How many times have you gone out for a special occasion and not been able to have a conversation with your date because the restaurant was just too darn noisy? Chances are, even if the food was delicious and the price was right, you wouldn’t go back there again for fear the excessive noise was not a one-time occurrence.

Auralex Acoustics, an Indianapolis-based manufacturer of acoustical treatments, offers free room analysis so those who own and operate restaurants, houses of worship, live venues, recording studios and even large conference rooms can find out how to get rid of the excessive noise.

Customers send information about the space it’s looking to get treated to Auralex, which creates models and suggests products and placements that will help cut down on some of the unwanted noise.

Auralex also offers Room Analysis Plus, a program through which its dealer network will record frequency sweeps in the room, which helps to analyze real-time data.

“The biggest compliment we get is when people don’t notice that we’ve done anything,” says regional manager Andy Teipen, an interesting stance from a company that clearly wants its name and its products to be known and embraced. “That means it goes with the décor.”

Much of Auralex’s work comes from retrofits of existing spaces, Teipen says. It’s still a hard sell to convince architects that rooms need acoustical treatments to help direct and control who hears what, and maybe more importantly, who doesn’t hear it.

“For some reason, architects haven’t caught on to the importance of sound in a room,” he says. Potential clients can be a hard sell on occasion too, says Teipen. “Some people get it right away, but others need more education.”

Houses of worship have presented the most opportunities for Auralex, Teipen says, but the restaurant market is picking up lately.

“If I’m in a loud restaurant, I probably won’t go back again and I’ll probably leave pretty quickly after I’m done eating,” he says. “Think of what it means for the bottom line if everyone gets one more drink. When you explain it that way, a restaurant owner understands it real quick.”

About the author

D. Craig MacCormack

Craig MacCormack is a veteran journalist with more than 15 years experience covering local and national news and sports as well as architecture and engineering. He joined Commercial Integrator in January 2011. Follow him on Twitter: @CraigMacCormack.

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