5 insights into how commercially available background music can be used to create ambience and calm background noises.

The result of a recent survey by the online reservation service Bookatable by Michelin among around 2,000 restaurant guests from Germany, Austria and Switzerland is clear: The majority of survey participants want appropriate background music that fits the ambience, but feel disturbed by too much general noise in the restaurant. The majority believe that restaurant operators are responsible for ensuring the appropriate volume. There is therefore an urgent need for action.

We asked ourselves: How can background music be reliably audible so that it can have its effect, while at the same time reducing the general background noise? Because there was no such solution on the market, we investigated this question over several years of development and in close coordination with music editors, restaurateurs, hoteliers and experts from the retail sector.

It emerged that several parallel automated measures within a new type of sound control system are necessary to achieve the goal of a uniform soundscape at all times, which at the same time calms the perception of noise.

Finding 1: An inaudible equalization of volume fluctuations at all times.

A consistent perception of background music can only be achieved by listening to it reliably. Not too loud or too quiet at certain times. The problem cannot be solved manually, as every piece of music naturally fluctuates in volume. That is correct and has to be that way, because that is what makes it interesting.

Successful music tracks are produced for listening at least at room volume, not for use in the background. If you listen to them at a lower volume, the first half of a track can easily disappear completely into the background noise, while the later chorus is too loud. We all know this. Conventional automatic volume controls are imperfect, for example they pump the music down noticeably when the audio volume suddenly increases, and in the process impair the sound quality by cutting out loud sound components, the so-called transients, see our FAQ article “What is the difference between the HDSX box and Automatic Volume Control (AVC)”.

Our solution: The sound is continuously analyzed not only in terms of its volume, but also in terms of its sound energy and adapted to the longer-term context of listening. The result: You don't hear any artificial volume changes and the tracks seem as if they were produced at a consistent basic volume and at the same time lively. This is only possible with intelligent sound control and therefore the HDSX box has a powerful DSP on board

Insight 2: Creating a consistent soundscape to avoid perceptual fluctuations.

Music tracks, speech, commercials. Each sound element has its own energy and therefore its own impact in the context of other audio content. This is exactly what becomes a problem when listening in the background and within a background noise. We all know this phenomenon: at times you don't hear enough, which often leads to the background music being turned up louder, with the result that as soon as content with more sound energy is added to the playlist, it is again too loud at times.

Our solution: real-time frequency harmonization to increase the fullness of sound, even between loudspeakers. The HDSX box algorithm analyzes a large number of frequency bands. It musically adjusts these to one another so that weak energies are increased, but maximum loudness remains unchanged. This optimizes the radiation behavior of loudspeakers. Since even the smallest energies are now optimized to achieve the goal of uniform perception and thus made audible, loudspeakers emit a more uniform sound. This is more assertive, which means that sound gaps between loudspeakers installed far apart are filled with more sound and ensure a more reliable sound perception throughout the room.

Insight 3: Calming down a conversation that is too loud. If a lot of people gather in a room talking at the same time, it is very nice, but it can also be very loud. This also happens because of the experience of fluctuating volumes of background music. It is better to speak a little louder now so that you can still hear each other when the background music gets louder again. We are all conditioned like this because before the HDSX box there was only fluctuating background music.

Our solution: An absolutely reliable perception of the sound of background music leads to a calming of the conversation volume. We carried out tests in several locations, for example on a cruise ship with 200 guests in a bar. The results were always the same: If the background music was optimized in real time using our intelligent sound control, the general background noise decreased permanently after a few minutes. If we switched it off, the room got louder again on its own, mainly due to the conversation volume. This means that we know that the HDSX box can calm conversation backgrounds.

Finding 4: Highest sound quality so that guests feel comfortable. High sound quality contributes to well-being. Our solution: Only parts that are too quiet in the overall context are edited, parts that are extremely loud remain original. The HDSX box recognizes when audio content has reached its maximum volume. Only parts that are too quiet are increased with sample accuracy, loud parts remain untouched. This makes it possible for the first time to produce a consistent sound at the highest level. No sound components are cut off and the music neither pumps down nor up, but remains organic at all times.

Insight 5: We need a solution that is easy to use and works automatically . Since our partners, for example in the catering, hotel, retail and fitness sectors, want and should concentrate on their most important task, namely their guests, a technical solution that is up to date, user-friendly and automated must be. Our solution: Plug and play without any further modifications to the existing sound system.

The HDSX box is ready for use straight away. It is simply plugged between the existing music player and the amplifier of the music system and is powered via USB or a socket. The music player's output volume is adjusted once so that its signal does not cause overloads at the input of the HDSX box (red overload LEDs light up) and then the desired volume is set; the rest happens automatically. You can find more information in the operating instructions in the FAQs. Result: The HDSX box is the solution to the problem of creating a perfect sound ambience while possibly reducing excessive background noise in public spaces. According to the current survey by Bookatable, it makes the majority of guests happy.