| Some acoustical concepts can be confusing. Reverberation
times, damping, and decibel reduction are all concepts
that we want you to understand, but can be difficult to
explain in words. SOUND BYTES allow us to explain these
concepts using audible samples that will play through
your computer’s speakers.
Reverberation
One of the most difficult acoustical concepts to explain
in words is the difference in reverberation times to
the human ear. This is why we have a provided a sound
byte to demonstrate what a six second, three second,
two second and a one-half second reverberation time
actually sounds like.
Reverberation Demonstration
To further demonstrate and explain reverberation times,
below we have a sound byte showing a standard conference
room before and after acoustical treatment. This is
a conference room at the Library of Virginia, like a
lot of rooms it had hard reflective surfaces all around
(drywall) and carpeted floors. To reduce the reverberation
time within the room we treated the room with our AlphaSorb™
Fabric Wrapped Acoustical Wall Panels.
Computer Fan Air Flow Silencers
Computer noise, especially fan noise, is becoming more
and more of a problem in offices as well as residential
settings. The noise emitted from the fans on the computers
is often viewed as offensive and distracting and slows
down work performance and accuracy. Our Computer Fan
Silencers can lower that noise level without restricting
the airflow requirements of the fan itself. In the sound
byte below you will first hear a standard fan running,
then you will hear the same fan running with the airflow
silencer attached to it.
Sound Damping
It is well known that noise is emitted from a resonating
structure, such as the noise resulting from the striking
of a cymbal. The amount of this noise can be drastically
reduced by the application of a layer of a vibration
sound damping compound to the surface of the resonating
structure. The sound damping compound causes the vibrational
energy to be converted to into heat. If this is accomplished,
the need to absorb and attenuate airborne noise with
sound absorption and sound blocking materials is reduced.
To demonstrate what affect sound damping has we have
taken two identical pieces of sheet metal and applied
a layer of sound damping compound to one of them. In
the sound byte below you will first hear a hammer striking
the untreated sheet metal, then you will hear the hammer
striking the sheet metal that has been treated with
the sound damping compound.
Decibel
Reduction
People often ask us how decibel (dB) reduction numbers
relate to changes in sound levels to the human ear.
Here you can listen to a recording of a Skill saw at
normal operating level conditions followed by six different
noise level conditions, showing a 3dB, 6dB, 10dB and
a 20dB noise reduction.
| Play |
Change in Sound
Levels (dB) |
Change in apparent
loudness to the human ear |
 |
3 dB
|
just barely perceptible |
|
6 dB |
clearly noticeable |
|
10
dB |
half as loud |
|
20
dB |
one fourth as loud |
|
