Why do movie theaters pump the volume up so high?

[Siren]

 

[lavender]

 

[Rubyfruit]

Siren,

I'm right there in this rant with you. It's pervasive and not just in movie theaters, but TV commercials (ever notice how they notch it up for them?), kids toys (don't get me started!) and restaurants with high, open ceilings.

I just want some fucking peace and quiet!

Ruby

 

[kitsuke]

Well isn't it obvious?

It's a conspiracy.. mass media is being paid off by the hearing aid industry! their lobbyists in DC make sure that we never hear a word of it with all the dirty money and free hearing aids they funnel into those geezers in the Senate though....

Ever notice Dick Cheney wearing that plastic earpiece? And they are ubiquitous as "Communication Devices" on government agents now... I tell you it's just the beginning.

 

[Guest]

Well isn't it obvious?

It's a conspiracy.. mass media is being paid off by the hearing aid industry! their lobbyists in DC make sure that we never hear a word of it with all the dirty money and free hearing aids they funnel into those geezers in the Senate though....

Ever notice Dick Cheney wearing that plastic earpiece? And they are ubiquitous as "Communication Devices" on government agents now... I tell you it's just the beginning.

kitsuke,

What was that you were saying? lol

I never really thought about it in those terms before...but now that you mention it....hmmmmm.

 

[Siren]

Ruby they pump up the commericals in theory

 

[modest mouse]

I compensate by playing my music so loud that when I go to the movies its like the woods at night.

Actually, the sounds is way up because people would complain if they could not hear but they do not vocally complain if its too loud. Its a case of the squeaky wheel getting greased.

 

[Weird Harold]

and the damn ass theater had the volume up so loud that when the music would swell up I could feel the vibration in my chest....

That's why I wear ear plugs when I go to the movies!

One reason that the subsonics are at such high volume is so you will feel the vibrations in your chest -- it gets your whole body involved in the movie. If the volume wasn't that high, then much of the "energy" of the movie would be missing for most of the patrons.

Walt Disney started the trend with the stereophonic sound track for Fantasia and Dolby and others have expanded on the science of using the soundtrack to enhance the reception the movie gets.

There was a time in the mid sixties when some theaters were wired with vibrators under the seats to provide the tactile feedback that is now provided by high-volume subsonics.

 

[Siren]

now a hot wired vibrating seat I could go for

 

[LadyDarkFire]

It's actually not that bad when I go to the movies, because the theater in this area is from the 1920s, and has plaster, and other art on the walls that they don't want damaged. Ultimately, it saves my ears. I have been to the local Multiplex, and I had to wear earplugs. Even walking past that place can hurt your ears if one of the doors is open.

 

[nasty]

It's so the audience can get "into" the movie. When I saw Star Wars:A New Hope for the 1st time in theater's, the sound made it seem like the x-wings were flying over your heads.

 

[Siren]

Star Wars a New Hope?

 

[Weird Harold]

It's so the audience can get "into" the movie. When I saw Star Wars:A New Hope for the 1st time in theater's, the sound made it seem like the x-wings were flying over your heads.

I don't mind when they sound like they're flying over my head. It's when they pump it up to the point where they sound like they're flying THROUGH my head that I hate.

 

[Siren]

Hahaha Harold

 

[nasty]

Episode 4. It's just referred to as Star Wars,(don't ask why, their ALL Star Wars,), but, it's real title is A New Hope. And, WH, LOL.

 

[scylis]

T.H.U.D.

The Audience Is Now Deaf.

 

[horny_giraffe]

Seriously, I think the problem is in the dynamics of the sound. The problem with this new digital sound thing is that the quiets are REALLY quiet and the louds are REALLY loud. So in order to hear the quiets, the guys at the theatre have to turn the sound way up--and then we are deafened by the louds.

I've learned to hate DVDs for the same reason. They whisper, and I need to turn up the sound. There's an explosion, and my eardrums explode.

I'll bet there's probably a machine or piece of software somewhere out there that can compress the volume dynamics. If there isn't then somebody should make one. Even if I work at it, it'll be a few years before I'll be capable of doing something like that on my own. Off to search the web!

 

[Moridin187]

Part of it could be those "Teenagers with their TRL music pumped so loud you can hear it three cars back with the windows rolled up" etc.. I know teenagers who hear worse than most 80 year olds because they constantly listen to music so loud it's a wonder their ears don't bleed or their eyes don't pop out of their skulls. The new generation will be one of hearing aids. So, to make sure those deafened youngsters can hear what's going on(While they're not busy making out of course), they have to have the volume real loud. It also helps compensate for the extremely short attention spa... What was I talking about?

 

[horny_giraffe]

I was unable to find computer program on the 'net that does real-time audio dynamic compression for when a person is playing DVDs. Perhaps someone else knows of some?

 

[Cheyenne]

LOL. I started my "Britney Spears is not Joan Jett" thread this morning before I read this one.

Thanks for the warning, Siren. I'll take my ear plugs with me to this movie, just in case! Although I don't think it can be as loud as the Britney concert. My mom has already been to see Harry Potter and she didn't complain about the noise level.

Just call me geezer. I want to keep my hearing as long as I can.

 

[Ezzy]

The real reason that movie theatre's have the sounds set so load is...

So that people who are hard of hearing can hear it, and anyone who is not hard of hearing will be made hard of hearing and then they will need the sounds system set to load anyway, common sense when you think about it...


That and the conspiracy between the theatre owners and the hearing aid manufacturers.




EZ