Most of you reading this post will know that a decibel is a logarithmic measurement of noise. But you might not understand exactly what it measures, or what all those weightings mean. Let alone the numerous confusing acronyms that often accompany this. Defining the decibel A decibel is one tenth of a bel, which kind…

The city of Jeon Ju, in South Korea, is home to an extensive collection of libraries. These are multipurpose places where students study, children come to spend time reading, and there are plentiful spaces for gathering. Jeon Ju library remodel The Jeon Ju City Hall library was an installation that had some unique features. The…

In Australia, the “Green Star” rating system is administered by the Green Building Council of Australia. From the earliest days of the rating system, Soundmask has been involved in solving acoustic issues with a low carbon footprint and a green approved product. The client AMP Financial Services wanted to achieve a Green Star office space.…

Aviation noise is likely the cause of as many health problems as traffic, rail, and other transportation noise. Late last year, the Parliament of Australia’s Senate Standing Committees on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport handed down its report on the “Impact and mitigation of aircraft noise”. The Committee drew upon international evidence of harm,…

If you ever want to learn about design psychology, go no further than an interior designer. He or she will tell you that their designs integrate psychological principles—specifically environmental psychology—to maximise the wellbeing of those how use the space. Designing a sound masking system is no different. Indeed human psychology plays a significant role in…

There’s nothing quite like sitting in a doctor’s office and hearing the patient before you at the medical reception recount all of their personal details. Or worse, hearing the person in with the doctor discuss their medical condition. Indeed, we have a promotional video about exactly that! This was the issue that Southport Anaesthetic Specialists…

It is widely accepted that environmental noise impacts in-patient recovery times. Indeed there is extensive research that confirms that noise in hospitals: However, the mechanism between noise and recovery is not yet fully known. External noise pollution We previously published a three-part blog series mostly focussed upon internal hospital noise. That is, ventilator noise and…

The philosophy of sound masking sounds like a made up term, doesn’t it? But can become surprisingly topical when a client doesn’t understand it. Recently, a client wanted to integrate our system into the control panels within each room. In the end, we explained our philosophy and installed our system just the way it should…

Excellent design is one of the unsung heroes of our lives. Without excellent—or even just adequate—design, we all suffer. Whether it’s a poorly designed kitchen layout or a door that inexplicably hinges the wrong way, design disasters cause a lot of heartache. The same is true with a poorly designed sound masking system. Normally, I’d…

It’s not often that health privacy is a problem in a public library. Usually, online privacy would be more pertinent. But in this case study, the public library was located on the ground level of a council building. Libraries are usual quiet spaces, so any talking is obvious. The problem In the middle of the…