Twice in the last month, we have heard “I just used my cell phone to make noise measurements so you do not need to make measurements.” Mobile phone sound meter applications have added a new twist to our consulting services. As for using our smart phones as sound level meters… The standard phone, as delivered… Read more »
Residential Wall Mounts for TV’s – Things to Think About – If you Must!
Many issues must be addressed when mounting a TV on the wall in a Condominium, Apartment or Townhome. Most Condos have aluminum studs. These are great for construction but make it a little hard to attach and support the weight of a wall mounted TV. Most new LED TV’s have built-in loudspeakers. To save space… Read more »
PEX Plumbing – Is it as Quiet as They Say?
Flexible water lines, to some the greatest thing since “Romex” wire for houses. No longer does a person need to fight with rigid pipe when they are plumbing a residence. The product has been around for many years in Europe, and the manufactured home industry has been using it for a number of years in… Read more »
Changes in Resilient Channels
For a recent project at a medical research university we were called in to investigate a vibration issue. The lab is located on the fourth floor of a newly constructed building. The research team was having problems with samples in Petri dishes clustering into groups. For their work the samples needed to be evenly distributed… Read more »
Too Much Lot Line Noise
As winter turns to spring people start talking to their architect or landscape designer about a new hot tub or pool, or perhaps it’s a new air conditioner or even an emergency generator. Soon we will start to get phone calls from homeowners at their wits end because they’ve lost many hours of sleep due… Read more »
Video vs Audio
By: Steve Thorburn There is often a chill that runs up your spine when something is really well done. That happened for me the first time I heard the “THX chord” in a theater. It reinforced that audio gives us the emotion and can be much more than 50 percent of the experience. Even the… Read more »
Product Review: Insight Lighting’s SmartWall® Ever Changing Wall Color!
The true measure of sustainability in LED lighting products today has less to do with quantity of light and more to do with efficient management of the digital source. Insight’s revolutionary SmartWall® employs their proven SmartEdge® digital LED technology with a unique engraving process to create luminous white light and color changing wall systems. Whether… Read more »
Focus on Lighting: A Look Into Lamp Technology and Lighting Legislation
The federal government is pushing toward more energy efficient solutions with regard to lighting and lamp selections, or what is more commonly referred to as “going green”. This will result in changes over the next couple of years with regard to the lamps that will be available for purchase. Several governments around the world, including… Read more »
Focus on Technology: Audiovisual- A Quick-Start Guide to Video Conferencing Installation
Let’s assume you have just received the new video-conferencing-system-in-a-box that you ordered online from AcmeAV. The room it will be installed in is relatively small, seating 10 to 12 people. Before you start unpacking all those cables and reading that 765 page instruction manual, here is a list of tips and rules of thumb to… Read more »
Focus on Acoustics: An Update on the Design Impact of Acoustical Standards
At Thorburn Associates we keep an eye on many rating systems and standards that affect our work as acoustical consultants. These rating systems and standards are a way to help ensure that buildings will work for their intended purpose. The end of the year is a good time to assess where things stand and what… Read more »
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