Managing noise exposure in FE & HE

[Nick S]

The first couple of years we had mainly middle class people who played 'real' instruments who used to do A level music. I was always the first to lower my hand.

 

I think hearing loss in "classical" musicians shouldn't be underplayed. Playing picollo in the middle of a 100+ symphony orchestra easily exposes you to as much sound as the aspiring rock player (believe me, because I used to). There are plenty of orchestral players who have hearing damage from playing, as well as those who slam guitars every day. I'm taught in a classroom which for some unknown reason produces a very high pitched buzzing at random periods. It's pretty scary when out of fifty 19-24 olds only about half can actually hear it, and are bothered by it.

 

I'm just as guilty - I try to keep volumes down, but I know that when I was younger I almost certainly played and listened to high volumes of music that will come back to haunt me. And what's perhaps stupid about that is in that my case, my Grandfather is deaf as a result of the same thing - working in TV production and sound effects design back before limiters were introduced. It's taken me a good while to realise just what I've been doing.

[ojc123]

Perhaps a pub type volume limiter with flashing amber and red lights might be best?

Can you post a link to some of these? I've googled but don't seem to get anything appropriate. The ones I've found seem to want to switch it all off. Don't fancy that.

 

Does anyone have experience of this type of thing? SPL2120 Electronic sound level attenuation system

Or can you recommend different models? Cheaper would be good. Money is tight.

 

We don't have any specific measures in place in terms of monitoring with technological wizardry. My philosophy has always been that I don't mike up brass, woodwind or drums. I then get the amplified instruments to match. The kids occasionally grumble that it isn't loud enough so I must be doing something right on that front. After our concerts I am aware that I have been in a loud environment but never have any discomfort. All amplified instruments go through the PA so the "talent" has no control over volume. Not very scientific but I hope nobody has suffered hearing loss as a result of one of my concerts.

 

When I do hearing tests (Not at all objective, a bit like Paulears suggests) I am often surprised, and worried, that many of my students drop out before I do. They are 15-16, I am 50. I've asked about their listening habits. Ipods and walkpeople (PC enough?) etc seem to be commonly used. I can often hear them a few metres away against background noise. I guess they are responsible more than my concerts.

 

I remember going to see Thin Lizzy in the 70's. The volume was painful. I listened to them in the Foyer and I was not the only one. And my ears were still ringing at that. Them were the days!

[Modge]

I have one response to the thin lizzy thing. Go see motor head. This is how you define loud. Way too loud, woke up with my ears still ringing the next day, it was madness. Still loved the gig, motorhead supported by sepulatura :** laughs out loud **:

[ojc123]

I have one response to the thin lizzy thing. Go see motor head.

Each to his own. :** laughs out loud **:

 

""We don't want to hurt your ears. We want to destroy them." Thus spoke St. Lemmy, the patron saint of hearing-impaired head-bangers."

I'll go to no more such gigs thank you.

[Jivemaster]

Perhaps a pub type volume limiter with flashing amber and red lights might be best?

Can you post a link to some of these? I've googled but don't seem to get anything appropriate. The ones I've found seem to want to switch it all off. Don't fancy that.

 

Does anyone have experience of this type of thing? SPL2120 Electronic sound level attenuation system

Or can you recommend different models? Cheaper would be good. Money is tight.

 

The Sentry by SLC is a super indicator It isn't necessary to use the switching function. However nothing helps the listening volume from cans or in ears. The 70's had LOUD rock but quiet life so the noise dose was lower than now when the music is loud and life is loud and the use of permanent in-ears for personal music at unspecified levels is clearly too loud if the spill can be heard from the range of 5 metres. I actually measured 85dBA on Oxford street as background noise a few years ago.

 

The realisation that living life by the in-ear of a cheap walkman is ruining the possibility of a pro sound career will come but it will be too late for a generation if children

[Simon Lewis]

There are several devices that provide indication of the sound level - www.noisemeters.com has some (one of which incorporates a logging function - but this is easily defeated). I have lists of others if people need them.

 

However, I'm interested in the way this thread has run...

I ask "how are you managing noise exposure in FE/HE" and most replies are along the lines of "there isn't the knowledge / staff / resource / will to manage this issue".

 

Then, various people recount how many young people's hearing is quite poor, and how we should be doing something about it...

 

This isn't a criticism, just an observation that this is a tricky area to address. In our quieter moments (ouch!) we agree that many events are simply too loud, but it appears hard to reduce it to a reasonable level.

 

Perhaps the new CoNaW regs will be universally ignored in the entertainment industry... but the damage to workers and punter's ears will continue inexorably!

 

Simon

[paulears]

No - cutting the power is totally the way to go! The things (castle sound rings a bell) were great. Band play, warning lght comes on, staring them straight in the eye. They ignor it, on comes the red light, they ignor that, then the drumer is playing on his own! As it always seemed to be the dreadful bands who set them off, I could live with that. Nowadays it would be more of a pain as you can't just restore power without the breakers tripping out, but still, I reckon, a good idea.

 

Come to think of it wasn't there a manually operated switch behind the bar in the Blues Brothers movie?

[Simon Lewis]

No - cutting the power is totally the way to go!

 

I'd agree from a "you can't ignore the power being switched off" point of view...

 

But bands seem to have a habit of: finding an alternative power source (often via some dodgy conconction of extension leads), doctoring the microphone, or turning the unit's sensitivity control down (especially on units like the Formula Sound Sentry, which has a under panel preset with a blanking plug over it).

 

Firms with bigger PAs often refuse to connect to such devices, as they don't want some bar person to reset the noise device and have all of their amps turn back on at once).

 

A solution I applied in one venue was to connect all the fluorescent lights to the noise limiter box. It didn't cut the power, but it sure did spoil the atmosphere ;-)

 

Simon

[Andrew C]

A solution I applied in one venue was to connect all the fluorescent lights to the noise limiter box. It didn't cut the power, but it sure did spoil the atmosphere ;-)

I like that! Now where's my screwdriver... (You haven't patented the idea, have you? :** laughs out loud **: )

[Simon Lewis]

I like that! Now where's my screwdriver... (You haven't patented the idea, have you? :** laughs out loud **: )

 

No, but it looks like I should have done!!

 

perhaps a sticky label with "based on an original design by...." would suffice? ;-)

[Jivemaster]

The most worrying thing to me is that those in education mow spend their recreation time driving 1 watt directly into the outer ear canal, and this adds its uncontrolled dose to any official attempt to moderate noise dose. In my opinion the "music" that is so necessary to todays youth is also wrecking its hearing. And undermining attempts to protect that hearing.