- As every systems contractor knows, you can install the best possible audio equipment the world has to offer, but if the acoustics aren't right, the technologies won't perform to their fullest potential. "These days, the hardware always works, but that doesn't mean that the room sounds good," declared Adolph Neaderland, president of Sound Control Technologies (SCT).
- David Neaderland, SCT's vice president, concurred, "One of the earliest discussions that we had with the AV integrators and systems designers was the impact of these spaces on the physical acoustics. Before we started Sound Control, Adolph had been working on acoustic modeling programs that help predict how the room is going to sound and function, even without the acoustic enhancement that we are providing. Back in the day, this was leading-edge stuff; no one else was paying attention to it. One could argue that even today, people don't really pay attention to these issues, but really should."
- While clients and other contractors are gradually becoming aware of the importance of investing in acoustics, it's still a tough sell, David Neaderland conceded. "First and foremost, it slows down the sales process. Secondly, it has an impact on the look of the space. Unless the AV integrator or systems designer is working with the end-user from the initial conception of the project, they are already coming in after someone has come up with the look of the space."
