Ever since Spinal Tap did it, we all want to turn our guitar amps
up to 11 - but what does this number actually mean? The relationship
between guitar amps and sound level might seem complicated at first, but
there are a few ways to look at it that make it a bit easier to
understand. Essentially, we need to examine the relationship between the
wattage of a guitar amplifier and the increase in perceived loudness,
measured in decibels. Through this relationship we can then understand
what it actually means to turn it up to 11, and how certain levels of
loudness are generated by amplifiers
.
First, let's define the terms: wattage (W) is an indicator of power, that is, how powerful the amplifier is, and is ascertained by multiplying the voltage and the current. Every guitar amplifier will specify its particular wattage, whilst loudness will be presented in decibels (dB). Decibels are used to measure most sounds, and one decibel is equivalent to one tenth of a Bel. To give it some content, a live rock concert will normally hit around 100-150 dB, whereas a normal conversation between two people will normally be at around 60 dB.
Now that we've defined our terms, we can start comparing power output and decibel levels to calculate how loud your amp needs to be. So what kind of amp do I need?
Essentially, a 15 watt guitar amplifier will give you sound as loud as you will ever need. And it will be very loud. Before the invention of complex speaker systems and better amplifiers, many guitar amps had extremely high power outputs, sometimes up to 100 watts. However, this was only to compensate for poor quality speakers, whereas now the sound man will use the PA system to amplify and edit the sound, not your amplifier. This is why many guitarists now use lower wattage amplifiers, but manage to generate a louder sound. You also need to consider the difference in decibels between power outputs. For example, a 30 watt amplifier will only generate a sound 3 dB louder than a 15 watt amp, a difference in loudness which is barely audible to the human ear. However, a 15 watt amp will begin to distort at a lower volume, which is something else to consider. Loudness is a complicated issue, but as you can see, a smaller amplifiers should do you just fine.
.
First, let's define the terms: wattage (W) is an indicator of power, that is, how powerful the amplifier is, and is ascertained by multiplying the voltage and the current. Every guitar amplifier will specify its particular wattage, whilst loudness will be presented in decibels (dB). Decibels are used to measure most sounds, and one decibel is equivalent to one tenth of a Bel. To give it some content, a live rock concert will normally hit around 100-150 dB, whereas a normal conversation between two people will normally be at around 60 dB.
Now that we've defined our terms, we can start comparing power output and decibel levels to calculate how loud your amp needs to be. So what kind of amp do I need?
Essentially, a 15 watt guitar amplifier will give you sound as loud as you will ever need. And it will be very loud. Before the invention of complex speaker systems and better amplifiers, many guitar amps had extremely high power outputs, sometimes up to 100 watts. However, this was only to compensate for poor quality speakers, whereas now the sound man will use the PA system to amplify and edit the sound, not your amplifier. This is why many guitarists now use lower wattage amplifiers, but manage to generate a louder sound. You also need to consider the difference in decibels between power outputs. For example, a 30 watt amplifier will only generate a sound 3 dB louder than a 15 watt amp, a difference in loudness which is barely audible to the human ear. However, a 15 watt amp will begin to distort at a lower volume, which is something else to consider. Loudness is a complicated issue, but as you can see, a smaller amplifiers should do you just fine.
Sound Reduction Services have over 25 years experience of soundproofing both domestic and commercial properties.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_D_Lambourne
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق