When the audience sits in the beautiful auditorium of Jersey Opera House, they have very little idea of the technology that goes into giving them the ultimate live show experience.
Whether they have come to see stand-up comedian Kevin Bridges or a full stage production of New Jersey Nights, the quality and right level of sound are absolutely crucial. Jersey Opera House Technical Manager Chris Wink has used Cirrus products for a number of years to monitor and record sounds level within the auditorium for both quality and H&S regulations. When he needed to upgrade he chose the Cirrus Optimus Industrial sound level meter.
It gives Chris and his team the very latest digital technology and industrial design, proving ideal for his specific type of noise measurement needs in a work place that relies on pitch perfect sound for every performance.
“Obviously we need to comply with all the health and safety regulations but we also need to respond to customer comments about the quality of sound during performances,” explained Chris.
“Jersey Opera House is in use for approximately 70% of the year – for at least 4 days every week – and features every type of show from full on rock bands to one-man performances. In every show the sound is critical for the audience’s enjoyment. We have to comply with all the guidelines and we want to make sure the noise is at a comfortable level for the audience, for example, if it’s a children’s show then we want to ensure that noise levels are much lower than for an adult audience.”
“We can use the Optimus in any part of the auditorium, on stage or back stage, so we can be very accurate in the data we collect across every part of Jersey Opera House.”
Chris chose Optimus Industrial for its flexibility and the ease in which he could take a sound reading at one point or throughout an entire performance. Jersey Opera House has to keep its noise data for up to 5 years and every year – sometimes for longer – they will be asked to produce noise level evidence on a specific show as part of an HSE inspection.
“It does give us peace of mind that we know we have that data available and it will be an accurate account of the time period they requested. The Optimus is very easy to use and very effective. The 120dB range is very wide and the data logging is great because we can have specific readings in both graphic form or as raw data,” added Chris.
“We can use the Optimus in any part of the auditorium, on stage or back stage, so we can be very accurate in the data we collect across every part of Jersey Opera House.”
The Optimus Industrial has a range of applications including its occupational and industrial hygiene noise evaluations as well as noise at work surveys and noise exposure calculations.
It can offer hearing protector selection using HML or Octave Band Methods, alongside machinery noise tests, noise ordinance and community noise assessments.
“The Optimus is very easy to use and very effective”.
It has many key features that make it stand out from the crowd, including its simple operation and ergonomic design. As Chris at Jersey Opera House has already discovered, it also offers simultaneous measurement of the whole work place.
The VoiceTag™ note recording and AuditStore™ Measurement verification ensure that the user can add their own notes by simply speaking into the microphone, recording notes and descriptions that may come in useful later. Its long battery life and very large 4GB memory means more than 10,000 measurements can be stored at any one time. Other features of the Optimus Industrial include:
- The latest digital technology with a high resolution colour OLED display and back-lit keypad
- Measure up to 140dB(A) and 143dB(C) Peak with a Single Measurement Range
- Real-time 1:1 Octave Band Filters
- NoiseTools software with licence free installation
- Pause and Back Erase as standard
- 15 year no quibble warranty.
Cirrus Marketing Manager James Tingay added: “The Optimus sound level meters have been designed with ease of use in mind and let the customer just get on with measuring and controlling the noise. The high resolution colour OLED screen can be seen in any conditions, and the keypad illuminates automatically in low light. We have covered the case with a tactile finish so it can be operated even if the user is wearing gloves.”
The original Jersey Opera House was built in 1865 on its present site. It enjoyed a £7m refit and renovation between 1998 and 2000 and the 625-capacity auditorium has seen some of the biggest names of stage, screen and comedy during its lifetime.
Cirrus Products Used in This Case Study
Available as a Class 1 or Class 2 instrument, the Optimus+ Industrial integrating sound level meter is ideal for occupational noise exposure assessments in the workplace.
NoiseTools is our licence-free noise measurement database, supplied as standard with our sound level meters, noise dosimeters, and noise measurement kits, to help you manage and control noise levels in your workplace or in the environment.
