Your Noise Isn’t My Noise: Improving Sound Exposure and Noise Pollution Management at Outdoor Events

Chair:
Adam J. Hill, University of Derby - Derby, Derbyshire, UK
Panelists:
Etienne Corteel, L-Acoustics - Marcoussis, France
Bob McCarthy, Meyer Sound - New York, NY, USA
Elena Shabalina, d&b audiotechnik - Backnang, Germany
Andy Wardle, University of the Highlands & Islands - Perth, UK

Sound exposure and noise pollution due to outdoor entertainment events carry implications spanning both public and private life. This isn’t a new issue. The AES library contains papers published over 50 years ago discussing these issues, although judging by the continued discussion and debate, it’s clear that the industry has yet to reach a universally-accepted solution (or even understanding) of the relevant problems. This workshop is intended to present the current state of affairs surrounding the issue of outdoor event sound/noise, as identified by the AES Technical Committee on Acoustics and Sound Reinforcement (TC-ASR) working group that has been investigating these issues since 2018. The two principal areas of investigation are sound exposure on-site and noise pollution off-site. These issues are different in nature and require distinct approaches to mitigate negative short-term and long-term effects associated with event-related sound/noise exposure.