Sounds Good?

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We all talk about “good sound” but what is good sound in a hospitality context?

Good audio is like good visual, it’s very personal and an individual's perception

of quality sound can be very subjective. Having listened to studio recordings of

music tracks, these are very different to the presentation of music that most end

users expect to hear, and with the increased use of mp3 and headphones, the

appreciation of sound is further changing.

That aside, however, there are still some key characteristics that demonstrate

the basis of good sound.

So what should you listen out for?

Good sound should be evenly distributed throughout a space; as guests move
around an area they should receive a consistent audio experience.  Expanding
from this, you should consider your space layout. In adjoining areas where there
is no wall, door or physical barrier, or where the door will be open much of the
time, the sound will travel between adjoining spaces so you need to consider
how zonal sound can be used to create a more consistent experience for your
guests. A great sound system will also envelop you as you enter a space and
the actual sound sources should be hard to define.  This does not mean that
the sound needs to be loud, just seamless. In addition, the sound should be
balanced; there should not be too much or too little bass, mid or high frequency,
(unless of course, you are building a nightclub), and this mix should remain
balanced at both low and high volume levels. Another key area to consider is
where you might need less sound.  You may want lower sound levels in bar
areas and at service points to improve conversation and communication flow
between your customers and your team.

So what are the traps that lead to bad sound and how can these be avoided?

Considering audio hardware, there are certain things that you can do to maximise

the quality of your Hospitality sound.  

Unless you can get wall mounted speakers high above head height, installing these

in big spaces isn’t ideal, as they just make the perimeter of that space louder than

the centre and you don’t create a consistent audio experience.  Similarly, unless you

are on a stage or in a nightclub environment, splitting sound across separate bass

and mid high cabinets can often lead to unbalanced sound and should be avoided.

Using small speakers, although often considered aesthetically pleasing, cannot
supply a warm full sound.  A better alternative is the use of full range speakers,
possibly finished in a custom RAL colour to match your chosen decor, as these
can deliver superior sound whilst blending with your interior design.

Thinking about sound system design, considering the acoustics of a space is
also key in delivering the best possible sound.  Speakers pointing at or across
hard reflective surfaces will not generate good sound. Similarly, sound systems
created with many different areas and speakers but only a few amplifier channels
do not work.  To get great sound, different areas and speakers often need a
different amplifier channel and EQ. Finally, once the system design and hardware
have been considered, the music content needs to be addressed.  Not just what
tracks you are playing to evoke the right mood for your venue or for a particular
time of day, but the type of music format you are using to create the best possible
sound.  The quality at which a track is recorded makes a huge difference to the
end result of how that track sounds when it is played through a sound system.
No matter how good a sound system design and installation is, if you put in poor
quality music you get out louder poor quality music!  Conversely, with a well
designed and installed audio system, if you put in well-recorded music you get
out great sounding music.

To help with this and to avoid any of the legal copyright issues, look to professionally
curated music lists and fit these in a player.  This prevents your staff from putting on
their favourite tracks or from plugging in their phones which will help you to avoid
both legal and branding pitfalls.

So to make a hospitality venue sound good, good sound needs to make a sensory
engagement with your guests, and this can be achieved by the audio being an
integral part of the design, decor and planning of a new or refurbished space.

Design Led Sound Solutions from CGA Integration

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Holistic visual design
Have you ever been frustrated that your interior design is being compromised by the functional requirements of services? Do you have an eyesore of a white grill on a coloured ceiling, black boxes on white walls or maybe too many controls on the walls, with staff unable to get the consistency you planned and designed for?

If this sounds like an experience you are all too familiar with, CGA Integration can help you to address these aesthetic issues, whilst still enabling you to deliver the functional design that your client’s venue demands.

CGA can deliver speakers and grills resprayed to any RAL colour to ensure the integrity demands of your design, even after the services have been installed. With this available from CGA for all services, not just for sound equipment, we can help you to deliver a truly holistic visual design.

In addition, the control systems that CGA deploy not only deliver great sound but can also control; lighting, video, blinds, air conditioning and a whole range of other services. This enables you, the designer, to deliver a control platform for the whole environment, rather than creating a wall full of buttons to control varying parts of it!

So rather than planning how to layout a wall of switches, let us help you to change the conversation to talk about integration in the plant rooms and colours and fonts for the iPad control screens.

Addressing the soundscape
Taking things one step further, designs that encompass all the senses create a truly holistic guest experience. Although the visual design creates a wonderful first impression, hearing is one of our primary fight and flight senses; get the sound wrong in a venue and guests may never be comfortable in the space, no matter how wonderful it looks!

To generate the best sound, you need to ensure that the correct speakers and reproductive equipment are installed for the space. Not every sound system will deliver the right sound. How you hear sound in a space changes considerably with decorative finishes and also once it is occupied. CGA can help by creating the best sound system for your space, choosing and fitting the right equipment to deliver what your client needs it to do, throughout the day, every day.

Designed for the future 
Once you know that your design will both look and sound how you envisaged, how do you ensure that it stays that way, whilst still allowing flexibility and future proofing for your client?

Here at CGA we always plan for the future. With every sound system we create, we ensure spare cable runs to allow for changes to systems without the need for rewiring and we install digital control platforms which allow equipment to be monitored and tested by us remotely, (in real time), to ensure that all hardware is at it’s best at all times. These same digital control systems also allow systems to be reconfigured and reprogrammed easily with no hardware changes to repurpose or refresh a space for added peace of mind.

Why not talk to us about getting the sound system right for the space you are designing for. This might just add that final edge to your design; keeping your client’s guest’s spending and your client coming back to you for more great designs.

CGA Integration … Making hospitality sound great!

Fly your way to more events business

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CGA met with an Events Manager at a London hotel recently and a worrying statistic
emerged; 30% of potential customers for large-scale functions declined to book their
venue after viewing the ballroom, as there were no flying points.

The actual number of ‘lost clients’ is probably even higher, as many events
companies having previously visited would already know that flying points were
not available, so would not even consider the venue as a potential option in the first
place.

So if you have a good size function space, one which can cater for over 200 guests,
with a good height ceiling and no flying points, then maybe you too are missing out
on a large portion of the available business.

So what is a flying point?
Flying points are in principal big hooks or fixing points fitted to the structure of your
roof or ceiling. They allow events companies to hang equipment without having to
build up from the ground with stands or scaffolding, therefore leaving your events
space looking more like a purpose-built function space. 
A flying point also has the added safety benefit of being rated and tested with a
loading which specifies the weight of equipment that events company can hang or
fly from it.

So why do I need flying points in my events space?
There is a growing trend that companies booking hospitality spaces to host large
scale events are either events companies themselves, or the company making the
booking will be employing an events company to manage the occasion.

The events company will want to bring in speakers, lighting, video screens and
lots of other technology to make the occasion special or even spectacular!  All
of this equipment needs to be mounted, often at a high level, to allow visibility
and sound dispersion throughout the function room to create the desired effects.

Is there anything else I should consider?
If you are considering adding flying points to your events space, you must work
with a structural engineer to ensure that your building is capable of taking the
weight required to be hung.  If this is confirmed, engage a reputable rigging
company to ensure that they correctly install flying equipment in the right place,
with the correct weight loading capability required.

To ensure minimal visual impact, you may also choose to work with an interior
designer to enable that these flying points ‘disappear’ when they are not in use.
Although please remember it is paramount to let the structural engineer & rigging
company agree the location of these points NOT the designer, to ensure the
safety and functionality of the points.

Plan to maintain flying points in your annual budgeting.  As they are essentially
lifting gear, they need to be regularly tested to ensure that they are safe and
compliant with industry standards.

If you are investing in flying points to enable events companies to fly lots of
technology, you equally need to consider power and cable management. Think
about how best to supply a suitable amount of power to the points, some in the
roof space, as well as how the power will be routed from the floor of the venue
up to these flying points without having unsightly bundles of cables swinging around.

If you would like to find out more about installing flying points then please give us
a call on 0845 058 4652, email or maybe take a look at refurbishing your events
space on the CGA website and we can advise you how to start the process to
maximise the effectiveness of your critical events space.

CGA … making hospitality sound Great!