Founded in 1958 by Mac Emmerman, the history books credit Criteria with a phenomenal catalogue of special performances. The complete list reads like the proverbial 'Who's Who' of popular music including James Brown, Aretha Franklin, The Eagles, Eric Clapton, Bob Seeger, Aerosmith, REM, Celine Dion, Julio Iglesias, Gloria and Emilio Estefan and, of course, the Bee Gees. Attracted by its reputation, high ceilings, the growing Latin music market and Miami's gateway to Latin America, The Hit Factory acquired Criteria and completely refurbished the existing facility. The design team consisted of The Hit Factory Inc., New York (project management); White Mark Ltd., Suffolk, England (acoustical and technical design consultants and technical installation), WML/AKA/Procter & Wang Architects, New York (furniture, interior and design consultants); Oakwood Construction (specialist studio construction). "The studio design was a major and unique challenge", comments David Bell Managing Director of White Mark, Ltd. "The history and character of the complex together with the need for integration with the New York Hit Factory presented both problems and opportunities. Significant technical advances were required in the isolation performance, the electrical, technical and mechanical systems. Interior design coordination involving much loved historic studio features, the local Miami vernacular and the company corporate style was vital." Bell continued, "To provide uniform coverage and accurate monitoring, RPG Diffractals® were used on the rear wall of all of the new Control Rooms at Criteria. To provide a uniform diffuse sound field in Studio A the entire ceiling was treated with RPG Skyline® omnidirectional diffusors, whilst careful creation of live areas throughout the complex utilised RPG Diffractals® in many of the booths and smaller live rooms. Our experience has indicated that RPG products are well documented and consistently provide the desired acoustical performance our projects require. This is true of studios ranging from post production for television and radio to full film dubbing facilities and from recording facilities aimed at pre-production to full film scoring stages. We have installed RPG products in countries as diverse as Iceland, mainland Europe, the UK and the USA with full confidence that they will do exactly what is specified." Commenting on the renovation as opposed to a new ground up facility, Troy Germano, Hit Factory New York, indicated, "I think the end result is that the studios are even better than they otherwise would have been. The result is certainly impressive. All the rooms display a character missing from most modern rooms and retain essential elements of the studio that has produced so many classic recordings." Despite the renovation, veteran producers and musicians feel that the magic is still there! For more information consult the RPG website and Studio Sound Magazine April 2000.

Weatherhead Schools BASWA®phon installation begins
The Case Western Reserve's Weatherhead School of Management represents another architectural landmark by Frank O. Gehry & Associates (FOGA), well known for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and other noted buildings. The Peter B. Lewis building, named for the chairman of Progressive Insurance, the nation's fifth largest auto insurer and the major financial contributor, is located in University Circle, home to Cleveland's famous world famous museums and the Cleveland Orchestra. (View video)

In Figure 1 and 2 one can see the intricate interior, compound-curve, galvanized steel, stud wall systems developed by GQ Contracting, Wickliffe, Ohio, a certified BASWA®phon installer. This custom metal stud substructure will be covered with two layers of 5/8" drywall to provide sound isolation in the classrooms. Then the taped drywall surfaces will be treated with BASWA®phon. The first step, which involves gluing on the precoated BASWA®phon panels begins the first week of January.

The compound steel wall studs have been covered in two layers of daywall and we now begin the application of BASWA®phon precoated panels and base coat. In Figure 3, we see the BASWA®phon base and top coats applied directly to a very complicated ceiling with many openings for lighting, HVAC and mechanical supports. Figure 4 illustrates the application of pre-coated panels to a wall area. In Figure 5 the base coat is applied to the pre-coated panels. Figure 6 illustrates the transition from base coat to pre-coated panels also showing the compound curve wall ceiling intersection. In Figure 7 we see a structural expansion joint detail.

Stay tuned for more information as this project progresses.

Reverberation time, diffuse reflection, Sabine, and computerized prediction - part I and II
RPG offers a tutorial to explain the effect of diffusion reflections on reverberation. RPG is frequently asked what the effect diffuse reflections have on reverberation time. Since acousticians are used to using Sabine, Eyring, Fitzroy and Arau-Puchades to calculate reverberation time using absorption coefficients, it is natural to ask if there is an equation that can incorporate diffusion. The short answer is that all of the above mentioned equations already assume a totally diffuse sound field, so the real question is "How does one calculate reverberation time correctly when the sound field is not diffuse or mixing?" One answer to this lies in the use of computer prediction programs, which properly take into account diffusion. One of the initial findings of round robin experiments comparing experimental measurements with computer predictions was the absolute need to include diffuse reflections. Today, diffuse reflections are attempting to be modeled in commercial programs. CATT Acoustics has been on the forefront in diffusion modeling and so we have asked the creator of CATT Acoustics, Bengt-Inge Dalenback, to write a tutorial that we will run in two parts on our website. RPG has been doing its part to experimentally measure and theoretically predict the diffusion coefficient and there have been significant advances in the creation of a method to measure the random incidence scattering coefficients, specifically to be used by the computer modeling programs. Therefore, with these data close at hand, I encourage all acousticians to read this tutorial to advance the accuracy of the computer prediction of reverberation time and the other objective parameters.

Read Article

BASWA®phon featured in home theater on This Old House
At some point or another all of us have watched This Old House. The Emmy Award winning This Old House is television's premier home improvement series. The show that unlocked America's passion for home improvement, celebrates its 22nd anniversary season on PBS this year. This Old House's mission is to demystify the home improvement process and to celebrate the fusion of old world craftsmanship and modern technology. Each season features two renovation projects. Project One traditionally consists of eighteen or so episodes and is filmed in Massachusetts. Project Two is taped in a different region of the country to highlight the variety of American architectural styles and renovation issues. Additionally, the second project is generally located in a town with a mild climate where outdoor work can be undertaken in the winter months. We have all enjoyed watching the staff consisting of host Steve Thomas, master carpenter Norm Abram, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey and general contractor Tom Silva.

Project One this year is The Manchester House, owned by Janet and David McCue.

RPG was brought into this renovation by John Storyk of WSDG, Highland, NY who is responsible for the home theater design in the living room. The room will be used for both viewing movies and live piano recital. Storyk selected BASWA®phon to treat the existing focusing upper ceiling areas. The installation of BASWA®phon is now complete and will be presented in a series of programs listed below. Please consult local stations for airing times.

Please read more in an informative article by John Storyk.

Installation Photos:

NPR This Old House programs featuring BASWA®phon

Program #2113
… while Steve joins acoustical consultant John Storyk as he works with David to tackle some of the sound issues in the new music room.

Program #2116
The last of the wallboard has arrived, including 1/4" bendable board for the music room's curved ceiling.

Program #2117
… In the music room, the dramatic coved ceiling is getting the first part of its acoustical plaster system: fiberglass panels coated with plasterlike coating that's invisible to sound, allowing the panels to absorb unwanted echoes while maintaining a traditional look. Acoustician Peter D'Antonio explains the multi-coat system to Steve.

Program #2119
Roger Cook and crew enclose the new spa in veneer stone, while inside homeowner Janet McCue has roped two friends into helping her complete the stripping and reglazing of the half-round bump-out windows, no small job. The music room receives its final, finish coat of acoustical plaster, and our master carpenter checks out a new four-oscillating-head sander that flooring contractor Pat Hunt is using. Richard visits Kohler, Wisconsin, to see how one company has used computer-aided engineering to design a toilet "engine" that meets the challenge of using only 1.6 gallons per flush. Back at the house, Tom shows Steve a flexible molding that bends around the radius of the kitchen bay and matches perfectly with the wooden moldings on the straight runs. Finally, our master carpenter takes measurements for the music room inglenook, making a set of layout sticks he can use in the workshop to accurately reflect conditions in the field.

Cleveland Instutute of Music renovates chamber music rehearsal room with BASWA®phon
BASWA®phon used to provide optimal critical evaluation and performance acoustics at CIM.

As part of its continuing research in performance acoustics at CIM, Dr. Peter D'Antonio collaborated with Tom Knab and Peter Salaff to renovate a chamber music rehearsal room at CIM.

Thomas J. Knab Head, Audio Recording. Director of Distance Learning. B.M., Composition, The Cleveland Institute of Music; M.M., summa cum laude, Composition, Southern Methodist University. Assistant recording engineer and music editor, Telarc International Corporation. Faculty, Chief Recording and Sound Engineer for the Aspen Musical Festival, 1987-88. Member, Audio Engineering Society, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Formerly audio engineer, director of electronic music studio, and faculty member of the theory department, Southern Methodist University. Appointed to CIM faculty, 1984.

Peter Salaff Director, String Chamber Music. Founding member, the Cleveland Quartet. As a Quartet member, received a Grammy Award, 7 Grammy nominations and "Best of the Year" awards from Time and Stereo Review for recordings of more than 50 chamber works on major labels. Has performed numerous concerts with the Quartet, including tours of Europe, Japan, the Soviet Union, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Israel, the United States and Canada. Former faculty member at the University of Concepcion, Chile; CIM; State University of New York at Buffalo; the Eastman School of Music. Summer faculty at Interlochen, Chamber Music in the Mountains at Echo Glen; Aspen, Norfolk, Kneisel Hall, Killington Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and Schleswig Holstein Music Festivals. Received Yale School of Music Alumni Association's Certificate of Merit. Has performed as concerto soloist with orchestras and in recital in the U.S. and South America. Ensembles he has coached have won international prizes including 8 Naumburg Awards, Banff International String Quartet Competition Awards, Coleman Chamber Ensemble Awards, Fischoff National Chamber Music Awards, among others. Reappointed to CIM faculty, 1995.

The acoustics of the space have been tailored using BASWA®phon. The objective of the acoustical renovation was to create a rehearsal space in which Peter Salaff could critically audition every nuance of the performance and in which the students could adequately hear themselves and each other.

The acoustical renovation consisted of a three step process. First precoated mineral wool panels were glued to the existing plaster and seams filled. When dry seam fill is sanded and BASWAphon 407 base coat is applied. After 48 hours the base coat is sanded and BASWA®phon Top is troweled smooth. The resulting surface has a smooth plastered finish, yet the treatment provides significant sound absorption. In Figure 1 the completed installation is shown. The BASWA®phon treatment converted a room that was marginally useful for rehearsal and critical evaluation, due to strong reflections and excess reverberation, into an optimal rehearsal space.

Thanks to GQ Contracting, Wickliff, OH for the wonderful installation, Prof. Salaff and his students for their participation in the project and Tom Knab, Head of Audio Recording for coordinating the project.

Dr. D'Antonio publishes continuing series on new architectural acoustical tools in Archi-Tech magazine.
Welcome to ARCHI-TECH. Subtitled, "Bridging the Gap Between Design & Technology." This magazine has been created specifically for architects, systems designers and integrators for commercial and residential buildings. The purpose is to provide critical information surrounding the all-important business of integrating technology into building design and architecture. With an emphasis on commercial and residential buildings, the editorial purpose is to inform, educate and help establish a comfort level among architects with systems integration. Each issue provides cutting-edge feature stories, state-of-the-art product and industry information, news, trends, advice and success stories in the areas surrounding commercial and residential building design and technology.

The first installment of Dr. D'Antonio's serialized contribution appears in the Residential issue September 2001 issue, Volume 4, No. 5 entitled New Acoustics: Sound Diffusors. in the new ArchiTech Residential. Subsequent articles will cover New Optimized Surfaces, New Absorptive Materials, Desktop Auralization.

Look for the next installment in March describing new architectural acoustic absorptive materials.

Current Projects

Alticor Conference Room
Ada, MI

Andrew Tuason
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Angel Sound Ministries, Inc.
Edmond, OK

AR Studios
Orlando , FL

Athens Regional Hospital
Athens, GA

Brooklyn Bridge
New York, NY

Canyon School Auditorium
Santa Monica, CA

Castle Zeek Studio
Cedar Creek, TX

Childlike Records
New York, NY

Cresent Moon Studios
Miami, FL

David L. Gray
State Center, IA

Digital Playroom
Birmingham, AL

Dumbo Studios
New York, NY

Duotone
New York, NY

Fabricraft
Littleton, CO

First Baptist Church
London, KY

Francesco Morata
Corona Queens, NY

Freddie Records
Corpus Christi, TX

GA Dept of Revenue
Atlanta, GA

Henry Lu
Malibu, CA

Hodges Residence
West Bloomfield, MI

Holly Management and Supply
Hyannis, MA

Houston Northwest Baptist Church
Houston, TX

ISV Studio
Boulder, CO

Joiner Residence
Laguna Beach, CA

Joliet Junior College
Joliet, IL

Keith Harter Music
San Antonio, TX

Ken Lee Mastering
Piedmont, CA

Kenneth Shiu
McLean, VA

Kevin Griffin
Houston, TX

Knoph Residence
Seattle, WA

Los Hooligans Productions
Spicewood, TX

Markus Peter
Ennetturgi, Switzerland

Mathieu Chabert
New York, NY

McCaslin Associates
Dallas, TX

Michael Ryan
Marietta, GA

Mission Viejo Library
Mission Viejo, CA

Moses de los Santos
Moses de los SantosMurrieta, CA

Music Country
Cliffside Park, NJ

Parris Sound Studios
Brooklyn, NY

Parroquia San Juan Evangelista
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

Peter Gevas
Jupiter, FL

Pulse River Studio
Beresford, SD

Rick Jones
Belleville, IL

Roger Card
Sugar Land, TX

Scott E. Richards
Archibold, OH

Scott Rockenfield
Mill Creek, WA

Sean Henry
Roselle, NJ

Seaside School Bld No. 3
Seagrove Beach, Florida

Shawn Davis
Marietta, GA

Soul Space
Columbus, OH

Soundsmith Mastering, Inc.
Asheville, NC

St. Philips Episcopal Church
Charleston, SC

Starz-Encore Media Group
Englewood, CO

Summit Recording Studio
Morristown, TN

Televisa
Mexico

Trinity Fellowship Church
Amarillo, TX

Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Building #81
Brookfield, WI

Van Gilder Home Theater
St. Louis, MO

Wagner/Barnes Suite
Dallas, TX

Wes Lembert
Westlake, OH

Wes Rosenstein
Houston, TX

WHFS
Lanham, MD

Willow Creek Community Church
Barrington, IL

WOKR-TV
Rochester, NY