A drum screen, sometimes referred to as a drum shield or acoustic shield, is a tool used by
audio engineer
An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...
s to avoid the sound control problems caused when louder instruments overwhelm quieter instruments and vocals on stage. It is a transparent
acoustic panel or system of panels that are used around
drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
s,
percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
s and possibly other loud musical instruments to acoustically separate unusually loud instruments from other musical instruments and vocalists who may be close by.
Composition
Drum screens are usually made out of a 0.22-inch (5.6mm) thick clear
acrylic
Acrylic may refer to:
Chemicals and materials
* Acrylic acid, the simplest acrylic compound
* Acrylate polymer, a group of polymers (plastics) noted for transparency and elasticity
* Acrylic resin, a group of related thermoplastic or thermosett ...
sheet material. A more expensive scratch-resistant or AR (abrasion-resistant) acrylic is also sometimes used for rugged use and touring applications.
While plastic drum screens perform fairly well as sound barriers, they reflect most sound that strikes them and so very little sound is actually absorbed. Therefore, it is usually recommended that some type of acoustic absorption product, such as
acoustic foam
Acoustic foam is an open celled foam used for acoustic treatment. It attenuates airbone sound waves, reducing their amplitude, for the purposes of noise reduction or noise control. The energy is dissipated as heat. Acoustic foam can be made in sev ...
, heavy curtains, acoustic panels, or absorption baffles be used on a significant percentage of the screen surface and opposite the screen in order to soak up and dissipate as much of the direct and reflected sound energy as possible.
Variations
In some applications where the performance area has high ceilings that reflect a large percentage of the sound, acrylic sheet is sometimes used to almost completely surround the loud instrument on all sides and above to create what is commonly known as an
isolation booth
An isolation booth is a cabinet used to prevent a person or people from seeing or hearing certain events, usually for television programs or for blind testing of products.
Its most visual use is on game shows, where an isolation booth (either po ...
. While this technique will aid in isolating the loud sound source, the interior acoustics of any booth with such a large percentage of highly reflective surfaces will be difficult or impossible to control. It is therefore recommended that at least 60% or more of the reflective surfaces inside this type of isolation booth be treated with acoustic absorption products. It is also wise to use additional carpet padding and carpet under the entire setup to reduce reflections off the floor and absorb additional sound energy.
See also
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References
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Drumming
Musical instrument parts and accessories