Seattlest: Joy Wants Eternal Reverb

Seth

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 08:50:43 -0800

I suggest a converstion to the soulful sounds of smooth jazz. Never too loud.

MvB

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 15:22:19 -0800

Audrey, I realize you're discussing the situation as it stands, but I hardly think I'm wrong on all counts. Really? In order to enjoy a rock concert I should get earplugs designed by a doctor? And where are these "decent" earplugs sold? The kind sold in drugstores assuredly DO muffle sound, not filter it. And of course musicians/engineers have earplugs -- they have more frequent exposure. No, I can't agree music should be so loud it's painful to listen to. My point is (and I know plenty of people who agree) that when the music at a venue is consistently that loud, people start skipping that venue rather than argue about it.

Audrey

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 13:21:29 -0800

MVB, wrong on all counts. Ask any sound engineer or musician with some sense, and they'll tell you that earplugs are a necessity. Don't use those cheap pieces of foam; 32db is more protection than you need, but you can find decent earplugs with noise reduction in the 20db range even at a drugstore. Good earplugs don't so much muffle sound as filter it. If you're looking to make an investment, you can get a really good pair designed for your ears from a doctor. BTW, the engineer will probably be mixing heavy on the high frequencies---because he'll assuredly have hearing loss at that end of the range.

MvB

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 18:02:40 -0800

But they shouldn't *have* to be used. Conventional earplugs don't reduce decibel levels the same at all frequencies -- they tend to be more effective at the high end and less effective going down. It's like listening to everything with the SuperBass on and the treble cranked down. It's absurd to be forced to listen to music that way. How does a soundboard engineer set the dynamics when half the audience is hearing 32db less on the highs? It's already hard to hear crispness in some of these acoustic environments -- with earplugs it can get to be a dull thud.

Audrey

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 16:16:46 -0800

Tim, agreed. Earplugs should be used at pretty much every rock show.

tim

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 19:35:02 -0800

"We noticed about half the audience was wearing earplugs, which got us wondering who the ear-damaging decibel level was for, exactly." I was at the show, and regardless of what kind of craziness the soundboard operator was up to, if you weren't wearing earplugs, you permanently lost a good chunk of your hearing. I guess that the high percentage of audience members wearing earplugs at the show qualifies as some kind of bonus points for JWE (and FMTM and the other bands, too) - not only do they bring the rock, but their audience is smart enough to protect their own hearing.