Music Volume at the Competitions
 

As my teammates and I sat around dinner discussing organization for the upcoming year, we noted a minor vexation from the previous season: the loudness of the music during competitions.

From what we discussed, some of our reasons for irritation included:
1) Difficultly of communication between team members and other teams
2) Embarassment with sponsors when neither party can understand a word that the other is saying.
3) Headaches and other nuisances (especially that ringing in the ear) as a result of exposure to high decibel levels for extended periods of time.

However, these annoyances are limited to the competitions we attended, namely the Great Lakes and Midwest regionals, and the Championship event. What we propose in solution is to limit the music's volume so that communication within team members can be accomplished.

The question to be expounded upon is:
Has the music at regionals proven to be in excess of volume or an irritation to your team? Basically, what is your opinion on the music volume during the competitions?

_Alex

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

Last year we went to two regionals SBPLI Long Island, and Philladelphia. At SBPLI the music level was fine, though at Philly the bass was a little loud leading to headaches (mixed with it being really hot didn't help however)

the music selection could definitly be better though ;)

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

This topic and thread is started every year. I really have never noticed the music i been to busy driving or fixing the robot or doing whatever. If my mind serves me correctly i dont even think they play music in the pits at the Florida Regional since the pits are right behind the field. I know they play it on the field though.

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

at the VCU regional they have the speakers aimed at the bleacher section because the pits are right behind the field. you can hear it in the pits, but its really like a background murmer. i would like a better music selection though, me being a technogeek. emphasis on techno :D

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

I am old. That being said, the music is too loud for me. Although I enjoy listening to it and feel it adds to the atmosphere, I value the little hearing I have left and I wear earplugs to some of the competitions. FIRST is concerned over safety issues and should measure the decible levels. What might be OK for a short time period (ie a concert) is too much for three days in a row.

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

All my team agree that the music can be a big problem during the competition.
We went to the NJ Regional and it was very loud, almost everybody had a headache.
The music is nice, BUT it's not necessary to be too loud.

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

The worst thing is that when I go to a competition, I always ending up having to shout over the music the whole weekend, and end up with a sore throat the next week. There is no reason it has to be that loud. It's much more important that you be able to hear other people than that you be able to hear every note of the songs.

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

I can't say that I've ever had a problem in the pits, at least since before FIRST banned noisemakers in the pits. However, I do find that comunicating on the field is sometimes close to impossible.

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

i really don't pay attention to it--

@ ucf (florida)-- s.p.a.m. is usually in the outside pit so we don't hear it from the field
then last year at palmetto i don't think i really heard it- unless u really went near the field or by the stands---and then again i probably ignore it

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

It didn't seem to be an issue at Palmetto or Detroit, but my memory is shot and I'm not out on the field very often, if at all. It didn't bother us programmers, though. :)

It depends on the venue, I guess. There's not much we can do about it beyond getting a small mob to go and politely ask the DJ to tone it down a bit, but there's always the option of escaping. When the competition starts to become too much for me, I just leave the building or find another area of it that's quieter and less crowded. That can be enough sometimes, especially when you need to return soon.

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

I really don't even notice it. You focus on the competition, not the music!

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

I'm old too, and agree with Kathie. After three days, my ears always ring like they do after I've been to a rock concert (I'm not that old). MOE passes out hundreds and hundreds of (green) ear plugs at the competition every year, and most of them get used. Particularly by my fellow oldsters.

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

In the 2004 competition I was 17 and I used the ear plugs from MOE guys too...
I love rock, but that was too loud!

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

I am old and I can't hear any problems. The fact that I am an announcer and can't even hear myself over the speakers is a problem. If the music is directed at me YES it's too loud. Now that might be cause they are trying to drown me out, I"m not sure. I do know that one of the biggest complaints that I hear from spectators is that the music is TOOOOO loud. Headaches are common with both young and old if you listen to it all day. I have heard this said at all of the regionals that I have attended.

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

Last year Long Island and New Jersey and National's music level was perfect... we danced soooo much... hahaha... but however I'm not sure about how they were at other competitions...

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

At NJ the volume was perfect, and you could still hear each other on the Field. But at UTC, the music was REALLY QUIET. In 2003 the music was nice and loud, and I loved i but last year, it was so quiet, you could hardly hear what was playing.

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

At nationals i did not notice it being all that loud, in-fact it was quite pleasant, but at the UTC regional
Its too loud ... always:

I'm deaf out of my left ear and the volume of the music makes it impossible for me to hear anyone.
In order for others to hear me on stage i had to yell (in the pits and crowed it was easy enough to hear everything)
The other thing that always kinda bothered me was the floor under where we Que at the UTC regional vibrates due to the overly loud music. (Those who attended the UTC regional since it moved to the meadows music theater knows what i am talking about here)

So i say its alright to blast the music to the crowd, but on stage it could be toned down a bit. Just a little, but not so much so that we have to forgo the annual Dancing while we wait to pick alliances ha-ha, good times.

But the sore throat and the mild annoyance of hearing isn't enough to keep me away !

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

Last year at AZ I thought the music was at a good volume, although I think it could have been louder in the stands after matches. That's coming from a college-aged spectator though, so don't listen to me. If I got what I wanted you couldn't even here me anyway. ;p Communication among team members should be first priority, then spectator entertainment.

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

At the chesapeake regional last year the music was good, the speakers were pointed at the stands, so in the pits there was just mainly the bass, but it wasn't too loud. I liked all the techno (I'm a techno fiend...) Nice to hear some of my favorite songs with enough bass to really feel in your chest and body, but not too loud that I got headaches. I liked the reverb at the naval academy. I wouldn't change a thing for this year. Except maybe some more trance and progressive trance, but I know everyone has to listen to it...

The thing I found annoying was teams with woodblocks. A few is ok but when you have 30-40 people bashing wood blocks together for 5-10 minutes straight, if not longer, that just grinds on the ears.

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

I have been to: GLR, Pittsburg, VCU(?), and Houston (I'm sure i'm foregetting something) but I say it's fine.

Just the teams with the carts that can blast the music - shut them down. That annoys the crap out of me... Usually they don't have any music speakers in the pits. It's all good to me! :D

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

Is there any rule that states that the drivers and the human player can't use 2-way radios with headsets (noise cancelling if we had the cash)? (I seem to have misplaced my rulebook)

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

Any wireless devices have to be cleared by FIRST, and my gut feeling is that they wouldn't allow you to use them. However, I don't think there's anything they could do about cell phones, but keep gracious professionalism in mind. What would your opponents think of this tactic?

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

There is to be no communication with the drive team. Last year a team brought a cell phone to the picking process and they were told to turn off or leave.

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

on thursdays the music is always low. this is because the music is played more for the spetators than it is for the teams. for the past three years i have attended the GLR, West Michigan Regional, and the CHampionship event. my freshman year (2002) i recall very excessive decibal levels. if memory serves however this problem was corrected either before or during the 2003 season and I have not noticed a real prblem since. at the regionals i attend the speakers always face toward the stands, never the field, and the music is not played in the pits. at nat's you never have to worry about field noise spilling over into the pits because they are ina separate building. if the noise becomes a serious problem for any individual there is always the option of walking to the outside of the arena (ie at a stadium this would be the loop behind the seats where all the concessions are) or just using earplugs.

Just my $.02

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

If anything, I'd rather we have more types of music. In the Chesapeake regionals, they played the same songs for the whole day, and when I go to sleep I can't get it out of my head!

I'd say, try having more than party music, please.

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

It was very, very loud at UTC. The stands are too close to the speakers, as the volume was nice at the very back. I'd like to see it lowered

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

I thought it was too load at St. Louis it was hard to talk and half our team had to leave the venue to clear their head it is not cool to have that load of music for that long. Maybe the DJ or whatever should walk around with a dB meter and make sure the noise levels are not dangerous. We are all about safety aren't we?

Re: Music Volume at the Competitions
 

The volume at West Michigan and the Midwest regionals reminded me of when my church did the traditional Super Bowl Bash (that was later discarded for good reasons): You had to yell just to talk to the person next to you, and even then it was up for grabs as to if you could hear the person next to you. The rumors going around the team were that the volume was loud (at West Michigan that is) so that the people in the Pit area could hear the music also. Pft.