Archive for category Vocal Booth
From Utility to Engineered Performance: Comparing Armstrong® 1B Perforated Tiles Vs. HiPer Panels®
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Diffusion, Music Tracking Room, Product Applications, Products, Recording Facilities, Recording Studio, School & Educational Facilities, Studio Control Room, Vocal Booth, Voice Over on June 30, 2026
For decades, perforated acoustic panels have played an important role in shaping the sound of recording studios, broadcast facilities, civic buildings, and public spaces. While the iconic Armstrong® 1B perforated mineral fiber tile represented the standard for practical noise control throughout much of the twentieth century, modern acoustic engineering has transformed what perforated panels can accomplish. A comparison between the Armstrong® 1B and today’s Acoustics First® HiPer Panel® family illustrates just how far acoustic technology has advanced.
The Armstrong® 1B tile was designed as a utilitarian acoustic treatment. Manufactured from thin mineral fiber, the 1′ x 1′ panels featured either linear or random perforation patterns that allowed sound energy to enter the porous material for absorption – which increased the NRC of these tiles to a 0.55-0.60. Originally developed during WWII and used in military barracks and installations, these tiles eventually found their way into countless municipal buildings, schools, government facilities, and even legendary recording environments such as RCA and Sun Recording Studios. Their modest absorption characteristics, ease of installation, and economical construction made them a practical solution for reducing reverberation in a wide variety of spaces.
Despite their historical significance, the Armstrong® 1B tiles were fundamentally simple acoustic absorbers. The mineral fiber substrate behaved much like compressed fiberboard or heavy paper, relying solely on the porous material itself for sound absorption. While the perforations exposed more surface area to incoming sound, there was no engineered reflective face, no constrained barrier layer, and no intentional diffusion characteristics. Their primary function was simply to absorb a portion of the reflected sound energy.
Modern critical listening spaces demand considerably more sophisticated performance.
The Acoustics First® HiPer Panel® family builds upon decades of acoustic research using high-performance fiberglass substrates and engineered panel construction. Rather than functioning as simple absorbers, HiPer Panels® are carefully designed hybrid acoustic devices that combine broadband absorption with controlled reflection and diffusion. Where the Armstrong tiles had an NRC of 0.55 – 0.60, the HiPer panels increase this to a 0.90 NRC – but they also introduce tuned absorption and diffusion.
The original laminated HiPer Panel® incorporates a perforated fiberglass bonded to a constrained barrier septum layer. This engineered assembly allowed portions of the sound spectrum to be reflected while some acoustic energy passed into the fiberglass absorber, creating a more balanced acoustic response than a conventional porous panel. The result is an environment that maintains clarity, spaciousness, and natural musical energy instead of becoming acoustically “dead.”
The Hiper Panel® Impact takes a slightly different approach by utilizing a durable perforated reflective face over the fiberglass core. Its optimized perforation pattern and reflective surface are specifically engineered to provide controlled diffusion on top of tuned absorption, making it well suited for performance venues, mastering rooms, critical listening spaces, and recording studios where preserving acoustic life is just as important as controlling excessive reflections. This tuned absorption allows the low frequencies to be absorbed, while leaving the high frequencies so that the diffusion characteristics of the device (over 4Khz) will be more effective in creating a feeling of openness in the room.
The differences between these products extend well beyond appearance. While both feature perforated surfaces, the Armstrong 1B’s small perforations simply exposed a thin mineral fiber absorber. By contrast, the HiPer Panel® systems use perforation geometry, reflective facings, engineered barrier layers, and high-density acoustic fiberglass to create a far more efficient and balanced acoustic device. Instead of merely reducing reverberation, they help shape the acoustic character of a room.
More than fifty years after their introduction, Armstrong® 1B perforated tiles remain recognizable symbols of an earlier era of architectural acoustics. Many continue to serve in municipal offices, schools, police interview rooms, and other institutional settings where functional noise control is sufficient. In modern recording studios, listening rooms, and performance spaces, however, engineered systems like the Acoustics First® HiPer Panel® and Hiper Panel® Impact represent the evolution of acoustic treatment—combining advanced materials, acoustic science, and carefully tuned performance to meet the demands of today’s most critical listening environments.
Similar, Yet Different: Aeolian® vs. MiniAeolian™
Posted by Acoustics First in Broadcast Facilities, Home Entertainment, Home Theater, Media Room, Multipurpose Rooms, Music Rehearsal Spaces, Music Tracking Room, Product Applications, Products, Recording Facilities, Recording Studio, Studio Control Room, Uncategorized, Vocal Booth, Worship Facilities on September 28, 2023
In this installment of “Similar, Yet Different”, we are going to compare the two current variations of the popular Aeolian® Diffuser – the original 2’x2′ Aeolian and the 1’x1′ MiniAeolian™!
Design
This comparison has some similarities to the very first “Similar, Yet Different” post we made comparing the ArtDiffusor® Model C to the ArtDiffusor® Model F. We are looking at a diffuser that uses identical mathematic functions to create the shape… both the Aeolian® and the MiniAeolian™ are an “Organic Quadratic” constructed from a Bicubic Interpolation of a Quadratic Residue Function. They are both truncated so that they are completely asymmetric, even to the edge. The MiniAeolian™ IS an Aeolian®, only it is scaled differently.
You may recall that the Model F was constructed of 4 scaled down Model C diffusers in a monolithic 2’x2′ tile – This is not the case with the MiniAeolian™. The Original Aeolian® Diffuser is a 2’x2′ footprint that is 5″ tall, and will fit in a standard 2’x2′ ceiling grid. The MiniAeolian™ is a single scaled down unit, and it is a little different – The 1’x1′ footprint stands alone as a single unit, but it is only scaled down in height to 4″.
In this case, form follows function. The MiniAeolian™ was built to fill a specific function as a smaller wall-mount unit, or a direct-mount ceiling unit for smaller spaces. Part of this wall-mount function was to have a version of the Aeolian® that would fit in tight areas or in spaces that didn’t have enough clearance for the 5″ standard Aeolian® (or would require modification to those areas (or diffusers) to allow this extra height). Some people implement configurations that have tighter footprint requirements, and the 1’x1′ footprint of the Mini allow it to be used in these types of layouts.
Performance
So how does this change affect the performance of the unit? Surprisingly, they are quite similar. The Organic curved design, with only a 20% reduction in height, shows only minor differences in performance of their overall frequencies ranges – with both primary ranges starting at about 1500Hz-1600Hz with and average between 150° and 170° of horizontal and vertical dispersion up to between 5Khz and 7Khz. While the primary range is a good indicator, when we look at the actual polar response, we can get a better picture of their full range performance.
A quick glance shows two very similar performing diffusers, except for the low-frequency performance. The larger elements and deeper formfactor of the original Aeolian® are more effective at the 1000Hz range, where the MiniAeolian™ appears to be mostly specular. There are some surprises however. It appears that at the 2000Hz range leans slightly in the favor of using 4 MiniAeolians™ in an array verses the single Aeolian®. There is more surface variation over the same footprint (2’x2′ in the array of 4), and the size of the Mini’s features are a bit more optimal for diffusing the 2Khz wavelength. This swings back slightly into the favor of the single Aeolian® at 4Khz, where the larger elements have a wider throw, and the elements of the Mini have steeper wells. At 8Khz, it tips back to the Mini, and then at 16Khz, they are both neck-and-neck.
The amazing similarity is that the variations are quite subtle through their entire effective ranges, and even quite a bit above those ranges. While there are slight differences in the performance of the diffusers when we compare the directly, these are really very minimal except for the low-frequency edge in performance of the larger original Aeolian®.
Closing
With the similarity of performance in the two diffusers, they can almost be used interchangeably – or even used together in the same environment to implement an aesthetic vision or add more randomness/variety to the diffusion in the space.
There are several occasions where you may require one over the other.
- If you need more 1Khz diffusion, you should add some 2’x2′ Aeolians® – as they perform better in that range.
- If you need to install diffusers that fit in a ceiling grid… you will also want to use the original.
- If you want the Aeolian® but need diffusers that will fit in a space that is less than 2’x2’x5″, you may want to go with the MiniAeolian™.
Currently the MiniAeolian™ is a custom order item only, and is subject to minimum order quantities.
Contact Acoustics First® for more information and pricing.
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!
ArtDiffusor® Model C and Model F – Similar, yet different.
Posted by Acoustics First in Diffusion, Media Room, Music Tracking Room, Product Applications, Recording Facilities, Recording Studio, Studio Control Room, Theater, Uncategorized, Vocal Booth, Voice Over on August 20, 2020
We often get asked about the functionality of the different diffusers, and one of the frequently asked questions is about the differences between the ArtDiffusor® Model C and ArtDiffusor® Model F. We will cover some of similarities and differences in the design, functionality and use of these two devices.
Design.
The Model C and Model F use identical math to come up with their basic structure, they even have angled faces – the main difference between the two is that the Model F elements are ½ of the Model C’s height, length and width – and then it is duplicated 4 times in the same footprint… The Model C is nominally 2’ x 2’ x 4” deep. The Model F is four quadrants that are nominally 1’ x 1’ x 2” deep – like little scaled down Model C’s… This makes them visually similar and aesthetically compatible. This low profile design makes the Model F more desirable for ceiling installs in spaces with very limited headroom – like basement studios that have low ceilings.
Performance
Due to the different size of the elements on the two devices, they have very different frequencies at which they are most effective. The Model C is a mid-frequency diffuser by design… having larger elements and deeper wells than the Model F. The Model F is primarily a high-frequency diffuser, due to the small elements and lower profile. Both diffusers are tuned to different frequencies as their “primary range,” and while they do affect lower and higher frequencies than they are designed for – it is to a lesser degree, or the product of absorption.
What does this mean?
The Model C has a primary design range of 1KHz to 4KHz. This is where it is primarily designed to work. It can and does diffuse below 1KHz and over 4KHz – just to a lesser degree than its primary design range.
The Model F has a primary design range of 2KHz to 8KHz, and again, it does diffuse outside of that range, but to a lesser degree.
The angled caps of both the Model C and Model F help to extend their high frequency range by reflecting sound in different directions at higher frequencies – causing the sound to scatter spatially. The different heights of the elements cause sound reflections to be offset “temporally,” or in time. The sound that hits the higher elements is reflected sooner than the sound that hits the lower elements – travelling further before it is reflected. This time offset, changes the “Phase Coherency” of the reflection; the larger the difference in the heights, the greater the offset in time.
The size of the elements matters as well. The shorter wavelengths of high frequencies can diffract and scatter off of the smaller elements of the Model F more readily than low frequencies, which see the Model F as a slightly angled & mostly flat surface. However, the lower frequencies are more affected by the larger and deeper elements of the Model C.
How do these differences help define their use?
The Model C is a great all around diffuser – it covers a wide range of frequencies, throws a very predictable 2D diffusion pattern, and it is tuned to a very musical range.
The Model F is a great high-frequency diffuser. It targets a few very specific, yet important issues. High frequencies are responsible for some nasty problems in rooms. Flutter echoes, ringing, comb filtering, and other artifacts are particularly noticeable in higher frequencies. If your room is otherwise performing well acoustically, the Model F can help tackle that last hurdle to make a good room into a great room.
Many critical listening environments use both the Model C and Model F to tune the diffusion in their space.
While the white Aeolians® on the back wall are the visual focal-point on in Big3 Studio A, look closely at the ceiling and you will notice a large array of black Model C’s and Model F’s. These help to intermix the diffusion of different frequencies in the large control room.
Due to their aesthetic and functional compatibility, many rooms benefit from using both. Model C’s addressing the bulk of the Mid-range diffusion, and the Model F smoothing out the top end.
I hope that this highlights the unique properties of both the ArtDiffusor® Model C & ArtDiffusor® Model F – and helps to demystify their function and use in your space.
DIY – Back Wall Diffuser Array/Bass Trap: Revisited
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Articles, Broadcast Facilities, Customer Feedback, Diffusion, DIY, Home Entertainment, Home Theater, HOW TO, Media Room, Music Rehearsal Spaces, Music Tracking Room, Product Applications, Recording Facilities, Recording Studio, Studio Control Room, Teleconferencing, Theater, Vocal Booth, Voice Over on July 14, 2016
DIY – Diffuser Array/Bass Trap
This month we thought we’d share a few Real-Life pictures of an idea we first introduced back in summer of 2013: The “Back Wall Diffuser Array/Bass Trap”.
Isolation Hanger
This is the DIY project which incorporates our Art Diffusors®, Cutting Wedge® foam and a couple of isolation hangers into one large free-floating unit, which is acoustically decoupled from the wall.
This particular array was put together by a music producer/bass player for his home. As you can tell from the pics, the construction of this unit was executed beautifully and it’s very close to the original concept drawings.
It’s never too late to get started on your own DIY project.
 Real World – DIY |
Visit the Original DIY page to find out how to make your own.
Acoustics First BLOG 
You must be logged in to post a comment.