Sound masking

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Sound masking is the addition of natural or artificial sound introduced into an environment to "mask" or cover-up unwanted sound. Sound masking reduces or eliminates pre-existing sounds in a given area. Sound masking can make a work environment more comfortable, while creating speech privacy so workers can be more productive; sound masking can also be used in the out-of-doors to restore a more natural ambient environment.

For instance, imagine that you are in a dark room and someone is turning a flashlight on and off. The light is very obvious and distracting. Now imagine that the lights are turned on. The flashlight is still being turned on and off, but is no longer noticeable because it has been "masked". Sound masking is the same idea. Cover the distracting sound with a more soothing, less intrusive sound.

1 Building interiors
2 Exteriors
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Building interiors

Sound masking can be used anywhere to ensure speech privacy or reduce distractions. Typically, sound masking is popular in workspaces but it can also be helpful in home environments. The most common sound masking installations are:

Open Office Plans - open offices can be either too quiet (where someone dropping a pen in the next cubicle is distracting) - or too noisy (where the conversations of others in the office make it impossible to concentrate). Open offices can benefit from sound masking because the added sound covers existing sounds in the area - making workers less distracted and more productive.

Private Offices - private offices and other enclosed spaces often appear to provide privacy but actually do not. Many times, walls are lightweight and do not extend to the ceiling deck - only to the ceiling tile. In these cases, sound can easily travel through partitions or over the walls. Sound masking can be installed in adjacent private offices or hallways outside of private offices to ensure that confidential conversations are exactly that -- confidential.

Public Spaces - reception areas, pharmacies, waiting rooms, and financial institutions are all good candidates for sound masking systems. Sound masking is installed in the area where conversations may be confidential - not actually in the area where the conversation is taking place. For instance, a psychiatrist does not want those in the waiting room to overhear private conversation with a patient. So sound masking should be installed in the waiting area: not in the psychiatrist's office.

A sound masking system may render conversations unintelligible by nearby listeners. Sound masking is a method to comply with HIPAA and GLBA regulations.

[edit] Exteriors

A number of cases exist where sound masking has been successfully installed for exterior applications, the most common target of concern being roadway noise. In one example application a large artificial waterfall was constructed as part of the garden exterior of an urban hotel in Santa Rosa, California. The waterfall cascades down an extensive wall approximately four meters in height and functions as both a sound barrier and also a noise mask.