You may also come across venues that have sound ceilings installed, often referred to as Zone Array systems. The decibel limit is set by the environmental health officer and depends on a multitude of factors such as the location of the venue and surrounding neighbours. This works on a traffic light system, which will indicate when the levels are close to being exceeded (Green = okay, Amber = warning, Red = power will be cut soon if sustained). The second type of limiter is the most common and the one we previously discussed. Mains Power Switching Units (Most Popular) If the limiter is incorrectly set, then this could trigger unnecessary power cuts to the band's gear and potentially damage equipment that’s connected to it, for example, laptops and valve guitar amplifiers. The band essentially have no control when using these types of sound limiters, which is why they are not the most popular to work with. They are permanently installed at the venue and work in conjunction with an environmental noise control unit. This requires bands to plug their gear into the limiter which will continually monitor the sound level and reduce the volume if the limit is exceeded. an audio mixer or karaoke machine) and the main power amplifier. Automatic Volume Controllers & Electronic Sound MonitoringĪutomatic Volume Controllers are connected between the sound source (e.g.
Below is a decibel scale comparison chart to help us understand this further:Ī very good question! There are actually two types of sound limiter: Automatic Volume Controllers & Electronic Sound Monitoring, and Mains Power Switching Units, both of which come in a variety of models and makes. The decibel scale was created to help measure these sounds in a way that we can make sense of it all. and 20dB is a hundred times more intense than 1dB. We refer to this as a logarithmic unit and basically means that a small increase in decibels indicates a large increase in intensity.įor example, 10dB is ten times more intense than 1dB. So how can we compare different levels of loudness so that it all makes sense?ĭecibels (dB) are the unit we use to measure sound. We can hear everything from a pencil being sharpened to a space shuttle being launched. The human ear is incredibly sensitive, which makes measuring sound rather odd. Many wedding venues may choose to install a limiter to protect their property and adhere to insurance terms. Protect Historic BuildingsĮxcessively loud noise can cause vibrations which in turn can cause damage to historical buildings. This was put in place to help reduce the risk of employees suffering partial or total loss of hearing by controlling the noise they’re exposed to whilst working. Employers now have to uphold The Control of Noise at Work regulations 2005. Installing a limiter enables the venue to keep track of these levels to minimise noise complaints and avoid fines, prosecution or even worse – have their licence removed altogether!Īlso, the venue have to be mindful of their staff working in these environments. This can lead to local councils setting up a sound control plan in order to minimise noise pollution. Noise ComplaintsĪ venue can be subject to noise complaints from surrounding neighbours which could be deemed to be a statutory nuisance. You may be surprised to hear that venues are not legally required to install a sound limiter, yet they’re becoming increasingly popular in the UK – and there are a number of reasons for why this is. If tripped multiple times within a certain time frame, then it could take 15 minutes or longer to come back on again. However, if the band have cranked up their amps and the guests are all singing ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ at the top of their lungs, then the sound limiter may well cut the power. As long as this is visible, the musicians can keep their eye on this and adjust their levels discreetly (if needed) to avoid the power being cut. Most limiters are fitted with a traffic light system to help warn musicians and staff when the noise is getting close to exceeding the limit.
The venue’s staff will then have to reset the limiter in order to turn the power back on again. for more than 7-10 seconds) then the sound limiter will cut the power supply to the music. If the noise in the room exceeds the pre-set limit for a certain amount of time (e.g. The units used to measure ‘loudness’ are called decibels (dB). To put it simply: a sound limiter monitors the sound level in a room via a built-in microphone, making sure it does not exceed a certain limit. Browse Wedding Bands What is a Sound Limiter?
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