What usually goes wrong
- The Lombard effect: everyone raises their voice in turn.
- Live music overwhelms the room.
- Neighbors complain.
The main noise sources are crowds, live music and the sound system. Sound bounces off hard walls, floors and ceilings, so it lingers and builds up. Absorbing panels soak up those reflections.
Where the panels go
- Ceiling clouds or baffles over the main floor.
- 4 in panels on the wall behind the stage.
- Panels opposite the bar.
Mistakes to avoid
- Expecting panels to fix noise reaching the neighbors.
- Thin panels in a room with live bass.
Fire rating and codes
Assembly occupancy: Class A finishes; check occupant load and exit lighting are not obstructed.
Blocking sound between rooms
Panels make a room sound better, but they don’t stop sound passing through a wall. For that you need a wall assembly rated around STC 60, if there is live music next to homes. Read about STC ratings and soundproofing.
Recommended
Panels that suit bars
Learning center
14 guides for bars
Acoustic panels for bars: the complete guideWhat makes bars noisy, which panels fix it, and how to plan treatment from start to finish.How many acoustic panels does a bar and brewpub need?A worked Sabine calculation for a typical bar, with panel counts for small, typical and large rooms.Where to put acoustic panels in a bar and brewpubWhere panels do the most good in bars, in priority order.Wall acoustics for barsHow walls behave acoustically in bars and how to treat them with panels.Ceiling acoustics for barsClouds, baffles and ceiling tiles for bars, and how much of the ceiling to cover.Choosing panel thickness for a bar and brewpub1, 2 or 4 inches: which thickness suits bars and why.Reverberation time targets for barsThe reverberation time to aim for in bars, and why it matters.What acoustic treatment costs for a bar and brewpubBudget estimates for treating a typical bar, and where the money goes.Fabrics, colors and shapes for barsFabric types, colors and shapes that work in bars.Fire ratings and code requirements for panels in barsFire ratings, occupancy rules and mounting requirements for panels in bars.Installing acoustic panels in a bar and brewpubTools, hardware and step-by-step installation for panels in bars.Common acoustic mistakes in barsThe errors we see most often in bars, and how to avoid them.Soundproofing and STC ratings for barsWhen bars need soundproofing, which STC rating to aim for, and how to get there.Bar and brewpub acoustics checklist and FAQA one-page checklist and answers to common questions about bar acoustics.