This definitive guide covers the design and application of absorbers and diffusers in acoustics. Surface diffusion is a relatively young subject area, and diffuser design, application and characterisation are often not well understood. Although there is greater knowledge of absorption, it is also informed by new research. As two of the main design tools for altering the acoustic conditions of rooms, the correct use of absorbers and diffusers is important to the creation of quality acoustics. This text details the evolution and the current state of the art in diffuser and absorber research and application. It covers a range of practical and theoretical aspects, with extensive examples of installations and case studies to cater to practitioners working in the measurement, modelling and design of rooms, semi-enclosed spaces as well as in noise control. It is also invaluable for students and researchers wanting a grounding in acoustic treatment, as well as understanding the latest developments. All chapters have been revised and brought up to date in this new edition, with new applications, absorbers and diffusers featured. Sustainability, portable vocal booths, and fast time domain models for diffusers are just a few of the new sections. Improved techniques for measurement and prediction are included, as well as bringing old methods up-to-date with the latest refinements from standards and research. Most of the prediction methods in the book are now linked to open source implementations and downloadable MATLAB scripts, enabling readers to exploit the knowledge in this book more readily in design and research.

This definitive guide covers the design and application of absorbers and diffusers in acoustics. Surface diffusion is a relatively young subject area, and diffuser design, application and characterisation are often not well understood. Although there is greater knowledge of absorption, it is also informed by new research. As two of the main design tools for altering the acoustic conditions of rooms, the correct use of absorbers and diffusers is important to the creation of quality acoustics. This text details the evolution and the current state of the art in diffuser and absorber research and application. It covers a range of practical and theoretical aspects, with extensive examples of installations and case studies to cater to practitioners working in the measurement, modelling and design of rooms, semi-enclosed spaces as well as in noise control. It is also invaluable for students and researchers wanting a grounding in acoustic treatment, as well as understanding the latest developments. All chapters have been revised and brought up to date in this new edition, with new applications, absorbers and diffusers featured. Sustainability, portable vocal booths, and fast time domain models for diffusers are just a few of the new sections. Improved techniques for measurement and prediction are included, as well as bringing old methods up-to-date with the latest refinements from standards and research. Most of the prediction methods in the book are now linked to open source implementations and downloadable MATLAB scripts, enabling readers to exploit the knowledge in this book more readily in design and research.

As an acoustic engineer, Trevor Cox has spent his career eradicating unwanted noises - echoes in concert halls, clamour in classrooms. Until the day he heard something so astonishing that he had an epiphany: rather than quashing rare or bizarre sounds, we should be celebrating these sonic treasures. This is the story of his investigation into the mysteries of these Sonic Wonders of the World. In the Mojave Desert he finds sand dunes that sing. In France he discovers an echo that tells jokes. In California he drives down a musical road that plays the William Tell Overture. In Cathedrals across the world he learns how acoustics changed the history of the Church. Touching on physics, music, archaeology, neuroscience, biology, and design, Cox explains how sound is made and altered by the environment and how our body reacts to peculiar noises - from the exotic sonic wonders he encounters on his journey, or the equally unique and surprising sounds of our everyday environment. In a world dominated by the visual, Sonic Wonderland encourages us to become better listeners and to open our ears to the glorious cacophony around us. Listen to a selection of astonishing sounds here: https://soundcloud.com/sonicwonderland

Trevor Cox is on a hunt for the sonic wonders of the world. A renowned expert who engineers classrooms and concert halls, Cox has made a career of eradicating bizarre and unwanted sounds. But after an epiphany in the London sewers, Cox now revels in exotic noises creaking glaciers, whispering galleries, stalactite organs, musical roads, humming dunes, seals that sound like alien angels, and a Mayan pyramid that chirps like a bird. With forays into archaeology, neuroscience, biology, and design, Cox explains how sound is made and altered by the environment, how our body reacts to peculiar noises, and how these mysterious wonders illuminate sound s surprising dynamics in everyday settings from your bedroom to the opera house. The Sound Book encourages us to become better listeners in a world dominated by the visual and to open our ears to the glorious cacophony all around us."

'A lively, intelligent and persuasive history of speech...Expertly and patiently explained' The Times Why are human beings the only animals that can speak? And why does it matter? If you've ever felt the shock of listening to a recording of your own voice, you realise how important your voice is to your personal identity. We judge others - and whether we trust them - not just by their words but by the way they talk: their intonation, their pitch, their accent. Now You're Talking explores the full range of our voice - how we speak and how we sing; how our vocal anatomy works; what happens when things go wrong; and how technology enables us to imitate and manipulate the human voice. Trevor Cox talks to vocal coaches who help people to develop their new voice after a gender transition; to record producers whose use of technology has transformed the singing voice; and to computer scientists who replicate the human voice in their development of artificial intelligence. Beginning with the Neanderthals, Now You're Talking takes us all the way to the digital age - with the frightening prospect that we may soon hear 'Unexpected item in the bagging area' more frequently than a friendly 'Hello, how are you?' in the street.