Like its broadcast studios, XM's control room and performance studio configurations were vetted by Northeastern Communications Concepts. The Francis Daniel Consulting Alliance provided the acoustical design that critically tuned the interiors of the performance studio and control room. Eagle EKSC designed the audio monitoring system. Acoustic Systems built the studio shell. Studios Architecture

Photo illustrates blue OptiCurve® (left) and custom Binary Amplitude Diffsorber utilizing FlutterFree® (on wall in front of chairs). Also seen in the ceiling are RPG Diffractals in checkerboard orientation.

served as overall project architect and James G. Davis Construction Corp. as the general contractor. Tony Masiello, XM Vice President of Operations, helped design the performance suite and oversaw construction.

XM's Live Performance Studio has an assortment of acoustically diffusive and absorptive surfaces provided by RPG Diffusor Systems. RPG provided an optimized Fiber-Reinforced Gypsum OptiCurve® two-tone blue wall, which consists of two out-of-phase curved tiers. The curved wall was optimized using RPG's Shape Optimizer in collaboration with Francis Daniel Consulting Alliance to provide uniform diffusion of the sound throughout the room.

Another feature of the performance area is the Binary Amplitude Diffsorber shown on the far wall, which utilized

Omniffusors can be seen on front control room wall above speakers.

FlutterFree® planks. The diffsorber simultaneously provides diffusion and absorption to control levels and diffusion. The ceiling was treated with RPG's Diffractals in a checkerboard array to further promote uniform scattering of the sound from the live performance.

Because of the uncolored acoustic characteristic of the non-environmental control room, the monitoring system can be programmed to simulate the characteristics of practically any acoustical environment and monitor system familiar to guest engineers or preferred by house mixers. RPG Omniffusors seen on the front wall of the control room above the loudspeakers were utilized as an ingredient in the neutral control room design.

RPG welcomes Gary Madaras as new Sales Manager and Senior Product Application Consultant
RPG adds experienced acoustician/architect to its staff

Employees are the backbone of any company. As RPG grows from the role of a niche manufacturer of sound diffusing products to a worldwide provider of Everything Acoustic, its employees provide a bridge to the future. We are proud to have Gary S. Madaras join our team to increase our ability to collaborate and provide products and services to the architectural community.

RPG is pleased to announce that Gary Madaras, Ph.D. has joined our innovative team and will be filling the roles of National Sales Manager and Senior Product Application Consultant. For those of you who do not already know Gary, he has a unique blend of experience and education in Acoustics, Architecture, Research, Business and Teaching. His work in Architectural Acoustics has drawn industry-wide recognition, being published in Progressive Architecture, Architecture Magazine and most recently in World Book's Science Year 2002.

Gary began his career by earning his Bachelor and Master of Architecture degrees at Kent State University in Ohio, while also working for two Cleveland-based architecture firms. Gary earned his doctorate in architectural acoustics at the University of Florida where he also performed acoustic scale modeling and testing for Artec Consultants on several of their performance spaces. His graduate research in acoustics earned him the Robert B. Newman Award for Merit in Architectural Acoustics as well as a research award from the Institute of Noise Control Engineering. Dr. Madaras subsequently worked as an Architectural Acoustics Consultant and Project Manager for The Talaske Group, Inc. and Jaffe Holden (Scarbrough) Acoustics. He has consulted on a wide variety of project types including educational, cultural, civic, hospitality, worship, corporate, residential and entertainment facilities. He specializes in the room acoustics of performing arts halls and acoustic prediction using computer modeling.

After he earned his Master in Business Administration degree at Northern Illinois University, Dr. Madaras assumed the role of Technical Operations Manager of Consulting Services at The Talaske Group, Inc. This role added financial and operational analysis and management duties to his otherwise full consulting role. As an educator, Dr. Madaras has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in computer graphics, environmental technology, architectural design and architectural acoustics at three different universities, most recently at City University, New York. Dr. Madaras currently serves as an external committee member for university doctoral students studying architectural acoustics.

Gary Madaras- "Throughout my career as an Acoustics Consultant, I have gained great trust in the knowledge and products offered by the people at RPG. It was that trust that drew me towards them. I look forward to helping you with your pursuit of acoustic excellence and RPG with its vision of Everything Acoustic!"

SIAP announced four more installations
Millennium Forum, Londonderry, Northern Ireland and Efteling Theme Park, The Netherlands

Millennium Forum, Londonderry, Northern Ireland
This new multipurpose theatre has 3 seating formats, which are created by closing off 1 ore 2 balcony levels through ceiling reflectors that can be lowered: 1,000 / 650 / 350 seats. Each of these formats has its own set of dedicated SIAP acoustic settings. Furthermore the SIAP system is used as a very successful Dolby Digital Surround Sound system for film. The acoustic settings of this system comprise the usual range from speech (only early reflections, no reverberation enhancement) through opera, recital, symphonic, and choral settings (from RT = 1.0 to 2.0 seconds).

Efteling entertainment and theme park, The Netherlands.
This park with a large number of attractions opened 50 years ago and was originally only presenting fairy tales. It is now one of Western Europe's major entertainment parks. Last month a newly built theatre was opened which seats 1200 people and stages a fairy tale show during the summer season (4-5 times a day, 1000 a season), plus a variety of other theatre performances the remainder of the year (as Prinssen and Bus Consulting Engineers we were the acoustic and theatre consultant for this prestigious project). To give this venue a true multipurpose character a SIAP system is installed to provide it with a full variable acoustic. The system is also designed as a surround sound system for theatre effects and film sound (Dolby D-SR).

Singapore Conference Hall
This government venue had a SIAP system installed as part of the major renovation of the building. The auditorium seat an audience of 950 in one raked level plus a proscenium VIP box on both side walls. The SIAP system transforms the dry conference acoustic with an RT of 0.9 seconds into a convincing symphonic concert hall acoustic with an RT of up to 2,0 seconds for the Singapore Chinese Orchestra which has its home in this hall. Other settings such as for recital, opera and choir are available as well.

Municipal Theatre De Leest at Waalwijk, The Netherlands
Theatre De Leest is a typical multipurpose theatre for a Dutch provincial town of about 45,000 inhabitants. It seats an audience of 475 and has a fully equipped fly tower. About 100 professional performances are staged each season (from September to May) plus a significant number of local amateur productions. The auditorium which has the usual dry acoustic (RT of 0,9 seconds) is ideal for drama and shows with sound reinforcement such as musicals etc. However the many performances of unamplified music ask for a variable acoustic as a dry acoustic is no longer accepted by audiences and artists alike, used as they are to hear "perfect" digital sound at home, more and more even with surround systems that offer a virtual concert hall in the convenience of the home.

In order to be able to include much more music in the season programmes the SIAP system was installed. Now recitals, operas, symphonic, brass band and choral concerts have the appropriate acoustic, simply by the push of a button to select the desired SIAP setting. A total of 9 settings is available, ranging from "drama" (early reflections only, no reverb enhancement) which is very successful for amateur actors, operetta, opera, recital chamber orchestra, symphony orchestra, choir and a 5 second RT cathedral setting.

The system was officially inaugurated March 2002 through handover from the local business club who were the sponsors. Remarkable is that the system was by then already in use for one year as the theatre management decided to start using it without making it public and used the year to see how it was accepted. Fortunately the comments and reactions were unanimously positive.

Weatherhead Schools BASWA®phon installation nears completion
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.

The BASWAphon installation is nearing completion and the results are very impressive both visually and aurally. This is truly a project that we are proud to be a part of. Some additional installation photos follow:

RPG seminars accredited by AIA Continuing Education System
RPG now offers four AIA/CES accredited seminars on various aspects of architectural acoustics.

The Next Generation of Acoustic Finishes, Shapes and Services
( AIA/CES AF1011 1 LuHour )
Participants learn how recent innovation and technology has resulted in a much broader variety of architectural finishes, shapes and services that solve age-old acoustic problems in the built environment.

Acoustical Diffusor Design/Computerized Shape Optimization
( AIA/CES DD1011 1 LuHour ) Participants learn the basic theory and history of sound diffusion as well as why sound diffusion is so essential in critical listening environments. A variety of methods, materials and products for diffusing sound will be presented.

Minimizing Acoustical Distortion in Critical Listening Spaces
( AIA/CES AD1011 1 LuHour )
Participants learn how sound reproduced in a critical listening room can be affected, positively or negatively, by a room's architectural surfaces prior to it arriving at the ears of a listener. A variety of methods, materials and products for minimizing the negative distortion of the reproduced sound are presented.

Desktop Acoustic Auralization of Architectural Spaces
( AIA/CES CA1011 1 LuHour )
Participants learn how recent innovation and technology in computer modeling has resulted in a reliable method for predicting the quality of a room's acoustics prior to its construction. Basic theory and examples of its application in practice are presented.

TESTIMONIALS
AF1011: AIA/CES Program on Acoustics & Architectural Finishes

BRUCE HOUSE, MICHAEL BARBER ARCHITECTURE, DENVER, CO. - FEBRUARY 19, 2002
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your recent presentation. The presentation that you made to our firm on February 19th was one of the very best I've seen. Your presentation was fascinating from a technological point of view and provided a number of thoughtful examples of how those technologies have been applied to common materials in response to sometimes-complex acoustical and architectural challenges. It certainly expanded our knowledge of the tools available to us as designers in solving some of these problems. I learned a great deal in the short time that you were able to spend with us during our luncheon.

DEBORAH BARBER, MICHAEL BARBER ARCHITECTURE, DENVER, CO. - FEBRUARY 19, 2002
Your presentation was informative, fascinating and energizing. Several of my colleagues commented that they both learned something and gained an appreciation for a creative approach to an old problem. We appreciated your inclination to explain the characteristics of the products and provide a mini-physics lesson to help us understand. It's a relief to know there are options to the ubiquitous padded acoustic panels. Thank you and we'd recommend the seminar to anyone interested in quality.

PAUL DONATELLI, L.D. ASTORINO ARCHITECTS, PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 5, 2002
Thank you for one of the most informative and interesting presentations we have had in-house, to date. You obviously "know" acoustics and know how to circumvent acoustic shortcomings in a variety of architectural venues; you have after all invented the products that do this. You are also able to "present" to an audience for their understanding. Able to reach Architects as a salesman, but with all the knowledge of the inventor. Terrific. Thanks again.

RAYMOND J. SINAGRA, AIA, L.D. ASTORINO ARCHITECTS, PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 5, 2002
Dr. D'Antonio, thank you for the wonderful presentation. It's great to know what products/technologies are available to mitigate problems in the acoustic milieu without aesthetics (aural or otherwise). What I found particularly engaging was the relative availability of sophisticated modeling techniques to inform/evaluate the design process at an earlier stage. Please, let us know when more acoustic seminars are available at your MD headquarters.

Sonny Sanjari, IKM Inc., Pittsburgh, PA - March 6, 2002
Dr. D'Antonio, thank you for taking the time to visit us at IKM and for your insightful presentation. I must admit that I had only planed on staying for 15 min. for your presentation, however I ended up staying for the entire 1 hour presentation, and I believe it was time well spent. Your extensive knowledge in the field of acoustical design along with your innovative and attractive products and services made for an exceptionally captivating presentation. I will remember your company if a project requires acoustical products and services.

Maya R. Chesakova, AIA, Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann Associates - March 6, 2002
Thank you RPG for the presentation you have given us. It was very informative and visually interesting. So much so, that I have passed the web site information to couple of my friends in other cities.

Stephen Altherr, AIA, Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann Associates - March 6, 2002
I thought Dr. D'Antonio was great. I wouldn't hesitate to give a project to him, or recommend RPG, assuming we had the budget. This was one of the few REAL seminars (i.e.: educational) that we have had. I think some of the things that made the presentation appealing were: 1. An understanding of the way architects work. 2. Having a sophisticated product 3. Clearly explaining how it works. That's something most "salesmen" can't do.

William D. Loose, Principal, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Wilkes-Barre, PA - April 23, 2002
A few of the folks here who are habitual critics of these luncheon seminars commented that this was one of the most interesting and informative we've ever had. Everyone was impressed with the quality of both the presentation and the projects/research you've been involved with.

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.

The wrapup show has now been released and contains an evaluation of the design and installation by John Storyk and the owner. Stay tuned for the magazine article in This Old House Magazine.

Program #2125
A last arrival by boat reveals to Steve and our master carpenter how far we've come from the plain shingled box we found on Day 1 of this project, and Steve declares he'll be satisfied if, as other boaters float into Manchester harbor over the years, they'll look at the McCues' home and say what a nice old building it is (even though most of what they'll see is new). Inside, painter Jim Clark shows our master carpenter how he's using tung oil to give the music room's mahogany paneling its final, rich look. David McCue gives his new kitchen a test drive with the help of demonstration cook and appliance expert Jane Scammon; together they make Steve lunch and show off the kitchen's many cutting-edge appliances. Our master carpenter helps Tom install an interior mortise set, in tarnish proof brass, into one of the house's many new MDF doors, while Steve checks out part of the new audio system with designer/installer Bob Domus. Rich Trethewey gives Steve a tour of the new master bath, carpet expert Jerry Arcari shows how the front stair runner is going in, and acoustician John Storyk and David McCue hear how John's design for the music room's acoustics panned out.

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 March/April Issue of ArchiTech introduces the architectural community to four new acoustical surfaces - BASWA®phon acoustical plaster, Topakustik/Topperfo absorptive wood system, Clearsorber™ absorptive glass and OptiCurve™ surfaces, using RPG's proprietary Shape Optimizer software.

Archi-Tech will soon begin a serialized tutorial on Auralization. Please stay tuned.

Current Projects

West Islip High School
Long Island, NY

Cass Junior High School
Darrien, IL

Philadelphia Cricket Club
Philadelphia, PA

West Construction
West Palm Beach, FL

Arts Center For Newaygo County
Freemont, MI

The Hit Factory
New York, NY

William G. Willerman Center
Fort Wyane, IN

Blue Jay Studios
Carlsile, MA

Isom Elementary
Carmel, IN

Maximedia
Farmers Branch, TX

Yonkers Public Library
Yonkers, NY

Paramount Pictures Group
Hollywood, CA

University of Miami
Miami, FL

St. Martin of Tours
Vicksburg, MI

Covenant Life Church
Upper Marlboro, MD

Stensrud Residence
San Francisco, CA

Fabricraft
Denver, CO

Pruskowski
Seattle, WA

Richland Group
Chicago, IL

Audition Systems - Shaung Residence
Salt Lake City, UT

Jim Walters Company
Honolulu, HI

Acoustic Spaces - Mr. Mike Serrino
Austin, TX

Integrated Media Systems, MI

Silent Source - Mr. Eric Braun

Silent Source - Wayne County District School

Silent Source - Mr. Gary Loikith
New York, NY

Chalice Recording Studios
Los Angeles, CA

Silent Source - Mr. Gordon Loudenback

Acoustic Spaces - Mr. ClayAllen, LA

Sweetwater Oxygen LLC

Silent Source - Michael Mah

Galon Carol Audio - Brackenridge High School
San Antonio, TX

SONY Canada
Toronto, CA

Silent Source - Roland Corporation
Los Angeles, CA

Life For Life Recordings
Duluth, MN

Silent Source - Alejandro Cedeno

Crouse-Kimsey - Trinity Fellowship Church
Amarillo, TX

Silent Source - Michael Smith