The Game Composer’s Blog

Why so loud?

This post isn’t directly related to game music, but it is an issue that affects everyone making game music and everyone playing games… and everyone else really. It was sparked by my recent post on surround sound and is an observation and a warning.

Our society is getting louder. From the cars on the street booming their music to the theaters putting in ever increasingly high-powered sound systems to the concerts we go to to the surround sound systems we’re putting in our homes, things are just getting louder. And why? I have no idea. It’s not like music gets better the louder it’s played, is it? Sure, it’s kind of fun to feel the bass when the volume is turned up at a rock concert, but why aren’t people bringing earplugs? You can still feel the bass and protect your hearing. But then, if people do start bringing earplugs, then why turn it up so loud in the first place? Just for the bass? If that’s all you want, go get one of those vibrating chairs or something and let me enjoy some music.

I started playing drums in 7th grade. My parents got me a drum set and I was the happiest kid on the planet. I played those drums every day in my room, often jamming with my brother on guitar. We would play for a long time, and very loudly. I thought it was kind of fun getting that fuzzy headed feeling afterward. Well, that turned out to be damaging my hearing irreversibly. I now have tinnitus, a constant ringing in the ears. I usually don’t notice it, but any time I want to I can check and it’s still there. I can probably look forward to increasingly poor hearing the older I get. But maybe it won’t get worse. That’s why I take very good care of my hearing now and encourage others to do the same.

As a composer and music producer, I need to be able to hear accurately. Since I take such good care of my hearing now, I notice noise problems much more frequently. I don’t ever go to a bar without earplugs. Karaoke bars especially… why must the bad singing be so loud?? Again, it’s a puzzle. Restaurants are another place that get very loud. Even without music in the background, you can’t hear people unless you start shouting and then it just gets in a horrible loop where shouting breeds more shouting. I wish restaurants would realize this. I want to socialize at a restaurant, not shout caveman sentences to my friends. Add some carpet and some couches or other sound traps and suddenly it’s a much warmer, inviting environment.

This page has a good overview of the dangers of loud noise. Permanent damage can happen when exposed to 85 decibels. That’s about the noise level of a busy city street. The average Walkman or iPod headphone at level 5 puts out 100 decibels. That can permanently damage your hearing after 15 minutes. According to Wikipedia, 140 million iPods have been sold. That’s a lot of potential for a lot of hearing loss. And again, Britney Spears doesn’t sound any better at higher volumes. But music you listen to in 20 years might sound worse as you can’t hear the high frequencies any more. Not worth it!

But game composers don’t necessarily deal with the “louder” forms of music such as rock or hip hop, right? Nothing to worry about if you’re doing purely orchestral music? Not so at all. A bass drum or timpani can easily surpass 105 decibels. I fear to imagine what sitting in front of a trumpet or trombone can do to your hearing, or even standing on the conductor podium. Cymbals, xylophones, tuba… all these instruments can really add up to hurt your hearing. A piece such as Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelungen can reach 110 decibels, which could permanently damage your hearing in less than 2 minutes. I’ve played tuba in a cramped pit for a ballet where I’m sure I would have come away with hearing damage if I hadn’t been wearing earplugs. With the xylophone behind me and timpani to the side, it was ridiculously loud.

So, just be careful! I don’t think loud music is worth the potential damage. I want everyone to be able to enjoy the best game soundtracks… and enjoy a good conversation.

July 26, 2008 - Posted by thegamecomposer | Career Advice, Ponderings | health, volume