Salford Acoustics

Salford Acoustics offers undertakes public and industrial, carries out and undertakes activities to engage the public in acoustic science and engineering. It is based in two locations: 3 km west of Manchester city centre, UK, in the Newton Building on the Peel Park Campus of the University of Salford, and on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal in Manchester at MediaCityUK.

WWW acoustics.salford.ac.uk 𝕏 SalfordAcoustic

History and current structure

The first acoustic laboratories were established in Salford in 1965; in the early 1970s the Department of Applied Acoustics was formed. In 1996 the university merged with University College Salford and a Department of Acoustic and Audio Engineering was formed. A couple of years later, this joined with another department to form Acoustic and Electronic Engineering. Finally, the university twice reduced the number of schools in the organisation. Salford Acoustics first joined the School of Computing, Science and Engineering and later this was merged into the School of Science, Engineering and Environment. Research work comes under the auspices of the Acoustics Research Centre.

Programmes

The Department of Applied Acoustics first taught an undergraduate degree in 1975, namely the BSc in Electroacoustics. This was later renamed Beng Acoustics. In 1993, Salford Acoustics set up the BEng in Audio Technology. These two undergraduate degrees are now taught under a single banner, BEng Audio Acoustics, with two pathways to represent the different interests of the cohort. Salford acoustics has also taught masters in acoustic engineering and audio for many decades, currently offering an MSc in Audio Acoustics and an MSc in Environmental Acoustics. The Acoustics Research Centre offers masters and doctoral research degrees.

Research

Rating

In REF2021, the feedback from the Engineering Panel noted, ‘outstanding impact demonstrated … live sports audio’. The Acoustics Research Centre achieved the top research rating of 6* in RAE 2001 as part of the Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment's submission to Unit Of Assessment 30, Architecture and the Built Environment. In 2008, the RAE submission including the Acoustics Research Centre finished top of Research Fortnight’s ‘Research Power’ table for Architecture & the Built Environment. 90% of the research was graded at international standard and 25% at world-leading.

Sub-disciplines

Research is carried out in the following sub-disciplines of acoustic engineering and science

Public engagement

Examples of public engagement work include:

The search for the Worst Sound in the World. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council GrantRef:EP/D000068/1.
Development of extensive

Laboratories

Most of Salford's Acoustics and Audio Laboratories are based on the Peel Park campus, but some are at MediaCityUK:

Audio production suites
Radio studios
Recording studios
Anechoic chamber
2x Semi-anechoic chambers
Reverberation chamber
Transmission suite
Listening room

Commercial work

Salford Acoustics is a calibration and test house for construction, government, military, audio R&D and the motor industry.

Current staff

Awards

Person	Award	Year
Prof Jamie Angus	Audio Engineering Society Gold Medal	2023
Dr Joshua Meggitt	Institute of Acoustics Tyndall Medal	2023
Prof Jamie Angus	Audio Engineering Society Silver Medal	2019
Dr Jon Hargreaves	Institute of Acoustics Tyndall Medal	2016
Professor Yiu Wai Lam	Institute of Acoustics Rayleigh Medal	2012
Dr Olga Umnova	Institute of Acoustics Tyndall Medal	2010
Trevor Cox	Institute of Acoustics Promoting Acoustics to the Public	2009
Prof Jamie Angus	Institute of Acoustics Peter Barnett Award	2004
Trevor Cox	Institute of Acoustics Tyndall Medal	2004
Dr Francis Li	Institute of Acoustics Peter Barnett memorial student award	2003

Notable staff

Alumni and Former Staff

The following past members of Salford Acoustics have been President of the Institute of Acoustics:

Person	Dates
Professor Peter Lord	1978-80
Professor Peter Wheeler	1992-94
Geoff Kerry	2002-04
Dr Tony Jones	2004-06
Professor Trevor Cox	2010-12
Jo Webb	2016-18
David Waddington	2024-26

Teli Chinelis, Acoustician and Expert Witness with Finch Consulting Ltd,
Theo Hutchcraft, Hurts
Dr Guy Nicholson, Applications Manager at Apple
Tom Wrigglesworth, stand-up comedian
Nick Zacharov, co-author of Perceptual Audio Evaluation
Velma Allen, Director, Technical Publications at Citrix Systems
Mark Bailey, Director of Sales, EMEA, at QSC Audio Products, LLC
Asa Beattie, Senior Engineer at Technicolor
Tony Churnside, Creative Technologist at BBC, Technical. Director at The Radiophonic Workshop
Kelvin Griffiths, Company Director at Electroacoustic Design Ltd
Ian Bromilow, Principal at Vanguardia Consulting
Rachel Canham, Director, WBM Acoustic Consultants
Chris Chittock, managing director at Dragonfly Acoustics Ltd
Richard Collman, managing director at Acoustical Control Engineers Ltd
Matt Desborough, Director, Content Services at Dolby Laboratories
Chris Dilworth, Director at AWN Consulting
Matthew Dore, Senior Manager, Sound and Acoustics at Philips Consumer Lifestyle
Ian Etchells, Principal Consultant at Red Acoustics Limited
Matthew Hyden, Principal Consultant at Temple Group
Daniel Goodhand, Owner of Goodhand Acoustics
Dr Tony Jones, managing director AIRO
Sam Liston, Director at F1 Sound Company Limited
Paul Malpas, Director at Engineered Acoustic Design Ltd
Andrew Marchant, Principal Engineer at HiWave Technologies plc
Richard Metcalfe, Global Product Line Management at Harman Consumer Group International
Rick Methold, Director at Southdowns Environmental - Consultants in Acoustics, Noise and Vibration
Robert Miller, Director at F1 Acoustics Company Limited
Derek Nash, managing director at Acoustics Central
Chris Needham, Senior Software Engineer at BBC Research and Development
Rohan Ramadorai, Associate at WSP Limited
Andrew Parkin, Acoustics Partner at Cundall
Richard Perkins, Technical Director - Acoustics at PB
Martin Raisborough, Technical Director at WSP Group
Russell Richardson, Director at RBA Acoustics
Darren Rose, Senior R&D Specialist, Electronics at Genelec Oy
Mark Scaife, Head of Acoustics - Middle East at WSP Group
Richard Sherwood, Director at Sound Reduction Systems Ltd
Simon Shilton, Director, Acustica Ltd
Vicky Stewart, Principal Acoustician at Atkins
Martin Stone, Senior Software Engineer at the BBC
Timo Esser, Principal Audio Engineer at Alpine Electronics Europe GmbH
Phil Stollery, Global Product Marketing Manager at Brüel & Kjær,
Tim Stubbs, managing director at PCB Piezotronics
Ryan Swales, Director at RS Acoustic Engineering Ltd
James Trow, associate director at AMEC Environment and Infrastructure UK Ltd
Susan Witterick, Director at dBx Acoustics Limited