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Noise Masking Sounds FAQs

Posted on by American Sound & Electronics

Noise masking sounds (otherwise known as sound masking) is designed to mask conversations where privacy is a concern. Healthcare offices, banks, government buildings, and lawyer’s offices are all good candidates for noise masking.

In today’s blog, we will answer frequently asked questions about noise masking sounds.

Noise masking sounds like air running through the room.

Unlike white noise that makes sounds over other noises, a professional noise masking system creates ambient sounds that make it seem like the air conditioning is running very slightly.

Between 44 and 45 decibels, or just below the average dishwasher. 

Every room’s situation is unique, however. Noise masking sounds may be set to lower or higher decibel levels.

Noise masking sounds come from speakers installed in the plenum of the ceiling or in the walls of a room outside of the room that requires privacy.

For example, the main lobby of a bank has members of the public coming in and out throughout the day. Offices just off the lobby have people discussing loan options in a private setting. The noise masking sounds would be coming from the lobby as opposed to the private offices where people discuss their finances.

Yes, people can hear noise masking sounds. But they are designed to be as unnoticeable as possible. 

Remember, these speakers are in the ceiling or walls. At 12-foot-high ceilings, noise masking sounds at 44 to 45 decibels will sound like a dishwasher running at low speed.

No, because white noise sounds like AM radio static you hear in car speakers. It’s also loud and distracting. 

Noise masking sounds are specifically engineered to overlap with the frequency of human speech, making it very difficult to overhear a conversation in the next room.

Noise masking sounds precisely match a certain band of frequencies for greater speech privacy and worker productivity when you want to cut down on people overhearing conversations in certain settings.

No, noise masking technology should be installed by professionals who know how to calibrate the equipment and set up the equalizers, speakers, and computer software properly.

No, because noise cancelling prevents sounds from reaching your ears. Noise masking sounds help your brain to stop focusing on background sounds.

American Sound, with offices in Cincinnati and Louisville, can take care of noise masking technology at your facility. 

Call us at (859) 261-9024 for more information!

Audio-Visual Rental Equipment FAQs

Posted on by American Sound & Electronics

American Sound not only installs world-class sound systems and video walls, but we also rent professional-grade audio-visual equipment for events and parties.

Today, our team answers several frequently asked questions about audio-visual rental equipment.

You need excellent equipment to convey sound and visuals effectively through your event. 

Reasons to rent high-quality audio-visual equipment include:

  1. Reliable performance. Professional-grade AV equipment meets or exceeds your expectations throughout an event, whether you have one wireless microphone or 10 connected to one speaker, or even 20.
  2. Reduces glitches. Your rented sound system should keep glitches to a minimum throughout the event.
  3. Training or instructions provided by the rental company. Professional AV equipment rentals should have instructions or training from the company that rents you the equipment. Instructions should be clear and concise while giving you the functions necessary to get the job done. A lot of this happens during the initial discussions where your chosen rental company asks relevant questions.
  4. Easy set up and take down. Professional audio-visual rental equipment companies offer to set up and take down the equipment. Discuss this option with your provider.
  5. Money savings. You only need the equipment for a few hours, a few days, or a week. Renting audio-visual equipment is cheaper than investing in a system outright, particularly if you only need it on a temporary basis or in a remote location.

You have several options for renting audio-visual equipment from a professional sound company.

 

  1. Projectors. Laser projectors offer the best visual acuity for your setup. Projectors can use a screen or a blank white wall, whichever is better for your venue.
  2. LED monitors. Depending on the size, LED monitors can be up to 65 inches. At some point, it’s going to be better and most cost-effective to rent a projector once you get into larger sizes than that.
  3. Powered speakers. Typically, you can rent speakers individually, as pairs, or in a bundle of four. You can add more depending on what you need. When you add speakers, you will need to add mixers to make sure the sound works properly.
  4. Microphones. Wireless or wired, wearable or podium, with or without a stand, microphone options are almost limitless.
  5. Interactive monitors. If you need a touchscreen, specialized LED monitors can let you have a portable, interactive whiteboard for your event. 
  6. Lighting. Whether you want a followspot or a full rack of lights on stage, we can install it. 
  7. Computers. Sometimes, you need a laptop to control the presentation. A professional A/V rental company can handle that request.

Contact American Sound for more information, or call (859) 261-9024. We’ll discuss your needs and options with you based on the event and the size of the venue.

Video Wall FAQs

Posted on by American Sound & Electronics

American Sound installs world-class, professional audio-visual equipment for a wide range of companies throughout the United States. 

Today, our team answers several frequently asked questions about video walls, those beautiful digital displays that take up an entire wall in a room.

A video wall consists of multiple displays to create a single, large cohesive image, series of images, or multiple images simultaneously.

Video walls come in a variety of display technologies, including:

  1. LCD, built with narrow-bezel or bezel-less (seamless) displays made from large displays (55 inches or more) for high brightness and an excellent tiled performance.
  2. LED video walls deliver crisp, seamless images scalable to any size or shape. Imagery looks fantastic at any angle with LEDs. 
  3. Projection cube (AKA rear projection), where the video wall has an image projected from behind a screen and onto the wall.
  4. Blended projection occurs when images are projected onto a screen from the front using multiple projectors to form a seamless output on a large display surface.

Constructing and installing a video wall takes several steps.

  1. First, talk to a professional installer like American Sound. Video walls require specific things in place to maximize space and effectiveness.
  2. Visit the site. Once you choose an installer and talk to them, it’s time to visit the site. While there, your company will take measurements and audit the infrastructure you have in place (like power lines and conduits) as well as the strength of the wall.
  3. Order your video wall equipment. Installers will order your video wall equipment, customized to your needs.
  4. In a few weeks, installers will come to your facility and install the video wall, make all of the connections, and install the software on a computer while teaching you how to change the settings on the visual presentation.
  5. Enjoy your brand-new, state-of-the-art video wall!
  6. If you have any questions or comments, your chosen installer should have robust customer support and service after the installation. These things should be included in your package.

Seamless video walls merge pixels between displays using very narrow bezels (frames) and bezel compensation software. You can design a video wall of any size using a seamless system.

Specialized software and a dedicated video processor blend images across multiple screens into a seamless presentation. Images can be one huge, cohesive unit or you can showcase multiple images across various panels.

Advantages of LCD monitors include:

  • Lower price point because of being on the market for a longer time.
  • Sharp details.
  • High resolution.
  • Reliable technology.
  • No bezels for a better seamless presentation.
  • Extremely bright lighting.
  • Energy-efficient.
  • Better color accuracy.
  • Great refresh rates.
  • Longer life.

Around 30,000 hours, or eight years at 10 hours of use per day.

Around 50,000 hours, or 15 years at 10 hours per day.

  • Type of technology used (LCD, LED, rear projector, blended projector).
  • Size (small, medium, large).
  • Number of controllers and processors needed.
  • Supporting infrastructure such as outlets, braces, and wall supports.
  • Cost of ownership, including power usage and cooling fans.
  • Service and repair costs.

There are three basic parts:

  1. Monitors or projectors that create the images.
  2. Dedicated processor that manages the video wall’s physical components.
  3. Software utilized by the processor.

Professional installation is absolutely the best option for your video wall.


Contact us for more information, or call (859) 261-9024. We’ll talk to you, come out to your place, and assess what you have before giving you a quote.

Videoconferencing Technology FAQs

Posted on by American Sound & Electronics

Seamless video wall in a large meeting room

Even though it looks seamless, several components come together to make your videoconferencing technology work properly. It’s more than just a video screen with speakers.

Video input. Minimally, you’ll need video cameras on both ends of the connections to send video images to the other party. You can also send images from digital projectors and interactive whiteboards with cable connections.

Video output. Your videoconferencing technology must include a way to see the images the other side sends to you. You have some options here, depending on the size of your conference room. You can utilize a computer monitor, flatscreen TV, projector, or a video wall for large rooms.

Audio input. The other side of the connection needs to be able to hear you and your team correctly. Your videoconferencing system needs microphones to pick up every nuanced sound in the room. One larger microphone in a central location can do the trick. For larger rooms, you might need two microphones on each side of the room.

Audio output. Your team needs to hear the voices coming from the other end of the connection. Take care of this through speakers, strategically placed either near the monitor so everyone’s attention faces the screen or throughout the room for a surround-sound experience.

Coder-decoder (codec) technology. Any videoconferencing system needs a robust coder-decoder technology to make sure the rise and fall of sound signals don’t overpower the system. Your room’s codec uses noise suppression, echo cancellation, and gain control for ultra-clear audio signals.


Network data transfer. Most American companies have the infrastructure in place for fast data transmission with HD quality. Make sure your telecommunication lines are in place to handle the bandwidth you require.

People in a Conference Room Looking at a Video Wall

Yes, and you want a system installed that you can easily upgrade in the future when the technology improves. For example, many video systems are well-equipped to handle HD signals. But what happens when things move to 4K Ultra HD? Is your system ready for an upgrade in five years?

Professional audio-visual companies can create a videoconferencing system that can be easily upgraded without changing out the entire system.

Again, it’s important to have the right infrastructure in place for this to happen.

People Using a Conference Room

Videoconferencing soared in popularity when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2019. Supply chain shortages caused delays in getting computer hardware in the hands of companies that needed it the most. 

Software platforms also became very important, and they all had a sudden uptick in business. Most of these platforms work with a wide range of technological components.

Consider:

  • Zoom
  • Cisco WebEx
  • Google Meet
  • Skype for Business
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Slack
  • BlueJeans
  • GoToMeeting

A professional audio-visual equipment company can recommend the correct equipment to work with any of these platforms.

Office Team Looking a TV Monitor in a Videoconference

Your conference room equipment and technology are only part of the story for hosting great remote meetings.

Your team can improve the videoconferencing experience with a few quick tips.

Train on using the technology and equipment. When you introduce new technology to your company, everyone who expects to use it regularly should receive training. A professional installation company can take care of this training for you because they are the experts. It’s almost as good as receiving factory training on the conference room equipment! 

Familiarize yourself with the software. Similarly, become familiar with how the software platform works for your videoconferencing equipment. Make sure you have the logins and passwords set up beforehand for best results.

Prepare ahead of time. Know how to use your equipment before the meeting. Start setting things up five to 10 minutes ahead of time. If there are any snafus with the equipment or software, you have time to work through them before the meeting time. Test out the audio and video connections to make sure you can be heard and seen. Many programs have a way to test things before the other participants arrive.

Keep charging equipment cords if you’re on a laptop or mobile device. For particularly long meetings, make sure you have chargers for laptops and mobile devices handy. Using a lot of bandwidth and constant use drains the batteries on these devices faster. If you know your meeting will be more than an hour, keep chargers handy because your full charge may drain quickly.

Reduce background distractions. Keep the door to the conference room closed as much as possible. Turn down cellphones to vibrate. Make sure your team is paying attention to what’s going on in the meeting. 

Speak and act normally. Because the equipment is top-notch, there’s no need to shout or raise your voice. Microphones should be able to pick up your voice just fine.

Error Message on Computer Screen

Despite your best efforts, your videoconferencing technology doesn’t seem to be working right in the middle of your meeting. The problem might be your laptop connected to the screen. 

Think of these quick troubleshooting tips on the fly:

Restart your computer. If your computer crashed, consider rebooting it and only start the programs you need for the meeting. 

Update your browser. If you need to use an internet browser on your computer during the meeting, update it to see if that makes the connection better.

Restart your browser. Sometimes, your browser gets stuck from too many tabs open or some program on a window running in the background. Click out of your browser and get back into it to see if that solves the problem.

Close unnecessary programs. Keep unnecessary tabs and programs closed during the meeting. Additional programs can slow your computer’s operating speed.

Go incognito. Some browser extensions might hinder or interfere with the presentation coming from your computer. Try an incognito browser window to keep those browser extensions from getting in the way of your meeting.

Professional installation is the best way to go for great videoconferencing technology, no matter the size of the room. Professionals, like those at American Sound, will make sure your new videoconferencing system looks cohesive, works properly, and trains the necessary staff on its operation. 

Contact us for more information or call (859) 261-9024.

Sound Masking FAQs

Posted on by American Sound & Electronics

American Sound serves many industries, including offices that face privacy concerns for clients, such as law offices, medical offices, and financial institutions. 

Today, our team answers several FAQs about sound masking.

Sound masking represents a technology that produces ambient background noise that precisely matches the frequency of human speech. The idea is to cancel out normal human speech for better speech privacy when individuals have confidential conversations.

Sound masking reduces how far away conversations can be heard and understood by others. It does NOT cancel sound or eliminate all speech noise.

Companies that need sound masking often have privacy concerns or must follow regulations to ensure privacy for clients, customers or patients.

You might find sound masking in:

  • Public spaces
  • Reception areas
  • Pharmacies
  • Waiting rooms
  • Medical offices
  • Dentist’s offices
  • Hospitals
  • Banks
  • Insurance offices
  • Government offices
  • Attorney’s offices
  • Hallways adjacent to private offices
  • Open office plans
  • Private offices
  • Counseling offices

Speakers that emit sound masking frequencies are installed in rooms or areas where conversations should not be heard, not necessarily in rooms or areas where conversations take place.

Two people talking confidentially in a counseling office

Sound masking disrupts voices in a room, so they do not travel farther than the space of an ordinary conversation. This ensures no one outside of a room can’t overhear the conversation using normal means.

  1. Professional installation companies assess the space that needs this technology by taking measurements and looking at the structure of the space, including the thickness of walls, floors, and ceilings. This is called a site survey.
  2. Then a technician plugs in the measurements to their software to determine how many speakers, their sizes, and distribution throughout the room.
  3. The professional sound installation company installs the speakers, typically in the ceiling.
  4. After the installation of speakers, technicians calibrate the speakers and take measurements of the sound they produce. At this stage, technicians will tweak the ambient sounds for optimal results. 
  5. Following calibration, sound masking technicians will install software on an office computer that allows the company to control the system. All of the speakers in a system are controlled from a centralized location, typically a hub, where all speakers connect to (either hardwired or wirelessly).

This technology uses quiet sounds, similar to that of gentle air-conditioned air filtering into a room, to actually make rooms quieter.

Sound masking technology works through speakers emitting a specific frequency of sound over various channels. The frequency is near the same frequency as human speech, which disrupts speech coming from other parts of the room.

The noise from the speakers sounds just like airflow from a central air conditioning unit as it pipes air into a room.

Interior of a bank lobby

Average systems cost from $1.50 to $2 per square foot, but your actual costs vary depending on how many speakers you need and the size of the space that needs sound masking. 

For example, your building is 10,000 square feet. However, techs determine that only 4,500 square feet need sound masking speakers installed. This gives you an average range of $6,750 to $9,000 for installing this technology. Again, your actual results will vary.

In addition to maintaining speech privacy, companies may see the following benefits:

Less distractions. People are less likely to be distracted because they can’t hear conversations in other rooms.

Higher productivity. Because sound masking cuts down on distracting conversations, your workers may actually be more productive at the office.

Protect your customers. Think of what happens when a customer places an order over the phone. Do you read back the customers’ credit or debit card number to make sure you heard it properly? What if another customer overheard that number? Is the customer’s card information safe?

Remove awkward silences. Oddly enough, completely silent rooms can be distracting when a sudden noise penetrates the silence. Reduce this distracting effect with sound masking technology.

Installers may take a day or two to install a system. The company will make an appointment with you to be at your office or facility after the equipment comes in.

The best ones adapt to changing conditions in the room, such as when sound levels are low or high, through the system’s equalizer.

Calibrating the system is vitally important because there may be multiple channels through which the sounds flow. 

Think of calibrating the system like your television or radio. Your television uses three main colors, red, green, and blue, to generate all of the images on a screen. If even one of these colors is off, it will make images that you can tell are weird. On a radio, think of the bass and treble channels from the music. Increasing the bass means more “thump-thump-thump” sounds, while the treble produces lighter sounds. You can alter the music you listen to by changing different channels like the treble or bass.

Similarly, technicians must equalize and balance all of the channels in the sound masking speakers to make sure they work together properly to produce the right sounds. Otherwise, the ambient noise doesn’t sound right, and people in the room will notice.

Open dishwasher filled with dishes

Yes, these systems are perfectly safe for human hearing. It operates at a level of 48 decibels or lower. For comparison, 48 decibels sounds like a home’s automatic dishwasher. OSHA regulates the sound levels that employees can be subjected to over an eight-hour period, and the maximum amount is 90 decibels for every eight hours. 90 decibels is equivalent to heavy traffic, a window air conditioner, a subway, or a shouted conversation.

Yes, if your company is serious about installing this kind of system then professional installers may offer a free quote. They will need to see the facility first.

Professional installation is the best way to go for sound masking systems. Professionals will make sure the system looks cohesive, works properly, and trains the necessary staff on its operation.

American Sound can help! Contact us for more information or call (859) 261-9024.

Conference Room Technology & Equipment FAQs

Posted on by American Sound & Electronics

American Sound serves many industries, including offices and corporate spaces that need professional conference rooms to handle clear communication among team members or clients at remote locations. 

Today, our team answers several FAQs regarding conference room technology and equipment.

A conference room requires several technological components to work together, including:

  • Speakers or sound bar
  • Video screen
  • Microphones
  • Computer
  • Wireless capability
  • Interactive whiteboard

Different software requires various hardware. What works for Skype or Zoom may not work for Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. A professional sound installer can help you identify the right conference room equipment you need for your setup.

Size and budget are two main considerations for how you set up your conference room. 

  1. Start with the video display. Smaller rooms with fewer people may not need a huge 86-inch screen.
  2. Choose a compatible video camera. Most video cameras attach to the back of the video display, meaning you look at the screen while people appear to look back at you. This setup increases engagement with your remote teams.
  3. Next, look for appropriate speakers. You may only want one small speaker installed by the display because that is where everyone focuses their visual attention. Portable speakers may be convenient if you’re going to pass them from person to person. Larger rooms may need bigger or multiple speakers.
  4. Microphones offer varying levels of sensitivity. While people can use laptops or portable mics, it may be more convenient to have a single microphone that can pick up everyone’s vocalizations in the room. 

A professional audio-visual company can help you set up the conference room technology and train your staff to use it.

The size of your video display depends on how far away the farthest viewer is from the screen. 

  • 65” screen is ideal for people 15 to 16 feet away from the monitor
  • 75” screen for people 17 to 19 feet away
  • 86” for 20 to 22 feet away
  • A video wall or multiple displays for anything larger than 22 feet of distance

Because these large screens require expert installation without damaging your nice office wall, we highly recommend professionals to mount the display to the wall. Our staff can center the monitor against the wall to optimize it for the size of the room.

Your table must blend practicality with comfort. Purchase a conference table with outlets and charging ports for mobile devices and laptops. 

The following room sizes and tables are a great rules to follow:

16 x 12 room size with an 8’ table to seat six to eight people

18 x 12 room with a 10’ table for eight to 10 people

20 x 12 room gets a 12’ table to seat 10 to 12 people

The room size and number of people determine how big of a video display you require.

Professional installation is the best way to go for conference room technology and equipment for excellent results and a cohesive appearance. American Sound can help! Contact us for more information or call (859) 261-9024.

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