Soundproofing Principles

Welcome to the Academy of Acoustics created by NetWell Noise Control.   The following set of crash-courses are designed to help equip those who want it with the basic knowledge and understanding behind the science of sound.   The material is written in plain terms for a general audience, not for experts in the sound control business.   The principles set forth are industry standards that define today’s world of sound proofing and date back to the origins of the sound wave.   As you navigate through the rest of this website, we will refer often back to the information contained here, and encourage you to revisit as often as you like.

Sound Behavior

To properly diagnose a soundproofing treatment, we start with understanding the characteristics of the sound wave.   Learn how sound travels, how it reflects and/or transmits through common structure.   Understanding sound behavior is the key to unlocking the mystery behind your soundproofing project. To properly isolate, enclose, diffuse, mask, absorb or otherwise control noise, we start here with the basics. The following courses will deliver the information to you in an easy to read format. We begin with the sound wave itself, how it is created, how it travels, and what happens to the wave when it changes mediums.

Sound Measures

Once we understand the basics of the sound wave , discover how the sound is  measured.  Here we discuss Decibels, Hertz and Sabins.  The terms listed below are used to quantify sound energy.    Their measurements serve to define your noise and help structure your sound control solutions.   The balance of this website relies on the terms listed below to produce the acoustic results you seek.   Developing a better understanding of their meaning will help ensure these results will be met.

Sound Standards

Learn here about the three standards that are used in the acoustics industry to measure soundproofing results. These standards include the NRC, the STC and the IIC.   There are three universal standards listed here that are used to measure the effectiveness of sound control.   These standards produce a rating system that allows independent laboratories to assign acoustic test results to products applied in the field of soundproofing.    These results are then used to help select the right product for the right treatment.

Sound Treatments

While the first three classrooms serve to better define and illustrate the principles of the sound wave, this section lays the groundwork for your specific soundproofing treatment.   This Academy was built to help our customers learn of the behavioral characteristics of a sound wave.   To help reduce noise exposure or enhance room acoustics, it is important to understand these traits and how sound waves are able to travel.   The treatments you see listed below are the utensils we use for controlling unwanted sound.    Each acoustic treatment is then custom designed for your specific project in our Applications Guide, where a corresponding set of acoustic products awaits you that will trigger the results you seek.   Start here and learn how these treatments work, then click open the Applications Guide and you are ready to begin.