Sound Usage Guidelines
- June 2nd, 2009
SOUND PROTOCOLS:
Our sound protocols have been thoroughly revised! Please check out
this important information!
Excessive sound is the single most likely reason that law enforcement officers will visit Lakes of Fire and, incidentally, your campsite. The rules are as follows.
1) You must report the sound equipment you have with you at the Greeters’ Station, even if it’s just a boombox.
2) The Sound Squad (Rangers, Organizers, and Sound Coordinators) may ask you to turn your volume down to safer levels, or completely off, in the wee hours. You must respect these requests.
3) You may not use sub-woofers of any kind after 11:00 P.M. on Thursday June 24th; 12:00 midnight on Friday, June 25th; and 2:00 A.M. on the morning of Sunday, June 27th.
4) Total decibel output may not be more than 95 dB at 20 paces/40 feet after midnight, and may be no more than 90 dB at 20 paces/40 feet after 2:00 A.M.
The Sound Squad will be monitoring sound-levels with decibel-readers at all times. Failure to comply with their requests will be grounds for your removal from the event. If the police arrive with noise complaints, they may be directed toward camps which are suspected of violating our Sound Policies.
Unfortunately, Lakes of Fire 2010 is not blessed with five square miles of open playa. We have a relatively small location, local neighbors on whose good humor this event depends, and hilly terrain that propels sound to relatively distant locations in ways we can’t predict. The Sound Squad asks that all camps and participants respect the needs of our neighbors and keep sound output within reasonable levels. Please protect the safety and success of Lakes of Fire by complying with all sound restrictions when they are in effect. Should you choose otherwise, the Sound Squad, which is tasked with protecting this event, will start making the choices for you.
PERFORMING:
Those who require a large system for their performances will be expected to bring their own gear. However, if you’d like to read poetry, do an acoustic performance, a comedy act, a burlesque or variety hour, or other performance that can be handled on a small PA, please contact Rose voidptr@gmail.com and Thunda at thundawarrior@gmail.com . They’ll be co-ordinating stage time at the Firetown Lounge and Cabaret – a Communal Stage built on the land which will serve a similar purpose to Center Camp at BRC.
There will be several hours of first-come first-served stage time for those who sign-up to perform at the Firetown Lounge and Cabaret, as well. If you’d like to reserve a spot before the event, contact Rose and Thunda at the emails above to make arrangements.
I think for next year, there should be another detail about Sound Camps: where they go. It was more difficult to talk with the bunch blasting dance music next to Kidsville because we couldn’t clearly point out that the area was considered the quiet section of LOF. Next year I’m hoping to set up a camp near Kidsville for acoustic musicians and vocalists to come jam and play whenever. But if another group of knuckleheads comes again insisting on drowning out everybody within sight distance, it will make the whole idea of an acoustic music spot totally pointless and impossible. Thanks.