Q & A: Acoustics We Have A Problem
Due to a sub-par partition between the rooms, the client can hear voices from the other room even when the audio system isn’t being used.
Q. I have a client who has adjacent rooms with serious crosstalk problems. Due to a sub-par partition between the rooms, the client can hear voices from the other room even when the audio system isn’t being used. What measurements should I perform to select suitable acoustic panels to solve the problem?
A. Apply a measurement that allows each room to be independently characterized. This can be accomplished by dividing the raw output of the room being tested by the input, or equivalently subtracting their decibel levels. One way to do this is with an amplified, full-range loudspeaker supplied with pink noise in the adjacent room and a measurement microphone in the test room. The resulting data (or transfer function) can provide a description of how the room being tested has changed the signal. I would use the SIA Smaart transfer function feature to achieve the necessary data. The resulting information can then be used to design/specify what type(s) of treatment or construction could be used to satisfy the challenge.
— Curtis Kelly, CTS, AV system designer and consultant, Los Angeles
Next month’s question:
I have a client who has a couple of plasma displays in a cafeteria that are mainly used for watching TV. They’ve asked if there’s a way to interrupt the cable box periodically — once or twice an hour — to run a commercial from a DVD they’re producing. The only thing I can think of is adding a switcher and a control processor to do the work. Is there a simpler solution?
— Trooper Hales, MSAudio LLC, Jackson, MS
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