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Volume Restrictions at UK Music Venues

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 4:04 am
by Duncan
I just picked this up from over on the noticeboard:

"The Government are planning to introduce legislation that will make noise limiting equipment compulsory in any venue that stages live music. This will undoubtably be another nail in the coffin of live music in the UK.
I've just found out about this & have signed the petition. I'm sending the link to the petition to everyone I think will be interested in signing it - my sincere apologies if you're not & I'm sorry to have bothered you.

The signatures have to be added by January 23rd so there's not much time!

Here's the link to the Downing Street website that has the petition, and information about the legislation:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/NoNoiseControl/"



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Now playing: Tour De Force - Coming Home

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:00 am
by mikemarrs
very surprised they didn't start doing this years ago including america.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:17 am
by SusieP
The venues we play in the UK already have the restrictions but it isn't being policed strictly yet.
Many venues have decibel meters installed and if you exceed 85db you get the power on stage cut off.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:43 am
by Duncan
I can't make up my mind about this. Part of me thinks that this another example of the nanny state and if people want to listen to loud music then let them. On the other hand I am 40 years old a deaf as a post through listening to loud music.

I wonder how many decibels are produced by the crowd when there is a goal or a touchdown at a major football game.

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Now playing: Bobby Caldwell - Coming Down for Love

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:52 am
by conversationpc
SusieP wrote:The venues we play in the UK already have the restrictions but it isn't being policed strictly yet.
Many venues have decibel meters installed and if you exceed 85db you get the power on stage cut off.


Yikes! That would shut down most rock concerts.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:53 am
by brywool
mikemarrs wrote:very surprised they didn't start doing this years ago including america.


I've played in clubs that require 90 dB. 90 dB is about as loud as I'm typing!
For a ROCK band??? Thank God for In Ear Monitors. It's a friggin' concert in MY head!
Yeah, I'll probably go deaf early... WHAT?!?!? WHAT?!?!? but geez, to have a club, that's supposed to be a rock club playing at that volume is ridiculous. Typical Washington/Seattle "save me from myself BS". Ugh....

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:55 am
by SusieP
Duncan wrote:I can't make up my mind about this. Part of me thinks that this another example of the nanny state and if people want to listen to loud music then let them. On the other hand I am 40 years old a deaf as a post through listening to loud music.

I wonder how many decibels are produced by the crowd when there is a goal or a touchdown at a major football game.

----------------
Now playing: Bobby Caldwell - Coming Down for Love


Obviously it has come about because some people insist on having their volume at "11" when 9 or 10 is plenty loud enough.

As far as I know, the legal figure is 85db but there seems to be some leeway to have them set above that, because I think 85 is a suggested level rather than a written in stone figure, BUT when the Health & Safety people set these levels they test the bloody things when the room is empty. That gives a false reading because when the room fills up with people, they soak up the sound and the audience can hardly hear you playing at the volume you did the sound check at, so you end up totally remixing the sound as you go along.

If the H & S set the things with a room full of people I don't think there would be too much of a problem.
Some venue's meters go off when you slam the van door OUTSIDE! Or cough!
Some don't go off no matter how loud you play.
So I don't know how they work out the setting, I really don't.

Personally I hate the effing things.
To get a sound mix that won't set the meter off you have to take most of the Bass out of the mix going out front and have your wedge monitors on effing candle power.
So it sounds like you are using a bloody Tandy micro stereo sysyem.

Or as if you are hearing the music through somebody's headphones while they sit across from you on a train.

Did I tell you I hate the effing things????????????????????



:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:56 am
by Duncan
Just found this on Wiki about the loudest band.

"The Who were the last band listed as the record holder, at 126 decibels, measured at a distance of 32 metres from the speakers at a concert at Charlton Athletic Football Ground on 1976-05-31."

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Now playing: Santana - Hoy Es Adios

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:57 am
by SusieP
Duncan wrote:Just found this on Wiki about the loudest band.

"The Who were the last band listed as the record holder, at 126 decibels, measured at a distance of 32 metres from the speakers at a concert at Charlton Athletic Football Ground on 1976-05-31."

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Now playing: Santana - Hoy Es Adios



I think Lemmy from Motorhead would argue that one. :lol:

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:01 am
by Duncan
SusieP wrote:
Duncan wrote:I can't make up my mind about this. Part of me thinks that this another example of the nanny state and if people want to listen to loud music then let them. On the other hand I am 40 years old a deaf as a post through listening to loud music.

I wonder how many decibels are produced by the crowd when there is a goal or a touchdown at a major football game.

----------------
Now playing: Bobby Caldwell - Coming Down for Love


Obviously it has come about because some people insist on having their volume at "11" when 9 or 10 is plenty loud enough.

As far as I know, the legal figure is 85db but there seems to be some leeway to have them set above that, because I think 85 is a suggested level rather than a written in stone figure, BUT when the Health & Safety people set these levels they test the bloody things when the room is empty. That gives a false reading because when the room fills up with people, they soak up the sound and the audience can hardly hear you playing at the volume you did the sound check at, so you end up totally remixing the sound as you go along.

If the H & S set the things with a room full of people I don't think there would be too much of a problem.
Some venue's meters go off when you slam the van door OUTSIDE! Or cough!
Some don't go off no matter how loud you play.
So I don't know how they work out the setting, I really don't.

Personally I hate the effing things.
To get a sound mix that won't set the meter off you have to take most of the Bass out of the mix going out front and have your wedge monitors on effing candle power.
So it sounds like you are using a bloody Tandy micro stereo sysyem.

Or as if you are hearing the music through somebody's headphones while they sit across from you on a train.

Did I tell you I hate the effing things????????????????????



:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:


85db(A) is the level at which employers have to provide hearing protection for their employees.

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Now playing: Jim Peterik - The God In You

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:11 am
by Rick
Duncan wrote:85db(A) is the level at which employers have to provide hearing protection for their employees.


That's the level of street traffic. It takes 8 hours of exposure to 85db of sound to do damage to the ear.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:12 am
by SusieP
Duncan wrote:
SusieP wrote:
Duncan wrote:I can't make up my mind about this. Part of me thinks that this another example of the nanny state and if people want to listen to loud music then let them. On the other hand I am 40 years old a deaf as a post through listening to loud music.

I wonder how many decibels are produced by the crowd when there is a goal or a touchdown at a major football game.

----------------
Now playing: Bobby Caldwell - Coming Down for Love


Obviously it has come about because some people insist on having their volume at "11" when 9 or 10 is plenty loud enough.

As far as I know, the legal figure is 85db but there seems to be some leeway to have them set above that, because I think 85 is a suggested level rather than a written in stone figure, BUT when the Health & Safety people set these levels they test the bloody things when the room is empty. That gives a false reading because when the room fills up with people, they soak up the sound and the audience can hardly hear you playing at the volume you did the sound check at, so you end up totally remixing the sound as you go along.

If the H & S set the things with a room full of people I don't think there would be too much of a problem.
Some venue's meters go off when you slam the van door OUTSIDE! Or cough!
Some don't go off no matter how loud you play.
So I don't know how they work out the setting, I really don't.

Personally I hate the effing things.
To get a sound mix that won't set the meter off you have to take most of the Bass out of the mix going out front and have your wedge monitors on effing candle power.
So it sounds like you are using a bloody Tandy micro stereo sysyem.

Or as if you are hearing the music through somebody's headphones while they sit across from you on a train.

Did I tell you I hate the effing things????????????????????



:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:


85db(A) is the level at which employers have to provide hearing protection for their employees.

----------------
Now playing: Jim Peterik - The God In You




Aah so that's where they conjured up the magic figure from.

Crank your rig up in an empty room with the faders up to ten and it sounds deafening.
Crank it up to ten with loads of people in the audience and it doesn't.
Having a decibel meter set at a written in stone figure buggers up your sound 'cause you have to knock a load of Bass off to keep the meter from going into the red. Then as I said, when the audience come in, everything changes.

And another thing...................the meter has a traffic light system so when you are on stage you are forever tempted to keep looking at the thing instead of your audience.

I hate the things.


Did I tell you I hate the things? :twisted:

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 1:50 pm
by Arianddu
SusieP wrote:
Duncan wrote:
SusieP wrote:
Duncan wrote:I can't make up my mind about this. Part of me thinks that this another example of the nanny state and if people want to listen to loud music then let them. On the other hand I am 40 years old a deaf as a post through listening to loud music.

I wonder how many decibels are produced by the crowd when there is a goal or a touchdown at a major football game.

----------------
Now playing: Bobby Caldwell - Coming Down for Love


Obviously it has come about because some people insist on having their volume at "11" when 9 or 10 is plenty loud enough.

As far as I know, the legal figure is 85db but there seems to be some leeway to have them set above that, because I think 85 is a suggested level rather than a written in stone figure, BUT when the Health & Safety people set these levels they test the bloody things when the room is empty. That gives a false reading because when the room fills up with people, they soak up the sound and the audience can hardly hear you playing at the volume you did the sound check at, so you end up totally remixing the sound as you go along.

If the H & S set the things with a room full of people I don't think there would be too much of a problem.
Some venue's meters go off when you slam the van door OUTSIDE! Or cough!
Some don't go off no matter how loud you play.
So I don't know how they work out the setting, I really don't.

Personally I hate the effing things.
To get a sound mix that won't set the meter off you have to take most of the Bass out of the mix going out front and have your wedge monitors on effing candle power.
So it sounds like you are using a bloody Tandy micro stereo sysyem.

Or as if you are hearing the music through somebody's headphones while they sit across from you on a train.

Did I tell you I hate the effing things????????????????????



:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:


85db(A) is the level at which employers have to provide hearing protection for their employees.

----------------
Now playing: Jim Peterik - The God In You




Aah so that's where they conjured up the magic figure from.

Crank your rig up in an empty room with the faders up to ten and it sounds deafening.
Crank it up to ten with loads of people in the audience and it doesn't.
Having a decibel meter set at a written in stone figure buggers up your sound 'cause you have to knock a load of Bass off to keep the meter from going into the red. Then as I said, when the audience come in, everything changes.

And another thing...................the meter has a traffic light system so when you are on stage you are forever tempted to keep looking at the thing instead of your audience.

I hate the things.


Did I tell you I hate the things? :twisted:


Susie, I sense a certain antagonism on your part... do you need to vent about something? Come, blow off steam, we will understand. Now, what's bothering you? :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:15 pm
by finalfight
Just another thing happening to 'encourage' UK citizens to stay indoors along with the mass, rapid disappearance of many local shops, post offices and high street stores, increasing redundancy figures, business closures and loss of jobs, no smoking laws, pub price increases and closures, the popularity and ease of use of internet retail and mind numbing, 'real life' restricting garbage like Facebook.

One day Mr UK average Joe will leave his house (and cyber friends) to go to the mall for essentials (won't be any local business or high street) and will find that he is living under a dome.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:16 pm
by finalfight
SusieP wrote:
Duncan wrote:Just found this on Wiki about the loudest band.

"The Who were the last band listed as the record holder, at 126 decibels, measured at a distance of 32 metres from the speakers at a concert at Charlton Athletic Football Ground on 1976-05-31."

----------------
Now playing: Santana - Hoy Es Adios



I think Lemmy from Motorhead would argue that one. :lol:


If he could hear the argument in the first place! :lol:

PostPosted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:31 am
by Gin and Tonic Sky
Rick wrote:
Duncan wrote:85db(A) is the level at which employers have to provide hearing protection for their employees.


That's the level of street traffic. It takes 8 hours of exposure to 85db of sound to do damage to the ear.


I lived through two days of Firefest which ended with Danger Danger and firefest blowing my head off. My ears rang but I lived.

Fuckin bollocks, why the hell dont they concentrate on fixing the worlds problems

thanks

Matt