UK in Financial trouble, lets make things harder

[Estimator]

Everyone must have tapped a foot to the radio now and again surely!

It's just that the radios are getting louder!
Your average home music system will pump out more watts than Status Quo took on tour in the 1970s. Ditto car stereo. And that's where the problem starts, especially if you have someone who is ignorant of their neighbours.
People don't seem to sit down and listen to music anymore, they sort of just like the noise and the vibration that it produces!
I am a lover of music and play guitar and keyboards but I am continually upset at the level of volume pumped out in pubs, clubs, cars and even shopping centres.
I even stop going to certain places because of this. Good song, i'd like to hear more than the bass & drum though.
The notion that the louder the better is a bit moronic I think.

 

[RockLinks]

I agree, however music has to be at a certain volume thats the point im trying to make. You play a cd now at low volume and think about what sounds you hear, then turn it up and you will hear even more. Its the same principle if you listen to a song through speakers and then listen to the same song through headphones it sounds different.

 

[Estimator]

I agree, however music has to be at a certain volume thats the point im trying to make. You play a cd now at low volume and think about what sounds you hear, then turn it up and you will hear even more. Its the same principle if you listen to a song through speakers and then listen to the same song through headphones it sounds different.

You are beginning to sound like my favourite guitarist, Nigel Tufnel.
'All my amps go up to 11, that's one extra than everybody else'

 

[Cromulent]

I agree, however music has to be at a certain volume thats the point im trying to make. You play a cd now at low volume and think about what sounds you hear, then turn it up and you will hear even more. Its the same principle if you listen to a song through speakers and then listen to the same song through headphones it sounds different.

It isn't the same principle at all. As someone in the music industry I would have thought you were aware of the impact that the acoustics of a room or space has on the sound of music played through speakers.

Headphones on the other hand, because they play directly into the ear canal do not have this issue and thus sound different.

 

[Bri]

of these posts just glanced through them and I've gleaned they are NIMBY attitudes. A popular live venue in Cardiff called THE POINT was about to be closed by the council, which happens to be run by a friend of mine and his brother, although I have no involvement incidentally. Noise pollution was the complaint, so a petition was made up and signed by many high profile artists, Kelly Jones of Stereophonics, Cerys Matthews of Catatonia and more to keep the venue open. So they staged a variety of silent gigs, whereby the audience were issued with headphones on entry and were able to continue to party away,such was the success of this the venue has been given a reprieve after spending thousands of pounds, which they are unlikely to recuop this century, in extra soundproofing. So instead of bleating they have got on with it, and good luck to them.

 

[movietub]

Music does surely have a optimum volume. I have a decent system at home and there is a minimum volume I will listen to certain tracks at. Generally I like strong vocals and below a certain volume they are forgettable, above a certain volume they get into your head and cause a shiver.

And headphones cannot create the same depth or warmth of noise as room sized accoustics. Even though my neighbours assure me they could

What you really need are big speakers and enough power to control them. After that you just have to be responsible enough not to whack the volume up when you're pi**ed

 

[adam]

Many bands today have such bad vocals they need the music to drown them out. I have been at events where the music sounds much better outside the room.

I understand you need a certain volume but some sound techs really are bad pumping it right up until it distorts and bringing it down a notch. This is NOT how to set sound levels!!

 

[AdamJ]

Lots of pros and cons in the link previously provided as to why musicians are not happy with the current batch of ear defenders.

Out of all the people we do hearing tests for, musicians are far and away the biggest pain in the arse. They can always find holes in any hearing protection, stamp their feet and petulantly say that as an artist they need it although we are seeing more and more finally using taking some protection at least some of the time.

We have done tests where 30-odd year old musicians have the hearing ability of a 50 year old and it will affect their ability to continue to play as well as they want to. The problem with hearing loss through noise is that its not even - you lose the 'top end' far more than the bass, with the losses being focused around the 4 and 6kHz frequencies which makes music indistinct and muffled. The losses are the same irrespective of the noise source or its frequency, so motorboke wind noise, a jack hammer, sitting in front of an orchestra's brass section or playing an electric guitar all have exactly the same effect on hearing. Musicians tend to use the ostrich principle though of doggedly ignoring it.

 

[cycloneuk]

I actually suffer from mild/moderate tinnitus, if that was caused by going clubbing 3 times a week then i can't be sure, but i'm sure it certainly didn't help. I have become quite used to it and my mind manages to block it out most of the time but for some people it can be a very serious and depressing condtion, a number of the older live performers suffer from it.

 

[RockLinks]

It isn't the same principle at all. As someone in the music industry I would have thought you were aware of the impact that the acoustics of a room or space has on the sound of music played through speakers.

Headphones on the other hand, because they play directly into the ear canal do not have this issue and thus sound different.

I do, im a Sound Engineer