A church handing out earplugs!

phisherman1997 · November 21st, 2005, 09:43 AM

Yestday my wife and I attended a church and on the information table right next to the brochures and people greeting visitors was a box of earplugs!

This is a college-based church plant, sprouted from a huge church on the outskirts of town so there are families from the home church along with the college students and locals. Yesterday there was only a 2-musician team (acoutsic guitar and aux. percussion). They were a bit loud (didn't need the earplugs), but I noticed their board was labled for a full band (bass, electric,...). If the sound folks are not willing to bring the level down for whatever reason, I think it's cool that they're looking out for the congregation and giving them the option of plugs.

Has anyone else seen this before?

BTW, the BEST preaching we've heard since we've moved to Texas, so we'll definetly be back!

pohorsky · November 21st, 2005, 09:50 AM

You still get the same effect if the music is down as opposed to earplugs. Personal, if they handed out earplugs to me it would be goodbye time.

andy__woods · November 21st, 2005, 10:14 AM

In my experience, and like most of you I play every sunday on the praise team, it is never too loud. In fact, it is rarely loud enough. Now I don't mean to be selfish or self-promoting, but my guitar (i play rhythm acoustic) is either not turned on for some reason, or the volume is very low. I need to get a hearing aid or something to actually hear myself.

Oh yeah, I go to a fairly conservative Baptist church that didn't even have a praise team 4 years ago. And I bet when I get a tele and bring it on sundays they are going to have that turned way down too, can't offend any elderly folk!

mcfm2n · November 22nd, 2005, 11:07 PM

In our church we got rid of the stage monitors and started using in ear monitors. My amp sits in a iso booth. This cuts a lot of the stage volume. The sound tech does not let the house go over 90db. It takes practice to be able to mix at lower volumes.

phisherman1997 · December 5th, 2005, 11:51 AM

Ok, so this week the church had their full band back. WAY TOO LOUD!!! I felt like I'd left a punk show from my youth.

It's really unfortunate, the preaching is so good, but there is no way I can subject myself to that kind of spl every week and having to wear earplugs in church just seems dumb :?

Tim Swartz · December 7th, 2005, 05:25 PM

If the volume level helps get these college kids to engage in worship I say let 'er rip. We have some blue hairs at our church that wear ear plugs... And I'm guessing we're not nearly as loud as the college church (our tech monitors an SPL meter and trys to keep it in the low 90s). It is just a generational thing.

phisherman1997 · December 13th, 2005, 05:04 PM

Believe me I'm far from a blue-hair (I'm only 25), and I'm all for a good volume. The last worhsip team I played on was plenty loud. This church is just dangerous though. There is no reason that it needs to be this loud. I don't have an SLP meter, but I'm certain that it was way over 100!

shred8rkb · March 28th, 2006, 01:26 PM

hi fellas,

i'm church-tele-player and the head of our sound dept. hear is some info:
(i'm all for reaching youth for Jesus, but too loud is too loud. how can they hear the message if they can't hear?)
peace
Decibel Exposure Time Guidelines

Accepted standards for recommended permissible exposure time for continuous time weighted average noise, according to NIOSH and CDC, 2002. For every 3 dBs over 85dB, the permissible exposure time before possible damage can occur is cut in half.

Continuous dB
Permissible Exposure Time

85 db
8 hours

88 dB
4 hours

91 db
2 hours

94 db
1 hour

97 db
30 minutes

100 db
15 minutes

103 db
7.5 minutes

106 dB
3.75 min (< 4min)

109 dB
1.875 min (< 2min)

112 dB
.9375 min (~1 min)

115 dB
.46875 min (~30 sec)

TheViking · March 29th, 2006, 01:26 AM

....in playing that loud. There are plenty of ways to fill a space with sound without playing so loud people need earplugs.

marvelous · May 22nd, 2008, 11:26 PM

Why is the church wanting to ruin peoples hearing? Are they going to pay the doctor's (Ear, Nose, & Thraot) bill when they have to go? Will they pay for the inputs?
How can you worship with the music this loud?
Marvelous
2000 Nashville Telecaster
1966 Gretsch Jet Firebird

hotraman · May 23rd, 2008, 03:01 AM

Your sound system is bad...
Loud doesn't mean better, especially
if you can't hear your Tele in the mix.

GoldieLocks · May 23rd, 2008, 02:14 PM

How does the congregation hear themselves sing? Is that not important?

I love pleasantly loud live music. But if you need ear-plugs something might be out of control.

guitarzan13 · May 23rd, 2008, 02:18 PM

Welcome to the TDPRI shred8rkb!!!!!

cpeters01 · May 26th, 2008, 02:58 PM

My 15 year old son and I attended a Youth Conference in our city this past weekend, http://www.ycgeneration.com and it was awesome but this issue came up. Why does it need to be "that" loud. Now I am a rock n' roller from way back and I like my music loud especially when I'm playing the new tele,

but I think it gets to the point of too much and it makes no sense to go there. It isn't fun to stand behind a jet engine so why recreate it inside a building?

The Newsboys ended the weekend and it was so stinkin' loud that everyone just kind of shut down and just stood there. Now the kids may have been tired but I think it was too loud to really enjoy.

BTW Leeland did the best worship set I have ever been a part of. That kid is something else.

I was also happy and pleased to see that almost every act used a tele of some ilk. I think Skillet was the only main act to not use a tele because they all use PRS gear.

November 21st, 2005, 09:43 AM	#1 (permalink)
phisherman1997 Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Austin TX Posts: 116	A church handing out earplugs! Yestday my wife and I attended a church and on the information table right next to the brochures and people greeting visitors was a box of earplugs! This is a college-based church plant, sprouted from a huge church on the outskirts of town so there are families from the home church along with the college students and locals. Yesterday there was only a 2-musician team (acoutsic guitar and aux. percussion). They were a bit loud (didn't need the earplugs), but I noticed their board was labled for a full band (bass, electric,...). If the sound folks are not willing to bring the level down for whatever reason, I think it's cool that they're looking out for the congregation and giving them the option of plugs. Has anyone else seen this before? BTW, the BEST preaching we've heard since we've moved to Texas, so we'll definetly be back!

November 21st, 2005, 09:50 AM	#2 (permalink)
pohorsky Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bakersfield Age: 23 Posts: 722 48 Photos	Why You still get the same effect if the music is down as opposed to earplugs. Personal, if they handed out earplugs to me it would be goodbye time. __________________ Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. John Wayne

November 21st, 2005, 10:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
andy__woods Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Michigan Age: 23 Posts: 1,158 60 Photos	earplugs!? In my experience, and like most of you I play every sunday on the praise team, it is never too loud. In fact, it is rarely loud enough. Now I don't mean to be selfish or self-promoting, but my guitar (i play rhythm acoustic) is either not turned on for some reason, or the volume is very low. I need to get a hearing aid or something to actually hear myself. Oh yeah, I go to a fairly conservative Baptist church that didn't even have a praise team 4 years ago. And I bet when I get a tele and bring it on sundays they are going to have that turned way down too, can't offend any elderly folk! __________________ -- Andy "Woods" Crowder --

December 7th, 2005, 05:25 PM	#6 (permalink)
Tim Swartz Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Michigan - Tweenst the Great Lakes Posts: 1,872	If the volume level helps get these college kids to engage in worship I say let 'er rip. We have some blue hairs at our church that wear ear plugs... And I'm guessing we're not nearly as loud as the college church (our tech monitors an SPL meter and trys to keep it in the low 90s). It is just a generational thing. __________________

March 29th, 2006, 01:26 AM	#9 (permalink)
TheViking Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Norway Age: 37 Posts: 666	I don't see the point..... ....in playing that loud. There are plenty of ways to fill a space with sound without playing so loud people need earplugs. __________________ Teles & Tube Amps, the essence of life

November 22nd, 2005, 11:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
mcfm2n Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Plano TX Age: 45 Posts: 207 19 Photos	In our church we got rid of the stage monitors and started using in ear monitors. My amp sits in a iso booth. This cuts a lot of the stage volume. The sound tech does not let the house go over 90db. It takes practice to be able to mix at lower volumes.

December 5th, 2005, 11:51 AM	#5 (permalink)
phisherman1997 Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Austin TX Posts: 116	Ok, so this week the church had their full band back. WAY TOO LOUD!!! I felt like I'd left a punk show from my youth. It's really unfortunate, the preaching is so good, but there is no way I can subject myself to that kind of spl every week and having to wear earplugs in church just seems dumb :?

December 13th, 2005, 05:04 PM	#7 (permalink)
phisherman1997 Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Austin TX Posts: 116	Believe me I'm far from a blue-hair (I'm only 25), and I'm all for a good volume. The last worhsip team I played on was plenty loud. This church is just dangerous though. There is no reason that it needs to be this loud. I don't have an SLP meter, but I'm certain that it was way over 100!

March 28th, 2006, 01:26 PM	#8 (permalink)
shred8rkb NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1	hi fellas, i'm church-tele-player and the head of our sound dept. hear is some info: (i'm all for reaching youth for Jesus, but too loud is too loud. how can they hear the message if they can't hear?) peace Decibel Exposure Time Guidelines Accepted standards for recommended permissible exposure time for continuous time weighted average noise, according to NIOSH and CDC, 2002. For every 3 dBs over 85dB, the permissible exposure time before possible damage can occur is cut in half. Continuous dB Permissible Exposure Time 85 db 8 hours 88 dB 4 hours 91 db 2 hours 94 db 1 hour 97 db 30 minutes 100 db 15 minutes 103 db 7.5 minutes 106 dB 3.75 min (< 4min) 109 dB 1.875 min (< 2min) 112 dB .9375 min (~1 min) 115 dB .46875 min (~30 sec)

May 22nd, 2008, 11:26 PM	#10 (permalink)
marvelous TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Beebe, Ar Age: 50 Posts: 23	A church handing out earplugs! Why is the church wanting to ruin peoples hearing? Are they going to pay the doctor's (Ear, Nose, & Thraot) bill when they have to go? Will they pay for the inputs? How can you worship with the music this loud? Marvelous 2000 Nashville Telecaster 1966 Gretsch Jet Firebird

May 23rd, 2008, 03:01 AM	#11 (permalink)
hotraman Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Camas, WA Posts: 220	That sends a bad message... Your sound system is bad... Loud doesn't mean better, especially if you can't hear your Tele in the mix. __________________ www.stevehotra.com

May 23rd, 2008, 02:14 PM	#12 (permalink)
GoldieLocks Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Abbotsford B.C. Posts: 833	LOUD! How does the congregation hear themselves sing? Is that not important? I love pleasantly loud live music. But if you need ear-plugs something might be out of control. __________________ "How little I know inspires me tremendously! I'm a huge fan of other people's playing." Bonnie Raitt

May 23rd, 2008, 02:18 PM	#13 (permalink)
guitarzan13 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: LaGrange, GA Age: 43 Posts: 1,248 8 Photos	Welcome to the TDPRI shred8rkb!!!!! __________________ Practice make permanent!!!!....Perfect practice makes perfect!!! Chris B. Current Band www.productoffaith.net Last band as a bass player www.neonjones.com

May 26th, 2008, 02:58 PM	#14 (permalink)
cpeters01 TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada Posts: 82 5 Photos	My 15 year old son and I attended a Youth Conference in our city this past weekend, http://www.ycgeneration.com and it was awesome but this issue came up. Why does it need to be "that" loud. Now I am a rock n' roller from way back and I like my music loud especially when I'm playing the new tele, but I think it gets to the point of too much and it makes no sense to go there. It isn't fun to stand behind a jet engine so why recreate it inside a building? The Newsboys ended the weekend and it was so stinkin' loud that everyone just kind of shut down and just stood there. Now the kids may have been tired but I think it was too loud to really enjoy. BTW Leeland did the best worship set I have ever been a part of. That kid is something else. I was also happy and pleased to see that almost every act used a tele of some ilk. I think Skillet was the only main act to not use a tele because they all use PRS gear. __________________ ...Carpe Diem...