When Tina Turner rolled into Minneapolis, her show was packed into 18 semi-trucks. When she took the stage, there were roughly 14,000 people in the seats. Those concert-goers probably had no idea they were sitting under 3,100 brand-new insulation panels. "What we're trying to do is catch that sound as it bounces off a hard surface and retain it, so basically we're taking away the echo," Tom Reller, Target Center's Director of Operations said. The panels, 2 to 4 inches thick, are part of a $1 million dollar acoustical upgrade at the arena. Those panels are basically insulation, and they're hanging from the ceiling. "Looks like sleeping bags up there," Senior Director Sandy Sweetser said. About 75% of the 150,000 square feet of acoustical equipment is in place. The Target Center's deadline for completion is October 30th, in time for the Celine Dion show. Crews still need to add more panels to the bottom of the catwalk, on the steel walls in corners of the arena, and surrounding the concrete pillars. All of those areas reflect sound. "You really won't even know that's its there," Reller said of the panels high above the floor. But you will notice things sound different, especially at concerts. "It'll be easily noticeable to the naked ear," Reller added. He said instruments and voices will be less muffled, and more distinct. Managers at the arena hope more artists will take notice. "Hopefully, it's going to translate into management looking at Target Center and saying that sounds great,' Sweetser said. She's hoping more big names will steer towards downtown Minneapolis with the improved sound quality for concerts. The upgrade was paid for out of the arena's capital reserve fund.
Copyright 2008 KARE 11 News
