Noise Control Master Class
Nelson Acoustics’ Noise Control Master Class provides online noise control training designed to convey practical knowledge in a short time using math no more advanced than logarithms.
Learn from a respected professional how to anticipate noise problems, identify the cause, prioritize the treatments, and confidently communicate the solutions to others.
See a short introductory video about the series here: Noise Control Master Class Promo Video
Register for Information Sessions
Student feedback:
“Your class was priceless and precisely put me on the path I needed to be on.”
“The information has been helpful for me and the class was great!”
“I came away with better knowledge of noise controls. Also, very impressed with the instructor’s deep knowledge of acoustics.”
“I learned a lot from the two classes, and it was very helpful to understand the parameters I need to focus on.”
“I really enjoyed the class, I liked that it had a lot of the physics/derivations explained because that’s not something I have a lot of time to do myself as a consultant”
“I have had the privilege to take David’s fan noise course. He takes what can be a very complex subject and delivers it in an understandable and useful way. It is material that I still reference today, years after taking the course.”
Classes Available Now: Week of April 7, 2025
- Fundamentals 1.1: Understanding Acoustics: 4 hrs $400 – Why sound happens, how we measure it, how we describe it, how we perceive it, and why that’s confusing.
- Acoustic waves vs mechanical action
- Frequency, harmonics, wavelength, spectrum
- Magnitude, levels, decibels (definitions, adding and subtracting)
- Perception
- Sound Power vs Sound Pressure, propagation, weighting networks (dBA and dBC), frequency bands
- Fundamentals 1.2: Understanding Noise Control: 4 hrs $400 – Reducing sound through low-noise design, source modification, barriers and absorbers; setting priorities, assessing progress.
- PREREQUISITE: “Understanding Acoustics” or equivalent
- Zero in: Prioritize what to work on, what can be ignored
- Concepts: Noise as waste byproduct, the cost of noise is not zero
- Focal points: Design, Source, Path, Receiver
- Materials and Methods: Absorption, Barriers, Partitions, Enclosures, Vibration isolation and damping
- Do’s and Don’ts
Classes Available Now: Week of May 5, 2025
- Application 2.5: Managing Cooling Fan Noise: 4 hrs $600 – Integrated design strategies for managing cooling fan noise
- PREREQUISITE: “Understanding Acoustics” or equivalent
- Thermal design factors that influence cooling fan noise
- System design factors that influence cooling fan noise
- Fan selection factors that influence cooling fan noise
- Why a “quiet” fan can be noisy if employed incorrectly
- Diagnosing bladepass, motor, and bearing tones
- Fan similarity laws
- 6-dimensional acoustical measurements supporting empirical noise forecasting methods
Each Class meets in two sessions on it’s given day: 10 AM – 12 PM and 1 – 3 PM (US Central Time)
Courses TBD:
- Assessing Industrial Noise in the Community – Methods for assessing annoyance of noise in communities surrounding industrial facilities.
- Forecasting Industrial Noise in the Community – Strategies and methods for estimating noise levels early in the design process, mitigating it as necessary to enhance compatibility.
- Industrial Noise Control for the Workplace – Strategies and methods for conserving hearing through noise control and “Buy-Quiet” methods.
- Low-Noise Product Design – Designing a product’s sound to send the “right” message, and how the “right” message gets determined.
To sign up or for other questions, please use this contact form.