How loud is too loud

As early as 1980, a Journal of the AES paper urged audio engineers to take on sound-level limits themselves before regulators did it for them.

Switzerland’s sound and laser ordinance sets duties for amplified events from 93 dB(A) averaged over an hour and caps them at 100 dB(A), with stricter duties above 96 dB(A).

Elsewhere in Europe, primary limits cluster around 100 dB(A) but use different averaging times — one minute in Austria, one hour in Belgium.

In May 2020 the AES published technical document AESTD1007.1.20-05 on managing sound exposure and noise at outdoor events. In March 2022 the World Health Organization issued its Global Standard for Safe Listening Venues and Events, with a limit of 100 dB LAeq over 15 minutes; live-sound engineers helped draft it.

See EAW AnyaEAWAnya2013 prototype deployments; documented production use by 2014Anya replaced the familiar curved concert-array hang with straight columns and individually processed drivers. Coverage could be changed in software after the rig was flown, making audience shape, reflections and offsite noise active system-design variables.Open profile →’s offsite-noise use and the rear rejection of d&b’s SL-Series.

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