WSS Media

Introduction

When acoustic products work well, no one comments or complains about them.

That’s how Steve Levens, director of engineering at Minneapolis’ Worldwide Shopping Source (WSS) Media, knows the Sonex^® Classic Foam he installed is working.

“No news is good news when it comes to acoustics in a broadcast studio,” Levens says.

The Challenge

WSS Media is an extensive home shopping network which broadcasts live via the Internet and cable television 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The network recently moved into its new facility, and the space had not yet been acoustically treated for broadcast. The challenge was to improve the live-end /dead-end characteristics of each of the various rooms while staying on a budget.

“My goal was to reduce reverberation to an unnoticeable level. I had used Sonex^® acoustical foam previously in broadcast facilities and had been happy with it,” says Levens.

Knowing they needed a Class 1 Fire Rated foam they could install themselves, WSS Media contacted Acoustical Solutions to discuss their options.

Treatment Provided

Acoustical Solutions recommended the Sonex® Classic Foam because it met WSS Media’s desired acoustical rating, desired fire ratings, and was available in the desired color: charcoal.

The WSS studios include a modern, sleek set with wood floors and painted CMU block walls. The Sonex^® Classic Foam panels were placed behind the scenes to absorb reflected sound as well as background noise emanating from equipment and people around the set.

The main problem was that the sound reverberating off all of these hard surfaces in the main control room and audio control rooms, as well as the buzzing from equipment, challenged the technician’s concentration. Accurate placement of the Sonex® Classic Foam treatment helped reduce these distractions.

WSS Media using acoustical foam in their production facility.

The Result

Treatment of these spaces with the Sonex^® Classic Foam resulted in less slap back echo, reduced reverberation and near field reflections for greater focus during live feeds.

“After the Sonex^® product was installed in WSS Media broadcast facilities, we noticed a huge improvement,” Levens said, “going live around the world, we wanted everything to sound just right.”