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Safety First: How Loud Is Too Loud?
When to say turning it up to 11 is just too much.
May. 18, 2010, by Mike Sokol
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  Live Sound, Sound Reinforcement, Worship Audio, Spl, Church Audio, Hearing Safety, Listening Safely

 
Many musicians with electric instruments often play too loud for the small churches they’re in, resulting in a mix that drives the congregation out of the sanctuary, and possibly to another, quieter church. (We know; we’ve been there, done that, both as musicians and sound mixers.)

That being said, let me assure you that I feel your pain. Most small churches have acoustics designed in the early days of pipe organ and choir.

Unfortunately, that sort of thing just doesn’t work well for modern Christian music, with the end result being unhappy musicians as well as an angry congregation. You’re stuck in the middle trying to please everyone, including the preacher.   

What’s a church leader to do? First, get an SPL (Sound Pressure Level) meter so you know what’s happening. Radio Shack sells both digital and analog versions for $40 to $60, either of which will work just fine. 

You’ll want to pick the A-weighing scale and slow response as and start by measuring the Sound Pressure Level of each of the stage instruments from out in the room without the PA system turned on.

This gives you an idea of how much louder the PA needs to be in order to get over the sound of the stage amplifiers.

Let’s say, for instance, that your guitar player is using a big tube amp cranked up pretty loud, and it’s hitting something like 100 dB SPL in the middle of the room.

Generally speaking in order for you to actually “mix” the rest of the instruments and vocals together, the PA needs to be about 10 dB (decibels) above the SPL output of the stage.

Hmmmmm…. That means you need to build a 110-dB SPL mix just to get the vocals and keyboards above (louder than) the guitar.


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Comments (7) Most recent displayed first | All comments in chronological order
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Posted by Ken  on  05/26/10  at  06:21 PM
An electric guitar ripping a real grindy solo at 88 dB may be really painful to some, while the bass could be at 105 and sound loud, but not uncomfortable. What the sound is can be more important to people's comfort level that what the actual number is. We try to keep it 90 and below, allowing peaks to about 92, but those are the peaks. The average exposure is probably about 86 to 88 for 20 minutes. According to one chart I found, that would be like sitting in our worship center listening to only the air conditioners for 8 hrs. Point is, education is important in this area. Knowing what you're measuring and what you're talking about helps. To the people in the seats, loud is loud, regardless of what the meter says.
Posted by Ronnie  on  05/20/10  at  12:55 PM
The real need isto be part of the show , not to try to go over the other guys in the band and PRACTiCE the show and make sure every component knows his right level, I have seen all in my 30 years old career from acrllyc cage to keyboard players that come with a self monitor to be able to monitor itself because can't listen due to the band self levels( not my mix).
Posted by Bob  on  05/19/10  at  11:59 AM
David's points and questions are very valid. They demonstrate the complexity of safe sound. It is a factor of all the variables (peaks, frequency, continuous/RMS levels, what else have we been exposed to with a certain timeframe, acoustics...). The correct use of an SPL meter, knowledge like this and many other sources and common sense are needed to at least start a process in your church to have some control for safe sound. Obviously if ears are ringing after the service then things are too loud. But if you have a good mix, decent speaker system (no frequencies that are out of control), respectable levels (determined with your Church leadership and matched with the worship style), combined with the measurement, then you have a base to control and monitor sound levels and adjust as needed. You can also have guidelines for the tech crew and for incoming guest artists.

Be safe out there!

Posted by David  on  05/18/10  at  03:45 PM
"While an occasional 110-dB concert may only do minor hearing damage, a steady weekly diet of such levels can be devastating to the hearing of both the musicians and the congregation."

"That 110-dB SPL mix in your church is going to start destroying hearing within the first 30 minutes (or sooner) of your music service."

Both statements are contradicted and not totally true based the NIOSH chart.

Damage is damage at 110db in about a minute.

Another thing that needs to be clarified in time exposure is peak measurement and LEQ average measurement. And neither chart shows how those measurements are made.

There is no clarification of dips and peaks and average, over a period of an event or service.

For example in an hour and half service say the music is a 30 minute set. With peaks at 95. Which measurement matters?? for legal and damage? the hour and half average 85 ? the 30 minute average 90 ? or the peak 95?

There seams to also be an assumption that 95db is ok? is it?

Also sometime things seem loud to some which may be a difference in hearing, eq, or style preference.

For example if a particular frequency is pushed it may seem loud to some but not really measure loud on a db meter.

David


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