Join Us in Phoenix for IFMA's World Workplace Conference & Expo 2019

Held annually in cities across the U.S., IFMA’s World Workplace is the most renowned learning and networking event for facility management and related professions. As a leading provider of sound masking solutions aimed at improving workspace confidentiality, productivity and acoustic comfort, we’re thrilled to be part of IFMA’s World Workplace 2019 being held October 16-18 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Save the date and make plans to meet the Soft dB team at booth #510.

NFPA 72 and UL 2572 Standards Are Irrelevant to Sound Masking Systems

NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, provides the latest safety provisions to meet society’s changing fire detection, signaling, and emergency communications demands. This code includes requirements for mass notification systems used to communicate critical information during emergencies. It states that mass notification systems and fire alarm systems must work in a coordinated fashion so not to confuse building occupants.

Consequently, Underwriters Laboratories developed a new product safety standard, UL 2572, to align with the performance requirements of NFPA 72. It should be noted that both NFPA 72 and UL 2572 standards are exclusively aimed at mass notification systems. They have nothing to do with sound masking systems whatsoever.

Meanwhile, a well-known sound masking system supplier claims that its system is the only one on the market that follows NFPA 72 and UL 2572 standards. It’s important to understand that this is solely a marketing tactic, misleadingly suggesting that sound masking and mass notification system safety standards somehow correlate to each other. It also suggests that any sound masking system is necessarily combined with a mass notification system. Such statement is categorically false and exclusively applies to the supplier’s very own hybrid system.

Introducing a Real-Time Monitoring Platform for Noise, Vibrations, Dust, Weather, and More

Managing noise, vibration, dust and air quality compliance simultaneously across multiple project sites should be both simple and cost-effective. Soft dB Instruments Division has developed a remarkably affordable self-service web application that allows to remotely manage an entire fleet of Class 1 environmental measurement stations, view all recorded data in real-time, and share insightful metrics with key project stakeholders, all in one screen.

SMS-SURF4 Speaker Complies with the City of Chicago Environmental Air (CCEA)

Our SMS-SURF4 Direct-Field flush mount ceiling loudspeaker is now available with a Chicago Plenum option to meet the City of Chicago Environmental Air (CCEA) regulations. The SMS-SURF4 speaker has been slightly redesigned to ensure that it fully meets the City of Chicago’s electrical safety requirements and can be installed in any region where building code requires that all conductors be installed in metal that is inherently airtight, sealed off and gasketed from the plenum air space.

Setting Realistic Expectations for the Acoustic Performance of Movable Walls in Office Spaces

With the ever-growing rise in popularity of open floor plans, it makes perfect sense to incorporate movable walls into the design of office spaces. But just how effective are they in terms of providing true speech privacy? Over the years, our experts have measured the acoustical performance of various brands and configurations of movable walls in real-world installations. This blog article consolidates measurement results and key takeaways to help you establish realistic acoustic performance expectations when incorporating movable walls into your interior design projects.

Our Sound Masking Controllers and Speakers Now Certified to New Hazard-Based IEC 62368-1 Product Safety Standard

We work hard to future-proof our products and technology while continuously ensuring the safety of end-users. So we’re glad to inform you that all our sound masking controllers and loudspeakers are already certified to the new IEC/EN/UL/CSA 62368-1 hazard-based product safety standard. IEC 62368-1 is meant to supersede the 60950-1 and 60065 standards in December 2020. Meanwhile, we saw no reason not to test our new and existing products in accordance with the incoming standard right now.

SOUND, ONLY SOUND! An Exhibition Where You'll Hear Sounds with Your Other Senses!

Born out of a collaboration between the Sherbrooke Museum of Nature and Science (MNS²) and the University of Sherbrooke's Groupe d'acoustique (GAUS), SOUND, ONLY SOUND! is a touring interactive exhibition that allows visitors to actively explore sound from different points of view. We've gladly contributed to the making of this exhibition, by providing professional-grade sound measuring instruments, namely our Piccolo 2 sound level meter, and a noise monitoring software custom-developed by our team of engineers.

Understanding Vibrations and How They Affect Both Structures and Humans

Vibrations are defined as continuous cyclic motions and they can be experienced by any system, living or not. On a regular basis, our engineers are called in to tackle diverse vibration-related problems in the residential, industrial and environmental sectors. This blog article provides an overview of their work, the various phenomena causing vibration levels, and the advanced techniques used to anticipate vibration issues.

U.S. Southeast Sales Manager Christine Lakso Appointed Corporate Forum Leader for IIDA Georgia Chapter

As a seasoned sales manager overseeing the southeastern United States, Christine is passionate about helping architects, interior designers and facility managers leverage sound masking to achieve superior acoustics for the beautiful spaces they work so hard to create. We’re proud to announce that she was nominated to serve on the board of the Georgia Chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) as Corporate Forum Leader. She will be actively contributing to highly relevant conversations focused on defining wellness in today’s workplace, while nurturing excellence and innovation in interior design practices and education.

Spectrum Becomes Our New Sound Masking System Distributor in Qatar

 Brian Amideo Joins Our Team as Sound Masking Sales Manager for the U.S. Southwest

Jeff Harvey Joins Our Team as Sound Masking Sales Manager for Central Canada