Vogue Magazine: "A Little Piece Of Quiet"

A Little Piece of Quiet

BY JOHN ETRA
VOGUE, October 1988

Excerpt:

Alan Fierstein, president of Acoustilog, Inc , is frequently brought in as an acoustical consultant. "Neighbors are at each others’ throats. One hears footsteps overhead: another complains about the piano; things escalate. If they want blood, Fierstein can be an expert winless.

Armed with a stethoscope and portable spectrum analyzer, he tracks down all the frequencies—including many that can't be heard—and recommends ways to eliminate or contain them.

"Less than 5 percent of all city buildings are built the right way. Floors are not made to prevent noise. Wood transmits sound. Carpets are frequently ineffective in preventing sound from leaving or coming in".

Fierstein works against long-standing misconceptions. "Common sense is often not the right way. People put in a ceiling on the advice of contractors, but it’s the wrong ceiling; it doesn't work, and everyone gets mad. "There are ways to solve problems," he states, and my cost is not prohibitive.

Ceilings can be hung on springs with rubber clips. Caulking and felt line the inside; insulation fills the space in-between. Floors can be built up the same way. Walls can be filled with insulation and fiber-glass sprayed on to absorb reverberation. Double and triple windows screen outside noise.

Fierstein redesigned the apartment of a horn player for Blood. Sweat Tears so he could practice without disturbing neighbors. Currently, he is advising the City of New York on how to make meeting rooms in City Hall less reverberant. Apparently, people can’t understand what's being said.