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The following page was printed from RemoteCentral.com:
| Topic: | White noise generator for office This thread has 39 replies. Displaying posts 16 through 30. |
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| Post 16 made on Friday November 6, 2009 at 10:49 |
SF@Visteon Regular Member |
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Computers don’t do crap to help with noise in an office environment, I don’t know how many of you have been cubicle dwellers before but even with 10 computers on around you it doesn’t even help with the person who feels like they have to yell into the phone 5 isles over from you. Atlas sound is the way to go another company is Armstrong I haven’t looked at either company in forever but I believe I heard something Armstrong has a grid mounted system that goes right on top of drop ceilings. We have Atlas here at my work and great product.
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| Post 17 made on Friday November 6, 2009 at 11:00 |
amirm Regular Member |
Joined:
Posts: | December 2008
177 |
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On November 6, 2009 at 05:43, 2nd rick said...
Contrary to what Amir says, a properly designed and calibrated system can provide the desired results for adjacent areas without negative effects on speech intelligibility within a defined areas where masking is NOT desired.
OP said this:
"I have a client with a 3-5k' cubicle farm that is looking for a white noise system to give privacy to the cubicle inhabitants (cuboids? cubists? cubicals?). "
I read that as saying the noise will be generated everywhere people work in those cubes, and not in a "desired" area like a conference room. They are not trying to block noise from one space to the other, but rather, drawn out noise altogether in the entire workspace. I think that is bad. It is going to create an unhappy environment which is probably worse than what they are trying to fix.
I spent two days trying to get work done in such a space. Have you? If you had, then you would share my feelings about how uncomfortable the situation was.
Amir, I am really confused by your PC fan comment...
Should the OP's solution be to just remind the client to make sure that his employees turn their PCs on each day??
I simply wanted him to remind his client that if they have not yet installed PCs, that after they do, the noise floor will go up in the entire space, acting a bit in this function without going overboard. They can also have their HVAC fan on all the time to help with that.
This may be a stretch, but I think we can safely assume that the PCs are already going to be turned on each work day. Since we are making assumptions, we might also safely assume that the current level of ambient noise is NOT getting them the desired result, hence the request for something additional.
Sure. But I would then make a second suggestion to give people headphones or encourage them to bring their own to listen to music, etc if they are bothered by the general office noise. Trying to make a place "quiet" with extra noise is a bad idea if you want happy employees in a white-collar business (i.e. they have a choice to go elsewhere where quiet enjoyment comes from other means such as high ceilings as mentioned and moving the noisy people to other areas).
Last edited by amirm on November 6, 2009 11:25.
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Amir
Contributing Editor, WideScreen Review Magazine
Retired Digital Media Insider |
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| Post 18 made on Friday November 6, 2009 at 14:31 |
SF@Visteon Regular Member |
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Posts: | October 2007
77 |
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I work in a white collar environment like you speak of day to day and to tell the truth the white noise is a relief from having to listen to the others around me. Yes you still hear them but they had the white noise system off for a couple days this week for a large meeting happening on my floor and ill tell you what im overjoyed its back on; im tired of listening to the keyboard clicks people talking on the phone or the neighbors having conversations about their personal lives.
Last edited by SF@Visteon on November 6, 2009 14:38.
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| Post 19 made on Friday November 6, 2009 at 16:13 |
davenport Active Member |
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703 |
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| Post 20 made on Friday November 6, 2009 at 17:38 |
Mr. Stanley Elite Member |
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Posts: | January 2006
10,343 |
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I've experienced some situations where the noise masking was improperly tweaked, and was annoying as hell.
I've also been around a few that were very well tuned, and not at all offensive.
A lot of dental and doctor's offices employ sound masking.
Back when I was married, there were times that I WISHED I'd had a noise cancelling or masking system!
Last edited by Mr. Stanley on November 7, 2009 11:35.
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"If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger."
Frank Lloyd Wright |
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| Post 21 made on Friday November 6, 2009 at 22:09 |
Palnews26 Regular Member |
Joined:
Posts: | April 2009
84 |
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How about this.
If you like it, leave it on.
If not, turn it off.
[Link: officeprivacy.com]
Sell them 5k and add $10.00 to each one.
Not a bad profit, and an easy install.
Last edited by Palnews26 on November 6, 2009 22:20.
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| Post 22 made on Friday November 6, 2009 at 22:26 |
Palnews26 Regular Member |
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Posts: | April 2009
84 |
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| Post 23 made on Saturday November 7, 2009 at 00:34 |
Ernie Bornn-Gilman Elite Member |
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12,933 |
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On November 5, 2009 at 22:51, Hasbeen said...
Tell him to get taller cubicles....You'd be surprised at how much taller walled cubicles with the fabric walls mask the sound.
On November 6, 2009 at 05:05, SOUND.SD said...
So..... essentially give the business to a furniture company?
Yes. If the dividers don't give much audio isolation, then of course they should get attention before adding noise to the environment. Nobody needs more noise if better isolation will help.
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I have ACTUALLY said this a thousand times: We can't help you much without the make and model of everything involved in the problem! Unless you want a vague answer. Or none. Your move. |
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| Post 24 made on Saturday November 7, 2009 at 17:40 |
Mr. Stanley Elite Member |
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10,343 |
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...
Last edited by Mr. Stanley on November 8, 2009 12:41.
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"If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger."
Frank Lloyd Wright |
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| Post 25 made on Saturday November 7, 2009 at 19:16 |
davidcasemore Senior Member |
Joined:
Posts: | January 2003
1,301 |
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I've had great results using "The Cone of Silence". It's available from CONTROL HQ.
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| Post 26 made on Saturday November 7, 2009 at 19:33 |
CCD Select Member |
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Posts: | August 2005
2,449 |
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Wow...learn something new every day! I may actually run into some applications for this.
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| Post 27 made on Sunday November 8, 2009 at 02:44 |
2nd rick Super Member |
Joined:
Posts: | August 2002
3,375 |
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On November 6, 2009 at 11:00, amirm said...
OP said this:
"I have a client with a 3-5k' cubicle farm that is looking for a white noise system to give privacy to the cubicle inhabitants (cuboids? cubists? cubicals?). "
I read that as saying the noise will be generated everywhere people work in those cubes, and not in a "desired" area like a conference room.
Ummm... YOU brought up the issues of having such a system in place in a meeting room environment. My statement was that this system can be zoned to exclude meeting spaces.
They are not trying to block noise from one space to the other, but rather, drawn out noise altogether in the entire workspace.
I spent two days trying to get work done in such a space. Have you? If you had, then you would share my feelings about how uncomfortable the situation was.
I investigated this option as well as passive acoustic placements for the order entry / call center area of an office I worked in back in '05-'06. Yes, I visited an office outfitted with an active masking system, and thought it was quite impressive.
I think that you were in an environment with a poorly designed and executed system, and that your negative experience is being conveyed as some sort of expert statement. I feel that it is clear by my positive experience, and similar comments by MANY others, that it is entirely possible to design and execute this with positive results.
I simply wanted him to remind his client that if they have not yet installed PCs, that after they do, the noise floor will go up in the entire space, acting a bit in this function without going overboard. They can also have their HVAC fan on all the time to help with that.
Sure. But I would then make a second suggestion to give people headphones or encourage them to bring their own to listen to music, etc if they are bothered by the general office noise. Trying to make a place "quiet" with extra noise is a bad idea if you want happy employees in a white-collar business (i.e. they have a choice to go elsewhere where quiet enjoyment comes from other means such as high ceilings as mentioned and moving the noisy people to other areas).
Let's run down the scenario....
You are contacted by a client with a 3,000-5,000 square foot office area populated with cubicle partitions.
You are asked specifically to dig up some info and options on a masking system
for this task, you had this advice for the client:
1) to turn the PCs on
2) to have the HVAC system fan set to run full time
3) to offer the employees the option of wearing headphones and playing their own music while at work
4) to move the loud employees to the other side of the office
So anyway....
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2nd Rick on RC and IntegrationPros.
cinemascope on AVS (but I rarely go back there) |
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| Post 28 made on Sunday November 8, 2009 at 10:08 |
Trunk-Slammer -Supreme Select Member |
Joined:
Posts: | November 2003
1,856 |
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I would then make a second suggestion to give people headphones or encourage them to bring their own to listen to music, etc if they are bothered by the general office noise.
Better option would be to require all employee's to wear aluminum foil hats...
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| Post 29 made on Sunday November 8, 2009 at 11:15 |
amirm Regular Member |
Joined:
Posts: | December 2008
177 |
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On November 8, 2009 at 10:08, Trunk-Slammer -Supreme said...
I would then make a second suggestion to give people headphones or encourage them to bring their own to listen to music, etc if they are bothered by the general office noise.
Better option would be to require all employee's to wear aluminum foil hats...
I would be cool with that option as long as it covered their ears!!! :D
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Amir
Contributing Editor, WideScreen Review Magazine
Retired Digital Media Insider |
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| Post 30 made on Sunday November 8, 2009 at 11:22 |
BigPapa Senior Member |
Joined:
Posts: | October 2005
1,363 |
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On November 8, 2009 at 10:08, Trunk-Slammer -Supreme said...
I would then make a second suggestion to give people headphones or encourage them to bring their own to listen to music, etc if they are bothered by the general office noise.
Better option would be to require all employee's to wear aluminum foil hats...
http://www.instantrimshot.com/
A properly set up masking system shouldn't really be heard after you've been accustomed to it. If it's noticeable it's not set up right or somebody messed with it.
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Supreme Overlord of the KnuckleDragging Wire Pullers |
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