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Practice Volume Issues

J

John Deppel

Oct 16, 2003
1,129
3
Virginia Beach, VA
#1
Last nite during our band practice...we had a huge legal issue come down hard on us. We received a visit from the Alaska State Troopers, who said they had received a number of complaints about the volume of our music. We have never had a problem with this during the past year or so that we've been playing together, and we weren't turned up any higher than usual, which isn't that high to begin with (My guitarist's 250W amp at about 4 and my 200W amp at about 5). Now I know that none of you probably live anywhere remotely close to me, but have any of you experienced similar problems? I'm just trying to find some ways to get around this. We have a gig in a little under 2 weeks, and still have some songs that aren't quite "polished." And if the Troopers receive another call about us, we were told we'd be arrested and hauled off to jail for disorderly conduct, which I think is a little bit of overkill. Any ideas?? :confused:
 
#3
First off, don't confuse watts with decibels. Sound volume is measured in decibels, and power is measured in watts. No-one has ever had complaints filed against them for too many watts. Noise ordinances aren't defined by a limitation of watts. Watts are used to create decibels. Some 40W amps can push more decibels than a 100W, it all depends on the amp and speaker.

Talk to your neighbors. It's always harder to call the cops on someone you know, than some faceless stranger. Give them your phone number and let them call you if you get too loud (if you can hear the phone). Work with your neighbors, if they are willing to work with you. They may have practical reasons for their complaints, such as a baby who needs sleep or a person who works a night shift. Who knows? It's not for you decide why they are complaining, so talk to em.

Turn down the volume. It's practice, not a stadium gig. It probably won't hurt you guys too much to turn it down a notch, and it may actually help your practices by letting you hear nuances and practice dynamics. Would you rather go hunting for a new rehearsal space, or bring down the volume a little?

Another option is to acoustically shield your rehearsal space. This is an expensive option, but if you can't compromise your sound, and your neighbors aren't willing to put up with your volume and you can't find another rehearsal space, it may be your only option. You can put acoustic foam or eggcrates on the walls to reduce the amount of sound that leaves your rehearsal space. Do a search on google and I'm sure you can find plenty of info on how to do this.
 
#5
The neighbors that called us in are about 500 to 1000 yards away. Funny thing is, my drummer works with the guy that lives right across the street, and he said he could barely hear us on the night in question. I did however, find out that the people that called us in were my ex-fiance's parents, so that might have something to do with it. But it really doesn't matter, as we found a guy who will let us use the loft above his heated metal shop, so we can leave everything there.
 

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