SOUNDCELL® General Information SOUNDCELL - Absorption ♦ Diffusion ♦ Style See our catalog! Create an improved environment in architectural masonry acoustics. SOUNDCELL's design innovation is your practical solution to effectively absorb problem noise, diffuse sound energy and more thoroughly capture flutter echo, standing waves and sound intensity annoyances - with style. ABSORPTION HELMHOLTZ RESONATOR CAPTURE & ELIMINATE NOISE SOUNDCELL utilizes a stacking, slot-type, Helmholtz volume resonator to achieve sound absorption at all frequencies. The 12½ unit offers an unmatched 100% average absorption efficiency at the 100-125-160-200 Hz frequency bandwidth. This low frequency absorption is invaluable in supplying sound control that cannot be captured by carpets, drapes, acoustical tiles and similar items. STANDING WAVE RESONANT FREQUENCIES CONTROL ROOM RESONANCE A typical square room design with parallel surfaces supports standing waves (notes and noises are sustained louder and longer) at frequencies which are determined by the size of the room. The fundamental resonant frequencies associated with room dimensions fall primarily in the bass (low frequency) range and give the building space a “boomy” quality. SOUNDCELL does not produce opposite parallel surface planes and has an effective 1.2 absorption coefficient at the difficult-to-treat 125 Hz octave band to control the standing wave - resonant frequency effect. DIFFUSION IMPROVE SOUND QUALITY Diffusion is the random reflection and dispersion of the sound path after striking irregular shaped surfaces and reliefs. Many rooms utilizing flat, exposed masonry promote sound ‘bounce' and problematic reflections. SOUNDCELL improves the quality and nature of sound by providing desirable diffusion with its innovative grid and impressed form. FLUTTER ECHO ARREST SOUND ANNOYANCE Flutter echo is characterized by discrete replications of the original source sound between two highly sound reflective surfaces more than 30 feet apart. Often heard as a high frequency ‘ringing' or ‘buzzing', it can be an annoyance to speech intelligibility as well as confusing to the ear. Flutter can be reduced by skewing walls as little as one inch to one foot (1:12). SOUNDCELL has 77% of its surface area skewed to a (3:12) ratio in order to arrest this flutter echo annoyance. Back to Top An Introduction to SOUNDCELL With the 2003 introduction of SOUNDCELL acoustical masonry units, Proudfoot now offers architects and contractors even more noise control options with the added touch of grace and elegance. Create an improved environment in architectural masonry acoustics. The SOUNDCELL unit's design innovation is your practical solution to effectively absorb problem noise, diffuse sound enrgy, and more thoroughly capture the flutter echo, standing waves and sound intensity annoyances — with style. Absorption, Diffusion, Style SOUNDCELL architectural acoustical concrete masonry units provide built-in sound control for areas of public access where noise pollution is a problem. Available in 8" or 12" thickness, SOUNDCELL     units are load-bearing with compressive strengths comparable to standard CMUs of similar composition. Installed conventionally in stack bond with little or no added labor, the in-place cost of SOUNDCELL is low by comparison to most other acoustical materials. Diffusion is the random reflection and dispersion of the sound path after striking irregular shaped surfaces and reliefs. Many rooms utilizing flat, exposed masonry promote sound "bounce" and problematic reflactions. SOUNDCELL units improve the quality and nature of sound by providing desirable diffusion with their innovative grid and impressed form.  Ideal for schools, houses of worship, manufacturing plants, arenas, water treatment facilities and other structures where excessive noise can be generated, SOUNDCELL units are available throughout the United States through a network of licensed concrete block manufacturers that make the product locally to a series of strict specifications. Sanctuary/Green Bay Community Church Holasek Architecture & Design Maple Avenue Elementary SchoolPlunkett Raysich Architects         Back to Top John C. Cudahy YMCA McClintock, Architechs, Inc. Now even more design options are available. SOUNDCELL ACOUSTADE® masonry units offer the same noise control capabilities as regular SOUNCELL units without the horizontal baseline. This feature allows for continuous vertical lines and offers a reversible skew, enabling the architect to specify in which direction the slanted surface faces. For example, a left-hand skew may be specified for a north wall with a right-hand skew specified for a south wall.    Available in 8" & 12" widths. Optional grout shields only available with 12" units, as shown.