Tagged with 'Audimute'

Open, collaborative office space seems to be the new way of life for most businesses. With walls, cubicles, and partitions stripped away, the idea is that:

• Employees benefit from free-flowing brainstorming and communication with colleagues

• Business objectives and pursuits become more innovative

• Expenses tied to office equipment, construction, and utilities dwindle

What’s not to love? Heck, the offices of Google and Facebook basically pioneered this unfastened environment. The trend has caught fire and it seems as though (most) businesses around the world don’t believe in closed-door, work-place barriers anymore.

The downside? Noise.

Yes, the challenge that comes attached to an exposed environment is the acoustics. So, back to our initial question: What’s sound got to do with it? Well, quite a bit.

Conversations, phone calls, meetings – and that co-worker that always plays his music too loud – combine to create distractions and a clutter of noise in today’s open office. But before you decide this open office layout just ain’t workin’, look up. Your ceiling is about to become your solution.

Drown out echoes and excess noise with high-quality, eco-friendly acoustic ceiling baffles. A wide selection of cover material will help add style and customization to your sound absorption efforts. Choose from:

• Standard or designer acoustic baffle fabrics, which give your space a simple yet sophisticated look

• Custom color or custom image acoustic baffles, which are perfect to place company colors, logos & quotes on

• Acousticolor™ sound baffles, which match any Sherwin-Williams shade

At Audimute, we help businesses of all shapes and sizes find the right solution for their unique sound problem. Unsure which solution is best for your open office? Contact us today. In less than 15 minutes, one of our sound solution experts will be able to understand your space and recommend a solution.

Shop our vast selection of acoustic ceiling baffles. Here’s to your quieter open office environment.

Sound, as wonderful as it is, can be harmful to your hearing at high intensities. We bet you already knew this. But even sound that is extremely loud for a just a moment can be damaging. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), powerful, intense sounds can damage sensitive structures in your inner ear and cause noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).¹ To bring awareness to this condition and other sound-related issues, we’re kicking off a three part series called Sound Health + You.

Noise Induced Hearing Loss

While hearing loss is most commonly attributed to aging, noise induced hearing loss happens to children and adults. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 15% of adults between the ages of 20 and 69, and 16% of teens ages 12 to 19, have reported some degree of Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) caused by exposure to loud noise without wearing proper hearing protection.²

Sound alarming? That’s because it is.

There is no grading scale for what can cause hearing loss; it can be a one-time exposure to an intense sound, such as an explosion, or by continuous exposure to loud sounds, such as working in a factory, working with power tools, or even listening to music through head phones at a high volume every day.

“It is the sum of all of your exposures to sound throughout the day and evening that add together to damage hearing when that total becomes excessive,” notes Janet Ehlers, RN, MSN, COHC and Pamela S. Graydon, MS, COHC of the CDC.²

NIHL is the only type of hearing loss that is completely preventable. Noise induced hearing loss in adults is commonly attributed to work environments. Understanding the health hazards of over exposure to loud noises is the first step to protecting your hearing.

Tips for Hearing Health

• Wear earplugs or sound cancelling headphones when involved in a loud activity

• If you can’t reduce a noise or volume, move away from it

• When listening to music, use the 60/60 rule: use 60% of the maximum volume for no more than 60 minutes a day

• Have earplugs on hand for your children when planning high-volume activities

• Talk to family, friends, and colleagues about the risks of loud noise exposure

Noise Induced Hearing Loss Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms of noise induced hearing loss in adults and children may go away in minutes, hours, or days after the noise ends. It’s important to recognize the signs early so you are able to avoid exposure to other loud noises while your ears are already impaired, as this can cause more severe damage.

Symptoms of Noise Induced Hearing Loss

• Feeling of pressure or fullness in your ears

• Muffled or distorted hearing

• Ringing in the ears when in quiet places

• Difficulty understanding phone calls

• Inability to hear someone talking three feet away

If you’re experiencing trouble hearing in your home, or simply wish to improve sound quality, call an Audimute Acoustic Sound expert at (866) 505-MUTE for personalized advice on soundproofing and acoustic solutions for your space.

Resources: 1 National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. “Noise-Induced Hearing Loss.” Retrieved on April 12, 2016. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/noise-induced-hearing-loss#1. 2 Ehlers, Janet, RN, MSN, COHC and Graydon, Pamela S. MS, COHC. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “Even a Dummy Knows October is Protect Your Hearing Month.” Retrieved on April 12, 2016. http://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2012/10/11/protect-hearing/.

As a company born from the love of music and sound, we catch ourselves these days living vicariously through musicians who release their one-of-a-kind art and sound into the world. It’s always an honor to learn that our acoustic panels are helping musicians create desired sounds and aid in their artistic process.

We caught up with Jerry Jean, a New York City based award-winning songwriter, arranger, producer, and musician. Read what he had to say about his path to becoming a musician and his experience with Audimute’s acoustic panels:

Q. Tell us about your path to becoming a songwriter and music producer.

A. I took violin and piano lessons from a young age and went to NYU to study vocal performance. Upon graduation, I worked as a freelance musician in New York, playing shows and contributing keyboards and strings on both indie and major label records. I also coached singers frequently and taught music theory at my alma mater. Although I was grateful making a living as a musician, I did not feel I was leaving a tangible record of my own music. So in 2010, I expanded my focus to encompass writing and producing. I’ve since released 3 EPs, and am currently working on my first solo full-length album.

Q. Tell us about your songwriting process. Where do you find creativity and inspiration?

A. Sometimes there is no predetermined subject, and I simply begin by improvising while singing at the piano. I let the subconscious determine the song as I play novel chord changes and vocalize whatever comes out: spontaneous refrains, wordless melismas, whatever. It's a rather vulnerable, private practice. I record these explorations on my phone, listen back, rinse and repeat. Other times, I set out to encapsulate a predetermined emotion, vibe, or event taken from life experience, either from my own or from what I observe from other people. When the song's seed is predetermined, the process will still go back to the improvisatory method I mentioned previously. These explorations are ultimately refined into the lyrics and music that win out.

Q. What is important to you when you start to produce a new sound or a song?

A. It’s important to be genuine, and to create something that can stand the test of time. This means investing effort and money not only to improving the songwriting and performance in the songs, but also to the technical aspects of proper recording, mixing, etc.

Q. You use acoustic panels on your studio wall. When did you realize you needed to improve the acoustics in your studio?

A. I installed the panels in late 2011, shortly after deciding to convert my spare room into my studio. The room was initially full of undesired reverberations. When I was coaching singers and they sang loud notes, the entire room shook with reverb. Although singers sometimes enjoyed this phenomenon, I knew it would be detrimental when recording since I wouldn’t be able to remove the excessive sound reflections. I ultimately installed 8 large Audimute panels. They have a stylish aesthetic, and are totally functional.

Q. How do acoustic panels help you achieve a desired sound?

A. The paneling effectively absorbs the unwanted reverb. Combined with my room’s carpeting and furnishings, the panels keep the sound controlled to my taste. More paneling would dampen sound reflections even more, but I wanted to maintain a modest element of liveness in the room so didn't go overboard with coverage.

Q. What successes have you seen as a result of using Audimute's acoustic panels?

A. My song Your Love, created completely in my music room, was a winner in the International Songwriting Competition. It now has over 50,0000 views online, and the Audimute panels can be seen in the studio performance video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYymQbVah54.

My EPs Your Love and Fighting For You have both charted on iTunes, and I’m steadily improving my craft with each new project. Since setting up my studio, I haven’t had to make any adjustments to the paneling, and it remains an integral part of my daily listening environment. Not being bogged down with technical issues like proper room treatment allows me to focus my energies on making music and growing as a writer / producer. While working on my new full-length record, I’ve recorded live strings, horns, vocals, acoustic basses and guitars in my studio. The panels help me obtain clean recordings during each session while making listening back more accurate. Visually, they also complement the vibe of the room.

To learn more about Jerry, connect with him below:

Official website: http://www.jerryjean.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jerryjeanmusic

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/jerryjeanmedia

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jerryjeanmusic

When shopping for the acoustic solution that will best solve your sound issues and best fit your space’s style, acoustic panels and acoustic tiles can both get the job done. But there are differences between the two. Let’s look at a side-by-side comparison:

Style needs and desires can help you determine which solution will work best for you.

Audimute’s Acoustic Panels

Our acoustic panels are perfect for making your space come to life with vivid, high-quality images. Browse our galleries of popular images or upload your own personal photo, logo, or design for a personal touch.

Looking for a more classic look? Find just what your space needs with customary, luxury, and designer acoustic fabrics for a finished look unique to your space.

Audimute’s Acoustic Tiles

Acoustic fabric tiles bring a clean-cut, professional look to any space. With a wide-range of fabrics to choose from, you can match any design theme.

AcoustiColor™ Tiles and Audimute Acoustic Shapes will add personality, vibrant color, and fun shapes and configurations to your walls. Choose from seven standard sizes and thousands of color options to create your desired wall art.

Head on over to our acoustic panel vs. acoustic tile treatment comparison page to find more information on how these acoustic solutions differ.

Sound solutions just got edgier. With the launch of our AcoustiColor Accent Ceiling Baffles featuring three new styled edges, you can take your design possibilities in a whole new direction. Whether you're establishing simplicity in your space or looking to make a dramatic statement with your sound solution, these new AcoustiColor Accent Baffles will bring any ceiling to life, according to your design motif.

Bring the City to Life

These individually crafted, non-traditional baffles seek to not only control reverberated sound and reduce unwanted noise, but to also represent a city's iconic skyline. You can take these baffles in a number of design directions.

Make Some Waves

Create a free-flowing feel in your space with these wavy acoustic baffles.

• Hang them in straight lines along your ceiling to create a smooth waved look.

-or-

• Hang them in a staggered pattern along your ceiling to create an edgier, boisterous design pattern. 

Think Outside the Box 

Turn heads upward by creating a geometric inspired atmosphere with these AcoustiColor Accent polygon-edge Baffles.

• Place the same polygon design on every acoustic baffle you order.

-or-

• Mix and match whole rectangle acoustic baffles with these polygon-edge baffles.

Complete your geometric theme by adding Audimute Acoustic Shapes polygon acoustic tiles to your wall.

The best design news yet? As with all of our acoustic solutions, you can match them to any Sherwin Williams paint color with the AcoustiColor^® option.

Get in touch with one of our Sound Solution Experts today at (866) 505-MUTE to discuss your unique space, sound issue, and goals for creating a remarkable acoustic experience.

Are you ready to improve the acoustics of your home theater? We receive countless inquiries about home theater treatment each day, and the most commonly asked question is where acoustic panels should be applied to most effectively improve the sound quality in the theater. Today, I am going to take you step-by-step on finding reflection points and how you can use this as a guide for perfect panel placement.

First, we need to discuss what reflection points are. The primary reflection points are the points throughout your theater at which sound is initially reflecting. In other words, it’s the first surface that sound comes in contact with after leaving your speakers. Primary reflection points are important to find as these are the most effective treatment points throughout your home theater.

Now picture this: you just finished your home theater set up! You spent hours shopping for the right speakers, the most comfortable couch, and the best screen or projector. You throw in your favorite movie and notice something: you forgot to take the room acoustics into consideration! Fear not! That echo you’re noticing can be treated by adding acoustic panels to your theater!

To find the reflection points, you will need the following:

      • A home theater

      • A handheld mirror

      • Sticky notes

      • A patient friend

1. First, set up the room as if it were finished. Speakers and seating in your space should be placed in their final

locations. Moving any of these elements will change the primary reflection points of sound throughout your space.

I recommend leaving the walls mostly bare (aside from any speakers). This will make the process of marking and finding reflection points much easier.

Once the walls are bare and the speakers are in their final position, it’s time to start listening. Carefully examine where the sound is coming from in the theater.

2. Second, have your friend hold the handheld mirror parallel to the wall surface. Face the screen in your theater, and move the mirror around the walls until you can see any speakers reflected in the mirror. Be sure not to move your head or tilt the mirror throughout this process, as this will alter the reflection points. Mark these points with a sticky note. These are the primary reflection points.

Each speaker in your space should have 6 reflection points (one on each of 4 walls, one on the ceiling, and one on the floor). For a 5-speaker system, there should be 30 reflection points. Some of these points may not be treatable. This would include points that are blocked by open hallways, furniture, or other objects. This is not an issue. While treating primary reflection points is important, treating every reflection point is not necessary to improve the sound quality in your theater.

3. Once you have the reflection points marked, you can begin adding absorption.                 

For reflection points on the floor, consider adding a rug. If the theater is carpeted, treating the floor should not be necessary. For any windows, consider adding curtains or drapes.

To treat any reflection points on the ceiling, consider flush-mounting Acoustic Tiles to the ceiling surface, or suspending Acoustic Clouds from the ceiling.

4. Finally, for the reflection points on the walls, consider adding Acoustic Panels. With a variety of sizes, colors, and styles to choose from, Audimute Acoustic Panels are an excellent option to consider for any home theater application.

For more advice on creating the perfect home theater, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our Acoustic Specialists!

November 15, 2016, Cleveland, OH – Audimute Soundproofing and its parent company, One Wish LLC, are proud to announce our selection as one of Smart Business’s 2016 World Class Customer Service Award recipients. This award distinguishes 25 organizations from 17 Northeast Ohio counties that manifest their commitment to delivering world-class customer service internally and externally.

“Nothing is more important than the customer,” says Mitch Zlotnik, President and Founder of Audimute and One Wish LLC. “Providing remarkable customer service is in our daily conversation at Audimute. How well we serve our customers is how we engage in the success of our business. Our company is unique because we have the opportunity to personally connect with our customers and provide expert advice to find a solution to their sound issue(s).”

Our entire team is committed to creating the ultimate customer journey and we are honored to be recognized for this effort throughout the company.

Audimute Soundproofing is headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio. Audimute specializes in the design and manufacture of eco-friendly solutions for noise abatement and sound control in residential, commercial, and institutional spaces. Since our inception in 2005, we have been solving sound problems in many industries including healthcare, construction, architecture, restaurants, house of worship, recording studios, manufacturing, and education.

The World Class Customer Service awards honors companies for their superior customer service. The award raises awareness of the importance of customer service in the business world, recognizes organizations that demonstrate exceptional customer service and share best practices in customer service from those that do it best.

November is International Drum Month. That means that now is the perfect time to set up your home drum room! When setting up your drum room, make sure to keep in mind the acoustics of your space. This will help to keep your neighbors (and the cops) away, while also ensuring that the space sounds great. 

Follow these helpful tips to help improve the acoustics of your drum room for yourself and your neighbors.

1) Consider drum kit location

Where you place the kit can have an impact on the sound in your drum room. For the best results, I would recommend placing the kit in the corner of your room, facing out towards the room. Keep the kit away from any shared walls. This will help to push sound into the room, instead of directly at any walls, and will help with the process of enclosing the kit, which brings us to the next tip…

2) Enclose the kit (to the best of your ability)

Enclosing the kit can help to create a barrier around the drums. This will help to weaken the sound before it has a chance to reach the walls of your drum space. This can be accomplished using our Absorption Sheets. Placing Absorption Sheets behind the kit (one on each wall) will reduce the amount of sound reflecting off the walls. Hanging Sheets in front of the kit will help to effectively enclose the kit, creating a “room-within-a-room” with Absorption Sheets.

3) Treat any windows

Windows are a common point if weakness in most structures. Adding mass and density to any windows can help to reduce the amount of sound traveling through them. Creating a plug for the window using a heavy, rigid board is one option to consider. Isole® can be another great option to consider. The Peacemaker® inside of the Isolé is designed to help block the amount of sound capable of escaping through a window.

4) Don’t forget about doors

It’s important to treat any doors to your drum room. Anywhere air can travel, sound can also travel. Because of this, sealing off the door to your room will help to reduce the amount of sound capable of escaping your space. Isolé can also be a great option for door treatment, helping to provide mass and density to the door to your drum room.

Following these tips will help to improve your drum room for yourself, and all those around you. For additional questions on treating a drum room, please feel free to give our Acoustic Specialists a call at (866)505-6883.

Ever wonder what it’s like to work at one of the top companies in the world? We do. That’s why we are giving you the inside look to what some of Forbes 100 best companies office spaces look like!

1. Acuity 

An insurance company based in Wisconsin, brings to life world class art, provides a free onsite gym for employees, zip lines for the adventurous innovators and an indoor Ferris wheel. Sound too good to be true? Just take a look for yourself.

2. Adobe Systems

Family time is precious” at Adobe, where they just launched a new 42+ week paid leave for families to take time to for their kids. On top of that, they offer indoor rock walls, a gourmet kitchen with chefs working around the clock, a full basketball court and even a quidditch arena!

3.  Autodesk

Encouraged to take 20 minute naps at work, Autodesk offers conference rooms with swinging tables, treadmill desks where you can work and workout at the same time, themed office spaces and a rooftop break area. 

4. Google

An adult playground, Google offers themed lounge rooms, swim in place pools with a lifeguard, massage therapists and multiple pool tables. Don’t forget to stop by their gourmet kitchen where Google offer’s their employees three free meals a day. 

5. Hyland Software

Located in Westlake, OH, Hyland Software offers FWAs, also known as flexibly work arrangements, where you are trusted to pick the hours you work that best fit your personal lifestyle. Maintain FWA while playing a pickup game of basketball on Hyland’s indoor or outdoor basketball courts or use the free fitness center. Then go to one of their onsite massage therapists, barber shop or the beak room where cushy recliners are located and ocean, calming music plays for some R and R.

6. Quicken Loans 

Headquartered in Detroit, MI, Quicken Loans offer pool tables for employee breaks, repurposed bank vaults for meeting rooms, Grand Prix Big Wheel races and a themed Cleveland Cavaliers basketball court.

7. Twitter

Located in the heart of San Francisco, Twitter’s newly designed headquarters features an 800 foot rooftop outdoor space with seating areas, corn hole and a freshly mowed lawn. Directly below that is a cafeteria where daily menus are posted offering anything from #comfort food to #birdseed type products.

8. Zappos

Viva Las Vegas! Not only will you get be submerged in historic Vegas, but you’ll also find yourself lost in the ball pin along with the lifeguard camel. Take time to relax on the 6^th floor in the fishbowl room, enjoy themed conference rooms, indoor snow sledding, pinewood derby races and Christmas parties for the homeless.

9. Capital One Financial

Coffee anyone? Stop by Capital One Financial headquarters for a sweet visit to their onsite coffee and café, free gym facilities and transparent meeting rooms.

10. Airbnb

It’s all about traveling at Airbnb. Travel the world in one work day with the help of Airbnb’s country themed coffee cafes. Need some downtime? Contact the management team to receive a travel voucher for your “hotel” accommodations or escape to one of the company’s work space areas designed to match any mood.

Looking to update your office space? Check out Audimute’s Acoustic Panels, Ceiling Clouds and Baffles and Acoustic Tiles to modernize your office interior!

Resources:

1. Glassdoor.com
2. Forbes.com

“Green” acoustics. How many times have you heard that? If you work at Audimute, you hear it on a daily basis.

So what exactly is it?

We’ve developed a highly effective eco-friendly alternative to acoustic panels. Our line of eco-C-tex® use 1/10 of the energy required to produce fiberglass and 1/4 of the energy used to create acoustic foam panels.

In fact, we love recycling, being eco-friendly and using raw materials that are naturally better for your interior space! It’s our global responsibility. So it’s only fitting that when it comes to our manufacturing process, we choose our textiles carefully and we share a mutual understanding with our vendors. Guilford of Maine, our acoustic fabrics vendor, takes pride in the fact that 53% of their products are made from 100% recycled materials and 86% of their products contain recycled content in some form or another. Read more about how Guilford of Maine recycles plastic bottled into fabrics here!

We use this high-quality, eco-friendly acoustic fabric to cover our top-selling fabric acoustic tiles and panels. Each product is hand assembled by our production team right here in Beachwood, Ohio to ensure we meet & exceed your expectations.

To learn more about our products, contact one of our Acoustic Specialists!