Archive for category Press Release
Acoustics First® releases new 3D Model Repository.
Posted by Acoustics First in Press Release, Products on February 25, 2026
For those users who like to design visually, Acoustics First® has released a new 3D model repository at:
https://acousticsfirst.com/acousticsfirst-3d-model.htm
Currently, the 3D models are available in .SKP and .GLB format for:
More models are coming soon. The repository is available at https://acousticsfirst.com/acousticsfirst-3d-model.htm or it is linked from any of the diffuser pages listed above.
Joint ASA/ASJ Meeting – 2025 Recap
Posted by Acoustics First in Press Release, Uncategorized on January 23, 2026
The joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) and the Acoustical Society of Japan (ASJ), held in Honolulu in December 2025, was a welcoming gathering for the international acoustics community. This joint congress happens only once every ten years, making it a rare opportunity for researchers, consultants, and students from both societies to come together, reconnect, and exchange ideas. Hosting the meeting in Hawaiʻi—literally and figuratively a bridge between the two countries—added to the collaborative and relaxed atmosphere.
Across the week, a wide range of ASA and ASJ technical committees organized sessions that showcased the diversity of acoustics research and practice. These included:
- Architectural Acoustics
- Noise
- Physical Acoustics
- Psychological and Physiological Acoustics
- Speech Communication
- Musical Acoustics
- Computational Acoustics
- Engineering Acoustics
- Education in Acoustics
- Structural Acoustics and Vibration
- Underwater Acoustics
- Signal Processing in Acoustics
- Biomedical Acoustics
- Animal Bioacoustics
- Acoustical Oceanography
Together, these sessions reflected the breadth of the field—from fundamental physics to human perception, from engineered systems to the natural environment.
One such session was organized by the Architectural Acoustics Technical Committee and focused on the Advances in Absorption Measurement and Design. Presentations explored how these materials are evaluated in the lab, how they are specified and integrated into buildings, and how they ultimately shape the acoustic experience of everyday spaces. This session was co-chaired by Jim DeGrandis (Acoustics First Corporation) & Daniel Robinson (Sublime) from the ASA, as well as Toshiki Hanyu (Nihon University) and Tetsuya Sakuma (The University of Tokyo) from the ASJ.
A highlight of the session was a three-part breakdown of a developing Japanese acoustics standard for general spaces—such as lobbies, sporting facilities, and multipurpose rooms. The proposed standard is being informed by the well-established German DIN 18041 room acoustics standard, with thoughtful adaptations for Japanese building practices and cultural expectations. The presentation sparked lively and friendly discussion, illustrating how international collaboration can help refine tools and standards that benefit practitioners worldwide.
Overall, the session captured the spirit of the once-a-decade ASA–ASJ meeting: technically rigorous, openly collaborative, and genuinely enjoyable.
End-of-Year Warehouse SALE 2025!
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Diffusion, Press Release, Products on December 23, 2025
It’s that time again! Time to do The End-of-Year cleanout of overstock, B-Stock, etc! Help us clean house!
Free Ground Shipping to the lower 48 states included on warehouse sale items – Available until January 31st… or while supplies last!
Aeolian™ Sound Diffusers – B-Stock
These Aeolian™ Diffusers have minor imperfections due to the batch of plastic having small orange specs in it. Barely noticeable, and easily paintable.
Quantity at time of writing – 102
Original Price $175 per unit – Sale price $87.50 per unit!
ArtDiffusor® Model D Sound Diffusers – Overstock
These ArtDiffusor® Model D Diffusers are A-Grade Stock – they are simply overstock items!
Quantity at time of writing – 96
Original Price $175 per unit – Sale price $87.50 per unit!
2’x2’x1″ Tone Tiles – Overstock
These 2’x2’x1″ ToneTiles are A-Grade Stock – they are simply overstock items!
Quantity at time of writing – 60
Original Price $70 per unit – Sale price $35.00 per unit!
2’x2′ Cloudscape Ceiling Tiles – Tile Backed – Customer Return
These Cloudscape Ceiling Tiles with Fog Pattern are a customer return – Listed as B-Stock. They are mounted to a ceiling tile backer for use in a drop ceiling grid.
Quantity at time of writing – 66
Original Price $60 per unit – Sale price $30.00 per unit!
Contact Acoustics First today at 888-765-2900 or reach out to info@acousticsfirst.com to inquire about these deals – but don’t wait… once they are gone, that’s it!
“If a tree were to fall … and there was no one to hear it, would there be any sound?”
Posted by Acoustics First in Articles, Press Release on April 1, 2022
The philosophical thought experiment of “does something need to be perceived to exist,” has been around since the beginning of time. This allows for human extrapolation into concepts such as quantum mechanics (Schrödinger’s cat) and advanced Artificial Intelligence principals. Albert Einstein was effectively “unfriended” for asking the question of his colleague, Abraham Pais,
“Do you really believe that the moon only exists if you look at it?”
Albert Einstein to Abraham Pais
Pais prescribing to “the majority view of the quantum mechanics community then (and arguably to this day) that existence in the absence of an observer is at best a conjecture, a conclusion that can neither be proven nor disproven.”
But the question still exists. “If a tree falls in a forest and there is no one to hear it, does it make a sound?”
The eminently interesting, Dr. Irving Lirpa asked the burning question…
“If observation is proof, can we calculate the Amplification Coefficient of Human Perception upon something that is ‘likely’ into ‘truth’ versus the amplification of ‘hogwash’ – which will always remain ‘hogwash?’ Because if something is able to be perceived, it must exist in some degree, as amplifying the perception of the non-existent is akin to multiplying by zero.”
Dr. I. Lirpa further posited that: “while the observation of sound proves its existence, the lack of observation does not disprove it… it merely has not been amplified by the scrutiny of human perception.”
He further affirmed that the tree would indeed create sound, but with a much lower intensity due to the Human Perception Amplification Coefficient… henceforth, there would still be sound because it exists – but it would fail to be amplified by human perception.
This seminal work calculated a Maximum Reverb Time of only 0.04 @ 1000 Hz “Without Audience” in a full-leafed, deciduous biome common to the vernal mid-temperate zone. Further calculations found that the Human Perception Amplification Coefficient is equivalent to the reverb time being amplified by 42 TIMES per frequency band upon being observed – which coincides exactly with the calculation made by the supercomputer DEEP THOUGHT on the “Ultimate Question.”
Coincidence? We think not.
TL:DR
“If a tree was to fall in the forest and there was no one there to hear it, would there be any sound?”
“Yes, but there would be 42 Times more sound if there was someone there to hear it.”
Sonora® LFC – Low-Frequency Control Panel
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Auditorium, Home Entertainment, Home Theater, Multipurpose Rooms, Music Rehearsal Spaces, Music Tracking Room, Press Release, Product Applications, Products, Recording Facilities, Recording Studio, Studio Control Room, Theater, Uncategorized, Vocal Booth, Voice Over, Worship Facilities on May 24, 2021
Bass frequencies are difficult to control… and there is sometimes a tendency to overuse standard, broadband panels to try to absorb everything in order to get rid of that bass. However, this method is unbalanced and has the side-effect of leaving a room sounding muffled and boomy.
Why?
Physics! High frequencies are easier to absorb than low frequencies. So, when you ONLY use broadband absorbers, they easily remove the high frequencies and leave more of the lows. Overusing broadband absorption in a large performance space can be a disaster – leaving an environment lacking energy and feel – many describe this condition as a room sounding “dead.” (Not good!)
So how can you treat the boomy bass without killing your rooms with too much broadband absorption? Can you just take out the bass? Unfortunately, it is impossible to ONLY absorb the bass, but we can LIMIT the amount of high frequency energy that we absorb to balance out the response.
Acoustics First® presents… the Sonora® LFC – Low-Frequency control panel.
The Sonora® LFC looks like a standard Sonora® Wall panel, but looks can be deceiving! At 4-1/8″ thick, it is virtually indistinguishable from a High-Impact Sonora® panel – however the interior structure of the LFC is optimized to attack the bass frequencies and smoothly roll off the high frequencies. Let’s take a closer look at the performance difference between the Sonora® LFC and the standard Sonora® panel.
When you look at the performance charts, you will notice that the standard 4″ Sonora® panel starts to “roll-off” in the lower frequencies below 125 Hz – it still absorbs them, just to a lesser degree. We designed the Sonora® LFC panel to focus on those frequencies below 125 Hz – while allowing the other treatments to handle the rest! This allows you to use fewer broadband panels, and still have some high-frequency energy for diffusers to spread around – thus creating a more balanced acoustic environment.
The Sonora® LFC is an engineered solution using the same high-performance materials as our other products, but combining them in a way that optimizes them for Low-Frequency Control – hence Sonora® LFC! The magic is in the way those materials are used.
All of the materials used in an acoustic environment have a function – “Diffusers,” “Absorbers,” and “Bass Traps” are all general descriptors of product functions. Some diffusers are also Bass Traps. Some bass traps are also broadband absorbers. Some diffusers use absorption for amplitude grating. By combining a dampened, resonant trap with multi-density fiberglass, the Sonora® LFC focuses on making acoustic spaces more balanced. For controlling the bass without sucking the life out of a room, the LFC Panel is an outstanding tool for refined Low-Frequency Control!
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