Amazing!

[blue_luke]

Tired and no real goal in life tonight I am watching some YT about artists I like and came upon David Bowie Queen sound check for a revival.
Then it occurred to me....
An SM57 has a sensitivity of -56dbv/Pa and yet the voice is brought out loud enough to fill a 70K crowd up to about 100dbspl!
With not much noise, distortion and quite flat response (maybe?)
I never did the calculations of what is the actual gain from the mic _-57dbv_ to the thousands of watt projected at the crowd but one is to marvel at the electronics involved and moreover, the engineers and tech who devised such equipment over the last 50 years!
I was there at the beginning (mid 60's) and tonight I've just realised how far we have gone now!
Kudos to all the unsung heroes of what is now taken for granted!

 

[cyrano]

<nagging mode on>Almost every concert I attend is too loud. Even movie theaters are too loud<nagging mode off>

I'm just getting too old for rock and roll...

 

[blue_luke]

<nagging mode on>Almost every concert I attend is too loud. Even movie theaters are too loud<nagging mode off>

I'm just getting too old for rock and roll...

I agree (nagging mode on too) theatres and concerts are too loud. I don't go to those big events anymore, not that I am too old for rockn'roll but I developed a fear of great crowds since an incident 20 years ago.

 

[JohnRoberts]

<nagging mode on>Almost every concert I attend is too loud. Even movie theaters are too loud<nagging mode off>

I'm just getting too old for rock and roll...

I lost any appreciation for loud noises serving in the army. I even wore ear plugs while driving my motorcycle to reduce wind noise. One time while in the army I had to DIY ear plugs from cigaret filters, during a firing range session.
===
Back in the early 80s I was backstage in the Hartford civic center while ACDC was passing through on tour. I was inside a small room talking with my friend Steve Dove their traveling "boffin" supporting the PA. The Hartford fire marshal was testing their pyro explosion. The crew thought it would be funny to not warn us. Even inside the room with a closed door it was loud, and the room filled with smoke from the pyro.

I typically escape out the backstage door when these bands start playing, ACDC was loud. The drum monitor rig was probably louder than some full PAs of the day.

JR

 

[cyrano]

Army vehicles are loud. I can imagine you needed a "filter"...

I only drove a Minerva* jeep. Very quiet, for a military vehicle.

* Built in Belgium, from a Landrover license with just enough difference to make it a different vehicle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minerva_(automobile)

 

[JohnRoberts]

Army vehicles are loud. I can imagine you needed a "filter"...

I only drove a Minerva* jeep. Very quiet, for a military vehicle.

* Built in Belgium, from a Landrover license with just enough difference to make it a different vehicle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minerva_(automobile)

I drove a M151A1 1/4 ton utility vehicle (aka jeep). That wasn't remotely the loud part. During training we were exposed to loud controlled explosions.

That rifle range event I mentioned was loud. We were required to re-qualify with our M16s once a year or whatever. The cadre in charge of my group were impatient so doubled us up on the rifle range points. Twice as many soldiers firing at the same time, than the range was designed for. Then they instructed us to fire the full clip (18 bullets) using "rock and roll" (full automatic), without ear protection.

That was loud.

JR