Why Do You Need Sound Masking?
Because noise distractions are driving your employees crazy
Because the constant interruptions are making your employees less productive and losing you money .
Because sensitive data is being communicated and overheard in your work environment and you are legally bound to protect it.
Most offices today feature more open spaces and smaller, and often shared, workstations. Less sound absorptive materials are being used such as lower or non-existent partitions, hard or glass surfaces, and thinner walls and doors. This creates acoustical challenges that negatively impact workplace satisfaction, productivity, and speech privacy.
Where is Sound Masking used?
- Corporate: Open office, private office, conference rooms
- Healthcare: Patient rooms, waiting areas, reception areas
- Hospitality: Guest rooms, lobby areas, spas
- Government and Law: Secured facilities, courtrooms, law offices
- Technology: Engineering labs, co-share spaces, design studios
- Finance: Call centers, retail banks, board rooms
- Education: Research laboratories student centers, libraries
- Venues: Houses of worship, conference centers, airport lounges
Direct Field Solution
Direct-field sound masking, sometimes called omni-directional field systems, produce even, pre-adjusted acoustics straight into the work environment – this manufactures a steady and stable sound in the entire workspace. Direct field sound masking is unobtrusive and achieves superior performance while avoiding the need for constant and, sometimes, complicated tuning needed by out-of-date indirect sound masking solutions.
What is speech privacy?
Speech privacy is the inability of an unintentional listener to understand another person’s conversation. It is not practical to eliminate all conversational sounds in a workplace, but it is certainly not impossible to significantly reduce intelligible speech throughout a workplace. This is where our sound masking systems come into the picture.
Is this white noise?
No, but yes. Technically speaking, the sound frequency spectrum of our sound masking is different from white noise. This system is specifically engineered to contain the same spectrum as human speech. However, to the untrained ear, this system is the same as white noise. If someone is seeking a white noise system for their workspace, they are looking at the right product!
Is this noise cancellation?
No.
Contrary to popular opinion, there is no “active noise cancellation” or “sound elimination” device on the market for large commercial spaces. These technologies exist for small, localized applications like headphones, but not for large commercial spaces. Cost considerations and the principles of physics prevent a large-scale noise cancelling system
from being a viable option in any workspace.
For what applications is sound masking useful?
Sound masking can improve acoustical comfort in just about every industry and environment, but spaces that benefit the most include:
– Cubicles and Call Centers – reduce distractions and increase productivity
– Private offices – confidential speech privacy is desired
– Patient rooms – enhance patient comfort and privacy
– Libraries – reduce distractions caused by the lack of background noise.
– Lobbies – prevent overheard conversations from adjacent work areas
Does sound masking go in conference rooms?
Sometimes.
Sound masking is more commonly installed outside of conference rooms to prevent people in the hallway (or adjacent space) from overhearing confidential conversations. The exceptions to this rule are if the sound proofing of the conference room walls is poor, or if the conference room doubles as a place for people to take tests or perform other activities requiring concentration. In that case, the conference room could have its own zone of sound masking and easily turn the system on/off as needed.
Will this system reduce server room noise?
No.
Sound masking typically falls in the 40-48 decibel range. The sound is designed to blend into the workspace. A typical server room is upwards of 80 decibels, so it’s actually its own form of sound masking (although an irritating one for many)! If sound masking were added to a server room, the noise from the servers would actually cover the masking sound.
A space like this can benefit from added sound absorption and increased acoustic isolation from surrounding wall and ceiling constructions, but not from sound masking.
Equipment Typically Used for White Noise installations
