Soundmasking Australia

Next Electrical has many years’ experience in the design and installation of Soundmasking systems in Australia. Next Electrical’s technicians are dedicated to finding and implementing the best solution to suit your needs.

With an electrical contracting background we are specialists in difficult installations. Whether you have an existing building or new building Next Electrical can find the right solution for you.

Our system can be installed in the ceiling space above the suspended ceiling, or in the floor below a computer floor. It can also be installed in the open, perhaps in an old library that has exposed timber beams.
From 1 speaker to 10,000 no project is too small or large for Next Electrical

Imagine entering a room where there is no sound, it’s completely quiet, and closing the door and just listening. You will be able to hear every sound, your watch ticking or a tap dripping, every sound will be easily heard.

This is the case with many modern buildings. Air conditioning is now chilled beams which make no noise, and modern equipment and electronics are extremely quiet. Now turn on a radio or TV and suddenly you can no longer hear those sounds.

This is the principle of soundmasking: by introducing background noise slightly louder than speech, it makes the space quieter. This takes a little getting used to, but it is true. These small sounds become far less perceptible in a soundmasked environment.

There are three main components in a Soundmasking system: a sound generator, an equalizer and a speaker. The components that we use at Next Electrical are purpose-built for Soundmasking. The sound is emitted within a certain frequency range called the shape.

The sound is not perceptible, non-distracting, and is comfortable to listen to. It is used to fill a room with background “noise” so that other sounds, such as those normal, day-to-day office sounds, become less distracting. The sound changes many times per hour, to ensure that your brain does not acclimatise itself to the sound.

The result is an atmosphere where the normal sounds of the environment, such as speech, typing, machinery etc, are “masked”, i.e. rendered far less conspicuous and distracting. Eavesdropping becomes almost impossible, especially through barriers such as doors and partitions.

Soundmasking is used in a wide range of environments, for ensuring privacy and confidentiality, or minimising distracting noises.

Some common applications are:

By employing a Soundmasking system in doctor’s suites, medical centres and waiting rooms, health care professionals can ensure that conversations with patients are kept private and confidential by reducing the possibility of being overheard.

Like medical practitioners, Legal professionals are required to maintain confidentiality in their dealings with clients, and a Soundmasking system will ensure conversations are kept private.

Soundmasking can be introduced into classrooms to minimise distracting and intrusive noises, leading to much better learning outcomes for students of all levels.

Soundmasking can play a vital part in corporate security when it is deployed in offices and boardrooms.

Security is paramount in Government buildings, including embassies, where talks between Government representatives and foreign heads of state are frequently held. Soundmasking creates an environment where such meetings can be held in privacy, and without the distractions of unwanted noise which may interfere with communication between people with different languages and accents.

The distraction of general office sounds, such as photocopiers, printers, coffee machines, and even your co-workers’ typing and talking on the phone can all be solved by introducing a Soundmasking system into the office. This can lead to dramatic improvements in productivity, and especially in the case of Call Centres in Australia, customer satisfaction rates.

Below is a selection of some of Next Electrical recent projects.

The Commonwealth Bank Head Office is situated in the newly developed area of Darling Walk, in the southern precinct of Darling Harbour. Consisting of two nine-storey buildings and built to accommodate over 4,500 staff, it conforms to the 6-star Green Energy rating standard, and the 5 Star NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) Energy rating.

Its ultra-efficient design, with such features as noiseless chilled beam air conditioning and fresh air systems, meant that the interior was so quiet that any small sound would be a distraction, and any conversations would be easily overheard.

Next Electrical provided the answer with the design, supply and installation of over 2000 Soundmasking speakers.

The Poche Centre in North Sydney is a world-class Melanoma treatment facility. It provides care and services to Melanoma patients throughout Australia and includes many private practitioners, researchers and other medical staff.

There are many doctors’ suites where patient consultations are held. The waiting rooms are nearby and in an extremely quiet building such as the Poche Centre, conversations between specialists and their patients could easily be overheard, and privacy would be almost impossible to achieve.

Next Electrical was contacted by consultants Aecom to discuss the installation of a soundmasking system within the Poche Centre. The building had been recently completed, and the nature of the construction made it extremely difficult to implement a soundmasking system – there ceilings were set plasterboard with very little access to ceiling space.

Next Electrical was the only firm to provide a tender for such a difficult installation. The job was finished on time and within budget. The risk of eavesdropping has been greatly reduced, and the Centre is now a far more pleasant place to work.