Skip to main content

From our minds to yours...

Click the icons below to check out our Exploration and Podcast!

Sound Cave Labs Podcast | Season 3

Welcome to the Sound Cave Labs Podcast — a show built around the real stories behind engineering, acoustics, and technical leadership. Recorded inside a professional anechoic chamber, Sound Cave Labs brings together engineers, scientists, founders, researchers, and industry leaders to talk about what actually shapes careers in STEM — mentorship, hard lessons, leadership, failure, curiosity, and building things that matter. This isn’t textbook theory or academic gatekeeping. It’s honest conversations about: -Engineering careers in the real world -Acoustics, noise, vibration, and measurement -Entrepreneurship inside and outside big organizations -Mentorship and growth in STEM -Turning curiosity into impact Whether you’re a student, early-career engineer, or seasoned professional, Sound Cave Labs exists to share insight you won’t find in a lecture hall. New episodes available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Subscribe for engineering stories worth hearing.
Sound Cave Labs Podcast | Where Engineering Meets Real-World Experience
Jeff Fullerton sheds light on a question many people misunderstand: what actually qualifies someone as an expert in acoustics or noise control? In fields like engineering, environmental noise, and litigation support, expertise isn’t just about degrees — it’s about demonstrable skill, real-world experience, and the ability to communicate technical concepts clearly. This clip highlights why expert witness work requires more than credentials on paper, and how emerging programs are helping new professionals build the competence and confidence needed to step into those roles.
What Really Makes Someone an “Expert” in Acoustics?
Jeff Fullerton explains how programs like the new INCE Technical Badge are opening doors for people who are curious about acoustics but don’t yet know where to start. Standards can feel intimidating or overly technical, especially for newcomers — and even experienced engineers often interpret them differently. By breaking these concepts into practical, teachable skills, initiatives like this help bridge the gap between theory and real-world testing. They give new professionals a clearer path into the field, build shared understanding across the industry, and create a more accessible entry point into the world of acoustics, noise control, and measurement science. These programs aren’t just about certification — they’re about growing the community and welcoming the next generation of acousticians.
Making Acoustical Testing More Accessible for Everyone
How do you separate true field-tested acoustical skill from someone who’s only ever engineered from behind a desk? In this clip, Jeff Fullerton and Matthew Golden break down why INCE’s new Technical Badge Program matters — and how hands-on measurement, real noise environments, and consistent test methods expose huge gaps in practical skill across the industry. If you work in acoustics, building science, environmental noise, or product testing, this is the direction standards are headed: validated, consistent, field-ready competency.
Field Testing vs. Desk Engineering — Why Skill Still Matters in Acoustics
In this episode of the Sound Cave Labs Podcast, filmed inside MD Acoustics’ anechoic chamber in Gilbert, AZ, we sit down with two leaders shaping the future of acoustical standards: Jeff Fullerton (Stantec) and Matthew Golden (Intertek). Jeff and Matt unpack the brand-new INCE Technical Badge Program—a first-of-its-kind credential designed to elevate measurement quality, improve consistency across the industry, and help both consultants and manufacturers demonstrate real expertise. They break down how standards are written, why interpretations often differ, and how the new badging process aims to fix long-standing challenges in field testing and reporting. We also explore the evolution of ASTM/ANSI standards, the impact of changing building materials, how Europe approaches acoustics differently, and why hands-on measurement skill is just as critical as theoretical knowledge. If you work in acoustics, noise control, testing labs, building science, vibration, or environmental noise, this conversation is packed with insight.
Inside the New Acoustical Standards Badging Program | Jeff Fullerton & Matt Golden
In this clip, Visar Berisha explains how radar can detect the tiny micro-movements a person naturally makes while speaking, Biomechanical patterns that AI can’t fake. By pairing radar with the microphone signal, researchers can verify whether a voice truly comes from a human or is generated by a deepfake system. As synthetic speech becomes more convincing, this radar-based sensing could play a major role in authentication, security, and trust in human–AI communication.
The Fight Against AI Deepfakes
Looking back, what guidance would you give your younger self? In this clip, Visar Berisha emphasizes a truth many of us learn too late: the journey is just as meaningful as the destination. He reminds us that growth happens in the small moments — the challenges, the curiosity, the uncertainty — not just in the achievements we chase. If you’re early in your career, in engineering, STEM, or anywhere ambition runs high, this is your reminder to slow down, stay present, and appreciate the process. The path you’re on is shaping you far more than you realize.
The One Thing I’d Do Differently…
Most people jump straight to solutions — but in engineering, that’s where things go wrong. Great engineering doesn’t start with an answer; it starts with truly understanding the real problem you’re trying to solve. In this clip, Visar Berisha explains why taking the time to define the problem space leads to cleaner designs, fewer mistakes, smarter decisions, and solutions that actually hold up in the real world. Whether you're an engineer, researcher, product developer, or anyone who builds and iterates, adopting a problem-first mindset will completely change the quality of your work — and the impact of your ideas.
Engineers: Stop Jumping to Solutions!
From speech science to startup success. In this episode of the Sound Cave Labs Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Visar Berisha, professor at Arizona State University, entrepreneur, and former co-founder of Aural Analytics. Visar shares how a speech processing project in college sparked his passion for acoustics and AI, leading him from MIT Lincoln Labs to defense industry roles, and ultimately to building a startup acquired by a digital health company. We explore his work in speech as a biomarker for neurological conditions, how to commercialize research out of academia, and his recent focus on witness sensing to combat AI-generated voice deepfakes. Visar also opens up about balancing entrepreneurship with academia, mentorship, and advice for the next generation of problem-solvers in STEM. Learn more about Visar’s research: https://visarberisha.github.io/ Follow Sound Cave Labs: https://soundcavelabs.com/ 00:00:00 – Introduction & how a speech analysis project sparked Visar’s career 00:01:19 – PhD at ASU, MIT Lincoln Labs & defense industry work 00:01:59 – Becoming professor at ASU & role as Associate Dean for Research Commercialization 00:03:11 – Challenges of pushing faculty toward real-world impact 00:04:44 – Identifying problems vs. chasing solutions 00:05:22 – Use-inspired research & NSF I-Corps program 00:07:27 – Customer discovery & interviewing 500 people for real-world pain points 00:09:08 – Dual appointment at ASU in Engineering & Health Solutions 00:11:12 – Entrepreneurship journey: founding Aural Analytics 00:12:32 – Speech as a biomarker for Parkinson’s, ALS, Alzheimer’s & depression 00:15:32 – Finding product-market fit with pharma & clinical trials 00:18:53 – Growing Aural Analytics: SBIR, NIH grants & acquisition in 2020 00:20:41 – Lessons in pivoting, resilience & scaling startups from academia 00:26:18 – Speech analytics as a “neurological check engine light” 00:26:39 – Witness sensing paper: radar + speech signals to detect deepfakes 00:30:28 – Why radar + biology beats AI vs. AI detection 00:33:10 – Work-life balance vs. passion-driven careers 00:36:24 – Biological basis of speech, language variance & multi-language deployments 00:40:06 – Rapid growth of speech/AI research & international collaborations 00:41:45 – Voice banking for ALS patients & ethical AI use cases 00:43:13 – Advice to his younger self: enjoy the journey, not just outcomes 00:44:15 – Future of speech tech: silent speech interfaces & telepathic communication 00:45:21 – Reflections on MIT Lincoln Labs & closing thoughts
AI, Speech & the Deepfake Era | Visar Berisha on Acoustics, Startups & Securing the Human Voice
Load More... Subscribe

Signal Archive: Where we Explore and Inform…

White Papers as a form of further exploration and experimentation…

August 7, 2025 in White Papers

Egg Carton Myth

Egg Carton MythDownload
Read More
August 7, 2025 in White Papers

Pickleball Directivity – Report

Pickleball Directivity - ReportDownload
Read More

Articles from the industry to further understand…

December 12, 2025 in Articles

MDA CISCA Newsletter – NRC Dec’ 2025

MDA - CISCA Newsletter - NRC Dec '25Download
Read More
October 24, 2025 in Articles

MDA CISCA Newsletter – RT60 Nov’ 2025

MDA - CISCA Newsletter - RT60 Nov '25Download
Read More

Conferences provide us the opportunity to share knowledge…

August 8, 2025 in Presentations

Architectural Acoustics

Arch Acoustics - MD AcousticsDownload
Read More
August 8, 2025 in Presentations

ASA Nashville 2022 – Loudspeaker Canopy

ASA Nashville 2022 - Loudspeaker canopy - MD AcousticsDownload
Read More
August 8, 2025 in Presentations

ASA Chicago 2023 – Perforated Panel Shrieking

ASA Chicago 2023 - Perforated Panel Shrieking - MD AcousticsDownload
Read More

© MD Acoustics 2026

CA: LA Office
p) 805-426-4477

UT: Provo Office
p) 801-349-1588

AZ: Phoenix Office
p) 602-774-1950

All Rights Reserved