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Tech Showcase: Acoustic Materials

Acoustic materials have always been key to keeping your studio recordings quiet, but the latest breed of products bring in starry skies, sneeze guards and fully recycled materials.

Acoustic materials have always been key to keeping your studio recordings quiet, but the latest breed of products bring in starry skies, sneeze guards and fully recycled materials. Here is a look at some of the latest entries to this product category.

Acoustic Geometry Starfield Acoustic Treatment

Acoustic Geometry’s StarField Ceiling Tiles are acoustical ceiling panels with a starry sky effect. Intended for studios, home theaters and commercial business spaces, the tiles add a visual flair to acoustical applications. The fabric-wrapped fiberglass panels are designed to temper reverberation and ambient noise, and are available in small (2×2 feet) and large (2×4 feet) sizes for standard 15/16-inch ceiling grids. They connect to main lighting control systems through an RS232 adaptor.

Custom-sized and shaped panels are available upon request. In addition to the stock tiles, Acoustic Geometry offers several optional add-ons including shooting star and acrylic moon/planet inserts. All designs simulate “twinkling” with dim, medium and bright stars for a natural starry sky appearance.

AirHush ISAT Systems

AirHush ISAT (Inflatable Sound Attenuation Technology) is a new category of sound control solutions growing out of more than 10 years of extensive research and development. ISAT systems replace the mass used in traditional sound control solutions with air and combine it with modern sound attenuation materials. ISAT systems address complex sound control issues in diverse settings ranging from open-concept offices to schools, museums, exhibit halls and industrial work sites.

Traditional solutions use mass to block or contain sound. As such they are often expensive, invasive to implement and permanent. ISAT systems are lightweight and ship deflated. Lead sheets and other heavy sound attenuating materials are replaced by pressurized air and modern sound attenuation materials. Therefore shipping and implementation costs, as well as the carbon footprint, are significantly less than those of traditional sound control solutions.

Panels are repurposable and can be implemented in permanent, semi-permanent or temporary installations. End-users can redeploy and reuse system elements. AirHush ISAT systems are currently available in select markets and showcased in the San Francisco Bay Area

Auralex DeskMAX

At this year’s NAMM Show, Auralex introduced the podcast-friendly DeskMAX, a portable and lightweight nearfield solution comprising two panels and two stands that can be used anywhere that boundary-mounted acoustical treatments aren’t feasible or desired. The next step up is Auralex’s D36-DST Roominator Kit of 18 DST-112 and 18 DST-114 panels, designed to temper the acoustical problems of a room up to roughly 6 x 8 x 8 feet. For larger rooms (up to 100 square feet), the Project 2 Roominator Kit adds LENRD bass traps to a kit of 24 2-inch thick, 2-square-foot Studiofoam Wedges.

ClearSonic’s Germ Shields

The panels don’t just shield from sound! ClearSonic is doing its part to get businesses safely up and running again. The company has designed a countertop product line called Germ Shield to protect against coughs and sneezes. Comprised of 14 models, Germ Shields are made from durable 1/4-inch thick acrylic; are free-standing and adjustable; are modular and expandable to fit specific needs; and a 100 percent American made. ClearSonic is also introducing free-standing ClearSonic Panels to help employees and customers to socially distant and reduce virus transmission risks.

Delta H Design New ZR Screen Formats

Delta H Design’s flexible, portable quantum acoustic device now comes in three easy-to-use options designed for podcasts, production, live P.A., post-production, music mastering and live rooms.

The original “Classic” Screen format suspends vertically with grommets at the top edge, possessing all the legendary traits of ZR: spherical, life-like imaging, micro-dynamic definition and enormous sweet spots.

The “Hollywood” option makes life easier to fix in a frame, with a ring of grommets around every edge. Engineered with extra internal structure to hold the tension of being fastened like a trampoline, it is only 1 inch, ultra-thin, with all the performance of the original Classic format.

“Ninja” format ZR Screens have grommets on a backside spine giving users the freedom to securely hold screens in a frame when completely horizontal, suspended at multiple angles, wrapped around a space for portable ADR, VO or capture of sound effects. Like all three formats, Ninja Screens are 1-inch thick with all the qualities of a ZR Quantum Acoustic Device.

All three formats are available in every ZR Screen family: the original ZR Micro Screen, the high-resolution ZR Hybrid Screen or the next-generation ZR Ultra-Light Hybrid Screen.

GIK Acoustics VISO Booth

GIK Acoustics has announced the newest addition to its line of acoustic treatment products, the VISO (Vocal ISOlation) Booth. Designed for singers, songwriters, voiceover artists and podcasters looking to improve the quality of their recordings, the VISO booth isolates a vocal microphone from the harsh room reflections that can make voice recordings boxy or thin-sounding.

The L-shaped VISO Booth is constructed from two 16.5 x 11.5 x 1.5 (inches) panels meeting at a 90-degree angle and provides 162 cubic inches of isolation area. The design is said to ensure a large enough absorption area around the microphone to effectively eliminate room tone and other room noise.

The VISO Booth can be set up on a desktop or on any microphone stand with a standard 5/8-inch thread (not included), and a pre-positioned microphone mount eliminates any guesswork regarding mic placement.

The VISO Booth is manufactured using the same isolation material employed in all of GIK’s professional treatment products (Knauf Insulation Earthwool Insulation Board with ECOSE Technology), enabling it to remain effective at those pesky low-mid frequencies that might otherwise make vocal recordings sound muddy.

The portable design and light weight (10 pounds) of the VISO Booth enable it to be easily transported and set up by a single person, and it can be used alone or as part of an overall room treatment plan. The VISO Booth is Class A fire rated for safety and has an MSRP of $89.

Primacoustic Broadway Broadband Acoustic Panel

Primacoustic has added to its Paintables acoustic panel line with the Broadway 48- x 48-inch Broadband absorptive wall panel. Primacoustic Paintables is a line of acoustic panels that gives architects and interior/room designers the ability to integrate matched color or printed graphics into the acoustic design spec for a room or project. The Broadway 48 x 48 Broadband acoustic panel is an extra-large sound absorbing wall panel for installation in larger rooms and commercial facilities such gymnasiums, houses of worship, theatres and auditoriums.

In addition to the standard color options of black, beige or gray fabric, Primacoustic Paintables are covered in Absolute White latex finish for painting or printing on before installing. Any standard latex paint can be used, though with a sheen no glossier than eggshell recommended to help maintain the panel’s natural absorption qualities. The acoustic panels can be readily painted at any commercial printer, or alternatively, as a DIY project using a high-volume, low-pressure spray gun and air compressor.

Vicoustic VMT Panels from Recycled Plastic

With VicPET Wool as the new primary raw material, Vicoustic is specifically designed to optimize acoustic performance while not adding glue, fabric or chemical fire retardant. Since Vicoustic started production with this new raw material, the company has manufactured state-of-the-art acoustic panels using more than 250 tons of plastic waste, equivalent to roughly 22 million standard PET bottles being recycled.

Through extensive research and testing, Vicoustic fine-tuned this material into Virtual Material Technology (VMT), using an innovative dyeing technology, which allows simulating concrete, marble, wood and other materials. It is washable, resistant and easy to cut. It also provides a great acoustic solution to implement in any setting, ranging from recording studios and home theaters to workspaces, hospitality, retail, education and even in private homes. VMT can be found across a wide range of products such as Flat Panel VMT, ViClouds VMT, VicWallpaper VMT, VicOffice and Vixagon VMT. Among the use of recycled and recyclable materials, Vicoustic’s new line of products takes a holistic approach into account by fully integrating its acoustic performance with other sustainability goals, such as air quality, human safety and health. VicPET Wool meets EuroClass B fire regulations and safety standards.

Focal Naim America (formerly Audio Plus Services) distributes Vicoustic products in the U.S. and Canada.

 

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