Updated Mutant Vehicle Sound Policy

[trilobyte]

Burning Man has had a sound policy for a few years now. Those policies are being expanded and clarified in 2015. Mutant Vehicle builders, drivers, and interested people should take a few minutes to read through the Mutant Vehicle Sound Policy below...

SOUND POLICY
Mutant Vehicle sound systems are classified into three levels.

• Level 1: Normal car stereo / average living room (under 90 dB at a distance of 30 feet from the speaker)
• Level 2: Dance club or theatre (90 dB and up at a distance of less than 100 feet)
• Level 3: Large dance club, arena, or stadium (100+ dB at a distance of 100+ feet)

(Note: All decibel levels refer to maximum potential dBA.)

The dB levels here are intended as guidelines. What is important is the impact your vehicle's sound has on your surroundings.

Vehicles with Level 1 systems may play anywhere in Black Rock City, but must be mindful of your volume and surroundings, especially in quieter areas of the City or late at night.

Vehicles with Level 2 systems may only play at high volume on the open playa (not on or pointing right into the city streets) and must be mindful of where you are playing and turn it down when appropriate -- e.g. around art pieces, burns, etc.

Vehicles with Level 3 systems may ONLY play at high volume by the Large Scale Sound Camps on the 2:00 and 10:00 sides of the City, with speakers pointing out to the deep playa.

If you get more than two warnings about your sound system, you may lose your Mutant Vehicle license and the right to drive your vehicle for the rest of the event.


DANCE MUSIC ZONE (DMZ): LEVL 3 SOUND MUTANT VEHICLE PARKING

This year we are establishing a deep playa zone where level three mutant vehicles can park for more than 3 hours. The zone will be 5,340 feet from The Man between the 10:30 and 11:15 clock positions with banks of toilets at each end. This distance out follows the arc of Kook Street. The length of the arc is 1,747 feet. Art placement will be modified to accommodate this zone.

The new experimental zone will allow for a longer stay, up to 12 hours as well as provide sanitary stations at this fixed site. The area is large enough for several level 3 sound vehicles to occupy the zone, where their speakers must be turned out and away from the city. The restriction no “encampments” still applies: no camping or setting up speakers or other type of structures on the ground. Of course leave no trace practices must continue.

In this effort we are reacting to the rise of edge cases with a spirit of giving permission whilst supporting all aspects of the community, rather than creating new restrictions.

We hope this experiment is successful in limiting the impact of deep playa gatherings on other members of the community including art installations, sound camps, the temple and other non-partying participants, and that it will additionally promote public safety and sanitation, while holding to our leave no trace principle.

[Jovankat]

So this is the new policy in it's entirety right?

Which bits (other than the DMZ obviously) are new?

Has this been the case in previous years or is it new too?

Vehicles with Level 1 systems may play anywhere in Black Rock City, but must be mindful of your volume and surroundings, especially in quieter areas of the City or late at night.

Vehicles with Level 2 systems may only play at high volume on the open playa (not on or pointing right into the city streets) and must be mindful of where you are playing and turn it down when appropriate -- e.g. around art pieces, burns, etc.

Vehicles with Level 3 systems may ONLY play at high volume by the Large Scale Sound Camps on the 2:00 and 10:00 sides of the City, with speakers pointing out to the deep playa.

Also I assume there is a pre existing rule about not stopping somewhere for more than 3 hours? That's alluded to in the DMZ bit but it's not articulated anywhere that there's a 3 hour limit outside the DMZ. That's kind of confusing...

[GreyCoyote]

Sweet!!!!

[trilobyte]

That is the current mutant vehicle sound policy in its entirety. The DMZ project has been in the works for some time now, I think I first mentioned it in thread about notes from the mutant vehicle workshop that was held in March. MV owners and drivers should of course refer to the communications they receive from the DMV for further details, and address any questions they have to DMV staffers either through email (include the vehicle name in your subject line) or in person when the vehicle is brought in for inspection and agreements are signed.

I'm a fan. As someone who's built MV's with big sound and produced large scale events on the playa, I like that there will be space out there with better porta-potty coverage. It's less fun than you think to be out in the deep playa having a great time, and then having to leave said great time and wander around in search of a potty bank. And when you find one, often times it was nasty/completely overrun (because they weren't expecting big crowds, etc). And then when doing the cleanup the next day, man it was disgusting to see how many people just used the playa as the toilet. I never had much experience with people asking us to turn it down, both because whenever we'd roll up on an installation or a group of people we'd bring the sound down to see what was going on first... and because years ago the art installations in deep playa were fewer and further between. I like the idea of having a space where, if we wanted, we wouldn't have to worry about noise issues. Especially when it's a bigger shindig with linked sound systems, moving vehicles around isn't easily (or safely) done at the drop of a hat. The DMZ concept sounds like something of a safe place for the big sound vehicles to go nuts. I hope that experiment goes well.

[some seeing eye]

This goes back to the old Rave Camp days - it was out there originally, I think more towards 1:00. This provides portos, maybe an opportunity to place an ambulance out there for first aid and it draws dancers away from the 10 and Esplanade location into an extended L of continuous dance camp. It also focuses potential Moop to a known location.

Personally I like this and look forward to seeing how it works!

I still would like the fixed and mobile sound policy to be strict with respect to dB measured as a specific distance.

[Molotov]

This new term "DMZ" brings to mind the South Korea-North Korea border and the strutting guards. I envision squads of specially trained BLM cops and Black Rock Rangers having stare downs with each other as the music rages...

[media]

[some seeing eye]

Sheik, that made my day! In my experience, the bboy-bgirl culture is all about peace love and understanding. Truly admirable.

The BLM and LEO expect the event is going to step it up every year. So we are waiting for the BLM/LEO/Ranger/participant dance off in the deep mv sound zone!

Step it up!

[media]

[media]

[Bless]

I like this policy because it recognizes that large sound cars should be positioned near porta-johns. However, I think it's unfortunate that all of the mobile raves will now likely end up in such a relatively concentrated area. Perhaps if this experiment is successful, they'll designate additional DMZs in future years.

I also wonder if it's a coincidence that the new DMZ area is roughly where Robot Heart was parked for much of last year's event.

[some seeing eye]

I also wonder if it's a coincidence that the new DMZ area is roughly where Robot Heart was parked for much of last year's event.

The Robot Heart camp was 10xL last year.

I think it's unfortunate that all of the mobile raves will now likely end up in such a relatively concentrated area. Perhaps if this experiment is successful, they'll designate additional DMZs in future years.

I think the ravers ADHD migrate stage to stage. So having them all close is an advantage. Maybe the DMZ will end up spanning 7:30 - 11:30 at the trash fence, facing out. That is 4x the current 2 and 10 camp frontage. Plenty of room for dance camp expansion. 7:30 is convenient to the LEO lockup too.

[trilobyte]

Bless, I don't know that it'll concentrate everything, it's just the really big rigs.

The way most mutant vehicles are designed (and the way they all used to be designed) was such that the on-board sound systems were all largely created as self-contained parties. For those vehicles, not a whole lot really changes, other than having a couple areas with better potty coverage out in deep playa.

Beginning only in recent years, a small percentage of vehicles are largely designed as massive mobile sound systems more than anything else. Instead of self-contained parties, they rarely actually hold that many passengers, and pretty much exist by traveling from location to location and letting the crowd on the ground build around them. Some of these vehicles are really amazing works of art, and they create a whole new kind of magic that didn't exist before. It's also a whole new class of vehicle, some of these things are packing more wattage than entire sound camps did 10 years ago.

Some Seeing Eye - I don't really think of it as akin to the way that rave camps were done in the 90's, as they were completely separating all the sound camps from the city big a gap of more than a mile. This is not that by any measure. If anything, it's more like the evolution of the city's own sound policy that came after the rave camp year(s?). Just as unlimited wattage is only really permitted in designated areas of the city, it looks like they're doing the same for mobile sound systems. I can see where there's a need for that, between the DMV and ARTery I'm sure they've got several years' worth of complaints of mobile systems rolling up on art installations or infringing on what might otherwise be a somber ceremony. Based on the kinds of things we see posted on ePlaya post event, it seems like while sometimes things are resolved amicably, most of the time it just escalates, with the "big bad sound system" turning it up or otherwise chasing people away.

The other thing that the DMZ's provide is guidance for ARTery when placing installations. They can hopefully place the quiet/reflective pieces in other parts of the open playa, which will further reduce conflicts.

[Simon of the Playa]

pink jesus nails it.

[media]

[Bless]

While I agree and appreciate many things that Pink Jesus says, what bothers me is the notion that the event has always been participatory and that any observers are fundamentally against the ten principles.

How do you explain this from '96?



People participate and contribute in any number of different fashions and manners. Is the Rockstar Librarian an observer or a contributor? Is she gifting her lineups or is she contributing to the festivilizing of the event?

I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[media]

[Simon of the Playa]

i remember that flyer.

i was there.


diplo was in diapers.


whats yer point?


mentioning the two in the same breath is like comparing field mice to hippos.....i guess both are mammals....

thats about it though.

[Bless]

My point is that the nature and observance of performance art evolves with time.

[Simon of the Playa]

the difference is the mermen werent playing at EDC...




there was no EDC.




so now there's an ibiza ghetto, it should be just fine....like a free speech zone....go ahead and free speech your 150,000 watt monsters out into the open playa...



i'll see you there, bubbe.

[Bless]

See you in the dust, you mensch.

[Ano]

I'm a fan of LSSCs... and I really like this new policy, it will combat many of the problems posed by LSSCs in the past (MOOP and piss-on-the-playa in particular) but this ruins one thing, memories of which I'll forever cherish.

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, like blasting out past the temple on your bicycle, packed full of supplies for the night and morning, and stopping for that brief moment to scan the massive deep playa, looking for tiny blinking lights signifying that the party is over there. It will most definitely not be the same at all to have a designated zone. Last year, for example, Robot Heart only trudged out past the 10 o'clockish and close-to-town Deep Playa a mere few times... and it was always disappointing to find it there, parked in the same-ish spot, close to camp. There was something truly special about blasting out a mile past the city to the blinking light you hope is it, only to be disappointed, turn, chase another blinking light, and then finally find whichever bus you were looking for, miles away from anything, surrounded by nothing. The only experience that can come close is getting nebulous directions to some forest that may or may not have some kind of event happening... but it's just not the same.

However, nothing is the same, and I welcome this change. So that area will now kind of look like 10 or 2 does, with a massive gathering of cars... I hope the few Level 3 LSSCs there are can work out a way to not cross pollinate their sound, as that is an annoying problem on 10 and 2. I dearly hope the massive cars lined up in a relative row does not look like 10 or 2 does, because there was really something special about seeing the neon of the Mayan Warrior or the floating Robot Heart, in the middle of nowhere, operating as a pop-up experience... especially when tons of other cars join the party and make a gigantic circle of madness. I'm sure that can happen a bit still, but it just... it won't be the same when all of them are closeby. I'm interested to see how this plays out, and I hope it works positively. I'd like to see three smaller DMZs rather than one large DMZ - one somewhere in 10 deep playa, one closer to midnight, and one somewhere in 2 deep playa. But that's my pipe dream, and I know it probably doesn't fit into the vision they are going for, either. I also worry about the relatively easy-to-find cars lined up means that people are just going to further chase DJs, because they can guarantee they'll find their experience of choice in a smaller area. I liked the nebulous-ness of it all.

Excited to see this play out! Hopefully it'll go well.

[Bless]

As usual, well stated Ano. I appreciate your keen observations.

[Madgirl]

Ano, you make a good point. Those late night/early morning dance sessions way out in deep playa were certainly something. I don't think this means the end of that though, just that it won't be the same as it has been. I think (I hope!) that those same deep playa gatherings happen, just with smaller sound and smaller crowds. Maybe it becomes more intimate. Maybe you have to chase twice as many blinky lights to find the party. Maybe you don't chase the party at all, you just happen to find it in your wanderings. I, for one, think that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

[FIGJAM]

All the LEOs can gather there as well and won't be speeding from one side of the playa to the other!!!

[A-RockLeFrench]

Great. The idiots in charge have made another decision to champion the complainers.

And next year they announce the Temple Burn Sound Policy to pacify the shooshers: no talking, amplified music of any kind or blowing your nose an hour before, after or during the burn within a mile radius of the stupid temple.

[The CO]

A-rock, do you have some kind of alternate suggestion or plan?

You call 'championing the complainers'. I call it listen to the population and coming up with a plan that reaches good compromise for all parties involved.

[Token]

... any kind or blowing your nose an hour before, after or during the burn within a mile radius of the stupid temple.

But you can pick your nose all week long humming to Freebird!

[A-RockLeFrench]

A-rock, do you have some kind of alternate suggestion or plan?

Alternate suggestion: If you want peace and quiet at BM stay the fuck home.

But! If there's anything I've learned in my five years of belly-aching around here it's that I (nor any other Eplayers for that matter) am not even remotely qualified to come up with anything even resembling a suggestion or plan for anything relating to BM Policy (tickets, vehicles, sherpacamps, etc).

Which is why we elected Larry to make those decisions for us. So I'll shut up now and jump on the bandwagon like a good little burner:

Hooray for more rules! Praise to the chairman for keeping us safe from the hordes of invading ravers intent on pilaging our peaceful little village! I love the Borg.








*this post is satire. Please for fucks sake don't take anything I say seriously.

[A-RockLeFrench]

... any kind or blowing your nose an hour before, after or during the burn within a mile radius of the stupid temple.

But you can pick your nose all week long humming to Freebird!

And you can bet your ass I will!

[trilobyte]

The complaints were better last year!

[chefjuke]

All,

Just a thought or two and some facts.

The space is HUGE. It is nearly half a mile wide.

Currently, there are only 6 vehicles invited for this year that are designated Level 3 sound vehicles.

And finally, it's not that the vehicles can ONLY play music there (as erroneously reported elsewhere). It's that they can only play for extended periods there.

Hope that helps clarify for folks.

Sincerely,

[Madgirl]

Not that it matters, I'm just curious...what are those 6 vehicles?

[chefjuke]

......

[trilobyte]

As a rule, Burning Man does not make those announcements.

MV teams are notified that their vehicle has been invited to bring the project to the event, and then be inspected for licensing by the department of mutant vehicles. It is then up to the mutant vehicle builders/crews as to whether or not they want to announce it to the public.