Safety Alert
The tragic nightclub fire in Providence, R.I. has put a spotlight on the safety of so-called "soundproofing foams". Please visit our Safety page to learn more.
The Limelight, long the source of noise complaints in the neighborhood, was soundproofed according to our specifications with excellent results.
 Night time readings for a restaurant to verify that the DEP wasn't making a mistake with their sound measurements. This visit prevented the restaurant from getting a costly violation.
 Improper soundproofing job discovered in nightclub wall. Finding this problem before the wall was sealed up saved the owners thousands of dollars.
 If your air conditioner exhausts out into the alley like this one does, you may be in for a visit from city inspectors. Call us for soundproofing advice before neighbor complaints escalate into violations and lawsuits.
 We padlocked the limiter for this disco system into a steel case with a pick-proof lock, preventing overzealous DJs from blowing out the speakers... and the neighbors.
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Do you hear music from a nearby bar?
Does your nightclub get noise complaints?
We work for both residences and businesses.
Noise
This type of business can be vulnerable to Noise Code violations due to sound produced by speakers, DJs, live bands, and jukeboxes. Noise from fans and air conditioning units can also cause a violation. The best time to take care of any such problems is before a violation is issued. In fact, we strongly recommend that you have your site evaluated for noise issues before you sign a lease or start any construction. It's much better to find out that a space is ill-suited to your business before you sink money into it.
See: "Before You Sign a Lease".
Interior Acoustics
In addition, the interior acoustics of such establishments must be treated to provide a comfortable environment for the patrons. This is especially important for a place that will feature live or recorded music. Please visit our Club Acoustics page for more information.
Measurements
We will measure the various noise sources to determine if any of them violate the local codes. Daytime and late night testing are available. We will also make a detailed examination of the relevant construction details of your site. If there are noise problems we can specify soundproofing measures to correct them. You may then use your choice of contractor or ask us to recommend one who has experience with this type of work.
Residents who are disturbed by a nearby business may also want to visit
Residential Noise Problems
A Cautionary Tale: Pildes vs. Restaurant Daniel
Community Relations
We are the company to call if you want to avoid problems with neighbors and Community Boards. Our experience working for both clubs and residential neighbors has shown us what needs to be done to head off bad experiences for both. Our philosophy is simple: A club that is the best possible neighbor to the community will make more money and will have a less stressful working environment. We have successfully gotten large club projects such as Spirit, Crowbar, Aquarium and Limelight approved at the Community Boards.
We are available to speak before official bodies, including
Restaurant and club owners may want to read about our successful work on behalf of a restaurant space in a dispute with the condo board of their building.
See: Ellenberg
You may also want to read three recent testimonial letters we have received from Restaurant and Club operators.
Violations
If a violation has already been issued we can provide expert advice to help you defend yourself. We can make our own measurements to see if the DEP measurements were correct. We are available for expert witness testimony should it become necessary. We can also advise your attorneys as to what questions to ask the inspectors who issued the violation. If they have performed their measurements incorrectly it can greatly benefit your case. Here's a good example: NYC DEP vs. Tao Restaurant. Finally, we can recommend measures to prevent a second violation. As the fines escalate after the first offense it is imperative to act quickly.
Sound System Design
We also do consultation for sound system design and installation. Proper sound system design can maximize the enjoyment of your patrons while lessening noise transmission to the outside. We can install and calibrate sound system "limiters" to prevent a DJ or other staff from exceeding a pre-determined level. Acoustilog pioneered this concept and was using it before many other consulting firms were founded. We are constantly correcting improper installations. Most installations with limiters sound bad, because most installers don't set them up right. DJ's try to overdrive the limiter, causing distortion. We have all kinds of tricks, unknown by the others, to do it the right way. For the sake of your sound quality, let the most experienced company do the job right the first time.
A list of some of our Club and Restaurant clients can be found here.
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