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Hot on the heels of the RVTR Resonant Chamber we covered a few weeks ago is a similar system from Meyer Sound, designed to control the acoustics of an environment in real-time, this time catering for restaurants and clubs. Based in Berkeley, California, the audio engineering company has beta tested its acoustics system at the city’s Comal restaurant, where microphones were set up to translate the sounds of customers into a digital signal to be processed. Using a tablet device, the managers were then able to analyze the data, make changes to the volume of music being played, and alter the positions of sound-absorbing fabric depending on the noise levels produced by customers in individual sections of the restaurant. Speakers and subwoofers also helped amplify background noise present where necessary. The idea behind the system is that restaurant and bar owners can manipulate the atmosphere to make it feel as if the premises is bustling or relaxed according to their needs. Atmosphere can play a large part in customer satisfaction and is one of the factors commonly judged in user reviews. Thus, Meyer Sound hopes to help food and drink businesses to increase profits, although this will come at some investment, with the system costing between USD 10,000 and USD 100,000, depending on the space and owners’ needs. Although particularly pertinent to the food and drink industry, such close control of the sonic atmosphere in real-time could obviously be useful in cinemas, event arenas or other noise-sensitive situations. Could this technology benefit your industry?