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Hebon ND Facility

Echo Eliminator Solves BIG Reverberation Problem in Hebron ND Facility!

Ted,
I wanted to thank you again for all your help and insight related to our acoustic tile installation for the City of Hebron, ND. I figured that an overview of how this all came to fruition would be in order.
To start, I was doing a show in Minot, ND when an individual from the Hebron City Council approached me about how to make a room to sound better, as their building had been constructed with not much thought into the audible environment. When they completed the room, there was a big problem – it sounded terrible in there. With almost 25 second reverb, it was impossible to understand anything spoken, let alone someone performing in the space. In this instance, we were looking for a modern, simple, cost efficient solution; one that is easy to install, has little liability, and tangible results. This led me to research new products available in the marketplace instead of just keeping with the status quote. As a result, I connected with Ted and he really hit a home run with us, his knowledge and ability to articulate what Bonded Acoustical Cotton can do on paper and in practice, was most comforting. He lent me some easy to understand formulas along
with clear communication about a very subjective topic “How the Room will Sound”. Once we sold it to our client, the only thing left was to install Echo Eliminator and prove that they had made the right choice.

The facility in Hebron was a fairly simple structure 60′ x 80′ with an Apex style roof that is 16′ at the eves and 22′ at the peak. It has sheetrock walls and ceiling, and a polished concrete floor. As you can imagine, this was a reflective nightmare to say the least. Surprisingly, it was almost aggravating to even be in the space, you couldn’t understand over half of what people said. This had almost become a source of discomfiture for city officials and they wanted it resolved quickly. I was happy that we hit our projected time-frame for the completion the project, and it also made the numbers $$$ work too. It was fascinating though how the room changed as we put up more and more tiles. At the start you could stand under an area that was treated and notice how the tiles above you affected the area you were in. If you went to an un-treated area of the room, it was foreign to hear the reflections. Speaking from a sound company’s point of view, we normally “fix it” by speaker placement and the number of cabinets we bring in, but in this instance, as we put up more and more tiles, the room became manageable and actually physically pleasant to be in, dare I say relaxing. This was not something I anticipated but it was amazing to experience. As a production provider, I would most certainly rather come into a room that have been treated correctly to begin with, than try to solve a rooms problems with equipment, time, and cost to the client. And worst of all, it’s the patron of that space or event who loses, because the entertainment or experience they paid for has been marginalized by an unfit environment. I came away with a new perspective on what you can do with a blank space, how it sounds, and how it feels. Going from 5 sec of reverb to about 2 sec of reverb was quite a difference. When a person talked, you felt closer to them, even in an open space– best of all. you didn’t miss a word. In closing, I hoped to translate what a great experience this has been. It has opened my eyes to another approach regarding indoor spaces and how they can sound. Ted is a wealth of knowledge and is quite skilled at how to communicate it. Bonded Acoustical Cotton is a fantastic product which I am sure we will continue to use for a long time. Thank you for your help, expertise, and support. We look forward to our next project.

Barrie Borchers
General Manager