Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
 
The "All Opinions are Welcome, but Sorry no Instigators" Board -> Rockaway Township Free Speech -> Sound System Loudness
Post Info TOPIC: Sound System Loudness
Rational


Status: Offline
Posts: 1663
Date:
Sound System Loudness
Permalink  

I have designed a number of very large and high power sound systems for large venues in my career as a consulting electrical engineer.  Based on the size of the cc venue (and their desire for the L-rd to be able hear their rantings directly), the total output power from the sound system's power amplifiers will be in the range of 125 KW; put another way, 125,000 Watts total continious output will be available to use from their  power amplifier racks.  To put that in some perspective, consider the following:


1. The maximum allowable power for an AM radio station is 50 KW here in the states.


2. Given a conversion efficiency of 10% for the systems loudspeakers (that efficiency number is about right; speakers are not very efficient and most of the power dissipates as I^2 * R or heat in their voice coils. This will still result in a total average acoustical power in the venue of around 12,500 Watts. 


3. 12,500 Acoustical Watts is the equivelent to the acoustical output of one Turbojet Engine as measured at 10 meters (or 30 feet) from the source.  (The actual figures given for Turbojet Engines is around 10,000 Acoustical Watts at 10 meters, but of course it depends on its horsepower, operating point, etc)


What are they going to do to keep this incredible sound pressure level to remain within the confines of their circus hall?  I suspect that the bottom-end of the spectrum (the bass) will propagate throughout the entire neighborhood on Sundays. 


Have a nice time attempting to sleep late on Sunday mornings if you live withing a block of this thing, folks!  Boom, Boom, Boom, etc.  Please note that you will not hear the higher frequencies, so you are not even getting a free concert, just the booms of the bass notes.


 


Enjoy,


Craig Maier / Maier Consulting Services, LLC.


ps, BTW - the HOW that I attend has a 0 Watt PA system.  The acoustical output is strictly that which comes forth from our own voices - - - very neighbor friendly if I do say so myself.



-- Edited by Rational at 13:07, 2005-02-06

__________________
Rational


Status: Offline
Posts: 1663
Date:
Permalink  

Here are a few more tidbits about audio loudness:


1. A shouting human voice (as in your spouse screaming at you) produces 1 milliWatt of acoustical energy.  1 milliWatt is 1/1000th of a Watt.


2. Your super-duper surround sound system in your home that brags about being 600 Watts total power is actually capable of producing about 50 Watts of output power when compared to the methods used by commercial Public Address Amplifier companies like Crown, Crest and the like.  In other words, commercial amplifiers must produce their rated output continiously under worse case conditions.  Your surround sound system only produces its rated power for very shorts bursts of time and under severely limited ambient conditions.  Also, surround sound speaker systems are only about 5% efficient, so the acoustical power into your listening room will only be about 2.5 Watts.  So, if you want to make that sort of comparison between commercial sound systems and your home system, compare 12,500 acoustical Watts for the commercial system in question to the 2.5 Watt Average Continious output capability of your surround sound system, including its subwoofer - - - and that would be a fair comparison.


3. Sound power is percieved on a logarithmic relative ratio, not a linear one.


4. Enjoy the game!!  Don't generate too much acoustical output!  It might pi$$ing off the neighbors who are trying to listen to opera.


Maier Consulting Services, LLC.



-- Edited by Rational at 15:34, 2005-02-06

__________________
RTconcern


Status: Offline
Posts: 350
Date:
Permalink  

Maier Consulting Services, LLC..... Hmm Daniel... I thought you were related on Craig's wife side of the family?????


Just sign your posts from Craig from now on - it's OK we got your message.



__________________
Protect our waters, we all live downstream
Rational


Status: Offline
Posts: 1663
Date:
Permalink  

Brother and Sisters I have none, but that mans father is my fathers son.  Who is that man?? 

-- Edited by Rational at 23:21, 2005-02-06

__________________
Aquarius


Status: Offline
Posts: 32
Date:
Riddle Me This ...
Permalink  

Discrete Reasoning Puzzles are Challenging, Fascinating, Entertaining and Fun ...  


Google the riddle and this is only a sample of what comes up ...


 


http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/132085
(I particularly like "pulsar's" musings)


http://rinkworks.com/brainfood/discrete.shtml
(Puzzle 21)


http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_174a.html


http://www.fi.edu/tfi/info/puzzles.html


http://www.berghuis.co.nz/abiator/humour/riddles1.html


 


 



__________________
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
The "All Opinions are Welcome, but Sorry no Instigators" Board -> Rockaway Township Free Speech -> Sound System Loudness
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse 		Powered by ActiveBoard