Answers to your Live Music and DJ questions. Get Information about wedding bands

Hi John!

Some orchestras tend to be very loud... I personally come to weddings with ear plugs - the $1.99 once you find in CVS... Remember that walking over to the band to tell them what you really think about them, will just give you some dirty looks and some dirty tricks, (like reducting the monitors instead of the mains, ignoring you or sending you over to the roadies to complain there.

Having said that, as in many aspects of music, there is a diversity of opinions about how the sound system should be operated. You will discover that when the volume level is satisfactory for most, there will still be some who cannot hear well and others who will think it's too loud. Unfortunately, a sound operator cannot always accommodate every hearing sensitivity. All he can do is try to gauge the volume to an acceptable level for the average listener. A sound operator should have a "few" selected spotters in the audience that can help him gauge volume levels from different locations, but he should avoid being manipulated by the numerous diverse opinions.

Regardless of the band, older people should never be sitting near the band as that area is always the loudest. Remember a PA system needs to be adequate enough for the job. In order to hear music clearly in a large room full of people, you need quality amplification and large speakers that will move the music well across the room. Some band leaders may cut corners by bringing lighter PA systems that don't do the job well, so it won't be too heavy for them to carry. When they need more volume than the PA can handle, the system can distort and the sound will be greatly compromised. Another reason bands can be loud is that the band does not have properly placed monitors. The band members can't hear the music being played, so they play louder to compensate.

There is no question that in a room with bad acoustics a sound company can be essential for proper sound level and quality.

If you really want to get technical, a person produces energy (i.e. his voice, shoes, forks, knives etc). This means that a group of people standing around and talking can be producing noise in excess of 90db which is as loud as a machine shop. This is all happening before the music even starts. A person absorbs 70W with his body and clothes. This means the people in front will go deaf while the people in back wont hear the music at all. Sound follows a inverse square law - the level halves when the distance double so it loses power very quickly. And finally, Room acoustics - square halls with high ceilings tend to have "standing waves" that make everything loud and noisey.

For a more complete technical discussion see here and here.

Hope this helps...
Danny