What do you consider home/bedroom volumes?

[MadAsAHatter]

I posted this on another forum as well but want to get additional input from people here. Also, I'm guessing that this is the most appropriate place for the topic.

I see bedroom volume regularly referenced and think my definition is skewed compared to the general consensus. This may be because it's just my wife and I and she doesn't care how loud I play. I'll try to be courteous and ask from time to time if I was being too loud. She always says it's not bothering her and I can play louder if I want. A good example is I see people talk about older Mesa Mark amps being insanely loud with the master at 2 and pissing off everyone in the house. On my Mark III with channel volumes between 7-9 so they're balanced out, going through a 4x12 I'll have the master up to 3 for regular at home playing and be fine.

I've measured the dB levels a couple of times through various amps at my normal playing volume. Obviously it would be less in other parts of the house, but measured 6-8 ft. away I average about +/- 105 dB in the room. I really don't play any quieter than that. So if I say I was playing loud it's probably closer to 110 dB if not a bit past that. (Quick aside I do try to keep my exposure at that level within time limits set by OSHA to not damage hearing too much).

So, +/- 105 dB is what I define as bedroom levels. What do you consider bedroom levels?
If you can give a measured dB level great. If not, here's a reference chart with some common noises to make a comparison.

 

[fretworn]

105 is loud; not bedroom imo

I’ve heard a lot of gunshots (a few hundred thousand) in my life as well, so I’m not sure where all the damage comes from but I’m pretty sure it’s drummers and big fucking amplifiers.

At home I try to keep things around 100 or lower. Doesn’t always happen.

 

[PLX]

Loud enough where I can't hear the guitar acoustically.

 

[DrewJD82]

I’m in an apartment with a psychotic neighbor so I’m regularly between 40 and 60 on that chart. Before she moved in I was anywhere from 90-110 and no one ever said a word, even the people who lived in her place before her, they told me they couldn’t hear shit.

 

[Whizzinby]

I turn it up until my neighbor across the street starts texting me song requests.

 

[fretworn]

I’m in an apartment with a psychotic neighbor so I’m regularly between 40 and 60 on that chart. Before she moved in I was anywhere from 90-110 and no one ever said a word, even the people who lived in her place before her, they told me they couldn’t hear shit.

Snakes and rats brother …

 

[sleewell]

when i am home practicing i play at about normal talking levels, so like 60 on that chart. i love playing loud with my band but i dont have to play loud when i am just practicing at home.

 

[jay mitchell]

I'm gonna say no more than ~85dBA, and that's really pushing any credible definition of "bedroom volume."

When I say "bedroom volume," I'm referring to scenarios in which there are people in other rooms in the same dwelling, IOW to volumes that will not force folks in another room to listen to what I'm doing.

When there's nobody else home, I will occasionally play somewhat louder - 98dBA or so - but, even though I'm still in my home office/practice (aka bed-) room, I don't characterize that as "bedroom volume." I rarely play any louder than that on gigs.

 

[mavrick102000]

It's going to vary based on people's individual scenarios of how close they live to neighbors and tolerance levels. But 100+ dB is definitely entering damn loud territory.

Don't get me wrong I like it as long as it's not blasting directly at my head and I have some sort of protection to take levels below 80-85dB in my ear canals.

Generally, I'd think below ~80dB is going to be in the average range for loud enough to be mostly happy as the guitarist. For anyone living in an apartment it would likely be less than 40-50dB max and likely much lower.

My wife didn't used to mind, but now I've taken over the theater room upstairs, and the floor and walls take the low frequencies and essentially create a massive subwoofer effect for anyone downstairs, particularly in the office where she is sitting.

 

[jellodog]

Same as Jay. When playing at home, my peaks are around 85 dB and I try not to exceed that at home.

It's harder to be more precise with volume levels when you are playing cleaner and have a greater dynamic range with transient spikes in volume.

Real bedroom volumes are lower than that though. Maximum 68 dB?

 

[the-trooper]

About as loud as TV set to normal watching / listening volume.

 

[James Freeman]

Around 65dB A-Weighting from 3-4 feet.

 

[hemmelight]

In my head, "bedroom volume" is the level that someone would listen to music or watch TV at most of the time. With a door closed it's not too annoying or boomy for other people in the house / in the next unit over. Of course the building you're in and the construction plays a part in that.
If someone's idea of bedroom volume is "as loud as I can stand it being in a small room" then that's obviously a pretty different definition.

Playing at home I like to keep it between 60-85dB I guess. When we had a place in the country it was a bit louder, but certainly no louder than 95 probably? I'm pretty sensitive to high SPL and want to preserve my hearing as much as possible. After a certain level it's not fun, I can just feel my ears getting fatigued and tired anyway.

 

[Jarick]

Around 65dB A-Weighting from 3-4 feet.

This exactly. Anything above 65dB is uncomfortable for me after a couple minutes. Most of my listening is usually around the 60dB range, because that's conversation level. I don't want anything over 70dB.

 

[AutomationBias]

Weird chart. Police sirens are like 120db.

 

[James Freeman]

The chart is useless without distance.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

Weird chart. Police sirens are like 120db.

I'm thinking that meant a police siren as you'd hear it in your vehicle with the windows rolled up.

 

[Sascha Franck]

My snoring is at 120dB. So I guess that qualifies as bedroom volume.

 

[AutomationBias]

I'm thinking that meant a police siren as you'd hear it in your vehicle with the windows rolled up.

Yeah, that's probably right. I was thinking about our town 4th of July parade where the emergency vehicles roll through with sirens going, and it's an absolutely brain melting volume.

 

[Life Eats Life]

You man “mouse fart volumes”
“flea pea volumes”..

The taproot of your question lies on the speaker.

Add the room, the way you play, how you bias and how well you keep up with the bias in your amplifiers, even certain pre-amp tubes/power tubes in certain circuits can push it,
Most notable:
your mood & tolerance for radical acceptance of what you are actually trying to accomplish..
At some speaker frequency..the sound must
stab out & travel through our aged ears and hit the audible target of the tone..no stab out..no glory.

PS-yeah..the “stab out” component was for
The Gear Forum Peanut Gallery

I had a faithful mouse fart volume
speaker shootout recently.
There’s a specific area with speakers such as
v-30’s & Creamback 75/65’s that won’t stab out until that volume wakes up the cat
Now ya’ stuck in a sticky pickle bro’,
”you can’t play pool with a rope”

Redbacks won by a good notch due to this area of
satisfaction.
It reminds me of surfing.
You have to get out there, paddle strong,
duck dive’s etc to get to the sets that break
at the curls..(watch out for the jetties & jellyfish)
V-30’s,H30’s, Blues , Golds EV’s, Governor, Veteran 30,

(EXCEPT the H30 that one no one likes, the Heritage G12C-H30 75hz-that one is actually very good),

-Or you hire a jet ski operator
guy to tow you out to the sets that
are scha’weeeeet=Redbacks, Greenback 20watters,old school CL80’s, Heritage 30’s 75’s

With most amplifiers with today’s master volumes
& implementations,
-Dude, it’s no longer about the master volumes
unless the master stinks, but nearly every amplifier with a master volume in todays climate is ar’right’.

I really dig what you do with your mind & hands dude.
Your ambition to design, build & create things’
-is authentically inspiring.
Cheers for YEARS my man