[Tig] OT-Audio levels for theatrical use from digital post

[Rob Lingelbach]

On Jun 18, 2007, at 7:41 PM, Bob Kertesz wrote:

> My automatic assumption has always been that louder the audio in  
> comparison to
> the norm, the more whatever it is that is being touted sucks.

good assumption from my point of view.  what has become a real  
problem now for travellers is the insistent, persistent, invasive and  
insidious TV the passenger is fed in public places (MTA buses in Los  
Angeles: MTA TV! it's free! keeps passengers tranquilized-- though  
look at the front of the bus: radios not allowed!); airplanes (close  
the window visor please, you're interfering with the film  
[translation of the word film: horrible unconverged impure image on  
the monitor in your face of a film I would never admit I saw]);  
waiting areas (I can avoid watching the TV, but I can't avoid hearing  
the obnoxious thing unless I use my earplugs, and then I'm likely to  
miss the "evacuate!" orders during exciting times).  I guess I  
shouldn't get started on audio pollution, but it really started with  
Muzak, and has cheapened the art of listening, to the point where the  
public doesn't really know how to listen to music unless it's a  
background activity.  What's funny is that some restaurants and  
hotels here in Brasil subscribe to the same service as does the  
Carl's Jr. that I occasionally visited at Scott Rd. and San Fernando  
Rd. in Burbank, CA, US, so though I thought I'd heard the last  
playing of the songs from McCartney's insipid period, they're  
invading the lobby of the building where I stay now.

In the interior of Brasil, where life sometimes seems like a replay  
of 1950s America, there are hawkers inside the stores with megawatt  
amplification of their microphones, and they've all gone to the same  
announcer-school that gives their speech that special "pay attention"  
quality.  I walk by holding my ears, though I don't think they get  
the point, and think I'm an aging madman.

Makes me want to buy and carry a small SPL meter and take some  
measurements.

OK, that's my monthly tirade, Bob K and I are "OT-guilty" and hereby  
remanded to remedial TIG-posting seminars.

Rob
--
Rob Lingelbach
http://www.colorist.org/robhome.html
rob at colorist.org      rob at calarts.edu