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Live Music Venues and Volume


SpaceNorman

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That sign would mean nothing in most communities. They have noise ordinances, and if anyone is being a nuisance, they can be ordered to stop, no matter who was there first. One could also ask, was that building (I assume it's a home of some sort) where the sign was posted there before the club was a live music venue? 

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Kevin T wrote:

Also as keybds i spend hrs with my ears near drummers crash /ride cymbles they hit 120dbspl all nite
:(

I feel ya completely in this regard.  There ain't nothing that brings the ear fatigue like a night on a tight stage where you're stuck next to a cymbal.  If you play seated - the cymbals are usually at roughly the same height as yours ears - and often just a foot or two away from you.  These days - I try to set up as far to the rear of the stage as possible - such that I'm sitting parallel to the drummer with his cymbals out in front of him and my keyboard out in front of me - specifically so that I'm not right next to his cymbals! 

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Kevin T wrote:

 

Its not a preference thing its a medical physiologry absolute damage the inner ear hair s you will get hearing loss and tinnitus. Not if , when!

 

But that's likely not a concern for a lot of young people.

My post was based on the thread where the replies were black and white. "The stage is too loud if you need earplugs." "I'd fire any engineer who wore protection." Stuff like that doesn't take into account personal preferences and low tolerances to loud volume.

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I've seen many a sound man whose ears are so bad from loud volume that they can't hear any high end, and in turn, crank up the highs to painful levels. I wouldn't mind if a sound man wore plugs if he had to, if they were good ones, not the foam ones you wear cutting the grass.

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Everyone will probably agree that too loud for one may not be too loud for all. Yet I still get baffled when I see things like this:

 

Small venue, band starts and most of the crowd backs up a little. Then they are backing up to the bar...and shortly after to the other side of the bar. Then the back of the room. Finally outside.

 

Yea, no genious required to figure that one out!

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vanlatte wrote:

Everyone will probably agree that too loud for one may not be too loud for all. Yet I still get baffled when I see things like this:

Small venue, band starts and most of the crowd backs up a little. Then they are backing up to the bar...and shortly after to the other side of the bar. Then the back of the room. Finally outside.

Yea, no genious required to figure that one out!

You assume the band gives a carp facepalm.gif.

OTOH I was very pleased to be running sound for a band last Saturday night in a stoopid small pub that actually cared about that and told me ahead of time that most bands were too loud there - made my night smile.gif.

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vanlatte wrote:

 

Everyone will probably agree that too loud for one may not be too loud for all. Yet I still get baffled when I see things like this:

 

 

 

Small venue, band starts and most of the crowd backs up a little. Then they are backing up to the bar...and shortly after to the other side of the bar. Then the back of the room. Finally outside.

 

 

 

Yea, no genious required to figure that one out!

 

Yeah, I agree with this. I have been to many bands that have been too loud. By the same token I also have been to shows where I felt the if the volume was a little louder it would have improved the show. Different genres have different volume requirements as well. One of the reasons I don't go to many metal shows is the volume levels associated with the shows. It is part of their presentation.

I saw Velvet Revolver a few years back and they were loud, to the point where it was bordering on too loud. A few db lower would have improved my enjoyment of the show. They did an acoustic segment half way through their set that was much more enjoyable because it was quieter. The first couple songs they did back as a full band were quieter as well, but then the volume started to creep up.

One thing I get a kick out of is old people. We'll all be there some day. I have mixed multiband and multi genre festivals before. You put on an old tyme polka band complete with accordian and horns. They can be ripping through the PA and the old timers are dancing and loving it. Throw up a db meter and you are register 97-100db at FOH. A modern country act comes up next and you have them mixed at 95-98 db at FOH and all the old timers are complaining that its too loud. The law is an accordian can be as loud as possible, but as soon as you put any kick drum in the mix it automatically becomes too loud.

 

Neil

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vanlatte wrote:

Everyone will probably agree that too loud for one may not be too loud for all. Yet I still get baffled when I see things like this:

 

Small venue, band starts and most of the crowd backs up a little. Then they are backing up to the bar...and shortly after to the other side of the bar. Then the back of the room. Finally outside.

 

Yea, no genious required to figure that one out!

 

When I was running sound a lot, I used that as an indicator.

If there was immediately a "horseshoe" of empty space on the dancefloor, I knew it was too loud. It would happen as soon as the band started - maybe halfway thru the first song.

I'd just bring the volume down until the people filled back in.

MG

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They don't get it? I had to talk a group down In a small place. Everyone left and went outside. There was basically nothing coming through the PA except some kick. The guitars so so loud that I didn't bother trying to get the voices over them. After about 2 songs I literally told them to stop and turn down, a lot.

 

Surprise, everyone came back inside. I'm tempted to buy a couple hotplates so when someone says " I need to be that loud for my tone" I'll say no problem lets run this hot plate.

 

Usually for me, it's the snare that's too loud.

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Usually for me, it's the snare that's too loud.

 

The snare is usually one thing I can work around if it is too loud. The snare is fairly prominent in the mix on most modern recordings anyway. It has a fast attack and a quick decay so it doesn't bury the rest of the mix. In smaller venues I often find myself mixing around the snare. 

It is much easier to deal with a loud snare than loud guitars or bass.

Neil

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vanlatte wrote:

Everyone will probably agree that too loud for one may not be too loud for all. Yet I still get baffled when I see things like this:

 

Small venue, band starts and most of the crowd backs up a little. Then they are backing up to the bar...and shortly after to the other side of the bar. Then the back of the room. Finally outside.

 

Yea, no genious required to figure that one out!

 

Right, that should be pretty obvious.

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StratGuy22 wrote:

They don't get it? I had to talk a group down In a small place. Everyone left and went outside. There was basically nothing coming through the PA except some kick. The guitars so so loud that I didn't bother trying to get the voices over them. After about 2 songs I literally told them to stop and turn down, a lot.

 

Surprise, everyone came back inside. I'm tempted to buy a couple hotplates so when someone says " I need to be that loud for my tone" I'll say no problem lets run this hot plate.

 

Usually for me, it's the snare that's too loud.

 

Yep, and the only volume control there is in the hand holdng the stick.

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