Focus on Acoustics: Containing Fan and Duct Noise
December 1, 2009
During a recent tour of an existing campus, we were shown a classroom that was in the process of having a complete, bells-and-whistles audiovisual package installed to support a distance learning program. However, our project meeting quickly took an unscheduled
Product Review: Pyrok
August 1, 2009
What does the abbreviation “NRC” mean to you? To acousticians it usually means Noise Reduction Coefficient, a single number rating for the absorptive characteristics of a specific material AND mounting condition at four frequencies within the range of speech. It
Quiet Curtains: A Product with Potential
February 1, 2008
Draperies and curtains have long been used as a cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing, and adjustable means of acoustic treatment within a room. The thick, heavy fabric provides useful sound absorption and reverberation control, especially at middle and high frequencies. Quiet Curtains
Product Review: LiveWires—Custom Fit In-Ear Monitors
December 1, 2007
LiveWires, from Earpeace Technologies, is a truly unique holiday gift for the music lover in your life. Because Livewires are custom fit (an impression is made of your ear by an audiologist) these in-ear monitors are amazingly comfortable and produce
Why STC Doesn’t Tell You Everything
March 1, 2005
The sound isolating properties of wall and floor/ceiling assemblies are often presented using a single number rating system, the Sound Transmission Class (STC). The STC rating of a partition is determined by following an ASTM Standard which compares the sound
Soundproof Windows?
January 1, 2005
It’s late at night and you’ve just settled down to sleep, when the neighborhood dog starts barking – loudly. At first you try ignoring it, then as it continues, you try covering your head with your pillow. Just as you
Teleconferencing
September 1, 2004
It’s time to re-visit the issues of acoustics for conference rooms. We are getting a number of phone calls from clients looking for help with the quality of their conference calls. Problems are in one of two areas: it is
Laminated Glass on Steroids
June 1, 2004
Sekisui, a Japanese firm, has come up with a new way to improve the acoustical performance of laminated glass which is often used to reduce noise transfer from space to space when vision is desired. The inner layer of the
Quiet Floors
February 1, 2004
Floor systems in multifamily housing are getting thinner and lighter in weight. Both of these work against a successful acoustical design. To overcome this we are constantly looking at and reviewing new products. Something that has caught our eye is
Peach Piracy?
April 1, 1994
Speech privacy (peach piracy) exists when a conversation cannot be understood even if it can be heard. There are 4 levels of speech privacy; normal, confidential, inaudibility and none. Normal speech privacy exists when someone can only partially understand the