Soundvision / Diagnosing Off-Site Noise Complaints

Soundvision: Diagnosing Off-Site Noise Complaints Guide 7 of 8

Reference: SV-NOISE-01. A short, specific workflow for when a neighbor (or the venue itself, pre-emptively) is worried about low end carrying outside — model the complaint location directly, then compare configurations against it rather than guessing.

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Model the Complaint Location

Place a probe at (or as close as you can model to) the actual complaint location — outside the venue wall, at the neighbor's position, not just somewhere generally "outside." Treat this probe reading as your baseline. Everything else in this workflow is comparing configurations against this one number.

Compare Configurations at That Probe

Test a few realistic sub configuration variants (different spacing, cardioid vs. standard, tighter vs. wider layout) and read the external probe for each — configurations that look nearly identical inside the room can differ noticeably at an off-site position. Note the actual dB difference between options rather than eyeballing the color map — small-looking color changes at this position are the whole point of the exercise.

Verify the Winner Still Works Inside

Move your attention (or the probe) back onto the actual dance floor/audience area and check the quietest-outside option there too — the config that leaks least outside isn't automatically the best-sounding one inside. Pick the real-world compromise: quiet enough outside to avoid the complaint, still even and usable for the audience — not necessarily the single quietest external option if it makes the room noticeably worse.

Source: adapted from a purchased L-Acoustics Soundvision video tutorial series. Rewritten and condensed into a quick-reference workflow in Ryan's own words from the source material.