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Sound Policy
We must respect the land owners and their neighbors or we risk loosing
our venue and our ability to continue to fund local interactive artists.
PreHeat is an Interactive Art event, not a music event.
Sound is merely one form of interactive art represented at the event.
We respect sound as an interactive art form, however, unlike other forms
of interactive art, if amplified in excess sound has the ability to
infringe upon other participants' right to not engage in it. Yes,
we realize your amplified sound is your form of Radical Self-Expression,
but that Principle also reminds you that "It is offered as a gift to
others. In this spirit, the giver should respect the rights and
liberties of the recipient." This sound policy has been
developed as a means to accomplish the goals of respecting the gift of
sound art, respecting the rights of those that do not wish to engage in
sound art, respecting the land owners and the neighboring community, and
minimizing the risk of noise complaints to local law enforcement.
In order to provide assurance to local law enforcement that the repeated
noise violations of the past will not continue, the following policy
will be strictly enforced:
General Policy
No Participant may operate an amplified sound system within the event
boundaries of PreHeat without permission from Burnt Oranges. All
amplified sound must strictly adhere to the rules and regulations set
forth in the Burnt Oranges Sound Policy. Every amplified sound system
must be pre-registered and a Sound Sponsor must sign the Sound Release
Form indicating that he/she will be responsible for ensuring that the
sound system is operated in accordance with the Burnt Oranges Sound
Policy. Every Sound Sponsor must display the Sound Permit received from
Burnt Oranges conspicuously near the sound system for the duration of
the event. A specific decibel limit will be set prior to each year's
event and is subject to change at any time at the request of Burnt
Oranges. Failure to comply with the Burnt Oranges Sound Policy or
failure to comply with explicit directives from Sound Marshals, Rangers,
or the board members of Burnt Oranges will result in disciplinary action as
outlined in the procedure section of the Burnt Oranges Sound Policy.
Decibel levels are designed to protect the event from external
complaints. However, this level may not be appropriate at the event
during certain hours of the day or in certain locations/situations. In
the spirit of community, lower decibels can and may need to be
negotiated due to internal conflicts within the PreHeat community. These
internal negotiations are expected to be fair and reasonable with utmost
respect given to artistic expression while also taking into account the
needs of the greater community.
We will be limiting the number of amplified sound camps to 3 or 4.
Other camps may use amplified sound, however the decibel limit for these
will be much lower. These camps must still register their sound
system, but decibel limits for these camps will be set at the event.
PROCEDURE Pre-Event Prior to the event, a sound
camp representative must register the camp and include in the
description the proposed sound, camp specifications, and any
questions/concerns regarding amplified sound at the event. Camps or individuals planning
to bring amplified sound to PreHeat must designate a Sound Sponsor
for their amplified sound system. The Sound Sponsor designates up
to four additional people to act in his or her stead at the event.
These should be individuals that the Sound Sponsor trusts since it
is the Sound Sponsor who is ultimately responsible for how the sound
system is operated. Prior to the event, the Sound
Sponsor completes and signs the Sound Release, including the names
of any additional representatives in the provided blanks. During Event After being placed by the camp
placer, the Sound Sponsor and, if possible, his/her representatives
meet with a Sound Marshal. The Sound Marshal inspects the
sound system and collaborates with the Sound Sponsor regarding the
placement and orientation of the sound system. The Sound Marshal ensures that
the Sound Sponsor and, if possible, his/her representatives know how
to monitor their own sound with a decibel meter. The Sound Permit is displayed
conspicuously near the sound system. Sound Marshals roam the event
and are available by radio. If no Sound Marshal is available,
Rangers are authorized and empowered to operate in a Sound Marshal’s
place. Questions regarding the Burnt
Oranges Sound Policy or its enforcement are directed to the Sound
Marshals on site. Sound Marshals are not only able to help adjust
sound levels, but also provide technical advice for maintaining
compliance. The Sound Sponsor or one of
his/her representatives is readily available at all times when the
sound system is in use. If there is a sound issue and a
Sound Sponsor or one of his/her representatives is not able to be
found within 10 minutes, an on-duty Sound Marshal, Ranger, or member
of Burnt Oranges is authorized to lower sound levels or turn the
sound source off as deemed necessary. All sound systems operate at or
under their assigned decibel limit at all times. Sound Marshals resolve minor
decibel infractions by locating the on-duty Sound Sponsor and
requesting appropriate changes be made. If told to do so by a Sound
Marshal, Ranger, or a member of Burnt Oranges, a Sound Sponsor or
his/her representative will comply with directives to turn down the
sound. Sound Policy infractions are
recorded in the Sound Log and reviewed at each shift change by the
Sound Marshals, Rangers, and Burnt Oranges. In the event of a formal noise
complaint from an external source, Sound Marshals and Rangers are
dispatched to immediately drop the overall decibel limit. This could
mean anything from a slight drop in sound level to a complete
silence of all systems. ENFORCEMENT If a sound producing entity is
found to be in violation of the Sound Policy, Sound Marshal(s),
Ranger(s), and/or member(s) of Burnt Oranges address the problem. Entities operating amplified
sound without a valid permit are subject to the disabling and
seizing of all equipment until the conclusion of the event. Entities violating the Sound
Policy will receive a verbal warning and will turn their levels down
to the levels set by the Sound Marshal, Ranger, and/or member of
Burnt Oranges. All infractions are logged in
the Sound Log and reviewed at shift change by the Sound Marshals,
Rangers, and members of Burnt Oranges. A second violation may
result in a second verbal warning or the shutting down of the
sound system for 24 hours, at the discretion of the Sound
Marshal(s), Ranger(s), or member of Burnt Oranges. A third violation, and/or
gross negligence regarding the Sound Policy will result in the
violating sound source being shut down for the remainder of the
event. If this occurs, the
violating sound source will need to be removed from the event.
If the Sound Sponsor is unwilling or unable to remove the sound
source, Burnt Oranges will remove the sound source to a secure
location for the remainder of the event with assistance from the
Sound Marshal, DOGS, or Ranger, as required. Only an Board member is
authorized to remove a sound source. Refusal to comply with the
Sound Policy is grounds for ejection from the event. The Sound Sponsor is
responsible for any accidental damage or theft that may occur if a
sound source is impounded. EMERGENCY SOUND
ABATEMENT PROCEDURE In the event that there is a
formal complaint lodged by a local resident or a county official,
event-wide sound will be dampened within 10 minutes. To maximize response speed, the
Rangers will assist the Sound Marshals and the Board in
communicating the situation to all sound producing entities. Should this occur, all
sound-emitting entities are required to immediately
adjust their sound output as determined by the Sound Marshal(s),
Ranger(s), or member(s) of Burnt Oranges. Acceptable sound levels
during emergency sound abatement will be much lower than during
the event, and may be as extreme as silence in bass frequency
ranges (“cut subs”), or possibly all frequencies (“cut sound”). When emergency sound abatement
procedures are concluded, decibel levels will likely need to be
adjusted lower to prevent such an event from happening again.
REQUIRED DECIBEL LIMITS AND HOURS
Sound readings will be conducted at a distance of 50 feet from the sound
source. 10:00 AM - 12:30 AM: Amplified
Sound Camps: 80
Decibels. Other Amplified Sound: 74 Decibels 12:31 AM - 3:30 AM: No Bass,
74
Decibels. Limited bursts from large fire cannons. 3:31 AM - 9:59 AM: No Bass, 68
Decibels. No bursts from large fire cannons. Sound
is limited to ambient, chill, and live instruments (drums must be
baffled). SUGGESTIONS Sound travels through air (for the most part). And
it travels through cold and damp air the best. This is why sound carries
farther at night and you can hear sounds from very far distances,
particularly after midnight and as the dew point is reached in the air.
Burnt Oranges recommends the following to help mitigate this. ‘De-coupling’ the Sub Woofers Low end is not directional; so physically pointing
the subwoofers away from the neighbors will not help. Stopping the
subwoofers from transmitting their energy into the ground is the key
here. A great compressor/limiter for playa/burner use is
the Behringer AUTOCOM PRO-XL MDX1600 which retails for about $99.
Plus cables for around another $25 or less to interface with DJ
rigs. Sound Monitor Performances
Updated: 5.2.2011
Subwoofers placed flat on the ground sound about TWICE as loud at
distance than subs elevated somehow, like up on the stage. A good
suggestion is to place pallets on the ground with packing blankets as
buffers between the speaker and the pallet. The low end will still sound
loud and punchy on the dance floor where it matters, but will drop off
dramatically as you move away from the action.
COMPRESSOR/LIMITERS
We encourage sound camps to limit the volume with the use of a
‘compressor/limiter’. In addition, we suggest that the
compressor/limiter should be located away from where the DJ’s or talent
can mess with it.
DJs/musicians are encouraged to have a second person present to monitor
and dynamically adjust sound levels during their performance to comply
with the levels for which they are authorized.
