Acoustic engineers attribute the best acoustics to the shape of the area, the material of the walls, how loud the music is and the absence of unwanted noise. Although most Volkswagen Buses aren’t lined with heavy curtains or feature the world’s largest pipe organ, the shape of their bodies significantly play a huge role in how great the audio sounds; in fact, Buses/Type 2s have the best acoustics compared to any other make. 

According to Classic FM.com [1], “Through trial and error, engineers now know that shoe box-shaped halls make good concert venues [and] have proved to have good acoustics.” When it comes to shoe box-shaped VWs, the Bus resembles this shape perfectly. With long sides, a flat roof and slightly curved front and rear ends, the VW Bus houses sound like no other automobile.  The sound moves effortlessly around the cab, reflecting on every surface before it rings perfectly in your ears. 

The material on stock VW Buses is canvas, which is woven fabric that is known to be sturdy but not super thick. When people think of sound booths or recording studios, at least for us, we picture the padded walls to soak up the sound; however, in a VW bus and with all concert venues, the harder the walls, the better. [1] “The walls of the concert halls are used to control the acoustic. Hard surfaces will reflect the sound [and] disperse sound in all directions to get rid of echoes.”  The canvas interior of the VW Bus is the perfect texture for amazing acoustics. The sound bounces from wall to wall in order for both your ears to hear the music at the same time in the same volume. 

The scientific reasoning for the loudness at a concert venue compared to a VW Bus doesn’t exactly work for us (honestly, it doesn’t really make sense) so we’re going to use this opportunity to promote our audio systems for classic VW Buses. In order to create a louder sound from your Bus, JBugs recommends brand new Rockford Fosgate 2-way or 4-way Punch Speakers paired with the Rockford Fosgate 2-Channel or 4- Channel Punch Amplifier. The Rockford Fosgate Punch Speakers put out 75 watts of power with the Vertical Attached Surround Technique (VAST) which allows for more volume and deeper bass response. Pair that power with a 300 watt Rockford Fosgate Punch Amplifier and you’ll basically have a club in the middle of your Bus. 

Lastly, when it comes to preventing unwanted noise from interrupting your music, audio engineers found that by surrounding the concert hall with a gap of air, it will [1] “prevent sounds from the outside world intruding in the hall and distracting from the music.” We don’t feel the need to fill our Bus with air and neither should you; in fact, we believe that by preventing outside air and other exterior elements from leaking through the gaps in the Bus, your audio will become significantly enhanced. The only way to seal those gaps is with German or Brazilian seals offered at JBugs. We offer weatherstripping, window channels, door rubber, rubber body seals and many more classic VW seals to help prevent outside noise, water, air, or debris from entering your vehicle. Some of the seals even hold parts on your Bus in place to reduce rattle noise or damage from movement. 

If you have a classic VW Bus/Type 2, you have a personal concert venue. The shape and interior of the Volkswagen Bus creates the best atmosphere for amazing acoustics. Pair the perfect shape with an upgraded audio system and brand new body seals and you have what could be the greatest concert hall on wheels. We’ve already seen the kitchens people have created with converted buses in our Thanksgiving themed blog, now let’s see what you can do with yours!!

References

[1] Classic FM: Digital Radio. (2016). What Makes the Perfect Acoustic, According to Science? [Classic FM: Digital Radio Online Article]. Retrieved on 12/28/2017 from http://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/latest/perfect-acoustic-concert-hall-science/