Acoustics & Audio Technology News

You may have heard the acronym AVB. Remember it. Audio Video Bridging finally came into its own at InfoComm 2012, audiovisual experts say. A host of products from top manufacturers, showcased at the audiovisual industry's top trade show in Las Vegas last month, promise to make the convergence of IT and AV easier on integrators. These products use the IEEE 802.1 Audio Video Bridging Standard to network audio signals more easily. AVB has some detractors, but the AvNU Alliance demo booth at InfoComm produced strong evidence in favor of the technology. Two AV industry insiders leading the AVB revolution share all here.

Watch how Acoustiblok® eliminates noise immediately by viewing our demonstration video. Acoustiblok® material reduces more sound than 12 in. of poured concrete in a wall assembly. Acoustifence® is an industrial grade outdoor sound barrier. QuietFiber® and our All Weather Sound Panels absorb sound across dozens of applications by blocking and absorbing sound.

Recently Silentium introduced the Quiet-Bubble™ family, a concept that has been developed over the last few years and belongs to a field of Zone-to-Zone ANC applications. The idea is to capture the ambient noise of your environment, creating a quiet zone. Quiet-Bubble™ technology reduces disturbing noise, no matter what the source!

Speakers that blend in with the visual ambiance of a room, one component of "techorating," is a key pursuit of audio integrators who install sound in churches, nightclubs, and other public venues. But what if the speakers really were invisible?

Three manufacturers reveal ways they are using transducer technology to make walls, and virtually any other flat surface, talk, sing, or come alive with music.

Scheduled for release in August, this RF power amplifier design software promises more accurate FET modeling and simulation results, as well as improved integration with software already on the market. An integrated 3D thermal solver permits users to incorporate dynamic temperature effects, improving accuracy in thermally aware circuit simulation results. Additional software features include settings that make it easy to see amplifier performance at a specific output power or specific gain compression amount.

The deafening sound of combustion engines — like those in jet airplanes — is typically dampened following the combustion process. This patented acoustical material reduces noise at the source with a sponge-like material placed directly in the flame. Not only will this reduce noise pollution from engines, it may also extend the life of equipment by reducing harmful mechanical pulsations caused by sound waves.

A step above traditional acoustical materials, this sound masking system is a desktop unit that requires no complicated installation or retrofitting to offer sound privacy to people in open floor-plan office spaces, professional offices, and even in homes. Available in a white or black ABS speaker body, the unit masks a variety of sound by changing the amplitude and spectral shapes in increments of ±1/2 db.

The AW series sirens from PUI offer design flexibility, with the ability to change tones after design stages are complete. Available in both red and white, these 2- and 32-tone output sirens are IP65 or IP54 rated and offer mounting options including panel, flange, and base mount.

Certain industrial processes call for robust equipment which is able to operate in harsh environments. MASTERYS IP+ is the SOCOMEC UPS solution specifically designed for this:

•  Compact with isolation transformer and integrated batteries
•  2 mm thick robust steel enclosure
•  Standard IP31 protection (and up to IP52)
•  High efficiency certified

Digital-to-analog conversion often results in signal loss, sound engineers know. Digital signal processing and sample rate conversion reduce that loss, resulting in better sound. This article outlines how to use digital interpolation to reduce the amount and complexity of low-pass filters required, while maintaining sound quality and improving the reliability of the system.

This paper explores one dilemma engineers face when measuring audio signals: Do you want to know how the room and signal register on typical test gear, or how listeners hear it? Getting an accurate measurement of acoustic signals is very easy with test equipment available today, and is helpful for setting EQ and DSP parameters. Variables create more of a challenge when you want to hear how the room really sounds. Find out the techniques one audio industry veteran recommends.

A smartphone's function as a telephone has become nearly secondary to its other uses. This patent-pending technology may put the sound functions of cell phones front and center, once again, literally placing the speaker within the touchscreen. The design takes existing audio technology and uses it in a whole new way.

Scaling limitations, supply voltage requirements, and system partitioning remain challenges of integrating audio codecs into the multimedia system-on-chips (SoCs) of today's smartphones. New research suggests that audio codecs for smartphones can be implemented in 28 nm process technologies. This article presents promising test results and shows how to reduce the power, chip area, and cost with silicon-proven audio IP.

Piezo electric buzzers, SMD buzzers, self drive buzzers, external drive types, drive circuit built-in types.

•  Magnet transducers, mylar speakers
•  Condenser microphones, dynamic receivers

Americor offers stocking/consignment programs, Kanban, Just-In-Time, and specializes in custom designed solutions...

Audio Precision is the recognized standard in audio test, with support for the newest audio formats, powerful measurement software, and the lowest noise and distortion in the industry. Our APx585 supports up to 16 analog channels, with HDMI, DSIO, Bluetooth, and PDM options, ideal for Dolby/dts and smartphone applications.

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