Space & Sound Challenge

This intimate live music pub and event space is set in a converted Victorian building in a UK city centre, hosting local indie gigs, acoustic sets, spoken word nights and small comedy shows, with a capacity of around 120. The original space has thick brick walls, a high bare ceiling and timber floors, resulting in uneven sound distribution and boomy low-frequency response. Vocals get lost in the mix, and audience chatter carries easily back to the stage and across the room. The venue prides itself on high-quality intimate live sound, so targeted acoustic tuning was needed to upgrade the audience experience.

Tailored Acoustic Strategy

Side and rear walls feature a grooved and perforated resonant acoustic panel system, paired with mineral wool infill and rear air cavities. Based on the venue’s volume and layout, the slot and perforation ratios are tuned to target 250–1000Hz mid-low frequency standing waves — the primary cause of muddy sound and boomy bass. The overall system achieves an NRC rating of 0.90, delivering balanced full-band sound absorption suitable for both live music and spoken word events. The ceiling area uses high-density fiberglass acoustic tiles, NRC 0.90–0.95, to control overhead reflections and improve overall sound field uniformity across the whole venue. All panels meet EN 13501 Class A fire safety standards for UK public assembly venues.

On-Site Results

Sound distribution evens out across all standing and seating areas, with clearer vocals and tighter, more defined bass response. Audience chatter is less likely to carry across the space or back to the stage. The venue can now reliably host a wider range of events — from quiet acoustic sets to full band gigs and spoken word comedy — and audience feedback on sound quality has improved notably.