SoundPLAN manual and documentation
If you came here looking for a SoundPLAN manual PDF, the short answer is that there is not one to download. Neither we nor the software's developer publish the manual publicly. This page sets out what documentation does exist, and the quickest route to the material you actually need.
What is available, and where
SoundPLAN documentation is distributed with the software rather than as a standalone download. In practice that means most people are better served by one of the four routes below than by hunting for a PDF.
Quick Start Guide and tutorial projects
Both install with the demo software, so you work through real sample models rather than reading about them. For a first project this is usually faster than any manual.
Video tutorials
An introduction to the software, road traffic noise, industrial noise assessment and SoundPLANmanda, on the SoundPLAN YouTube channel.
Product flyers
PDFs covering each application area - road and rail, industrial noise, aircraft noise, room acoustics, wall design, action planning and more. Useful for scoping what a module does before you buy it.
Instructor-led training
Online or in person, built around the standard your assessments are reported against. For a team starting its first project this is almost always the shorter path.
Looking for the manual for a specific version?
SoundPLAN documentation is version-specific. A guide written for one release will describe dialogs and defaults that moved in the next, which is why we ask which version you are running before pointing you anywhere.
If you hold a licence, tell us the version and what you are trying to do and we will point you to the documentation that matches it. If you are evaluating, start with the demo - the Quick Start Guide and tutorial projects come with it.
Common questions
Is there a SoundPLAN manual PDF I can download?
No. Neither SoundPLAN Asia nor the software's developer publishes the manual as a public download. The Quick Start Guide and tutorial projects are installed with the demo software, and licensed users should contact us with their version so we can point them to documentation that matches it.
What documentation comes with the demo software?
Installing the demo gives you the Quick Start Guide and a set of tutorial projects, so you work through real sample models rather than reading about them. For a first project that is usually faster than any manual.
Where can I find SoundPLAN video tutorials?
On the SoundPLAN YouTube channel, linked from the Downloads page. It covers an introduction to the software, road traffic noise, industrial noise assessment and SoundPLANmanda.
I need documentation for a specific SoundPLAN version. What should I do?
Tell us which version you are running and what you are trying to do. SoundPLAN documentation is version-specific, and a guide written for one release will describe dialogs and defaults that moved in the next.
Is training available?
Yes, we offer online and on-site training. Basic training is included with SoundPLANnoise purchases. We also provide custom training programs for teams.
While you are here
Two things are worth settling early, because both are harder to change later than they look:
- Which calculation standard your assessment must be reported against. SoundPLAN supports 50+ of them - see the list of supported standards.
- Which product fits the work. The practical split is environmental and transportation noise against workplace exposure assessment - the product guide walks through it.