Back in the Day | Paul Brown Stadium

::Pictured l to r - Robert Rose, Craig Janssen, Robert Rodgers, Brian Elwell::

In 1999, we began work on our first NFL stadium. While we had ballparks and university football projects in our resume, Paul Brown Stadium was our first NFL project--and we were given six weeks to get from concept design to contract documents to meet the aggressive schedule.

We set up a 'war room' and our team worked many, many late nights to sort out the engineering and prepare the documents and specifications.

The project would go on to include a number of firsts. At the time of opening, the home of the Cincinnati Bengals had the most extensive use of LED displays in any stadium in the US. As we looked at the mock up of the fascia boards--even we were excited. Who would have known that concept would become standard practice for most stadiums and arenas worldwide?

The backdoor has moved...

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Lobster Fest 2010

On Tuesday, June 22nd, everyone from the New York office gathered at the Halloween Yacht Club for our annual Lobsterfest. This is a tradition the New York office has done for years now, and seems to get better every year. Employees and their families enjoyed the beautiful weather, exquisite food, and great drinks. We all got to meet and mingle with each other’s families, and Bob Schmidt and Matthew Manis were presented with their 5-year service awards.

This Week | AD at GDA in Omaha

Acoustic Dimensions is part of an organization called the Global Design Alliance.  GDA is an alliance of like-minded firms with common values that is an "experiment in trust" (as one of the founders quite accurately put it).  The level of transparency in the GDA has created a vehicle for corporate transformation that is truly remarkable.

While the work of the GDA happens all year, we meet face-to-face three times a year hosted in different cities by each of our member firms.

This week we are in Omaha hosted by RDG--the Renaissance Design Group.  Their corporate name is an appropriate one.  The firm is a mix of architecture, engineering, innovation, art and media.  It is possible that this DNA came about by the cities in which they are located.  Both Omaha and Des Moines are cities rich in visual art.

The team at RDG arranged for us to spend Thursday evening at Hot Shops--a community of over 70 artists.  We saw demonstrations in blacksmithing, glass blowing and throwing pots. It was both interesting and inspiring to hear the artists speak about hand crafted door handles for worship projects and custom crafted tiles with children's artwork for a hospital.

Many of us stayed after dinner to engage with the artists to learn about their craft. We even had the opportunity to work with the potters wheel, smith or blow glass.  As we returned to the hotel, we stood in the lobby of the hotel talking with several architects.  The energy sparked by discussing the magic of going from molten glass to finished product was tangible.

Perhaps the most incredible thing about GDA is that it creates a beaker for creativity and connection. One of the architects captured it well in our meetings when he expressed that the value of GDA is hard to quantify, but inevitably the interactions that happen here influence a few key decisions in our firms each year that direct our course and make us better.  Given that "better together" is the heart of GDA, I believe it is accomplishing its mission.

Off Hours | Social Outing to Red Bull Arena

On Wednesday, June 2nd, the New York office visited one of Acoustic Dimensions projects, the new Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. The New York Red Bulls played the Houston Dynamos and won in overtime, with a score of 2-1, ending their four-game losing streak.What made this game even more exciting was that the teams were from Texas and New York… two of our office locations. The stadium looked and sounded great, and truly amplified the excitement of everyone watching.

Back in the Day | Summer of 1992

We love this picture from the summer of 1992. AD was just beginning and David Kahn, Craig Janssen and Vance Breshears were sitting on the grass at the Great Lawn in Central Park, NY as part of a session presented by the local Audio Engineering Society.

The presenter spoke about corroborating with Kenton Forsythe of EAW to create battery-operated distributed array speakers so the NY Philharmonic could be heard in the vast outdoor venue. David Kahn tells how impressed they were with both presenter and the subject matter and how he couldn't wait to hear the speakers the presenter had talked about. The Philharmonic was just about to start as this picture was taken.  

What they didn't realize at the time was that the man they heard present--David W. Robb--would join our team almost 20 years later.

When we sent this story around our office, Rick Lavin sent a follow up photo.  You see,  there was a bit more of a connection to be uncovered.

As it turns out, David W. Robb wasn't the only future AD employee who was part of that event. Rick Lavin pictured to the right of Dave Schierman in the center, currently VP of Tour Sound with JBL was serving as System Maintenance Tech for the NY Metropolitan Opera and Philharmonic Summer Parks Tour.

He was the one responsible for setting up and running those speakers that summer of 1992!

This Week | Christopher Brooks

This week, Christopher Brooks performed with his trio, The West End, at the VA Hospital in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

In a "musical conversation" of violin, hand-percussion, guitar and ensemble singing, The West End's repertoire is rooted in late 20th century folk/rock (Hendrix, Dylan, Allman Brothers, Temptations)---with a strong emphasis on the Beatles---plus a smattering of jazz and Tin Pan Alley.

This Saturday, the audience included a substantial group of Viet Nam veterans.

Off Hours | Ryan Knox of AD-TX

It probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn that audio isn't just a day job for most of our consultants but falls more in the category of personal passion. 

Ryan Knox has had drivers sitting around to test a theory with a prototype, but with two children at home under the age of four, the time involved for prototyping several boxes to see what sounded best didn't fit well into day-to-day life. Ryan needed a way to rapid prototype his concepts in a manner that could safely involve his son and daughter.

As it turns out, a cardboard arts and crafts project worked into the weekend activities nicely.  (As Ryan says, try building this speaker any other way from start to finish in less than three hours while entertaining two kids under four.)

Some of our team suggested, it would have been exceptionally eco-friendly had Ryan used the shipping box for the drivers in the design.  Ryan said he considered it, but the box still had another set of speakers in it that would have needed a new home.

As it is, the cardboard compact subbass is "installed" in Ryan's pickup, and the sound is stunningly good. For a driver + $7 in materials it rivals professional gear (though admittedly not as pretty.)  Of course, this isn't just any DIY project.  There is no small amount of physics involved in getting the sound that these produce and if it looks simple from the outside, you should see the cardboard configuration inside.

Office Culture | Welcome Robert Black

Sunday afternoon, the families of our San Diego office all gathered for a spring BBQ and celebration of the newest office addition. Robert Lynne Black joined the AD Team on February 21, 2010 weighing in at 8.1 lbs! His addition to the Black Family (and to all of us at Acoustic Dimensions) is such a blessing.

The weather was a perfect "San Diego 70", with everyone holding Robert - taking every opportunity to give new mom, Renata Black, a break. In the daily busyness of our work and home lives, it was refreshing to come together as friends and colleagues to hang out and welcome Robert Black!

Off Hours | Christopher Brooks Visit to Israel

During his recent trip to Israel, Chris Brooks of the NY office had the pleasure of presenting a lecture at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance for Avi Bar-Eitan, who teaches computer music at the Academy. Chris talked about “What Musicians Should Know about Acoustics”. The class was very responsive and asked lots of questions---leaving his PowerPoint presentation totally in the dust.

The search for words provided him some levity. For instance, no one knew what “gypsum board” was, but one very sharp student figured out that you could use the word “sheetrock.” They remained there for two hours to answer questions, followed by discussion. Chris mentioned that the inquisitive students were the high point of his trip.


There is significant amount of construction currently going on in Israel. The joke goes that the national bird of Israel is the crane—seen over every cityscape. The people Chris met in Israel were amazingly friendly and generous—often going way out of their way to be helpful and informative. Israel is tiny country (10 miles wide at the narrowest point; a 5 hour drive from top to bottom), drenched in history, with a robust economy and vibrant, extraordinarily diverse culture.

Acousticdimensions.mobi Goes Live

We just launched our new smartphone-friendly site at acousticdimensions.mobi.  The site is designed for small screens and has "quick load" versions of content that is on our main site.

While the tech forums are full of articles predicting 2010 as the "year of the smartphone", our own analytics show that iPhones (the predominant users), Droids and Blackberries were attempting to view acousticdimensions.com in growing numbers. (And if you were one of the brave mobile users to attempt this, we salute you.)

So, we introduce "mobi." And, we would love to know what you think...

Dan Schoedel and Courtney McGinnes of AD-TX Tie the Knot

Saturday night was a fantastic party as all of us in the Dallas office had the opportunity to witness two people we adore--Dan Schoedel and Courtney McGinness--marry each other.  (Who knew that acoustics and lighting went so well together?)

The couple are on their honeymoon this week somewhere tropical while we hold down the fort. (And update Courtney's business cards and e-mail address to her new name.)

Dan and Courtney, we couldn't possibly be happier for the two of you.  Enjoy your week!

This Week | New Office Construction for AD-TX

Our Dallas offices are still in the same building they've been in since the beginning. Back in the day, when Craig Janssen and Vance Breshears started the Dallas office, the rent-by-the-month office was a logical choice for two men starting with only their personal reputations and a business plan.

As AD took over more and more of the space, the offices transitioned from "rent-by-the-month" to a build-out that housed our landlord's accounting division and ourselves. (Some of the stories about the previous tenants prior to that time are pretty funny...including the "garage band" who rented offices as their practice space with virtually no sound isolation.)

Now, AD is renovating a building close to home. Right across the street as a matter of fact. Demolition has occurred and we are down to the shell. Stay tuned to this blog and we'll keep you posted.

David W. Robb joins our NY Team

Acoustic Dimensions is pleased to announce the appointment of David W. Robb as Senior Associate in their New Rochelle, NY office, where he serves as the backbone of the Audio and AV Group, providing design direction, quality standards, documentation supervision and a critical ear for all performance space projects.

David is one of the innovators of modern audio installation design, integrating products and techniques from the touring industry into the world of permanent installations. His two decades of audio systems design for performing arts venues are informed by his years of hands-on experience with live sound production acquired through extensive worldwide touring.

Prior to joining Acoustic Dimensions, David spent the last twenty years as principal audio and video systems designer for JaffeHolden Acoustics where he directed all activities of the systems design group while providing innovative solutions and management for key projects, including the Hollywood Bowl; John F. Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Opera House and Eisenhower Theater; Lincoln Center Alice Tully Hall and Julliard School; Radio City Music Hall; and the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera’s summer touring venue, the Carlos Moseley Pavilion.

Earlier in his career, David acquired a wealth of practical knowledge about the entertainment business through extensive touring in North America, Europe, and Japan. He began as a musician, then spent over two decades as touring sound company manager, mix engineer, production manager, or electronics technology specialist with such popular artists as Jimi Hendrix, Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa, Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt, Yes and Bob Dylan.