hmmm...
it's not ACTUALLY a law up for consideration - see comments from the person that created the petition:
http://www.warrenjames.net/
"It may appear that I jumped without thinking when I made the Downing
Street Petition, however, by doing this quickly and promptly it allowed
people to voice their opinion good and early. Very often it is too late
by the time our voice gets heard the damage has been done. Like many
musicians, promoters, agents, venue managers and staff, PA
manufacturers, amplifier makers, instrument makers nationwide I have a
career to look after and to do well in. None of us have time to sit and
wait and ponder on such issues when it is directly associated to your
ability to work."
as usual with these sort of things that are so lacking in many actual technical details, it spreads like a chain letter. nobody seems to actually know the dB level that would be put in place... there appears to be a law like this in Austrlia already - limited to 60dB but with credits available for exceeding this limit.
i actuallu don't think it absurd to put restrictions on SPLs. do we really need to hear ANYTHING at 130dB? of course where the limit is placed makes all the difference, as well as how, when, and where it is enforced.
i know my hearing is not what it used to be, though i can still create a quality and well balanced mix here in my home studio, but i do not use loud monitoring - it's not, after all, rock'n'roll that i play.
interesting debate though.
part of it concerns the environment outside the venue [ie: neighbours].
part of it concerns protecting the public.
both of these are 'fraught with peril' as they say, and can be as open to abuse of power as any restriction, no matter how well-intended, meant to 'protect the public'.
my 2 shillings ;0)
jeff
--- On Thu, 1/22/09, paul <paul@jonesy-m400.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
Show quoted textHide quoted text
From: paul <paul@jonesy-m400.freeserve.co.uk>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] off topic but important
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2009, 3:56 PM
Jon
Here are the details I was given. I
know they are currently in use in many pubs, usually as a result
of residents have complaining about noise, so the sound levels from the AV
system are reduced when overall noise level in the premises reaches a certain
level;
'NOISE LIMITERS
It has been broug ht to our atten tion that new
noise legis latio n is about to be intro duced that is
likel y to virtu ally destr oy live music in the UK.
The
gover nment wish to consi der it a legal requi remen t
in the new tax year to intro duce laws insis ting anyon e
apply ing or re- apply ing for an enter tainm ent
licen ce must have a noise contr ol devic e fitte d to the
venue .
This will be the final nail in the coffi n for
prett y much ALL enter tainm ent in the UK as the level at
which these devic es cut the power off is ridiculous ly
low.
In our exper ience any venue that has one in use canno t
have any elect ric music as the power is const antly
being cut mid- song - and even loud appla use at the end of a song
can cut it.
Venue s are suffe ring enoug h as
it is witho ut being force d to go to the expen se of
fitti ng one of these damne d thing s.
Noise limit ers are a menac e
to live music and we expec t this is the brigh t idea of some
unele cted suit in Bruss els that' s never been to a gig in
their life'.
Paul
----- Original Message -----
From:
Jon
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 8:47
PM
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] off
topic but important
What are "noise limiters?"
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Jones
To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 2:44
PM
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] off topic
but important
Hi
Sorry this is off topic, but I hope everyone will agree it's
important
to us all. If anyone hasn't heard of this plan to force all UK
live
music venues to have noise limiters fitted, the last day for
signing
the petition on number 10 website is tomorrow 23rd.
I only
heard of all this just now in an email from The Robin music
venue in
Bilston.
Like most European directives it'll no doubt be nodded through
by our
govenment, so you might like to sign to oppose it. Over 80,000
have so
far.
http://petitions. number10. gov.uk/NoNoiseCo ntrol
Paul