Decibel Levels...interesting!!

[drumstix909]

Does anyone have a decibel comparison thing we could see?  I once saw something that listed numbers (decibels) and told how loud each number was.  For example, a certain decibel level = an airplane engine and other things like that.....that would be interesting to compare the drum corps decibel levels to to see how loud a drum corps really CAN play!

RK

[randomnoise]

Decibel level chart

[randomnoise]

[Blaringbrass]

No BD hornline spot in that chart huh?

[randomnoise]

Nice hole between 90 and 112!

[Renegadebari]

I'd have to agree Star 93 was LOUD. :o)

[kalijah]

Decible measuring is silly. Playing is a musical art and it is musical contrast that is important. That is, relative loundness and perception of relative loudness that only serves musical means.

To use a db meter at a drumcorps show would only serve to measure absolute loudness at the high point and compare it corps to corps.  Since percussion adds so much to this measurement it probably would dilute any measure of horn loudness.

Anyway, taking a db reading of a horn line would have very little meaning because you would have to control the evironment and physical position of the players and measuring device to have any standard of measurement. Any claimed measurement of a corps would have almost no finality or real meaning. For instance I could bring the whole line into a tight circular arrangement near the measuring device and have them blow their faces off and get a reading beyond the threshold of pain, but what would be the point?

It makes more sense to me to have an appropriate level of loudness at the correct moment in the music to maximize an emotional musical moment. But within control as to not lose musicianship. To me this would be a lofty goal rather than pure loud for louds sake.

Obviously some horn lines will be larger and some will be able to extend volume greater than others. This will help them to maximize the musical goal.

I went to hear the Rolling Stones in 89 and it was so loud it REALLY hurt. It was a very unpleasing and unmusical experience for me.

So many Senior corps play WAY beyond what is musically pleasing and that really baffles me. But I really hope they keep on doing it for my corps sake.

I will say that instructing Corpsvets is beginning to be bad for my hearing (all within limits of tatefull musicianship). I may need to start wearing earplugs.:D

Darryl Jones

[FrankBeMe]

According to Army doctors...if you play at 95 dB when you practice, you can only practice for 8 minutes per day before hearing loss is expected.  Also, they say you should were ear plugs for anything over 60 dB.  So, according to the Army experts we should be wearing earplugs while we practice and limit our total playing to 8 minutes per day to protect our hearing!

You can read more about this and the replies it got at

dBs during practic

Mike

Having been an Army bandsman for 21 years, what you say is correct.

When I was in Germany we had someone taking decible levels during a rehearsal once.  It came out that our band of about 40 people, in our rehearsal hall, was as loud as a 747 taking off.

We were told that we would have to use earplugs soon after that.  It became an army wide thing.  Bandmasters lobbied against it, but to no avail.

The vast majority of us refused to wear them.  What would it matter anyway?  Most of us had been playing anywhere from 10 to 30 years without them, so the damage had already taken place.  

Playing trombone, we most often in the bands I was in, sat in front of the trumpets.  To this day, when I have a hearing test, a hearing loss is detected, but only a slight one.

But of course, I'm not normal...there are people who have worse hearing than me.....and I say that wearing earplugs at the time we were told to wouldn't have made any difference since, as I said earlier, any damage had already happened.

[randomnoise]

Decible measuring is silly. Playing is a musical art and it is musical contrast that is important.

It's all in fun, my friend. I have taught some of the most musical hornlines in drum corps - even won a shiny trophy for it once. But I find that audiences and members really love a good jolt every now and again.

Musicality gets points. Loud gets standing ovations.

Anyway, whatever makes it fun for you! I am looking forward to the CorpsVets this year - you guys have a great thing going!!

[DevsBari02]

Let's get Dennis Delucia or Steve Rondinaro to use a decible meter at DCI Finals so they can tell us who really was the loudest this year!

Brent, that would be way cool.

Interesting note. I was talking to Wayne at the hall today. He told me he did a decibel test to see which key of horns were the loudest. He said the test showed the Bb's were actually louder than the G's. Interesting to know.

I think Spirit's hornline registered at 107 dB last summer, and 120 in Houston, (which is where we developed this rediculously loud dynamic level called 'white heat'). I may be wrong though. It was the lead sopranos who had the meter, so I dont know.

That whole thing with the EU. They suck. Ignorant ########. And to think I actually like the EU, and concept of the EU.......ugh! Not so much anymore.