With the reduction of private work spaces and the introduction of more collaborative environments, facilities have seen a rise in the density of people in the workplace. Coupled with the fact that less absorptive materials such as fabric partitions, ceiling tile and even carpet is being utilized in today’s designs, the noise factor grows exponentially. There is a need for creating unintelligibility in the workplace with a properly tuned sound masking system.
So what is the most defining criteria when selecting a sound masking system? The CONSUMABLE – what your clients are truly buying, is the SOUND itself. Therefore, it is the quality of COMFORT that should weigh the most in the decision factors of a masking system.
Lencore has defined the criteria that needs to exist in order to generate a comfortable sound:
- Full Broad Band Sound – the origin of the sound should cover the full spectrum from 65 hz to 13 Khz. Systems that only deliver a portion of the spectrum cause fatigue and discomfort. Comfort quality comes from a full broad band spectrum.
- Wrap Around – Sound masking should be non-repetitive. If something has a pattern or a repeat, like a flickering light, our brains pick it up as information which in turn fatigues us.
- Multiple Noise Sources – multiple noise sources create randomness which, in turn, creates comfort to our minds and bodies.
- Uniformity – a sound must be consistent and level throughout a space. Hot and cold spots make sound masking noticeable and distracting. A sound masking system must have a tolerance of +/- 1 dB
- Tuning Flexibility – a sound masking system should allow you the flexibility to adjust it in order to meet the criteria of privacy and comfort. Individuals have preferences and therefore a system should allow both volume and contour adjustments to be made easily
As you think about your client’s space and the comfort of the environment, take into account the key criteria and the true consumable being purchased. The productivity of the people that fill the space is the most important factor for any organization. But, it is the comfort of the employee which will help to retain them and allow them to excel.
