12/30/2025
Communication of Volume in live music venues
I am writing to share some insights that may be beneficial to workers and professionals engineers working within live music venues. Understanding the challenges faced by these individuals is crucial for fostering a supportive and efficient work environment. This commentary aims to illuminate specific issues and the intricate processes involved in their resolution. By fostering greater awareness, we can collectively work towards improving operational effectiveness and staff and patrons well-being. My hope is that this shared perspective will contribute positively to the live music industry.
The first hurtle is the understanding of volume, or amplitude, or sound pressure and how we as humans hear. The standard often used is a device called a decibel meter, or DB METER. This device is valid for single source sound, like power tools, engines, speaking, etc. However, measurements for music are not very accurate in relationships to our hearing. As of now there isn't a device that can represent volume of live music. Layering of instruments in relationships to what the listener is used to hearing is a major factor. Stabbing frequencies in the overall eq of a mix can also play a major role. Quality of amplified sound is another factor (distorted signals, overloaded sound board channels etc.) So when an engineer gets the complaint of "volume to loud", he or she has to try and discern what is the cause. Unfortunately, in the interim there isn't a fader or k**b or any way to immediately relieve the problem. This is where the trust and understanding between all needs to be in effect to find the solution. Of course, this has to happen in real time, because communication or complaints after the fact will not help to find a solution.
One of the biggest problems of consistent volume issues usually has to do with multiple factors. 1- Engineer inadequacy, meaning experience level or not understanding the causes of these complaints. 2-Environment design or lack of understanding sound projections when room is designed and built. ( Putting Bar directly in the path of stage ). 3- Placement of speakers, and engineer mixing location. The issue of speaker placement is one of the most overlooked problem in controlling live sound. The second part to this is the placement of where the audio engineer is located. Behind a wall, off to the side or the worst, locating side stage.
Because volume changes with movement of audience say to dance area. Or later in shows as the audiencemay start to thin out as some leave early. This makes for a constant adjustment factor to now satisfy the new volume criteria. One must take into acount that different people do have different tolerance for factors listed, or certain instrument frequencies that might be out of balance within the music playing causing volume problems. Unlike a DJ playing recorded music, the one fader that works for them to control the volume, is only a small part of the live engineers approach to find a solution. While all opinions should be considered, this is the time for understanding that the most important fact has to be (majority rules) for the final judgment. You can't always make everyone happy but that is not to say if only one person speaks up it isn't valid, and a good engineer will check his normal judgment criteria to make sure it isn't in fact an issue at that time.
Engineers use many tools that have become available in the digital age, such as visual cues from visual frequency graphs, compressor triggers on certain instruments and many other visual aids available in the modern audio equipment.
The old school watching audience response can also still be very valid. Are they smiling and enjoying themselves? Do they seem to be able to speak to there neighbor? Are they running to the door with hands over ears? All important signs for a professional engineer at the board. Did anyone comment to you that you are doing a good job? This brings me to one off the most overlooked tool avaliable to all affected in this work environment. That is too mention to your sound person when you feel it is a proper volume from your perspective. If engineers don't know what the consensus is when the volume is acceptable is just as important, as knowing what the "bad" volume is. This will go a long way to help the audio engineer to understand the problem and work towards the solutions to keep everyone happy within the confines and imperfections of the live audio environments.
One last thing, remember there is another very important factor involved, and that is the live performers on stage. If they are using amplifiers and acoustic drums, there is a volume source to contend with. Vocalists have to hear themselves, which if not using In Ear Monitors (headphones) the volume of their stage monitors will also contribute negatively to the volume of the Front System. As the show goes on if those performers start getting louder on stage, the monitor source now becomes even more of an issue. The engineer is always at the unfortunate fact of mixing to the loudest source of volume on stage.
This discussion is not to make excuses for rampant volume, or insinuating that there is no hope. Just the opposite. Being aware of the reason for this problem can help in the working as a team to take control of it. Understanding, most professional engineers wants to achieve a great mix with all who attend leaving happy with a smile. As Engineers have many "bosses" the crowd, the staff, the owner of venue, the band, and the bands faithful fans that see them often, in different venues, it is always a balancing act. Those that have been in it for a long time, may not be 100% perfect, but they are 100% perfectly trying to keep all those masters happy. If we all learn about the causes of volume discrepancy this is a problem that will improve, or dare I say, possible disappear? That would make everyone happy.
