Episode 6: THE PSYCHOACOUSTICS OF SOUNDSCAPES - Wade Bray - HEAD acoustics, Inc.

With the UK's hospitality industry opening its doors again, after over 100 days of lockdown, show host, Simon Gosling asks, "Have you ever been to a restaurant with a friend and found yourself having to talk loudly, just to be heard above the music, the kitchen noise and the other diners? Your friend then feels the need to talk even louder to be heard by you and before you know it, you’re both having to shout at one another, just to enjoy a friendly conversation!"

This is known as the Lombard Effect and studies have shown that whilst higher decibels in a restaurant might make someone eat more food during their visit, it may nevertheless put them off returning, making it a false economy.

Our guest on Episode 6, Wade Bray - Vice President or HEAD acoustics, Inc., imparts a lifetime of study and experience, not only with the acoustics of restaurants, but also with many other spheres including consumer technology, architecture, automotive, concert halls and more.

HEAD acoustics, Inc. is one of the world’s leading companies for integrated acoustics solutions as well as sound and vibration analysis. They offer a broad portfolio of products and services covering almost any application in the areas of sound design for technical products and the enhancement of speech and audio quality in the telecommunications industry. The company benefits from the combination of cutting-edge measurement technology with many years of practical experience in these industries.

When it comes to taste, Marmite’s advertising famously tells us that you either love it, or hate it. But is the same true of sound? Or do we all agree that a sound is either good or bad? In this episode Wade shares how they measure psychoacoustic metrics and the ways that humans respond to a variety of sounds. This includes interviewing individuals for their personal reactions, so that this information can then be applied to the sound design of products, to enhance the user’s perception.

We hope this episode sound good to you!