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What is Sound Masking?

In the acoustics industry, we often talk about the ABCs of sound management:

A - Absorption. Absorption uses soft, porous materials to absorb sound waves and reduce echoes, reverberations, and reflections within a space. Acoustic panels are a popular example of sound absorption.

B - Blocking. Blocking uses materials with mass and density to prevent sound waves from entering or exiting a space. Sound barriers or thick walls made of concrete are popular examples of sound blocking.

C - Covering. Covering, or sound masking, uses ambient noise to cover, or mask, distracting background sounds.

How Does Sound Masking Work?

Unlike many sound solutions that focus on removing noise from a space, sound masking actually works in the opposite way: it adds sound to the space to make human speech less intelligible ... and therefore less distracting to those nearby.

Sound masking uses speakers that emit a soft, gentle sound (like that of airflow or a tranquil waterfall) to "mask" or "hide" noises at a certain frequency (usually within the range of human speech). Since our brains will naturally focus on human speech in quiet spaces, the addition of these sound masking systems allows our brains to treat distracting human speech or conversations as just part of the general ambient noise.

Is Sound Masking the Same as White Noise?

No. Sound masking is designed to be non-intrusive. It should blend in with the ambiance of a space but not completely overtake it. White noise, on the other hand, is meant to overpower all other noises within a space. It is similar to the sound of a staticky TV and usually does not match the frequency range of normal human speech.

What are the Benefits of Sound Masking?

By "hiding" loud human speech that would otherwise be clearly heard by those nearby, sound-masking applications reduce distraction, which, in turn, can increase focus and productivity. Sound-masking systems don't just benefit those overhearing this intelligible human speech; they also benefit whomever is doing the actual speaking, as their privacy is now enhanced by making it more difficult for others to eavesdrop.

Is Sound Masking Only for Human Speech?

No! Human speech is usually the target of most sound-masking applications BUT with proper engineering and specialized frequency-tuning, sound masking can also lessen the impact of noises from factory equipment, HVAC systems, electronics, and more.

Do I Need Additional Acoustic Products With Sound-Masking Systems?

Sound masking is highly effective at reducing distractions and improving speech privacy, but it’s just one component of an overall sound solution. Additional acoustic products as Acoustic Panels can help improve the quality of the masking by cutting down on rampant sound wave reflections from hard surfaces such as glass or concrete. And as with any sound management solution, amount and placement are key: if you don't have the proper quantity of sound emitters installed at the correct heights or positions within a space, you run the risk of having an unbalanced sound-masking solution that, in fact, solves nothing.

At Audimute, our Acoustic Specialists understand that sound masking is not a commodity; it is a skill and a strategy that involves design, customization, installation, and overall acoustic accountability. It's why we use it as one component in -- and not the entirety of -- an overall sound management solution. Contact us to learn how sound masking can improve your workplace or business!

Great acoustics are important in any space, but they are especially crucial (and challenging) in school auditoriums and lecture halls, where the size of the room itself and the audience within it often call for an extensive acoustic treatment.

Here are some tips to make sure you're getting the best sound possible in your auditorium:

1. Pay Attention to Speaker Placement

If you're using speakers in your auditorium, placement is everything. Speakers positioned too close to walls or corners can reflect off those surfaces to create muddy sound, while speakers not strategically angled toward the audience can result in dead zones where the sound is not being clearly heard.

If possible, set up your sound amplification system so speakers are even with the ear level of the seated audience. Also consider placing additional speakers towards the rear of the auditorium so those in the back rows don't miss out.

2. Install Sound-Absorbing Acoustic Panels

The large walls and high ceilings of an auditorium can easily result in sound waves reflecting off those surfaces to create echoes and reverb. Acoustic panels can be installed along the side walls and back wall of the auditorium to absorb these echoes and reverberations to improve sound clarity.

Fabric Acoustic Panels are especially excellent for high-traffic areas such as auditoriums due to their durability (they can also be cleaned or vaccuumed to remove dust and soil buildup). If you're looking for acoustic panels that blend in with the interior of your auditorium, our AcoustiColor® panels can be coated to match any paint color from Sherwin-Williams.



If your auditorium has a very high ceiling or limited wall space, acoustic ceiling applications such as clouds, baffles, or direct mount tiles can help absorb the sound from above.

3. Incorporate Other Sound-Absorbing Furnishings

Acoustic panels aren't the only things that can absorb sound! Anything that's thick and porous can trap sound waves. For auditoriums, the addition of carpeting, curtains, or upholstered seating will help soak up echoes and reverb.

The bigger the space, the bigger the acoustic challenges can be! But with strategic speaker placement and sound-absorbing fixtures, you can make sure the sound in your auditorium is sharp and clear from the front row all the way to the back.

Over the past several decades, there's been a big global shift toward eco-friendly, sustainable, "green" practices. Some efforts are everyday in nature, such as opting for reusable shopping bags instead of those made of plastic; other efforts are more ambitious, such as ongoing efforts to reduce carbon emissions and the push for LEED certifications in building construction.

"Going Green": Do Consumers Care?

In a word: yes.

A 2022 report found that 65% of U.S. buyers consider a product's sustainability when making a purchase, while a 2023 study concluded that 77% of Gen Z members and 72% of Millennials were willing to pay more for sustainable products.

Eco-Friendly Acoustic Products

Driven by this consumer demand and their own interests in more sustainable practices, many businesses have adapted their manufacturing processes and product lines to be "greener"; the acoustics industry is no different.

Where foam and fiberglass acoustic panels (both made with non-renewable raw materials) once dominated the market, today's acoustic products use more sustainable elements like recycled PET, mycelium, and natural fibers for their sound absorption properties.

Audimute: Innovation in Sustainable Acoustics

Audimute is proud to be one of the industry leaders for green acoustics. The core of our sound management solutions is eco-C-tex®, a sound absorption material comprised of a blend of recycled cotton and cellulose fibers, the majority of which are post-consumer recycled newspaper. The eco-C-tex manufacturing process itself is also eco-friendly, expending only 1/10 of the energy required to produce fiberglass and 1/40 of the energy used to create foam.

We also dramatically reduce waste by repurposing discarded pieces of eco-C-tex from custom-cut shapes and signs for other acoustic installations.

On the soundproofing side of Audimute, our Peacemaker® soundproofing product is made from 90% post-consumer material, including recycled tire rubber. It's an eco-friendlier alternative to Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV), which uses petroleum-based plastics and industrial fillers.

Audimute is always looking for new ways to deliver quality sound-absorbing panels and sound-blocking products that are also environmentally responsible, sustainable, and eco-friendly. We're big believers in the steps that all of us — from individuals to companies to countries — can take to create a happier, healthier planet.

Anyone who has ever lived in an apartment, duplex, dorm room, or any other type of multi-unit housing knows that noise from fellow tenants can be an ongoing issue. In fact, a 2017 survey from HotPads found 26% of renters regretted their apartments' noise level, while a 2022 study determined 54% of renters surveyed wanted some form of "noise insulation" for their home.

Simply put, noise levels and sound containment are a huge issue for renters. Unfortunately, there's usually nothing they can do about it: soundproofing involves increasing mass and significantly reducing air flow to keep sound from getting through. It usually requires new construction such as tearing up walls or adding a drop ceiling, and most leases and rental agreements explicitly forbid the tenant doing any renovation or construction work on the unit without first obtaining the permission of the owner. That permission is unlikely to be granted.

The short-term nature of apartment living is also a deterrent. Even if a renter had permission from the landlord and could spend the time and money to install soundproofing materials, they'd be fixing a problem that would no longer be theirs once they moved out of the apartment.

All that said, let's look at a few ways to control sound entering your apartment.

1. Talk to Your Landlord

First things first: reach out to your landlord (or the property management company that handles your apartment) to discuss the sound issues you're facing. If these noise complaints have been persistent among other residents in the building or former occupants of your apartment, your landlord may decide it's finally time to install soundproofing or noise-blocking materials to resolve the problem once and for all.

2. Add Sound-Blocking Materials

Let's assume your landlord is NOT going to add soundproofing materials and also has NOT given you permission to do so. You're on your own, and you need some way to mitigate the sound you're hearing. And you need solutions that won't cause permanent damage to the unit you're renting.

Start by identifying places in your apartment where sound is entering. Doors and windows are two big culprits. 

For doors, consider adding a door sweep or some kind of door seal kit. Since sound waves can travel anywhere that air can go, the gaps around a door are particularly vulnerable to sound transmission. Caulk and weatherstripping are also options, but will be more difficult to remove if you move out of the apartment.

Similarly, gaps around windows should be addressed. Thick curtains hung over windows may help to dampen some sound entering from the outside. There are also DIY window plugs or inserts made with mass-loaded vinyl that can help. While these DIY solutions may be more cost-effective than off-the-shelf solutions, they also require labor and tools, and as such may not be an option for everyone.

isolé® Sound Barrier Sheet from Audimute was designed to be mounted over doors and windows to block sound. Instead of a layer of Mass-Loaded Vinyl, isolé uses Peacemaker®, an eco-friendlier alternative made with 90% post-consumer material. It's also portable, allowing you to take it with you when you move out of your apartment.

Peacemaker is also available on its own in 3mm and 6mm thicknesses. It can be used for DIY soundproofing solutions such as window plugs, or it can be applied in more permanent construction-heavy soundproofing solutions such as decoupling walls, adding a drop ceiling, or subflooring. Again, however, these installations usually require thousands of dollars and permission from your landlord, and, in many cases, your local government.

3. Talk to Your Neighbors

It's the simplest solution ... and maybe the most difficult. But it's usually easier to control sound by going to the source of it. If your upstairs neighbor's footsteps are easily heard in your apartment, for example, talk with them about adding a thick rug to the floor area above your unit. Similarly, if their TV or stereo can easily be heard from your apartment, talk with them about lowering the volume or agreeing to certain "quiet hours".

There's unfortunately not an easy solution for soundproofing in apartments or dorm rooms, but by working with your neighbors, reaching out to your landlord, or adding temporary solutions over doors, windows, and other sound entry points yourself, you may be able to find a solution that makes the noise a little more tolerable.

We tend to think of acoustic panels as being wall applications: pick out a panel, hang it up on a wall, let it do its thing. And in most cases, due to such factors as points of reflection and ease of installation, they are.

But acoustic panels for ceilings are also an effective option, especially for spaces with limited availability on walls (such as gymnasiums, open floor offices, or hallways) or with vaulted ceilings.

Here's a guide to ceiling acoustic panels and how they can help your sound issues.

Types of Ceiling Acoustic Panels:

1. Direct Mount Tiles and Panels

Direct mount acoustic ceiling tiles and panels are flush-mounted directly to a ceiling to absorb sound waves coming from below. Since the products are attached directly to the ceiling, they take up less vertical space or headroom than other ceiling applications. Different tools or products can be used to affix the tile to the ceiling. Here at Audimute, we prefer Titebond® Acoustic Ceiling Tile Adhesive or a Paslode® Brad Nailer for drywall ceiling applications.

2. Drop Ceiling Tiles

Drop ceiling tiles are placed between the tracks or grid of a suspended ceiling. When installed properly, the acoustic tile or panel will lay flat against the ceiling grid to then absorb sound waves coming from below.

3. Clouds

Acoustic ceiling clouds are panels hung horizontally from a ceiling (with an air gap in between) to absorb sound waves at two points: as sound waves travel toward the ceiling and then as they bounce off the ceiling and travel back toward the floor. Installation of acoustic ceiling clouds traditionally involves the use of cable hangers, hanging cords, and mounted ceiling hooks.

4. Baffles

Acoustic ceiling baffles are similar to acoustic ceiling clouds, but instead of a horizontal orientation, they are hung vertically from a ceiling to absorb sound on both sides of the panel. As with clouds, installation of baffles also involves the use of cords, hangers, and hooks. But unlike clouds, baffles are less likely to block lighting or air flow from above.

Choosing which acoustic ceiling product to use depends on multiple factors, including the layout of your space and the source of the sounds you are trying to control. But regardless of which one you choose, there are commonalities across all types.

What to Know About Ceiling Acoustic Panels:

1. As Effective as Wall Acoustic Panels

In terms of the absorption materials within them - whether it's wool, fiberglass, or Audimute's eco-C-tex® - wall acoustic panels and ceiling acoustic panels are essentially the same. How effective a ceiling panel might ultimately be compared to a wall panel really depends on how and where it's installed. 

2. They Can Blend In or Stand Out

Due to not being installed at eye level, ceiling acoustic products are much easier to hide in plain sight (if that's your goal). They can be coated to blend in with the paint color of the ceiling (such as our AcoustiColor® Direct Mount Tiles) or inserted into a grid as part of a drop ceiling. But they can also be outfitted with bright colors and printed graphics to become eye-catching decor elements.

3. Installation Can Be Difficult

Obviously, installation on a ceiling is trickier than installation on a wall. Depending on the height and layout of the space, as well as such elements as HVAC units or lighting fixtures, hanging or mounting acoustic ceiling panels could require anything from a ladder to a scissor-lift. The most important thing is to practice safety at all times; consider hiring a professional to help with the installation if it might be too challenging to do on your own.

4. Upkeep Can Be Challenging

Similarly, upkeep for acoustic ceiling panels can be difficult. If they need to be repaired or touched up for any reason, be sure to practice caution at all times to ensure the safety of you and those around you.

There's no shortage of amazing ceiling acoustic panels, tiles, clouds, and baffles. So don't be afraid to go to great heights to solve your sound problems!

Wood has long been one of the go-to materials for design and home decor due to its durability, its stunning aesthetics, and its versatility. So it only makes sense that wood has also become a popular option in acoustic panels and other sound management solutions.

But the type of wood matters: 

• Softwoods like pine, cedar, fir, and spruce are excellent for sound absorption due to their lower density and more open cell structure.
• Hardwoods such as oak and maple, on the other hand, are more dense and therefore more likely to reflect sound. It's why rooms with hardwood floors are more susceptible to echoes and reverberations.

There are no shortage of acoustic wood panels on the market, with wooden slat panels (typically featuring wooden slats mounted on a sound-absorbing panel) particularly popular. Wooden slats themselves have both sound-absorbing (where the wood soaks up sound waves instead of reflecting them back) and sound-diffusing (where the sound waves are broken up and reflected back as smaller, weaker pieces of energy) properties.

Here at Audimute, we love the look of wood as much as anyone, but we wanted to take a more eco-friendly approach to "acoustic wood panels." So we launched our AcoustiWood® line of sound absorption products. AcoustiWood has all the aesthetics of real wood, but is instead made with high-quality graphics printed on acoustical fabric that's then wrapped around our 100% recycled sound absorption material, eco-C-tex®. It's the acoustic wood wall panel without the wood.

Here's why we love AcoustiWood:

1. It's Effective

Thanks to its eco-C-tex core, our AcoustiWood panels have NRC ratings of .95, meaning they absorb an average of 95% of echoes, reverberations, and mid to high frequencies.

2. It's Beautiful

There's just nothing like the look of wood. Elegant, warm, and timeless, it connects us to the natural world while also projecting an image of strength and stability. Audimute offers AcoustiWood in more than 75 different cover material styles, including Chestnut, Brown Walnut, Red Mahogany, Aged Teak, Cerused Oak, and Earthy Birch.

3. It's Durable

Our AcoustiWood acoustic wall panels are Class A Fire-Rated (ASTM E-84). It's the highest rating under the ASTM standard and means it has minimal flame spread and low smoke production.

4. It's Versatile

From home to office and Old World extravagance to New Age minimalism, AcoustiWood, like real wood, visually fits in with any and all environments and design styles.

5. It's Eco-Friendly

Each AcoustiWood product is made with our eco-C-tex sound absorption material. Eco-c-tex is made of a blend of recycled cotton and cellulose fibers, the majority of which are post-consumer recycled newspaper. On top of that, making eco-C-tex takes 1/10th the energy of making fiberglass and 1/40th of making foam (two other materials popular for sound absorption solutions).


You shouldn't have to compromise on aesthetics when you're looking for great acoustics! AcoustiWood, along with other Audimute options like AcoustiStone® and AcoustiColor®, is proof of that.

Sound control in any kind of healthcare space is important, but it's especially crucial for therapists, counselors, and psychiatrists. In addition to creating a comfortable acoustic environment for your patient or client (as well as yourself), you must also take measures to protect your patients' privacy so that vulnerable conversations or confidential information are not being heard by those in the waiting room or adjacent spaces.

Here are some tips to control the sound in your therapy office:

1. Stop Sound Transmission Via Doors

Sound can easily travel through the air gaps around a door, allowing discussions within an office to potentially be heard by those outside of the office. There are numerous products on the market that address this: from door sweeps and weatherstripping foam to our Door Seal Kit. If your office door is hollow-core, use a sound barrier sheet like our isolé® to help block sound transmission. Any one of these products will help reduce sound waves getting out of (or into) an office via the door, and most can be paired together (like isolé and our Acoustic Door Seal Kit) to increase the sound-blocking capabilities. Blankets or quilts hung over doors can also help to dampen sound transmission.

2. Install Additional Soundproofing Where Possible

For a more comprehensive sound-blocking solution, soundproofing materials such as Mass Loaded Vinyl or our Peacemaker Sound Barrier can be put behind walls or ceilings to add mass and density, which helps block sound transmission. Soundproofing products typically require new construction for installation, so they're best added before moving into the office.

3. Absorb Sound Within The Room

Sound control within a treatment room is also important. Soft furnishings such as couches, curtains, and rugs help to absorb echoes and high frequencies, providing patients with a more soothing acoustic environment for their sessions. Bookshelves similarly can help to mitigate echoes via diffusion. For spaces with surfaces made of highly reflective materials such as drywall, concrete, or glass, consider installing sound-absorbing acoustic panels such as our AcoustiWood® or Image options. In addition to reducing noise within a room, these panels can also add compelling and therapeutic touches of color and design.

4. Add White Noise or Music

Sound-masking is a popular sound control option for waiting rooms in healthcare facilities. White noise machines or music played at a low level can "mask" sounds such as talking to help protect patient privacy.

5. Create Distance Between Treatment Room and Waiting Area

If possible, waiting rooms or reception areas should be situated as far away from the therapist's office as possible. Sound weakens as it travels, so creating a substantial distance between a "private" treatment area and a "public" waiting area will allow sound to have dissipated by the time it reaches one from the other.

6. Discourage Cell Phone Calls in Waiting Area

This is an easy one. Asking patients or clients to refrain from talking on the phone while in the waiting room creates a more peaceful acoustic environment for everyone!


By creating an environment where sound is controlled and acoustics are treated, therapists, counselors, and other healthcare providers can help to protect their patients' privacy while also making a comfortable space conducive to conversation, exploration, and, ultimately, healing.

As more of us are working remotely in some capacity, the rise in video conferencing via Zoom or other platforms also means that the acoustics in our homes and home offices matter more than ever. Otherwise, important work calls can be ruined by too much echo or reverb on your end of the conversation.

Here's a few tips to make sure you're getting the best sound for video conferencing:

1. Stay Away from Corners and Walls

Hard surfaces like corners and walls will reflect sound back to your computer's microphone, resulting in echo and overall bad sound clarity. Bass also tends to build up in corners, making your voice sound boomier. The middle of a room is generally better because sound has to travel farther (weakening along the way) before it reflects off these hard surfaces.

2. Use External Mics

Built-in microphones on a computer, laptop, or smartphone capture everything in a room and can quickly add too much ambient noise to a video conferencing call. They can also create echoes when interacting with speakers on your computer. Most external mics, whether it's a USB condenser microphone or a microphone attached to your earbuds, are designed to pick up your voice and filter out unwelcome sounds or echoes.

3. Use Earbuds or Headphones

Earbuds and headphones prevent the audio from your video conference from being picked up by your microphone, which can result in echo and muddy sound. You can certainly opt for a top-of-the-line pair of headphones, but even a basic set of earbuds will make a big difference.

4. Add Acoustic Panels

Sound-absorbing solutions like Audimute's AcoustiWood® Planks, Fabric Acoustic Panels, or Sound Absorption Sheets can be hung on walls or from ceilings to soak up echoes, reverberations, and mid to high frequencies in your room, giving you incredible sound quality on your end of the video conference.

5. Add Other Sound-Absorbing Fixtures

Thick rugs, soft cushions, and other similarly dense furnishings can help soak up sound waves so they don't reflect around a space. If possible, take your video conference call from a couch or bed (and if you're worried about the optics, blur your background or add a virtual one!)


Investing in the right sound setup can improve productivity and collaboration on your next video conference call. It's a sound business decision!

Have you ever walked into a room and discovered that every sound you make – from your footsteps to your voice – is resonating loudly around the space? Or maybe your co-workers have commented that it's difficult to hear you on Zoom meetings because of all the echo? 
 
These are all too common acoustics problems, and they're caused by sound waves (from your footsteps, your voice, music you're listening to, etc.) reflecting off hard surfaces and then back to your ears.

Why Your Room Might Be Echoing: 

• Hard Surfaces - Uncarpeted floors, bare walls, long tables, large windows: these are highly reflective surfaces. In fact, sound waves will bounce off anything made from concrete, glass, tile, metal, or hardwood. If your room has too much echo, it's probably because of a preponderance of these reflective materials.
• High Ceilings – Rooms with tall ceilings mean more space, and more space means more distance for sound to travel before it hits a surface. Once this sound does bounce off a hard surface, it creates a delayed reflection, which then bounces around the vaulted ceilings several more times until it finally dissipates.
• Empty / Lacking Furniture – Empty rooms have nothing to absorb sound waves. Without fabric-covered furniture, thick rugs, or heavy curtains to soak up echoes, they will continue to reflect and resonate off the hard, empty surfaces. 

How to Fix Echo In Your Room: 

• Add Sound-Absorbing Materials - These could be acoustic panels like the ones we make here at Audimute, but they could also be more everyday items like rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, or drapes. Basically, anything of a porous nature (such as rugs, drapes, or Audimute fabric acoustic panels) will trap sound (like echoes) and keep it from re-entering the space.
• Add Bookshelves – Bookshelves are usually made of hard, reflective material, but because of their unique shapes full of nooks, crannies, and compartments, they scatter sound waves in different directions. This is called diffusion. Plus, books themselves also help to break up sound and provide some minimal sound absorption.
• Rearrange Furniture – Maybe your room has some furniture in it, but there's also lots of open areas or exposed bare walls where sound can bounce around freely. Consider moving sound-absorbing furniture such as sofas, armchairs, or couches to strategic locations where the acoustics are particularly bad.  

You don't have to live a life full of echoes and reverberations! Any change – from adding a thick rug to hanging up a beautiful AcoustiWood® acoustic panel from Audimute – will make a substantial difference in reducing the echo in your room. 

How is it September already???

It feels like just yesterday that summer was starting, and yet here we are, on the cusp of autumn. Here at Audimute, we're looking forward to a season full of college football, changing leaves, and excellent acoustics.

And to get us in the mood, here's some design inspiration courtesy of sapphire (September's birthstone) and Audimute's FR701 Fabric Acoustic Panel of the same name, wrapped in high-quality fabric from Guilford of Maine: