SPL levels when playing out?

Project Mayhem

Experienced
Is there a target SPL level you aim for (as a band) when playing out? Do venues where you run your own sound give you a SPL limit?

Curious as to what the average is. Obviously different venues will result in different answers, but I'm thinking your general Pub gig.
 
"not too loud" is the typical technical term used.

many hotel gigs require less than 80dB, which is pointless because i can speak louder than that. bar gigs, i'd guess 100 dB within 20 feet of the stage is average. but i doubt there's any sort of standard. drums alone are in that range already.
 
140dB. Minimum ;)

Edit: the venues we play usually have a time limit after which there's no more live music possible or else the cops will be after you.
 
With acoustic drums, my goal was alwaus to get levels dancing around 90 dB at 10 from ft stage.

Most drummers' nerves when playing live tend to acoustically dominate the mix from the live sound off the instruments at 80 dB measured at 10 ft from stage. Suggesting Evans drum deadening heads does not endear you to such players either.

My rule of thumb is always, don't deafen the ladies on the dance floor and don't make it difficult for the bartenders to hear complicated hipster cocktail orders. It's been a good rule of thumb.
 
My old band got the cops called for playing about 140db...

It was in the city of Tempe, AZ... and it was INSIDE A CLUB

Neighbors called the police, on a bar/club.

The real pain was that was when all I could afford was a crate solid state full stack- so... it was probably painful to many.
 
Yes....every situation is usually very different.

I always watch when people are talking as we’re playing ....if they are leaning up closer to chat ...I’m ok, ...I may bump up the overall level a bit.

If they appear to be talking up towards the others ear directly and not appear to be shouting ...I’d still think I’m ok.

Much closer to the others ear and they are using one hand as a megaphone....may still be ok if it’s a Rock venue ...(expected)

....otherwise ...I’m turning down the overall level.

Bear in mind ...levels may be good but certain frequencies may be more enhance than others and some may say the band is too loud overall.

I always EQ the system with the venue ...in general ...usually more or less bottom or highs
 
Appreciate the feedback guys. Checked local venues today and that seems to be the norm (92 give or take). At least that seems to be the limit if food is being served in the same room.
 
We have a silent stage including electronic drums so we can be very quiet (we've done ultra quiet dinner gigs for benefits) - but we still want the people in the place to know a band is playing, so typically we're around 95 to 105 unless the venue is pushing us down. The nice part being we don't have lanes of loud amps creating oddities in the room, so our sound is generally pretty uniform no matter where you are in the room. - I find people complain a lot more about the one half stack pointed a specific direction then a pleasing mix that covers the room evenly. We do play one venue that has a visual DB meter just behind mix position and they will walk over and tell our FOH engineer to turn it down if the crowd isn't great, but if the place is packed they don't even look at it. They have the bar off to the side and we have our PA pointed straight out so they can still hear at the bar even when we are really hitting it.

I like the rule from above, don't kill the dancers and make sure the bar can understand hipster drink orders, but the bass must be hitting enough for the girls to know when to shake their butts, no one gets up to dance if you are too quiet.
 
I always find it hilarious when a loud band wonders why there are no people up to the front of the stage and has to ask them to come closer.

Loud concerts are bad for your hearing and that of your audience. Tinnitus is no fun matter. I reckon its time to finally quit our obsession that concerts have to be loud, like we are proud to be masochists or something. Public smoking used to be acceptable. Driving while drunk used to be acceptable. Those things have changed. We can't we accept that subjecting ourselves to dangerously loud sound levels is bad too?

My old band got the cops called for playing about 140db...

It was in the city of Tempe, AZ... and it was INSIDE A CLUB

Neighbors called the police, on a bar/club.

The real pain was that was when all I could afford was a crate solid state full stack- so... it was probably painful to many.

You'd think that with a solid state amp volume wouldn't be an issue, even with a full stack. It's not like you need the cop out that you got a tube amp that needs to be cranked in order to sound good.
 
DB-chart.png

I am always amazed by musicians who put their hearing at constant risk.
 
DB-chart.png

I am always amazed by musicians who put their hearing at constant risk.


Remember it’s both time and intensity that can do damage. 8hrs at 90dB is an OSHA standard, but the inverse squared law, with dB being a measure of sound pressure, means 4hrs at 93 dB, 2 hrs at 96dB etc...

As such, 2 hr concert at just 100dB can easily cause some potentially permanent hearing loss, and guys who are subjecting their ears to 120dB cranked amps as a backline, gig after gig, are no doubt doing some significant harm which will have lasting implications of reduced clarity of speech, tinnitus etc
 
My target range is 90. A little more a little less. Except during the guitar solo at which .150 is fine Just kidding.
 
We've been aiming for between 85 and 90 dB for the same reasons as Dr Bonkers. As he mentioned, keeping the drummer in check (does that really happen?) helps the mix immensely at these volumes.
Liquid Benadryl shot in a cocktail or horse tranquilizers can help the most anxiety prone drummers.

I kid, I kid!
 
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