Mendel Kleiner

Dr. Mendel Kleiner received his M.Sc.Eng. degree in Electronic Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden, in 1969 and obtained a Ph.D. in Building Acoustics in 1978. From 1980 to 1995, Mendel Kleiner held a position as lecturer at Chalmers, teaching and doing research on active room acoustics and sound field simulation. In 1989, Dr. Kleiner was awarded the honorary title of 'Docent'. In 1995 Dr. Kleiner became professor at the Division of Applied Acoustic at Chalmers, continuing research on presence, dynamic sound field simulation, interaction between visual and auditory stimuli in human perception, scattering of sound by architectural objects, product sound quality, auditory icons, and the acoustics of organs and organ pipes. Dr. Kleiner created and taught the courses " Acoustics and Audio Technology", "Electroacoustics", and "Room Acoustics" and also taught in the courses "Sound & Vibration Measurement", "Architecture and systems design for sustainable development", and others. In the summer of 2003 Prof. Mendel Kleiner moved to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, RPI, in Troy, NY, U.S.A., to become the Director of the Program in Architectural Acoustics in the the School of Architecture. While at RPI Dr. Kleiner was a tenured professor in the School of Architecture. In July 2005 Dr. Kleiner moved back to Chalmers to continue lead research and teaching within the Chalmers Room Acoustics Group, CRAG, in the division of Applied Acoustics. Dr. Kleiner retired from his chair in 2013 and is now Professor Emeritus at Chalmers pursuing his research interests. Dr. Kleiner became a fellow of the Acoustical Society of America in 2000, and is a member of its technical committee on architectural acoustics. Dr. Kleiner was chair of the Audio Engineering Society's technical committee for acoustics and sound reinforcement for more than 15 years as well as its standards committee for acoustics. In 1997, he was a visiting professor at the Environmental Research Laboratory, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan. Dr. Kleiner has been invited as lecturer for many international courses on Auralization arranged by the Acoustical Society of America and the Institute of Noise Control Engineering. Dr. Kleiner is the author or co-author of more than 130 technical papers, he holds two patents. Dr. Kleiner also works as a consultant in ultrasonics, audio and electroacoustics, as well as room acoustics. Current research interests include auditory presence, virtual acoustics and human behavior, sensory interaction, room acoustics and auralization (particularly spaces for music and worship), acoustic measurement, audio and electroacoustics, sound reproduction systems (microphones, loudspeakers and arrays), sound quality (vehicles, machinery, technical and communication systems), as well as musical acoustics. In 2010 Prof. Kleiner co-authored a book on the acoustics of churches, mosques and synagogues with Mr. David L. Klepper and Father Rendell R. Torres. The book "Worship Space Acoustics", published by J. Ross Publishing, is a unique guide to the design, construction, and use of religious facilities for optimum acoustics. The book is divided into two parts: Part I discusses methods and techniques of room optimization, including how the acoustics of large and small spaces are designed, implemented, and adjusted; how acoustical privacy is attained; noise and its control; sound reinforcement; and numerical and physical modeling techniques. Part II provides the architect, student, and lay person a review of the characteristics of the religious services pertinent to various beliefs and how these are provided for in the acoustic design of worship spaces. The book is available from Amazon. In 2011 Prof. Kleiner published a second book "Acoustics and Audio Technology (Third edition) which is an introductory text for students of sound and vibration as well as electrical and electronic engineering, civil and mechanical engineering, computer science, signals and systems, and engineering physics. A fundamental knowledge of basic engineering mathematics and physics is assumed. Problems are included at the end of the chapters and a solutions manual is available to instructors. This completely revised and expanded classroom-tested third edition covers the physical background to and mathematical treatment of: sound propagation, the properties of human hearing, the generation and radiation of sound as well as architectural acoustics, the technologies used for pickup, recording, and reproduction of sound in various environments, and much more. The book is available from Amazon. Electroacoustic devices such as microphones and loudspeakers are used everywhere sound needs to be picked up or broadcast, from cars and mobile phones to homes, places of worship, and sports arenas. They are a key part of the modern communication society, helping to transmit information to our ears. Mendel Kleiner's book Electroacoustics explains the design of these sound transducers and also examines the compromises that are necessary when designing transducers for use in the real world. Published in 2013, "Electroacoustics" is a modern textbook alternative to the classical books on electroacoustics and is based on the author's extensive experience teaching the scientific and engineering principles of electroacoustics to advanced graduate and graduate students. Electroacoustics uses electrical circuit analogies to help readers quickly grasp the fundamentals of acoustical and mechanical systems. The book covers both traditional electrodynamic audio and ultrasonic transducers and includes up-to-date material on arrays, planar transducers, loudspeaker enclosure design, and more. Since the book also includes background material on room acoustics, electrical circuits, and electrical filters it can be used by readers without a background in electrical engineering. Each chapter also features review questions and detailed, individual problems at the end of most chapters, making the book suitable for both teaching and self-study. Basic ideas are explained with the help of simple engineering math. The book is available from Amazon. Much time is spent working out how to optimize the acoustics of large rooms, such as auditoria, but the acoustics of small rooms and environments can be just as vital. The expensive sound equipment of a recording studio, or the stereo in a car or living room are likewise rendered useless if the acoustic environment is not right for them. Changes in wavelength to room size ratio and the time difference between the direct and reflected sound at the listening location mean that the acoustics of small spaces are quite different to those of large spaces. Tackling these specific aspects of physics, sound perception and applications for small spaces, this book brings together the important themes of small room acoustics. Published in 2014, the book "Small Room Acoustics" covers this field of room acoustics. It is co-written by Mendel Kleiner and Prof. Em. Jiri Tichy at Penn State University. The book is available from Amazon.