We begin a new semester at Peabody Conservatory of Music on Computer Modeling and Auralization. This is a favorite topic with students and we should have some fun. We will use CATT Acoustics as our modeling program.

Our Diffuse Seminar is scheduled for February 17 and we look forward to meeting a new group of interesting specifiers.

As RPG® continues to grow the size of our projects are also growing. In February we have very large products to be completed for the Museo de Arte in Puerto Rico and several very large studios and home theaters.

International Symposium on Surface Diffusion in Room Acoustics
Liverpool, Sunday, 16 April 2000

"The preliminary programme will start with two presentations, one from the ISO WG chairman Jens Holger Rindel and one from the AES Sub-committee chairman Peter D'Antonio, describing the findings of the working groups. The technical details of the definitions and measurement of the scattering coefficient and diffusion coefficient will then be described in presentations by Eckard Mommertz and by Trevor Cox.

The programme will also include a number of presentations on the application of diffusers in room acoustics and the modelling of surface diffusion in computer models. A discussion session is scheduled at the end of the presentations to allow delegates to participate in the discussion and give feedback."

For more information and a registration form, download the 217K PDF file.

F. Alton Everest
Alton has contributed much to the acoustical education of our industry with his excellent text books. We are happy to be collaborating with him on a new version of the popular Master Handbook of Acoustics for McGraw Hill. At the moment Alton is in poor health and would probably appreciate a kind word from his friends in the industry. You can reach him at BonniAlton2@cs.com.

RPG Factory Summer Shutdown
This year RPG® will close its production facility during the week of August 14-20th. We announce this early so that all of our specifiers, clients and representatives can plan their orders and deliveries accordingly.

Diffuse Seminars
RPG® is now offering regular educational seminars for acousticians, sound contractors, home theater system integrators, architects, and other specifying consultants to apprise the industry of our research, new products, application assistance, and an introduction to RPG's new Room Optimizer™, Shape Optimizer, and CATT Acoustics software. The press is also welcome.

The response to these educational seminars has been very enthusiastic and current seminar dates are available. If you are interested in attending, please e-mail to info@rpginc.com, contact your local rep or call Jeff Angel at 301-249-0044.

CATT-Acoustics Version 7.2e is Released
Updates with additions and bug-fixes including an up to date Manual addendum are now available. Note that it is the date of the update rather than the current date that determines if your license permits a free update (if your key expires e.g. (yymmdd) 990710 you are entitled to an update dated anything before 990710 even if the current date is after 990710). For more information on what is new in V7.2e, you can consult the CATT Acoustic Web site.

A new directivity format (SD2) is available and offers array modeling (very high resolution distance dependent directivity) and a very general handling of directivity. SD2 offers a much higher degree of accuracy than the 10-degree "industry standard". The DDI interface is prepared for the new proposed high-resolution AES standard, but lets a manufacturer offer high-resolution data even before a new file-format is agreed on. It also offers data hiding and hiding of intellectual property for DSP-controlled arrays or other special designs. For further details download the white paper in PDF format.

SIAP in North America
As our society moves from a single-purpose to a multi-purpose facility mentality, the need for variable acoustics and in particular active electronic architecture becomes the most prudent alternative. Electronic architecture essentially uses loudspeakers to simulate natural reflections, which arrive at times and directions missing in the actual room. These "electronic" reflections are naturally at very low levels and hence the loudspeakers can actually be called "softspeakers". The "softspeakers", amplification and digital processor must, however, be able to accommodate the wide dynamic range of music without distortion. In an enhancement system, the auditory system is constantly comparing the natural acoustic sound with the electronically generated reflections and hence, high fidelity is essential. In addition, the processor must be able to supply software routing to allow for complete flexibility of design. SIAP represents the next generation of processors in that it generates simulated reflections digitally and does not use feedback or time-variation for stability. Thus the designer can choose the time component of this envelope to achieve the desired goal. SIAP is a unique processor and can also be used to improve speech intelligibility as well as creating almost any desired sonic environment. To learn more, download the "Using Acoustic Enhancement to Improve Speech Intelligibility" PDF, available in the RPG Acoustics Library

To complete our Digital Acoustic Palette, RPG is collaborating with the Systems for Improved Acoustical Performance, SIAP, to bring this powerful system to North America. Installations now include the Vivian Beaumont Theater, Lincoln Center, New York, the Ahmanson Theater, Los Angeles, California and final tuning is nearing completion in the 9,000 seat Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky. Find out more about the history of electronic architecture and how the SIAP can provide variable acoustics at the push of a button.