Steve Wall: Here's Why A 'Great' Installation is Often a Quiet One

Trying to devise a catchy name for this piece, I realized that, in general, a “great” audio installation can often be the most discreet one, the quietest, the one that’s the most unobtrusive, the one that you forget about.
But I’m getting way ahead of myself…
My introduction to the world of installation began in a church. I was 15 at the time and the church was going to be playing host to the Royal School of Church Music’s Millennium Youth Festival—a gathering of thousands of young people who would come together to sing and play music in the largest church in the country. It was my first experience of both a cathedral and a sound system that wasn’t designed to amplify a pop band. Instead of big, black speakers, the system was a Tannoy I Series, in white, built into the walls of the building. It was so discreet that, as an altar server, I helped prepare the church for the festival without realizing that there was even a sound system. It wasn’t until I was called upon to show the choir where they would be singing that I even noticed the Tannoys.
The amazing thing was that, despite the size of the cathedral, you could hear every word, every note, everywhere throughout the building. Or, at least you would have if the choir hadn’t been quite so terrible...
My second experience of a “properly” installed system was a few years later at Wycombe Abbey School in Buckinghamshire. Every summer, the school hosts a concert series featuring some of the world’s top chamber ensembles. As a young musician, with a voucher from the music department for a free ticket, I found myself sitting front and center, listening to the Schubert Octet performed by members of the Philharmonia Orchestra. The room was a converted chapel, with wooden-paneled walls and a beautiful vaulted ceiling. The system was hidden (I think it might have been a Bose Acoustimass), yet every note of the performance seemed to fill the room in a way that I had never experienced before.
Although I was too young at the time to properly understand the technicalities, the two systems described above both had one thing in common: they allowed the music to shine through, without ever drawing attention to themselves. The systems were designed to blend in with the environment and, quite literally, allow the music to do the talking.
In my humble opinion, this approach to installation is one that should be applied to any venue, regardless of size, budget, or application. Whether you’re designing a sound system for a cathedral, a school, or a concert hall, the most important thing is to make sure that the sound is clear, even, and intelligible throughout the space. In other words, it should be a sound system that allows the audience to focus on the music, not on the speakers.
Of course, there are some venues where a more “visible” sound system might be required. For example, in a sports stadium or a large outdoor venue, it might be necessary to use larger speakers that can project sound over a long distance. However, even in these situations, it is still possible to design a system that is as unobtrusive as possible. For example, the audio guys at the Olympic stadium in Beijing (AKA the Bird’s Nest) designed a system where the speakers were concealed within the fabric of the building itself.
As technology continues to develop, there are more and more options available for installing sound systems that are both discreet and effective. For example, there are now a number of very small, high-quality speakers that can be hidden in walls, ceilings, or even furniture. There are also a number of wireless systems that can be used to eliminate the need for unsightly cables.
Ultimately, the best sound system for any venue is the one that is designed to meet the specific needs of that space. However, regardless of the size, budget, or application, there is one rule that should always be followed: the sound system should never be the star of the show. It should be a supporting actor that allows the music to shine through.
Steve Wall is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, engineer, and journalist based in the UK. He is the founder of the online music magazine, MusicTech.net, and his work has appeared in publications around the world, including The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Independent.