Sound proofing is a constant source of groanage for home recordists. If you live on a busy street, close to an airport, or even just want to make yourself a control room there are several limiting factors. This is why I am always happy to see some sort of movement in technology that even comes close to dealing with this issue. That is why this article from Discovery Channel was exciting to me even though it does not deal with recording in general.

The technology described in this article takes advantage of a phenomenon known as wave interference. This is when multiple waves meet and are summed together to create additive (contructive) and subtractive (destructive) outcomes. The sound that hits the window could also be fed into the window so that there is complete (or nearly complete) destructive inteference.

There are other types of products out there that use destructive interfere to our benefit already. For example BAG END E-trap uses destructive interference to shape the bass response of a room. This can effectively give a room an even sound, which is generally desirable.

Of course, as it states in the article, this type of technology making a truly soundproof thin pane of glass is some ways off. Even after it becomes available cost will be high. Another downfall is that while able to cut down on a consistant noise floor they are not yet able to handle transient noises. So this new tecnology may not apply to home recordist for the time being. However, it is an interesting look into what types of technologies may come in the distant future.