BillFitzmaurice.info

ERiX wrote:
But just "because the kids want volume," doesn't mean you should give it to them. Weddings are your business, but, if you are over OSHA limits at any of my kids' school events, your insurance better be intact, and hope that I don't personally catch you. Because I'll spend whatever it takes to skewer you and your company to the core for dangerous and damaging volume and make certain you have no more school gigs because of it. There are plenty of things we have to guard our children from. DJ Testosterone-induced SPL at a school dance shouldn't be one of them.

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So, you want to sue someone playing music too loud rather than just remove your child from the room and discuss it with the people who hired the DJ? Take responsibility for your own actions. If you don't like what's happening at an event - don't take your kids there!

This whole notion of "I'm gonna put my child in your setting, but I'm gonna' tell you exactly how to do your business. And if you don't do it exactly the way I want, I'm going to sue you.", is emblematic of our litigious society. If you don't like the volume, complain. If that doesn't work, take your kid home.

This is America, you have the right to walk away. You don't have the right to impose your will on everyone else.

Here we go again.

I have to agree with Bruce on the point that it is the responsibility of the person who hired the DJ. If the DJ has a decent contract he should be free from pretty much all responsibility except neglence (ie knowingly faulty equipment etc). He shouldn't be responsible if the cops are called, if the music is to soft or loud as long as the hiring person requests it. Too loud, sue the school district, they have more money than any DJ anyways.

I also agree with Erix that just cause they want SPL doesn't necessarily mean give it to them. That is why you know your contacts for the event in case you can't find the hiring person. If they want it louder you talk to the adult in charge, if they want it louder go for it. If it may damage their hearing more than the average rock concert, warn them, if they still want it, throw in your hearing protection and go for it. Everyone is happy, you went through the right channels and are absolved of all responsibility except any moral objections.

Now on with the flaming. Sorry OP this seems like it may get out of hand.

EDIT fixed typo

EriX,

A guy talks about building more cabinets because the kids want it louder. You then flame him, saying you would do everything you could to ruin his business. Your comments were way out of line and not necessary.

I do have a problem with a lot of things that happen at schools, but threatening to sue people solves nothing. Your gripe should be with the administrators, not the DJ. The people in charge are responsible for the volume. The guy paying the bill gets to choose how loud or soft it is......at least that's how it has worked in the hundreds of gigs that I've played in the last 35 years. The parents are responsible for deciding whether or not their kids will be there. So yes, people need to take responsibility and quit threatening others over voluntary activities.

And I have no idea what you mean about flying the boxes - I've never made one comment about the subject on this board.

Ok, I'm done.....somehow I was able to have my say without cussing or threatening anyone.

How do you stop the kids sticking their heads right up to the speakers? That's gonna happen at any gig.

If my kid was going to a gig I'd supply them with earplugs to just knock down the volume a bit, they're all about that 'kicked in the ribs' feel anyway. Lord knows I wish I'd been smarter about gigs when I was younger, that ringing in my ears in the mornings is getting to be a bit boring now.

Nice work!

88h88 wrote:If my kid was going to a gig I'd supply them with earplugs to just knock down the volume a bit, they're all about that 'kicked in the ribs' feel anyway. Lord knows I wish I'd been smarter about gigs when I was younger, that ringing in my ears in the mornings is getting to be a bit boring now.

I'd be willing to bet that your kid would instantly remove the earplugs as soon as you were out of sight, unless the volume was physically hurting. In that case, I would get out of there because 130db at a school dance is just plain irresponsible on both the guardian's and the DJ's part. But would your kid obey you and keep the earplugs in even if the other kids are making fun of him/her because of it? I know I probably wouldn't keep them in. The other kids might make fun of those wearing earplugs, and peer pressure is a powerful thing.

they're all about that 'kicked in the ribs' feel anyway.

+1

True, kids are mostly horrible little scrotes but if told the music would actually be clearer with them in and they'd find it easier to talk to each other I'd say they'd have them in.

I may have to get a great big bowl of them for the parties I'm planning on doing and have a great big notice on the door because let's face it, 100db is supposedly ruining your hearing in about 15 minutes. I've had the RTA saying 116db on my 'little' 2xT39 2xOmintop12 setup which according to science gives your eardrums about 30 seconds before you're doing damage. http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/educat ... uidelines/

88h88 wrote:True, kids are mostly horrible little scrotes but if told the music would actually be clearer with them in and they'd find it easier to talk to each other I'd say they'd have them in.

How would they find it easier to talk to each other? The earplugs will reduce about 15-20db from everything, not just the loud music. It's all relative.

100db is supposedly ruining your hearing in about 15 minutes. I've had the RTA saying 116db on my 'little' 2xT39 2xOmintop12 setup which according to science gives your eardrums about 30 seconds before you're doing damage.

Interesting, but it seems there's a lot of different opinions on this. http://www.hearnet.com/at_risk/risk_aboutloss.shtml Says:

100 dB - 2 hours

110 dB - 30 min

120 dB- 7.5 min

Also, I've had gigs running 110-115db for two hours at a time. I've done many gigs like this. I can hear up to 20khz fairly easily. On a different note, sorry for the thread-jack. I will make a thread on this, as it seems there are many different opinions on this.

I should really know my sound science now bit earplugs, musical ones anyway really clean up the high end in a crappy sounding room hence everything is clearer. When I have mine in at gigs it's easier to hear someone talking in my ear than without. It's like magic!

Also I'm assuming that hearing site is erring on the side of caution which isn't a bad thing. I've had ringing ears from places in minutes before so I'm never without plugs these days. I'd also question your measuring device as some are wayyyyyyyy off.

88h88 wrote:I should really know my sound science now bit earplugs, musical ones anyway really clean up the high end in a crappy sounding room hence everything is clearer. When I have mine in at gigs it's easier to hear someone talking in my ear than without. It's like magic!

Also I'm assuming that hearing site is erring on the side of caution which isn't a bad thing. I've had ringing ears from places in minutes before so I'm never without plugs these days. I'd also question your measuring device as some are wayyyyyyyy off.

Hmm, when I thought of earplugs I wasn't talking about musical earplugs, I was talking about the cheap solid foam ones you can get pretty much anywhere. Sorry for the confusion.

They probably are. It says "Many hearing professionals believe that these permissible levels are still too high for hearing safety." It also mentions that many audiologists are trying to get the safe level reduced 5db, to 85db being safe. And although my gigs might not have been at 115db, they were definitely louder than 100db. You could feel your eardrums getting pushed in and out with the low bass.

Bass isn't the stuff that kills your hearing that quickly unless we're talking explosion level sound, it's the high frequency scraping at your eardrums that'll make you deaf as a post quicker from what I recall.


But yes, foam plugs are crap considering you can get musical ones for a few quid. An utter godsend for poor venues.

I was a teenager in the late sixtys early seventys when cotton wool was not around to wrap me up in, thank god. I listened to music to loud then and I still do now but it my choice and theres a lot worse things I could do to damage my self. So give the kids some space and teach not ban as we seem to do today.

Hmm, I'm pretty sure cotton wool was around before the 60s.