Frame of Reference
We all work within some sort of frame of reference every day that is based on our personal experience. For example, I could say that it was REALLY hot today – that it was 38 degrees outside – and depending on who I was talking to, I might get different reactions. If your frame of reference was degrees Fahrenheit, then you’d think I was a nutcase. But if your frame of reference was degrees Celsius, then you wouldn’t even think twice about it. (38 degrees Celsius is equal to 102 degrees Fahrenheit)
Whenever you work in a specific engineering field for any length of time, you adopt and function using specific jargon that outsiders don’t often understand or can relate to. A common example in the field of acoustics is measuring background noise levels. Without any sort of frame of reference, it’s difficult to know if NC-50 is quiet or really loud. (It’s actually very loud for most functions and programs.)
The acoustics of any room, while very complex, can be described in various quantities of reverberation, reflections, and so forth. If we recommend putting in a certain amount of sound absorption into a room in order to reduce reverberation, how can we know what sort of subjective improvement will be realized for the amount of money spent? The answer is that just like a visual computer rendering of a building, we can develop and play a simulation of the acoustical characteristics of the room and compare it to the existing condition.
The attached audio file does exactly that. As you listen, you will hear the music switching back and forth between the simulation of the existing condition and the resulting condition based on the design recommendations. (It is best to listen on a good pair of headphones.) This file provided a great subjective reference and allowed the client to make an easy decision – now knowing how much improvement they would get for the money spent …
