Acoustics

eVTOL makers say these electric air taxis will be so much quieter than helicopters that they'll be able to put hundreds of them in the air without annoying city residents. Well, let's see – Joby Aviation and NASA have released acoustic test figures.

The hoverfly has an extraordinary ability to see and track moving objects in very low light, and Australian researchers have replicated its signal-to-noise-boosting vision systems to process sound data, detecting and tracking drones up to 4 km away.

If you can get past the strange looks, the Lava Me 3 has a carbon fiber sound all its own, and some wicked new digital smarts. A touchscreen interface gives you access to stackable effects, loopers, tuners, high-quality portable recording and more.

Toward the beginning of 2019, Fender introduced a new take on the electro-acoustic guitar called the Acoustasonic Telecaster. Now for the fourth model in the series, the company has introduced a more refined, versatile and accessible version.

Whether you're a seasoned picker or just need some practice, taking your acoustic guitar with you on your travels is not always easy. That's where the Minicorda comes in, which is small enough to throw in a backpack yet promises a full-bodied sound.

Iconic guitar brand Gibson has launched a new family of acoustic guitars called the Generation Collection, each featuring a port in the upper side that started life as a 1964 concept blueprint, and has now been refined for today's players.

Because both bats and moths are nocturnal, bats use echolocation to zero in on the insects when hunting them in the dark. A new study, however, suggests that some moths have evolved special wingtips to avoid becoming a meal.

Scientists in Japan have broken new ground when it comes to using sound waves for levitation, by demonstrating for the first time how the technology can be used to lift small polystyrene balls off of a rigid surface.

If you're going to check how fish are affected by hydroelectric dams, it's particularly important to monitor tiny, delicate individuals. That's why US scientists have developed what is claimed to be the world's smallest fish-tracking tag.

Lava Music's Me 2 pushes the acoustic guitar into uncharted waters, with a strong, lightweight carbon fiber body, and a built-in body-shaking speaker with reverb, chorus and delay effects. It's an ultra-portable travel axe with tricks up its sleeve.

This graphene-based aerogel is the lightest sound insulation material ever manufactured, say researchers at the University of Bath, who have demonstrated its ability to damp down noise by up to 16 dB despite weighing just 2.1 kg per cubic meter.

Late last year, we caught up with accomplished Italian guitar player Luca Stricagnoli to take a closer look at his novel slide guitar attachment prototype. Now the Reversed Slide Neck has undergone some modification ahead of upcoming production.