High-tech sound system lets restaurant control noise level

It's a busy medical mall a new Mexican restaurant in Berkeley -- Ultimately cognitive dissonance where you look around and you hear all this noise so you think -- like and other have a conversation and then you sit down and realize that. There's this little bubble around you restaurant owner John blues -- was able to achieve that coupled with the help of acoustic engineer John Mayer you have to kind of. What we called -- the restaurant or get -- the -- fact that it you're McCain. To do that several other restaurants wall panels are in line with burlap sacks over Texan and absorbent acoustic material this painting behind me is more than just Wal-Mart is the latest and acoustic technology -- a special canvas and -- -- cycle -- it's designed to absorb any necessary sound around us. The real acoustic magic comes from a system of microphones and speakers throughout the restaurants the microphones to pick up for conversation with the technology and -- -- then isolate the cable but not carry -- anywhere else full occupancy. Police get his staff to control the level of the playback through -- simple iPad and iPhone app designed by minors now and we try to maintain in music at -- -- Sort of consistent level in relation to the sound of -- room. -- police has conceded direct correlation with sales he says diners appeared comfortable linger longer in return for repeat -- -- to have a conversation and mistrust whatever they're doing is working well. And that his music to any restaurant owner's ears in Berkeley and Kara tsuboi cnet.com for CBS news.