Hello Fireflies, This is the annual Sound Core memo to anyone who intends to make noise at Firefly this year. As an annual event, Firefly needs to keep the neighborhood happy and complaints to a minimum to guarantee we are welcome back next year. Happy neighbors are kept happy by working to ensure they are minimally bothered by noise pollution. Noise pollution is minimized through everyone’s collective effort to make sure they aren’t blasting music so loudly that someone complains, or calls the police. Thus, it is necessary to have a sound plan and people responsible for the sound in each camp. It only takes one person to cause major issues not just to a single camp, but the event as a whole. If a camp continues to operate the PA too loud or disregard policies, the issue will be directly raised to the board who will decide the appropriate action to be taken (this puts your placement at risk for next year, and could even result in your camp’s ejection from this year’s Firefly). Soundcore members are volunteers trying to help the event happen, not camp babysitters. If you are a Firefly attendee and you feel a soundcamp is being exceedingly or needlessly loud, please bring this to the attention of a member of Soundcore (Kevin Green / Sean Hensley, other Soundcore volunteers), a Firefly Ranger, or a Board member. This needs to be an effort everyone precipitates in – one Soundcamp (or even one person) misbehaving affects everyone. If noise complaints occur this year we may have to even further regulate sound levels next year so we can return for 2023. This could mean no subwoofers in the evening or even no sound late at night. This happened to PDF at their old location. In order to be fair to everyone, if an external sound complaint is received – All camps will need to turn down or even cease amplified music. Depending on the severity of the complaint and/or how pissed the state police are, it could be for the evening or the rest of the event. Ideally we do not fuck up in the first place. <3 It is a delicate balance to try to minimize the sound levels emanating from Firefly given the constraints of our location along with being fair to everyone. We are not trying to rain on your parade- we simply seek that sweet spot where it’s loud enough for the burners to enjoy, and quiet enough not to bother the regular folks in the area. Meeting this target provides the best outcome for everyone involved. Thank you for your cooperation. New Leadership Kevin from Camp Live Free and Burn is leading Sound Core this year, supported by Sean Hensley. We are both new to Firefly, and working hard to carry the torch that’s been passed to us from previous years. No Sound Core members from previous years will be attending this year, but Dennis Zografos has been instrumental in providing email support and transporting Sound Core gear to site. In Nick Binary's absence, there will be no compass-directionality for what direction to point your speakers. We ask that everyone direct their sound somewhere between West and Southwest, it’s an approximation of what was done in previous years but it’s the best we can do for the moment. What Constitutes a Sound Camp? Any camp or installation that plans on having music as one of the main focuses of their camp or art, you have speakers capable of 50W or more, or weighing 15lbs or more. If any of these criteria describe you, you are a sound camp, and are required to attend the Sound Core meeting. If you have a simple bluetooth speaker or a small art installation, you’re fine, just please point the sound westward. Each Sound Camp must designate one member of their camp to be the ‘Sound Camp Representative’. Figure out who’s going to be the rep for your camp in advance, please. This person will be loaned a SPL meter and will be in charge of their camp’s overall volume levels for the duration of Firefly. Current Sound camps that I am aware of are as follows- Astral Chill Bring A Cup Cabana Hammock Camp Here Camp Love and Lions Den Camp Stop Hitting Yourself Diode F-Art Ginnungagap GraVT Howl Live Free and Burn Meat Camp Secret Goth Club Sensual Sensory Experience If you’re not on this list, you’re not in the 2022 Sound Camp Directory and should reach out to Carl G over in Placement Core. Sound Core Briefing Thursday at 4pm there will be a Sound Core Meeting at Diode, which must be attended by each camp’s ‘Sound Camp Representative’. Soundcore will distribute SPL meters to each Camp Representative at this time, and given a quick overview of how they work and an index card with instructions and maximum permitted volume levels. Sound Core is composed of two volunteers this year, and the rangers have more responsibility this year than in past years, so in keeping with the principle of radical self-reliance, each camp is responsible for monitoring their volume levels. We also ask sound camps with moderate or large sound systems to help monitor sound levels of their neighboring camps. Reasonable Volume What is reasonable volume? Please use your critical thinking skills to answer the following questions: - Do you need to run your PA at high volume with a few people on your dance floor / at camp? - Do people really need to shout to each other standing a few feet away from your speakers? - Is doing any of these things really necessary or adding in any positive way to your camp/event? Soundcore recommends and enforces a ‘Don’t be stupid’ policy. One person being stupid can jeopardize the entire event. Please don’t be that person. Maximum Volume Levels for the event are 85-94 SPL-A at source. The maximum volume is a range and not a single number, because sound propagation is heavily dependent on the environment. Sound travels a lot further if it’s cold, less so if it’s a hot day. Additionally, if it’s muggy or everything is covered in dew/rainwater, that water is going to absorb sound and you can be a bit louder. So again- cold, dry day? 85 SPL-A. Hot, wet day? 94 SPL-A. Please use your judgment (or reach out to Sound Core or the Rangers) for determining the precise limit for the day. Sound core and Rangers have SPL meters, and your Sound Camp representative might also have one, if there was a surplus to loan out. SPL meters are also easy to install as a free app on your phone. They may not be quite as reliable or accurate as a real, dedicated device, but they’re a whole lot better than a wild guess. Please be respectful of others when it comes to your sound. The word on the street is that in past years, there have been multiple instances of people walking around at 7AM blasting their speakers into camps or aiming them at people who are sleeping, and excusing themselves by saying “it’s for art.” If you want to get ‘creative’ about being an asshole, we can creatively confiscate your gear or artistically escort you off site. This Year’s Schedule Remember- Amplified sound is dependent on everyone complying with the sound policies.This schedule is subject to change if we get noise complaints. Responsibility for monitoring each camp’s volume falls to each Camp’s Sound Core Representative. Tuesday (Early Arrival)- No PA amplified sound please. Low level Bluetooth/Handheld speakers are ok until sundown. Wednesday- No PA systems. Handheld Bluetooth speakers are OK all day/night - except in quiet camping and anywhere in the field area. Anything that has a carry handle is not a small handheld speaker. Thursday- Starting at 10am PA’s can be on at reasonable volume. Subwoofers can come on at 11am. Music can go until 11pm, then turn all PA’s off for the night. Again, small bluetooth speakers are okay. Friday/Saturday/Sunday- Starting at 10am PA’s can be on at reasonable volume. Music can go until 11pm, then lower levels to under 90 SPL, and dip your subwoofer levels. Monday (Exodus)- PA amplified sound is allowed until 12pm. The event officially ends at noon, after which, low level/Bluetooth speakers are allowed for the remainder of your load-out. No drum circles, poofer fire art, or any other surprises that generate shockwaves during the late night or early morning - please save that stuff for 10AM-11PM Quiet Camping Firefly will have quiet camping zones which will be reflected on the map. The Back Forty (Northwest of the stone wall and east of the stream) are quiet camping areas. If you are looking for quiet camping, please camp here and not west of Verdant ave which will be quite loud. That is where the cluster of sound camps are normally placed. Quiet camping is usually reflected on the map. We ask that no amplified sound or generator use take place after 11pm in these areas. There are volunteers who work shifts at all hours for Rangers, First Aid, etc. who rely on having a quiet place to catch a few hours of sleep, so please be respectful. See you in the woods, *-Kevin, Sound Core Lead*