RPG DIFFUSOR SYSTEMS: News: DiffuseNews Archives: September 2001RPG
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 301.249.0044 v

 301.249.3912 f

Southwest Bank Lobby, Stuttgart, Germany

Topakustik® is available in many groove patterns as a 5" (128 mm) wide tongue and groove plank and as a panel from that ranges in width from 11.8" (300 mm) to 48.875" (1216 mm). Planks are available in lengths up to 11.98' (3650 mm) and the maximum panel dimension is 11.94' (3640 mm).

The precise tongue and groove connection between planks provides a seamless coverage and the long lengths remove the problematic line often found at 8'. The planks can be installed simply by stapling to a nailing strip as with hardwood flooring or attaching to 15/16" T-bar with special clips. A wide variety of edge conditions is available.

Topakustik® panels are mounted with visible joints to allow for expansion/contraction and are also available with many edge treatments. The panels can also be bent parallel to the grooves or perpendicular to the grooves to provide vaults and special shapes.

Both can be fire rated and available in a wide range of painted colors and natural wood veneers. No project is too complicated or too simple. Give us a call to discuss your absorptive wood needs. Ask your rep for a copy of the informative 23 page color brochure.

Dr. D'Antonio presents two papers at the 17th International Congress on Acoustics (ICA) in Rome
Special session focuses on Scattering in Room Acoustics, scattering and diffusion coefficients

The 17th ICA will be held September 2-7, 2001 in Rome. This congress will host a wide variety of exciting papers by the world's leading acousticians. One of the sessions, called SCATTERING IN ROOM ACOUSTICS, was organized by Michael Vorlander and will include a number of interesting papers on the effects of scattering in room acoustics. For the past 18 years RPG has been interested in the importance of scattering and it is gratifying to see the number of papers on this topic. Acoustic designers are used to specifying the required absorption coefficient of surfaces in room designs. Yet, diffusion is often applied in a more haphazard fashion, with no quantification of whether too little or too much surface diffusion is being used. By creating a standard evaluation technique, it is hoped that a more scientific basis for the application of surface diffusion can be formed. For example, the techniques outlined in AES-4id-2001 have been successfully used as the basis of performance specifications for auditoria and other performance spaces.

While there are several equations (Sabine, Eyring, etc. ) to evaluate the affects of absorption on the reverberation time, all of these approaches assume a completely diffuse sound field. Therefore, one needs to find a way to evaluate the influence of surface diffusion on the room acoustic objective parameters. To evaluate the effects of both absorption and surface diffusion on room acoustic objective parameters, one can use a room modeling program like CATT Acoustics, which includes a meaningful diffusion algorithm. RPG will be presenting a tutorial on the influence of diffusion on reverberation in the near future so stay tuned.

Paper Titles presented by RPG:

  1. Contrasting Surface Diffusion and Scattering Coefficients- T.J. Cox and P.D'Antonio
  2. A Standard Method for Assessing Diffusor Quality- P. D'Antonio and T.J. Cox

RPG to exhibit at AES in New York

We invite you to visit us in Booth 467 and also visit the SONY SACD demonstration room, where RPG's Variscreens and Skylines will be in use. RPG will exhibit its full line of products and software and will introducing several new additions to the acoustical palette. Dr. D'Antonio will be at the booth to answer any questions you may have.

BASWA®phon finds enthusiastic acceptance in schools, museums, studios and home theaters

The interest in a smooth absorptive plaster system has simply been overwhelming. BASWA®phon has already been specified into numerous high visibility projects across North America. The first major installation slated to begin in the fall of 2001 is the Weatherhead School in Cleveland, OH designed by Frank Gehry and Associates, Santa Monica, CA. The acoustician is Dave Conant on McKay Conant Brook, Westlake Village, CA. BASWA®phon was selected because of its ability to conform to complex compound curved surfaces and its high absorption coefficient. Many other school applications are in the offing. In addition to schools, BASWA®phon is being considered for a significant number of new museums across North America and Europe. Home theater applications by Steve Haas, of SH Acoustics are also under construction. BASWA®phon offers an absorptive, smooth, seamless and durable plastered finish to satisfy the aesthetic requirements of architects and clients. Read More

RPG introduces new slotted FlutterFree®

Now FlutterFree can be used to provide low frequency absorption along with high frequency diffusion. RPG is developing a expanded line of products that absorb sound below the diffusion frequency cutoff and diffuse sound above it. Thus, RPG has developed the first diffsorptive surfaces. The BAD™ panel is enjoying significant interest as a complement or replacement for purely absorptive panels. To provide diffsorption using a wooden finish, RPG offers a slotted version of its popular FlutterFree planks. We invite you to consider using slotted FlutterFree when you want to absorb low frequency sound and diffuse high frequency sound. Since this is a common desire, we expect acousticians and architects to find slotted FlutterFree a very popular acoustical finish. The absorption data for a surface and cavity mount are now available.

RPG add reverberation chamber and impedance tube measurement capabilities at headquarters

RPG adds absorption measurement capabilities down to 10 Hz to its diffusion measurement capabilities With the publication of the AES-4id-2001, the acoustical community is now aware of the various measurement goniometers RPG has developed and the many years of research that have gone into creating a measure of scattering. Acousticians can now utilize this diffusion coefficient to evaluate potential diffusing surfaces. RPG also uses the diffusion coefficient in our Shape Optimizer, which combines an architectural motif with desired scattering performance, to create custom shapes for performance facilities. Please consult our website for more information.

RPG is also very much involved in bringing innovative absorptive and diffsorptive products to the acoustical community. These products include our new absorptive plaster called BASWA®phon, absorptive Topakustiks® and Topperfo® wood systems, diffsorptive slotted FlutterFree® (described in Diffuse Applications) and the binary amplitude diffsorber (BAD™ panel). To assist in the development and testing of these new absorptive and diffsorptive products, RPG has recently added a reverberation chamber, several impedance tubes providing absorption coefficients from 10 - 5000 Hz and a flow resistance apparatus to complement its diffusion testing goniometers.

The reverberation room measures 10' x 14' x 19', which is capable of providing good statistical absorption coefficients down to roughly 200 Hz. To extend our capability to measure absorption coefficients down to 10 Hz, we have also added a 7 ton, 2'x2'x24' impedance tube using the two-microphone method according to ISO 10534-2 and ASTM E1050-90. This new impedance tube gives us the capability to document the performance of materials in the sub-100 Hz region, not accessible currently using the reverberation room method. This information is sorely needed in recording studios and home theaters, where subwoofers are routinely used. We are also developing additional impedance tubes to study small homogeneous samples over the rest of the audio spectrum. This approach will be used to study and continually develop BASWA®phon. Since we get so many questions on the applicability of various fabrics to cover our BAD™ panels and diffusive products, we will also be adding a flow resistance tube to quantify fabric performance.

We invite the acoustical community to visit us for our Diffuse Seminars and use these facilities for research.

Diffuse Seminars
RPG offers 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 Room Sizer, Room Optimizer, Shape Optimizer, CATT Acoustics software and Lake Technology convolution platforms. The press is also welcome. RPG is applying for AIA Continuing Education credits. The response to these educational seminars has been very enthusiastic. The 2001 seminar calendar will be posted next month.

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.




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September 2001

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  651-C Commerce Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD, 20774, Phone: 301-249-0044, Fax: 301-249-3912, E-mail: info@rpginc.com