As your one-stop acoustical shop, we carry both fabric-covered fiberglass acoustic panels, and foam acoustic panels.

Here are some guidelines when choosing between our foam panels and our fabric covered panels.

1. Cost

Foam: For simple noise control foam panels absorb the most sound per dollar invested. If the factors mentioned below are not a concern, foam panels will do the job for about half the price.

Fabric: These panels cost more. Decide what’s best for your situation based on your budget and the factors below.

2. Appearance

Foam: A technical look suitable for control rooms, informal practice areas and utilitarian spaces.

Fabric: An architectural look suitable for any space including living areas, home theaters, auditoriums, etc. More appearance options are available including custom-printed art acoustic panels.

3. Frequency Absorption

Foam: Highly effective at high frequencies, and mid-range frequencies down to 500Hz. Not effective at bass frequencies.

Fabric: Broader, more even absorption across frequencies. 2-inch panels are effective down to 250Hz. 4-inch panels are effective down to 100Hz.

4. Wall Coverage

Foam: Almost twice the wall coverage as fabric panels to achieve the same sound absorption at mid-range frequencies. Plan on covering more empty wall space.

Fabric: Requires about half the coverage as foam panels, leaving more wall space open.

5. Installation and Removal

Foam: Install with spray adhesive. Spray and stick, pretty simple. However if you plan to move out or take the panels down, adhesive residue could be an issue.

Fabric: Install with screws and z-clips. We include a handy full-size install template that takes the measuring out of the job, but it is more work than installing foam panels. On the up side, z-clips leave no more wall damage than hanging pictures.

Shop foam panels.

Shop fabric covered panels.

We’ve just added a new type of acoustic insulation to our lineup. Applegate Acoustical Cotton Batts are a great alternative to fiberglass acoustic insulation. They have a higher NRC value than any 2-inch other product we carry at 1.05. There is no itch or skin irritation which makes them comfortable to handle, glove free. The natural cotton fibers are 100% recyclable and are made from at least 85% post-industrial recycled content, making them ideal for LEED certified projects.

We are proud to announce that ATS Acoustics will be attending the Worship Facilities Expo in Dallas, Texas. This event will be held on the 9th and 10th of November, 2011. The hours of this show are as follows: Wednesday the 9th – 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. And Thursday the 10th – 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. We will have a variety of our products on display, along with all the information you might need about our products and our company. Come check out our booth and enjoy the event!

One of our super-friendly sales reps, Matt, wrote this up in response to interest from our customers:

We often receive questions about the difference between QuietGlue Pro and Green Glue sound isolation compounds. Due to a real difference in cost, many customers wonder if the more expensive Green Glue really outperforms the competition. Both Green Glue and QuietGlue Pro have conducted third-party tests comparing the two products head to head, and both companies claim that their product is superior based on those test results.

After reviewing the results, we conclude that their performance is too close to crown a true winner. When it comes to sound isolation, the STC rating is what’s really important, and the STC of QuietGlue Pro and Green Glue are almost identical. So close in fact that choosing one over the other based on performance doesn’t make sense.

Since they are tied on performance, it makes sense to choose on price, and at least for now QuietGlue Pro wins the price battle hands down.

We are pleased to announce that ATS Acoustics was honored on Inc. magazine’s 2011 list of fasting growing businesses in America. We ranked at position 3058 this year. We also made the list in 2010, making ATS Acoustics one of America’s fastest growing businesses two years running.

Thanks to all our employees and customers that have made our incredible growth possible. We have a lot of great plans and products rolling out this year. We’re working hard and setting our sights on a threepeat in 2012.

OSI GreenSeries Draft & Acoustical Sound Sealant is a latex-based sealant specially designed to reduce sound transmissions and drafts in all types of wall systems where a sound-rated assembly is required. Its primary function is to achieve and maintain the specific STC (Sound Transmission Class) value of the system designed. This paintable sealant remains flexible and adheres firmly to wood, metal studs, concrete, gypsum board and most other common building materials.

This sealant can be used in office buildings, hotels, apartment complexes and other types of commercial and residential construction. Use it to seal perimeter joints, floor and ceiling runners, cutouts in gypsum board, veneer plaster systems and other areas where a sound rated assembly is required. This sealant can also be applied or buttered around all electrical boxes and outlets, cold air returns, heating and air conditioning ducts and other equipment penetrating wall surfaces for increased acoustical performance. Works well for sealing sill and base plates in residential construction.  OSI SC-175 is a more affordable alternative to Green Glue Noiseproofing Sealant.

QuietCoat is a sprayable compound used for noise and vibration damping on steel, aluminum, brass, copper, alloys, plastics, PVC, and other nonporous materials.  It can be applied with a brush, roller, or sprayer in single coats of 1.0 mm thickness.  Multiple coats will enhance the damping properties.

QuietCoat is the highest performing damping coating on the market today and is less expensive and versatile than older technologies.  It can be used on automobiles, consumer electronics, appliances, HVAC systems, industrial equipment, and much more.

ATS Acoustic panels with art or photo prints transforms a standard sound absorption panel into a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork limited only by your imagination. Company logos, family pictures, art prints, landscapes, and much more can be printed on panels as large as 48″x 96″.

We can take an image file that you choose or provide to us, and make a high quality, full-color print on fabric. Then we use that printed fabric in our standard acoustic panel manufacturing process.  So you end up with an effective acoustic treatment for your space, that reflex your personality and looks great.

To go along with our quality acoustic panels, ATS Acoustics is now offering acoustic baffles. Instead of attaching to a wall, like panels, baffles are designed to suspend from high ceilings. Because both sides absorb sound, baffles are more efficient than wall panels, which makes them an ideal choice for auditoriums, gyms, sports arenas, commercial/industrial buildings, and other large spaces.

ATS Acoustic Baffles are made with a solid aluminum frame that not only makes them much more durable than most baffles on the market today, but it also gives them clean, crisp lines that won’t sag or dent over time. The 6 lb per cubic foot mineral wool core material gives the baffles an impressive Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) rating of 1.52.  With 18 colors to choose from, ATS Acoustic Baffles are an attractive and effective acoustical treatment for any large open space.

Two of the most common acoustical problems found in home theaters today are comb filtering and flutter echo. Comb filtering occurs when sound from a speaker first travels directly to your ears. Then, a few milliseconds later, reflections of that same sound arrive to your ears after they have bounced off the side walls and ceiling. This effect can significantly reduce the clarity of dialogue in a movie, which can make it very difficult at times to understand what is being said. Flutter echo is a similar problem caused by two opposing reflective surfaces of a room (parallel wall to parallel wall or floor to ceiling). These repetitive reflections can produce a perception of a pitch and a reduction in the speech intelligibility within the room.

Luckily both of these problems are easily fixed with acoustic panels. Simply placing panels at the first reflection points of the room will reduce the sound waves from bouncing around so you can focus on one clear copy of the sound. Our free online acoustical calculator can help you determine the amount of panels your room will need to sound its best.