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How loud can you go?

#24
floridagatorfan said:
Recently in our town they passed a law for sound levels. Bands can not play any louder than 62db. Which myself and 99% of the local giging musicians think is a complete joke. One of the bands this past weekend got fined $500 for playing @ 70 db. There was actually a person there measuring it. So my question to you is. Are there any regulations like this in your town and what are the limits.

Here is the write up from the tv station
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Click to expand...

Check out this link --->>> [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Acoustic non-amplified instruments will exceed the 65 db level.

I work in the Denver Technical Center. One day I went to lunch with some co-workers to a Thai restaurant and one person at the table had a phone app that measured decibels. The dining area was 85 to 90 db with just people eating and talking.

If your town will fine your band for playing above 65 db then pretty much any band will get fined every time they play. So your low paying job as a gigging musician just got worse as now the local government has found a way to remove any profit you make. Another example of a "Big Brother" government restricting us more and more with laws and regulations.

A 65db level restriction is unreasonable.

:rolleyes:
 
#25
You can try what some of the fraternities did when I was in school. After the police cited numerous fraternity parties for noise violations, some of the members went out on Sunday mornings to the local churches that ring bells. After a couple of weeks of getting 50+ noise complaints about churches, the police stopped enforcing the noise ordinance on fraternity parties.
 
#26
dB - what?

'typically' sound ordinances are dBA.
some sound meters with multiple scales default to dBC.

You go measuring with the wrong scale and you'll get stupid numbers.
If the ordinance doesn't specify a weighting scale, it's completely ambiguous and unenforceable, IMO... (I Am Not A Lawyer...)

And I agree 62 dB is ridiculous on any scale.
 
#27
I don't think there are any set decibel levels for shows around here, for the most part it's just common sense and whether or not somebody complains. I could be wrong but I've never seen or heard of any of the local places having trouble, and some of these dive bars get pretty loud.

The only restrictions I am aware of are time restrictions. In most areas bands have to stop playing by midnight. So 8-12 shows are the standard, not 9-1.
 
#28
62db is crazy. Check out the loudness chart below.

Sound Levels of Music
Normal piano practice 60 -70dB
Fortissimo Singer, 3' 70dB
Chamber music, small auditorium 75 - 85dB
Piano Fortissimo 84 - 103dB
Violin 82 - 92dB
Cello 85 -111dB
Oboe 95-112dB
Flute 92 -103dB
Piccolo 90 -106dB
Clarinet 85 - 114dB
French horn 90 - 106dB
Trombone 85 - 114dB
Tympani & bass drum 106dB
Walkman on 5/10 94dB
Symphonic music peak 120 - 137dB
Amplifier, rock, 4-6' 120dB
Rock music peak 150dB
 
#30
another college story:

the most annoying noise is somebody trying to fix a motorcycle, if anybody ever complains about music, just buy a broken motorcycle and work on it every weekend at 6am

i think that was revenge from our next door neighbor, but dude was cool, he never called the cops on us and we never called the cops on him either
 
#32
OK This has to be the dumbest thing ever.

From the article:
Shea says that the noise from the band violated the ordinance and that’s why the citation was issued. Humphrey’s has long been known to feature live music on their patio, leading some to ask—why now? The answer is, people have not lived across the street from the bar, until recently. The Belk Hudson Lofts opened about 3 weeks ago and since that time a few residents have complained.

Um excuse me.... 'scuse me..... You moved in across the street from a place known to have live bands for YEARS and you're going to complain? What do you think moving into that downtown party area is about? People can be so stupid. :eyebrow: F'em!


Ok mini rant over. Yes I get it. Bands can be too loud at times, however anyone going to an Iron Maiden show already knows that it's going to be loud. Even a Seal concert gets loud.
 
#37
I have a 3 piece band two guitars and bass that mainly play nursing and assisted living centers. We play directly in front of the people as they sit in their wheel chairs. Once I went up to and elderly lady and apologized for being so loud, and she said, "Your in a band, your supposed to be loud" she was 90.
 

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