Dealing with extreme drummer volume

[Dad3353]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1437295424' post='2824834']
You mean volume or attendance?
[/quote]

This has already been dealt with in post #6...

[quote]
Sorry to echo the others but, excepting the electronic kit suggested by CT, I'd have to say there's no alternative, so don't turn up. Don't turn up to rehearsals, and tell the bloke why. If he can't play at reasonable levels, he ain't got it, that's all. A damned shame, and a waste of talent and hard work, but the idea is to be musical, not damagingly loud. Just my tuppence-worth.
[/quote]

Edited July 19, 2015 by Dad3353

[alyctes]

We used to rehearse without microphones. That made sure everyone kept their volume down.

For the OP: It's not worth throwing away your hearing. Leave this band (and the other one with a deafening drummer).

[72deluxe]

After investing in a MiniDSP UMIK calibrated USB microphone (good for room EQ measurements too), I logged the SPL readings at the last band practice. These are A-weighted readings, with the microphone being on a chair at knee-height and perpendicular to my bass cab and guitar cabs (!), and about 3 metres (?) from the drummer so the level at ear-level was likely higher.

This was a "quiet" practice and was quieter than the other weeks but as you can see the black SPL plot is mental - daily dosage for this is meant to be about 7 minutes ([url="http://www.noisehelp.com/noise-dose.html"]http://www.noisehelp...noise-dose.html[/url]) yet this practice went on for 3 hours. The end of the second graph was trimmed off, but the last song was louder than anything previous.

The LAeq and LAE level is very interesting (typically used for occupational health readings) but I don't fully understand it. Anyone else who does may chip in - please do!

I am well and truly ear-plugged up, but the others are not and they said it was much quieter.... Crazy eh!
EDIT: sorry for the duff links!

Part 1:
[url="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2dUQpSGutXEcUtZVnBTNVBYS0k/view?usp=docslist_api"]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2dUQpSGutXEcUtZVnBTNVBYS0k/view?usp=docslist_api[/url]

Part 2:
[url="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2dUQpSGutXEZ2dQX3BmcXpuaVk/view?usp=docslist_api"]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2dUQpSGutXEZ2dQX3BmcXpuaVk/view?usp=docslist_api[/url]

EDIT: BTW, the legend at the bottom shows dB readings next to each coloured line, eg. LAE: 100.1dB. Ignore this! This is just showing the value for the (invisible) cursor when I exported the graph and does not indicate the overall LAE value for the entire graph range. The ascending turquoise line is the actual LAE value. Hopefully this does not confuse matters - the cursor was invisible on the exported graphs.

Edited August 17, 2015 by 72deluxe

[Phil Starr]

Measurements taken at Glastonbury a few years ago showed the drummers experienced an average sound level of about 103dB. That would have been from the whole band but I would guess mainly from their own drums. They would be less than 1m from their drums and sound levels fall by 6db for every doubling of the distance. This ties in fairly well with your figures. Basically drums are bloody loud, your drummer may be at the top end but not exceptional.

The damage/time limits you give are different and stricter I think than EU regulations about H&S sound level restrictions at work, but this is an inexact science and very dependant upon frequency in any case.

I'm not sure this helps in any way. I think your measurements show your drummer is loud but not in any freakish way and that the sound levels your band produce would damage your hearing if you don't wear earplugs. I think you knew this anyway, but asking your drummer to be quieter than other drummers and everyone else to turn down by similar amounts is tricky in my experience.

Really interesting measurements though. I wish you luck.