ACOUSTIC SOLUTIONS FOR MEETING ROOMS

When anybody hear the word acoustics, the quality of sound resonates in his mind and starts relating the word to sound or the sense of hearing, but acoustics simply put is the total effect of sound in a room and that total if increases can break an important conference or video call. Otherwise if it decreases to acceptable levels, it can improve the quality of the call, just as the acoustics in a club or symphony hall can make or break a concert. Therefore, we recommend the following acoustic solutions:

Expert Advice
The first attempt to solve the noise problem in the meeting room and improve the acoustics is what comes by instinct and that might be to invest in more expensive audio-visual equipment but according to audio expert Pat Brown, that is not necessarily the right solution:

“The sound heard in an auditorium by a listener is a complex combination of the sound produced by the gear and the way that it interacts with the room,” said Brown, in an article published by Shure.
“It’s a fact that most of the sound heard by any listener gets there only after many, many interactions with the room’s surfaces.”
Brown goes on to explain that after sound leaves a speaker, it changes. The surfaces of the room modify the sound and alter it from its original form.
“The room places its own signature on all sounds radiated into it, which can either enhance or corrupt the sound,” Brown said.
“Good gear doesn’t sound good when used in a bad room.”
Acoustics Improvement
Start early to improve meeting room acoustics:

Your meeting rooms are where ideas are born and deals are made. and you’ve invested a lot of money into technology to facilitate that process.
Now it’s time to make sure your meeting room acoustics are helping you too.
As with most improvements, the sooner you start the better.
Putting the correct acoustical elements in place as you build your meeting spaces can help you hit the ground running with high sound quality for your in-person and virtual meetings.
retro-fitting your meeting rooms with acoustic-improving solutions can be an inexpensive way to improve the meeting experience and, ultimately, your bottom line.
In fact, AVI Systems did exactly that with its own headquarters.
If you need help improving the sound quality of meeting rooms, AVI’s audiovisual experts can help as well as bring information more about AVI Systems’ AV solution.
Acoustic Problem Areas
Start by identifying the acoustic problem acoustic:

When you hear the term acoustics, perhaps your favorite music venue or movie theater comes to mind. But acoustics are important in other spaces where you spend a lot of time as well—namely your company’s meeting rooms.
Just as the acoustics in a club or symphony hall can make or break a concert, meeting room acoustics can make or break an important conference call or video conference.
If your employees and clients can’t hear or understand each other, it can be difficult to get business done.
Research suggests that 95% of office workers experience audio problems in the workplace, costing them up to a half an hour daily. Add that up over a year, both productivity and the bottom line take a hit due to persistent audio issues at work.
Is there a lot of distracting ambient or outside noise coming into your conference room from other parts of the office? Are there many hard surfaces in the meeting room, like a concrete or wood floor or glass walls?
Speech is most easily understood in rooms with what is known as “dry” acoustics, in other words, rooms that reduce the reflection of sound off multiple surfaces that causes reverberation. But while good dry meeting room acoustics are universally important, the causes of poor meeting room acoustics are various:

Hard surfaces, like glass walls, white boards, and large screens
High traffic areas with a lot of ambient noise
7 Simple Steps to Improve Meeting Room Acoustics
If new equipment isn’t the solution to improve meeting room acoustics, what is?

Let’s explore some simple changes you can make to improve meeting room acoustics and enhance the entire meeting experience for remote and in-person participants.

 

The first step to improving meeting room acoustics is to identify what your problems or concerns are. Then you can invest in the right solution.
Accordingly, weigh the pros and cons of sound masking vs. sound absorption
To completely soundproof a meeting room and address both outside noise and distortion and reverberation inside the room, you’ll probably need a combination of sound masking and sound absorbing solutions.
Soundproofing products contain sound—such as hallway conversations—and prevent it from going other places such as into meeting rooms.
Sound absorption products trap the noise bouncing around your conference room and prevent it from creating echoes and reverberations that make speech difficult to hear and understand.
Here are some easy-to-implement sound masking and sound absorbing solutions to improve meeting room acoustics:
Consider these Sound Masking Options
White noise.
A soft background sound, like the kind created by a small water feature or a white noise machine, can cover the sound of outside noise and improve meeting room privacy.

Soundproof drywall.
Soundproof drywall is more expensive than regular drywall but it carries the extra benefit of increased mass density to block outside noise.

Soundproof curtains.
While acoustic curtains improve the sound quality in a room, soundproof curtains are made with heavy vinyl, known as mass-loaded vinyl or MLV, that block and contain sound and these stiff curtains hang from special frames making them easy to put up and take down.

 

 

 

 

Sound Absorption Options also work to improve acoustics and these are:
Acoustical ceiling tile.
Acoustical ceiling tile is one of the most popular sound absorbing solutions. If your conference room has a drop ceiling and an open rather than ducted air return system, consider mineral board tiles instead.

Hanging baffles.
Acoustic hanging baffles are panels suspended perpendicular to the ceiling. Baffles are best for high ceilings or converted industrial space and can act as both a noise reduction and aesthetic solution as they come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.

 

 

Ultimately, the appropriate cladding material to use depends on the orientation of your building and surrounding environment, whether it’s located in the city, beach, and the façade itself. Speaking to an architect and designer will play an important role in correct material selection as they’ll know the constraints of the materials and requirements.

Why don’t you favor OBRAS INTERNATIONAL to ensure a complete service package in a ventilated façade system in wood and fiber cement cladding. They also offer acoustic solutions for all kinds of projects that require a technical indoor conditioning and design.

Their products have defied intense heat, humidity and dry desert weather, as well as high-density snow and rainy areas in the mountains and their group of ace specialists has a noteworthy vision for craftsmanship and style that works perfectly when joined with the study plans. They propose plans, supply material, assist technically, supervise the work, and guarantee a quality finish.

 

Source: https://www.avisystems.com/blog/simple-solutions-improve-room-acoustics