Average ambient noise levels

[sandall]

If the council is not well versed in this, it's conceivable that they are (badly) quoting from the now defunct Noise Council's guidelines for music from open air events in urban areas.

That's obviously what my local council were doing when they referred to ambient level (which can vary between around 35 & 85dB depending on time of day) at the perimeter of the venue, rather than at the nearest noise sensitive dwelling (where the single complainant lived), which was over hundred yards away on the other side of a main railway line, with diesel trains (many of them double-loco HS125s) passing at speed every few minutes. The limiter as originally set would come close to tripping on polite applause.

[ParkerJonesAcoustics]

65 dB is conversational level so this is pretty low for music, depending on the context of whether it's a music performance (an event centred around music) or just as a background noise to whatever event is going, where it's more important to have a conversation without shouting.

 

Sounds like they've picked up a defunct standard, and that the 65 would apply to the nearest resident, which wouldn't normally be that close for an open air event.

[Stuart91]

Since the thread has been resurrected, I may as well update everyone.

 

We ran the stage at the festival for 2017 and 2018. The council relented a little, and allowed us 10dB over ambient noise at the nearest properties, which was still tricky but allowed us a little headroom.

 

The complainer-in-chief wasn't nearly as vocal as he had been the first year. I suspect that someone from the local community may have had a quiet word with him, but I'm not sure. Either way, it was a big improvement on the first year when he complained vociferously and nearly started a fist fight with the stage manager.

 

The cardioid subs that I used helped considerably. Measured roughly 20dB less bass behind the stage. One drawback is that it was a bit more dead on stage, so performers had to be persuaded to keep amps and monitor levels down.

 

We noticed that the complaints we did get were closely linked to the style of music. The brass ensemble that I'd been worrying about were predictably loud (and brought their own engineer, so I had less control than usual) but got no complaints at all. A young guitar band (think Arctic Monkeys) were a good 6dB quieter, but got many more complaints. People just don't like the sound of a distorted electric guitar...

[kerry davies]

Reviewing this whole topic and Stuart's kind feedback it seems I was correct in that moaners will moan regardless of remedial measures.

 

However the experience of others does suggest one possible solution. We discuss with the complainer which type of sounds they find acceptable then use those transducer thingy's stuck on their window to pipe in their own choice of background ambience. "Would Al Bowlly suit madame or does she prefer birdsong and grasshoppers?"

[sunray]

Completely OT but...

 

I engineered a RSL (28 day radio station) and placed a 20m mast in a farm. The only complaint was from farmers wife, her alarm clock radio (some 100m from mast) could not receive her favorite Radio 4. My fix was a tuner in the out house under their bedroom window and a modulator on a different frequency in a plastic bag hanging on the house wall. Then only had to retune the alarm clock. JD

 

[Stuart91]

We discuss with the complainer which type of sounds they find acceptable then use those transducer thingy's stuck on their window to pipe in their own choice of background ambience.

 

You could just reproduce an out-of-phase version of the spill from the gig. Instant silence! :P

[Simon Lewis]

You could just reproduce an out-of-phase version of the spill from the gig. Instant silence! :P

 

It has been done... but requires a large array with real time measurement and correction and works only in the line of travel from source and correction loudspeakers. It also affords only a reduction in noise level, not complete cancellation.

If I had £1 for every time someone seriously suggested noise cancellation as a means of silencing sound in a 3D acoustic environment with multiple noise sources etc., etc. ;-)

[paulears]

Well I just got home from running a show for 1100 elderly, disabled and near death people bussed in for their annual event. I thought I'd keep a tally of complaints.

The stairs were too steep, and shouldn't have been there. There should have been a ramp (there was)

The ramp was too steep, there should have been stairs

The temperature was too hot turn the air-conditioning on (there isn't any)

The temperature was too cold turn the air-conditioning off

The sound was too loud

the sound was too quiet

The toilets were too far away

I need an aisle seat, I have bad legs

I had to keep getting up, people keep wanting to go past me

My wheelchair is too heavy to push, my husband cannot push it up the ramp

You can't push my wheelchair, only my husband can

What do you mean you don't have hearing aid batteries, my local shop always has them!

Why are the toilets not in the auditorium

Why don't you put on the tickets that people should go before taking their seats.

Will I get my walker back if you take it away - yes, that's why it has a ticket stubs and a number

That's not my walker - my walker is green. Husband then says your walker is blue!

Is the loop system on for my seat. Hang on - I'll go and check - yes J32 is on!

Do you know where my seat is? No sorry, I don't. Could you find my husband please. What does he look like? Old and grey wearing a straw coloured hat - that seemed to be a uniform.

probably missed a few.

 

We also had a miracle and somebody left their wheelchair behind.

[sandall]

We also had a miracle and somebody left their wheelchair behind.

All's well that ends well then :)

All sounds very familiar, apart from the ramp....

[sunray]

You could just reproduce an out-of-phase version of the spill from the gig. Instant silence! :P

 

It has been done... but requires a large array with real time measurement and correction and works only in the line of travel from source and correction loudspeakers. It also affords only a reduction in noise level, not complete cancellation.

If I had £1 for every time someone seriously suggested noise cancellation as a means of silencing sound in a 3D acoustic environment with multiple noise sources etc., etc. ;-)

I used to do a regular school caberet/talant show/fashion show/.../... and the novelty of a radio mic had the headmaster walking up and down the aisle. My simple and effective antifeedback scheme was to run the 2 sides of speakers antiphase.

 

[sandall]

]I used to do a regular school caberet/talant show/fashion show/.../... and the novelty of a radio mic had the headmaster walking up and down the aisle. My simple and effective antifeedback scheme was to run the 2 sides of speakers antiphase.

Didn't that mean you only got feedback on one side of the aisle?