Know your Sound Limit(er)s
It isn’t too much of an understatement to say that your evening entertainment can make or break your wedding day. People will remember a good evening but they will remember a bad evening more. I’m not trying to scare you, it’s true. But don’t worry, we work in an industry where all suppliers, and specifically for this article, entertainers, uphold a very high standard to make sure you have the best time possible.
There are many things I could focus on when it comes to evening music but they’re beyond the scope of this article. I’ve written about tips to make sure you have a packed dance floor before but in this article I’d like to focus solely on sound limiters.
What’s a sound limiter?
Basically they are devices that are designed to stop bands, musicians and DJs from being too loud. They are connected to the electrical supply which your entertainment provider plugs their equipment into. A microphone is on the wall which detects how loud the sound is in the room. If it gets above a set decibel level the electricity supply to the music equipment is temporarily cut off until it can be reset.
I’m sure you can see the problem. Frequent breaks in the entertainment can kill the atmosphere and ruin the evening. Additionally many live musicians will not perform at full energy because they are busy making sure they don’t set the limiter off. It’s not just the volume of the music that contributes to the decibel level, it’s the crowd noise too. If the meters are set to a low decibel level it can make for a quiet night and, if you have a band booked, a huge amount of difficulties.
Of course I can see your face screwed up as you’re reading this as you think, “Why on earth would anyone have one of those?” Most venues have limiters installed because they’ve had complaints from residents about the noise levels so local councils will make it a condition of their licence that they have to have one. Most don’t choose to have them and those that do often don’t know exactly how they work because there’s quite a bit of sound science involved in their use. But don’t worry, I’ll explain here in simple terms so you can understand and so you know what to do if your venue has one.
A little sound science
Noise levels are measured in Decibels (dB), the higher the number the louder the sound. Here’s a link to a chart that shows the typical dB levels of most activities. As you can see normal conversation is around 60 – 65dB, most live music can be between 90 – 100dB. A really loud rock band, for example, can be as much as 105dB. Truthfully it all depends on how keen the drummer is because they don’t have a volume control. The dB level of sound dissipates as it travels through the air meaning that up close to a musician or DJ the dB level can be very high but if you step outside it will have dropped. Most venues are required to have a level of around 65dB at the perimeter of their property which means the dB level should be set so that it has sufficiently dissipated by the time it reaches outside of the grounds.
The problems they cause
I’m sure by now you can see what the problem is. If a limiter is set too low it will be turning the power off to the equipment all night. I once played at a venue where the limiter was set at 85dB in the room I was playing in. This is roughly the noise level of a hoover. It was a very very difficult night. Most musicians and DJs are very professional and are willing to work with the venue as long as there is give and take.
What can you do about it?
Here are some things you can do about it.
1. Ask the venue before booking
If the venue co-ordinators look at you and say, “A what?” the chances are they don’t have one. When you’re looking around the venue, in the room where the evening reception will be held, look on the wall for what appears to be an electrical box. It will have green lights flashing like an EQ meter on a stereo system. The higher up in the venue they are placed the less of a problem they will be because the bass frequencies are the primary cause of setting them off and they are mainly at floor level.
2. Don’t believe everything you’re told
I’m always reluctant to speak disparagingly of fellow suppliers but experience has taught me that you can’t always take what the venue tells you at face value. Some co-ordinators might tell you that they’ve had bands in in the past and they haven’t had a problem. I’ve been told this directly on a number of occasions only to have a limiter peak and kick in at the first sign of a guitar string being plucked. It’s a sad fact but make sure you check the actual level it has been set at. For most DJs and solo musicians 90 – 95dB is workable. It might be different if you’ve booked a band. If you’re unsure, ask your entertainment provider.
3. Work with your entertainment provider
If your venue does have a limiter don’t worry, they are not an evening killer. I have had many a successful wedding reception with full dance floors where there has been a limiter. A DJ or musician worth their salt will know how to work with one that is set at a sensible level. This will usually just mean them trimming off the bass to give them some headroom to work with.
Don’t panic!
If you’re reading this article with your venue already booked and you didn’t know about limiters before then I imagine you’re pretty worried. Don’t be. It’s rare that you get a venue where the limiter is debilitating and completely throttles your music but it does happen sometimes. The key is to ask before you book the venue. If a venue has one and they are not forthcoming about the details then you can either walk away or think about a different type of entertainment that may not be as noisy as a live band which is the most problematic when it comes to limiters.
Steven Heath is a guitarist, vocalist and DJ specialising in weddings and events across the North of England and the UK. He provides total sound and lighting solutions for entire wedding days and was a finalist in the North of England Wedding Awards 2016
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