Large Scale Sound Art Registration

reavis · Post by **reavis** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:51 am

I am interested in registering a large scale sound art installation, but I haven't been able to find any information on how the registration process works or when it happens. I have a 4000W sound system that I want to use to demonstrate an experimental visual and tactile music control system and for DJ and live music performances. I currently take the system out to the desert in Southern California once a month for camp-outs, so I am familiar with the difficulties of operating a sound system in harsh outdoor conditions. Any tips on producing a sound/music based camp at Burning Man would be appreciated.

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:18 am

Awesome bring on the sound! From the main site under "Theme Camps" you'll find a place to go and register your camp soon. From that page: "Theme Camp Questionnaire: CLOSED We will open for 2007 on February 15th."

If you look at a map of the city the large sound camps are mostly out at the 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock ends, facing the open playa (but I was happily delighted to find The Deep End embedded in the 8:30 area last year. Great place : )

edit to ad: also look here:http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/ ... olicy.html

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:19 pm

4000W sound system that I want to use to demonstrate an experimental visual and tactile music control system and for DJ and live music performances.

Hate to bust your bubble but if you intend to come out with that system and exercise its potential you'll likely get shut down quicker than you can imagine. 4000W is pretty fucking deafening even when pointed towards the open playa.

Keep in mind that there's a difference between LARGE scale and LOUD scale.

helitack · Post by **helitack** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:22 pm

Since when did dance music become art?

Jordan 10-E · Post by **Jordan 10-E** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:01 pm

Isotopia wrote:
4000W sound system that I want to use to demonstrate an experimental visual and tactile music control system and for DJ and live music performances.
Hate to bust your bubble but if you intend to come out with that system and exercise its potential you'll likely get shut down quicker than you can imagine. 4000W is pretty fucking deafening even when pointed towards the open playa.

Keep in mind that there's a difference between LARGE scale and LOUD scale.

Hmmmm... ok.

playasnake · Post by **playasnake** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:02 pm

Jordan 10-E wrote:
Isotopia wrote:
4000W sound system that I want to use to demonstrate an experimental visual and tactile music control system and for DJ and live music performances.
Hate to bust your bubble but if you intend to come out with that system and exercise its potential you'll likely get shut down quicker than you can imagine. 4000W is pretty fucking deafening even when pointed towards the open playa.

Keep in mind that there's a difference between LARGE scale and LOUD scale.
Hmmmm... ok.

exactly. 4K isnt that much. especially by playa standards.

3 main things you need to address are
1. location. make sure you end up in the right spot... LSSA is plenty big.
2. Clean power. (and fuel)
3. A "clean" area for your gear, especially amps. The dust is finer than other deserts and will get inside your gear no matter what. Just try to minimize it.

Your rig sounds interesting.

Code: Select all

Large Scale Sound Art

All large-scale sound systems will be located in the Large-Scale Sound Art Zone. Like all theme camps, these camps will be encouraged to be as creative and interactive as possible. The primary rule is that all speakers MUST be turned away from greater Black Rock City toward the open playa at all times. The deadline for large-sound art installations is first-come, first-served, so when these spots are filled, no more sound systems will be permitted within Black Rock City. 

http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/sound_systems/policy.html

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:32 pm

3 main things you need to address are
1. location. make sure you end up in the right spot... LSSA is plenty big.
2. Clean power. (and fuel)
3. A "clean" area for your gear, especially amps. The dust is finer than other deserts and will get inside your gear no matter what. Just try to minimize it.

Maybe it's just me but I find it curious that of the three things to be concerned with (above) nowhere do I find the word 'neighbor' included.

Yeh, I'm an asshole but WTF????

Jordan 10-E · Post by **Jordan 10-E** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 11:34 pm

Badger wrote:

3 main things you need to address are
1. location. make sure you end up in the right spot... LSSA is plenty big.
2. Clean power. (and fuel)
3. A "clean" area for your gear, especially amps. The dust is finer than other deserts and will get inside your gear no matter what. Just try to minimize it.
Maybe it's just me but I find it curious that of the three things to be concerned with (above) nowhere do I find the word 'neighbor' included.

Yeh, I'm an asshole but WTF????

Seems to me you were pretty selective in your reading.

First, he suggested LSSA as the proper location for this set up. Maybe you aren't aware but that means Large Scale Sound Art. Last time I checked that is not center camp or anywhere within the city. Obviously this installation won't be your next door "neighbor", since you will surely be camping as far away from the LSSA area as possible. I guess that the 50% - 60% of BRC being so quiet you could hear a pin drop is not good enough, not to mention you probably sleep in an rv.

Second, as he said 4000w is really nothing compared to the biggest sound systems (Again, we are talking about the LSSA area).

I could poke a lot of holes in your neighborly attitude, but I'll refrain for the moment. However, all this gibberish about "shutting things down" or demanding a strict adherence to your personal concept of what is or isn't "neighborly" is lame. Actually, I find certain aspects of your attitude to be quite "unneighborly" if you want to know the truth.

The only reason this has even come up as an issue on this particular thread is that some people decided this was the time to be the sound police again. This is ironic because everyone in this thread is actually trying be "responsible" and make sure the sound ends up in the properly designated area.

reavis · Post by **reavis** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:32 am

Thanks for your comments.

The reason I started this thread in the first place was to find out what steps I needed to take to be a responsible playa citizen and ensure the proper placement of my camp. The last thing I want to do is go the trouble of hauling my equipment all the way to Burning Man if it's going to cause conflict with my neighbors. If the org doesn't accept my LSSA application I will leave the sound at home and try again next year.

My goal is for the experimental music control system to be the centerpiece of the camp. I won't go into details about what it involves, since it's still under development, but it will involve a computer vision tracking system to allow interaction with a projected 3D world. Objects in the world will affect sound parameters based on their movement and interactions with other objects. As I see it, a reasonably large, loud, and clean sound system is required to create an immersive experience for visitors as they play with this control system and hear how their actions affect the musical program output.

Teo del Fuego · Post by **Teo del Fuego** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 11:39 am

[quote="Jordan 10-E"]Actually, I find certain aspects of your attitude to be quite "unneighborly" if you want to know the truth.[/quote]

Lighten up, Francis

Token · Post by **Token** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:59 pm

Reavis, based on the description of what you are doing, LSSA may not be the right environment for your installation. The LSSA is full of dance music camps with 50KW + sound. These will likely interfere with your installation.

Contact the BMORG and see if this type of installation may be something they would place on the Esplanade to fill all those tracts of dead space that have popped up over the years with a lot of the veteran theme camps going mobile on art car platforms.

Good luck with the project. Looks like it will be a lot of fun to build.

T

Post by **mdmf007** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 1:57 pm

can i bring the old civil defense siren from behind the fire station? its one of them big buggers, 16 cones, 40HP? I think ill run that at 0330 every night for a project titled "Loud Noises?"

Maybe I can truck mount it and take requests to annoy people with shitty music.

later all.

sounds like too much work nevermind.

Token · Post by **Token** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:17 pm

mdmf007 wrote:can i bring the old civil defense siren from behind the fire station? its one of them big buggers, 16 cones, 40HP?

Only if you run the thing from a bank of batteries continuously charged by a dozen Coleman generators.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:57 pm

We're working on figuring out the details for our system out in a village in the middle of the city. Being part of a large village makes it seem easy to make everything kosher. There are things you can do.

Register and find out where they want to place you.

Arrive early as part of a registered theme camp that isn't really your own, then camp wherever is empty and let your neighbors know what you're planning when they arrive.

Keep the volume at a decent level and no one will care how many actual watts you're drawing.

Their rules are guidelines to make everyones experience better, if you follow the spirit of the rules no one cares, if you don't follow the spirit, you're probably being an asshole anyway, but that doesn't sound like you.

playasnake · Post by **playasnake** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:17 pm

mdmf007 wrote:can i bring the old civil defense siren from behind the fire station? its one of them big buggers, 16 cones, 40HP? I think ill run that at 0330 every night for a project titled "Loud Noises?"

Maybe I can truck mount it and take requests to annoy people with shitty music.

later all.

sounds like too much work nevermind.

im interested

motskyroonmatick · Post by **motskyroonmatick** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 10:20 pm

Our volunteer fire dept. siren has only three cones and can be heard clearly in a 2+1/2 mile radius. Sadly it has been decommissioned due to neighbor complaints. It used to call me to the station while I was mowing the lawn and could not hear my pager. I think truck mounting that behemoth is a great idea. It would then be my favorite on playa sound after the whistle on the case steam tractor. Damn that is a great sound!

Now back to topic. Some years I have noticed that there is open space at the outer ends of the 10:00 and 2:00 streets in the big sound area. I think this is more common than not. Locating near the end would not be the most advantageous for foot traffic but might give the ability to run a piece at the most advantageous sound level. If the piece is as interesting as it sounds then the masses will come no mater what the location.

playasnake · Post by **playasnake** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 4:02 pm

motskyroonmatick wrote:Now back to topic. Some years I have noticed that there is open space at the outer ends of the 10:00 and 2:00 streets in the big sound area. I think this is more common than not. Locating near the end would not be the most advantageous for foot traffic but might give the ability to run a piece at the most advantageous sound level. If the piece is as interesting as it sounds then the masses will come no mater what the location.

We spent a good 3 or 4 years out a the ends... and loved it. unobstructed view of the playa, few "yahoos", you can indeed make as much noise as you want. You do have to be a little tougher than most tho, as the dust storms blow through your camp unabated sometimes, but dust storms are fun.

with the proliferation of mass transit art cars, it doenst matter where you are so much anymore... people will find you if its worthwhile. with a 4K rig you're probably going to want to be away from the corners.... or you'll get drowned out.

One other thing that hasnt been mentioned would be talking to the org about an open playa location. You'd still camp in the city, but your rig would be out in open playa or just "offshore"

a couple of other sound installations have done this over the years.

and im serious about the siren. someone brings it out. we'll mount it. we can go visit badger and say hi. that would be neighborly wouldnt it?