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Author Topic: Movies are WAY too loud! Martin Brooks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 900 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 02-07-2018 07:17 PM                        quote: Carsten Kurz the typical 20-30min pre show program at these levels will annoy the largest part of typical audiences. In ALL of the NYC theaters I attend, the pre-show levels are actually quite low. You can easily have a conversation over them. The trailers are another matter. I've got to remember to take the SPL meter with me next time I see a movie.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-07-2018 08:15 PM                        I always play our pre-show at 3.3, unless we have a largish crowd then I turn it up a little but never over 3.6. Then up to 3.8 for the trailers and then up to whatever we're playing this week's feature at.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-08-2018 02:34 AM                        It just seams that in this marvelous digital age where servers control everything from house light levels to complex play lists, to be STILL gnashing our teeth and rending our garments over this issue and wondering what can be done about variations in audio levels between highly compressed, blaring trailers and feature audio levels seems absurd. How difficult can it be to add audio level cues in the playlist it to control overly loud trailers? Before all this automation, it actually was difficult to tame trailers since the producers were purposefully ramping up levels and if you remember, there was a serious push to get sound mixers to voluntarily bring their trailer mixes back to normal reference levels. Of course that was a flop because no one could resist the desire to make their trailer "pop" and be noticed above everything else -- it was like telling ad agencies to not make their ads stand out -- never happened. Now we have the way to do it no matter how a trailer or any other program material is authored -- the exhibitor just needs to put cues in the playlist to have the master volume adjusted to whatever is needed to keep preshow trailers at the same apparent level as the feature. Even before automation I believe it was Smart that had a device (was it called the AfterBurner?...sorry if memory fails) but it basically was a compressor to level the audio playing field -- exhibitions attempting to control audio levels at the theatre even if the ad agencies weren't going to do it themselves on their end. Now the exhibitor has the digital tool to do it fairly effortlessly. With today's automation, an exhibitor can go thru the playlist at his/her preview/verification run, adjust the volume of all the junk before the feature...adjust each item to a reasonable comfort levels and in line to match the feature and then simply plug those level values as volume change cues. Why is this still an issue, 30 years after everyone agreed that it was an issue?! In 2018, is the industry actually saying it can't figure out a way to keep playback levels in cinemas at a comfortable level...we don't have the technology to adjust playback volume levels automatically? Really? I bet Alexa could do it without batting a digital eyelash.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-08-2018 05:47 PM                        The word isn't "can't" -- the word is "won't." Showmanship is low on the priority list in these big mega complexes, unfortunately. They're too busy coming up with another dozen concession combos or whatever.  |  IP: Logged Mark Strube Master Film Handler Posts: 322 From: Milwaukee, WI, United States Registered: Feb 2007 posted 02-08-2018 07:44 PM                        At the three independent theaters that I run projection for, we're using exclusively JSD-100's, which easily gives complete control over volume level through simple cues in the playlist. It's not uncommon for me to have 5 trailers and 2-3 different volume levels throughout to compensate for varying levels. I generally run the feature at 0.5 - 0.7 louder than the trailers to account for the increased dynamic range and to bring dialogue to a good level. I disagree that "movies are way too loud." In my area at least, the majority of screenings that I attend at multiplexes seem to have the volume adjusted for whoever complained last, and then the fader knob collects dust until the next complaint. The local "imax" would be the only consistent exception to this problem. I also agree that many screenings that sound "too loud" are likely a result of a poor EQ and/or room.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 02-14-2018 08:49 PM                        All I can tell you is---and this actually happened to me: Die hard With a Vengeance: A 12 year old boy came out and said: "Wow! Is that LOUD!!" We backed down to 6.25. (New Dolby Digital install with all great equipment in 1015 seat theatre.)  |  IP: Logged Martin Brooks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 900 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 02-17-2018 12:30 PM                        quote: Mike Blakesley The word isn't "can't" -- the word is "won't." Showmanship is low on the priority list in these big mega complexes, unfortunately. They're too busy coming up with another dozen concession combos or whatever. I don't think it's just that. I think it's that they think these loud levels ARE "showmanship". Or that they don't want projectionists (when they have them) making subjective decisions about what's too loud, which is probably a good idea. And there is a portion of the audience who likes it that way (not me). But I do think they should be setting levels differently for full and empty houses. (I remember many decades ago, I projected a 16mm print of "The French Connection" to a private group. One member of the group was a highly political guy (he's got a portion of a street named after him with an honorary name) who thought he was in charge of everything. He kept on asking me to lower the volume in loud scenes which I, of course, refused. He headed for the projector and was going to change the level himself and I had to warn him that if he touched it, I'd shut the show down.)  |  IP: Logged Jarod Reddig Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 513 From: Hays, Ks Registered: Jun 2011 posted 02-17-2018 11:24 PM                     I agree movies are not too loud but previews can be silly loud. I have grown to absolutely hate trailers. Like Bobby said I avoid them if its a movie im excited to see. They outright spoil the movie. My all time favorite trailer is the Star Wars A New Hope trailer Mike talked about with the tv in the beginning then the Falcon explodes out of it to great effect.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Pitt Master Film Handler Posts: 266 From: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK Registered: May 2007 posted 02-19-2018 03:54 PM                     For me, the volume seems to vary between theatres and also depending on where I sit. With this 'assigned seating' system they all have today you can't just move around until you find a sweet spot any more. I try to avoid going to theatres that play movies too loud and always remember to bring my earplugs! One of the theatres I frequent has 'box' seating (not to be confused with D-BOX) - a small walled-off area at the back of the auditorium with soundproof glass in the front, and its own sound system. It's designed so that private groups can book in and order food and drink during the movie using an internal telephone. The box also has a DTS volume control that allows the patrons to choose a volume level for the speakers in there - I like to have it as low as it'll go so I don't get blasted!  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-19-2018 06:28 PM                        quote: Die hard With a Vengeance: A 12 year old boy came out and said: "Wow! Is that LOUD!!" If he was smiling you should have let it be!  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 02-24-2018 08:01 PM                      |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 02-26-2018 06:43 AM                     So, what happened there? The little LED dot burned out?  |  IP: Logged Kenneth Wuepper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1026 From: Saginaw, MI, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 02-26-2018 07:04 AM                     Sounds like "Spinal Tap"!  |  IP: Logged Kenneth Wuepper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1026 From: Saginaw, MI, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 02-26-2018 10:22 AM                     NO! His processor goes to "11"!  |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 02-26-2018 11:08 AM                     Ah, the infamous CP511?  |  IP: Logged

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