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Author
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Topic: Anyone adjust the volume depending on # of patrons?
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Zach Tomcich
Film Handler
Posts: 2
From: Berkeley, California, USA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 03-24-2000 01:19 AM
After reading a thread here on 'what volume setting to use', i'm quite surprised that any theater would ever 'set' their volume to any one setting. Accoustics and the overall sound level will vary drastically in an auditorium depending on how many people are there. Additionally, the rowdiness of the crowd should also be a consideration in setting a volume level. Do any theaters actually take this into consideration when running a movie?
Being an idealist, i would love to see a movie theater sound system which does a quick pink noise test after the previews just before the movie starts, and makes EQ and level adjustments. Of course that would only happen in an ideal world. For the record, i much prefer watching a movie in a sold out house. Any thoughts on this? ------------------
-Ziggy
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Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 03-24-2000 02:51 AM
Comedies, yes. Horror movies, yes. Everything else I prefer a private screening. Generally speaking, many patrons are just damn annoying during a serious movie.What you're asking for is an impossibility, as you well know. So if you're dead set on watching a movie with the best acoustics and eq combination, watch 'em in an empty house. After all, that's how the room was calibrated in the first place. (This is assuming of course that the theater in question isn't an echo chamber like so many theaters are. In that case, the more bodies the better.) As far as setting volume on a particular audience, generally I set the faders on an empty house and when a good amount of people get in there, you get to know how much more to turn it up (for instance, on the weekends). There really isn't a rule, as everything just "depends" on each auditorium and the way the system was calibrated. Thus, it all boils down to the caring of the projectionist on duty and how many screens he/she has to deal with.
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Jim Bedford
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 597
From: Telluride, CO, USA (733 mi. WNW of Rockwall, TX but it seems much, much longer)
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 03-24-2000 07:20 AM
Gee, I always thought that since more people have more ears to absorb the sound from an auditorium, that the larger the audience, the louder you had to turn up the volume. You need to subtract the number of deaf people from the equation tho, since they don't reduce the sound molecules as much.Of course, the louder the sound, the less the jerks talking behind you will disturb anyone.
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Stephen Winner
Film Handler
Posts: 57
From: Richmond,VA
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 03-26-2000 01:49 PM
My My I didn't know how poorly the building designs were these days! In years before megawatt PA systems, the sound was amplified by the building's shape...IE acoustics. You couldn't really turn that down. I couldn't imagine having to piddle with the system settings for each patron that walked inIn my 1928 theater, we typically keep the volume the same 1400 people, or just 100. The building design, and speaker design do most of the work for us in maintaining a confortable volume (High ceilings, angled walls, etc). Normally, we run a "flat" eq setting, but when it's a packed house, I've noticed seat rows of patrons act as acoustic baffles at low frequencies... So I give the system about a 3-5 db bass boost, not much. Cotton fabric from casual dressers tend to absorb more bass than formal dressers, which we tend to get very few of these days.
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