditorium and pulled out only for special occasions, such as the Paddlewheeler's music show. Meanwhile, during other performances and events, including PTA meetings, audience members would have to strain to hear.
PTA co-president Joanne Singleton, a professor at Pace University, serendipitously met musician and sound designer Scott O'Brien, an adjunct professor at Pace. O'Brien came to assess the PS8 auditorium during a choral rehearsal that effectively demonstrated its echo chamber quality.
"The walls are not our friend," he said, but suggested some minor changes that would help. The sound system, which was locked in the closet, is actually very good, he said. He suggested that rather than saving the sound system for special occasions, PS8 should use it to overcome some of the other acoustical issues of the auditorium that will take more time to fix.
The speakers can sit on the stage or be placed in stands at a higher level so that the sound will bathe the whole room even more effectively. The two large speakers, weighing 50 pounds each, face the center of the room, while two smaller speakers face either side of the room.
The PTA purchased stands and several choral microphones from this years approved budget . The small choral microphones are placed on stands to pick up sound from a large area rather than just from one person speaking. This will make plays much more audible to the audience, without wiring each performer, according to Phillips.
Plans for future improvements include mounting a projector from the ceiling in order to simplify setup for the teachers. "We have to make it easy," he said. "It has to be plug and play." The current system allows I-pods and CD players to be plugged in.
O'Brien donated his services to PS8 because he is committed to helping kids, Singleton said. O'Brien also recommends that the school go ahead with its plan to hang heavy curtains and some kind of padding on the walls to absorb sound and reduce the echo. The PTA is working on that plan, and will use remaining approved budget funds for the next step in acoustical improvement, and will continue to raise funds as needed for ongoing acoustical improvements.
Posted on: January 26, 2009
