News From Britt Hill – November 2020

Without question, Covid-19 has posed new and previously unimaginable challenges for Britt Music and Arts Festival. However, within every challenge is perhaps an even greater opportunity. We are inspired by how the community of Jacksonville has adapted and moved forward. This global pandemic has made it difficult for many of us to operate as usual, but we will persevere.

With that said, have you ever wondered about how Britt measures the decibel levels during a concert? Let us start at the beginning. The 101 definition of a decibel is: a unit of measurement used to indicate how loud a sound is. For example, as a measure of sound intensity, a zero-decibel reference is stipulated to be the lowest level audible to the human ear; the speaking voice of most people ranges from 45 to 75 decibels.

Back in 1999, the City, Jackson County and Britt came to an agreement and set the standard for concert sound at an average of 92dBA (A-weighted decibels) over 1 hour. This average allows for the effects of atmospheric conditions, crowd noise and other uncontrollable ambient noise (helicopter, sirens, etc.).

Atmospheric conditions can also include physical changes in the surroundings. In the past two years, two significant alterations have occurred. In 2018, Britt added the new and expanded seating, including solid surface stairs and pathways. In 2019, several large ponderosa trees died and had to be removed. These trees were located on City and Britt properties and likely absorbed some of the sound waves.

Last year, Britt’s decibel levels never surpassed 88dBa. However, after the season I received comments from several citizens who felt that the music seemed louder on certain nights. Most likely this can be explained by the aforementioned changes to the venue.

So, just how does the sound system work? Britt’s sound monitoring system is a customized computer software program designed to measure automated 1 hour A-weighted LEQ (loudness equivalent). The system is comprised of a computer located backstage in the production office and a microphone that is attached to the lighting tower directly behind the reserved seating. The Production Manager and Sound Technician monitor the data throughout the concert. The data is shared with the City within 24-hours after each concert.

Given the recent modifications to the venue, and out of respect for our community, Britt has decided to take additional steps to capture more accurate readings. Placement of the microphone is of utmost importance. Before our next season, we plan to install a microphone arm on the lighting tower so we can adjust the microphone position as atmospheric conditions warrant. Prior to and throughout the season, we will run sound checks and lower the volume as needed based on the microphone’s dBA readings. Britt will work closely with the City of Jacksonville to assure that the levels are within the parameters allowed.

Luckily, we have come a long way from the technology we had 20 years ago. Rest assured Britt has and will continue to keep our sound levels within the established parameters.