Whenever I talk about the monster sound system I use, I must always add a word or two about volume! Music volume is one of the two most common sources of complaints about DJs. It is also part of a never ending battle for which there is no perfect solution for either side. At any given instant, some want the music LOUDER! Others say it is already TOO loud. What's a DJ to do?
Using the best sound system possible is a start. Distortion is a big cause of "it's too loud" complaints--trying to do too much with too little is often the main the reason behind the DJs that hurt your ears. When the distortion is coming from a sound system that is being asked to do more than it was designed for, the music can be both too loud, and not loud enough -- at the same time! When that happens, you lose! How many times have you heard a DJ system that absolutely stings up close, yet is nearly unintelligible from across the ballroom? DJs tend to like dinky speakers. They're cheaper, and much easier to carry. Problem is, when there are more than three people standing in front of dinky speakers that are sitting on the floor, no one in the back of the room can hear them hardly at all. This is the reason behind the all-too-popular DJ fad of putting their speakers up on sticks. While this helps solve the problem of sound getting soaked up by people on the dance floor, it also emphasizes the biggest weakness of those speakers....
Poor tonal balance -- the second most common cause for complaints. If a speaker system reproduces one set of frequencies better than another, these will get "loud" much faster. Again, the music will be too loud AND still not loud enough. For example, speakers with good tweeters and poor bass will make you want to "turn it up" so you can hear the bass, but also want to "turn it down" because the stinging tweeters make your ears hurt. This situation plagues DJs who put their little speakers up on sticks. (Elevating small speakers reduces their already limited bass response.)
Making the tonal balance "flat," that is, equally balanced across the entire sound spectrum is the best way to reach harmony between both listeners with "loud" and those with "soft" tastes. To do this, I use the equalizer and RTA function of the DBX Driverack. To help me set the equalizer (anyone who says they can quickly and accurately set up a sound system and EQ it to the room by ear alone is almost always full of baloney), I use the DBX Driverack RTA (Real Time Analyzer) function -- which works much like the light meter on an expensive camera -- to set the sound "exposure" to the proper levels in each frequency band. The Driverack automates the tuning process and can perfectly tune my sound system, with more precision than any 31-band EQ, to any given room in about a minute. (This process used to take 5-10 minutes depending on careful I wanted to be)
The Driverack is really quite a piece of work. It is a fully digital audio processor that performs all the functions of several racks full of analog gear. I use ten discreet channels from my (2) Driveracks which perform the crossover functions (for my 5-way stereo system), time-aligns each of the five different speakers in my "stack" (so the sound gets from there to your ears correctly in phase), and two EQ functions - one adjusts all my speakers for "flat" response, and one corrects any weird way my sound happens to be colored by the room I'm set up in.
To make this mini audio seminar complete, I should touch on one more phenomenon which often comes into play in loud environments (like dance parties). This can come into play in two ways. The first is liquor. Liquor affects hearing as much or more than any of the other senses -- that helps explain why drunk people are usually so LOUD, doesn't it? If your DJ is sucking them down with the rest of you, the party is likely to get louder as the DJ gets "happy." The second way is "aural fatigue" -- or what you could call disco deafness. Simply put, when the music is too loud for too long, your ears get "tired" (numb) and you can't hear as well. Kind of like the DJ that gets drunk, right? Consider the method DJ, who plays the music too loud anyway, and who stands between his speakers on stands, sucking on a beer, all night long. Over the course of the evening he will suffer some hearing loss. (We hope it's only temporary). But usually, he will compensate by turning the volume UP and then up some MORE. Can you see the vicious circle that usually ensues?
To avoid this problem, I have two "secrets." The first is sensible sound levels from the start. The second is an analog Sound Pressure Level meter (SPL). This works just like a speedometer, providing me with an accurate and objective measure of how loud the music is so I don't have to "guess." [Here is an article, published by OSHA which discusses the effects of exposure to loud sounds in the workplace, and sets standards for acceptable volume, and length of exposure.]
These three pieces (digital EQ, RTA, and SPL meter) are considered indispensable by nearly all professional sound men. I have used them for years, because I consider high fidelity sound an essential part of my quality DJ presentation.
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