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June 8, 2011
Behind the calculated noisemaking at NBA arenas, technology for amplification
Atlantic Yards Report
Norman Oder reports on why you really, really ought to wear earplugs if you attend an NBA game.
...yesterday, in an article headlined Stoking Excitement, Arenas Pump Up the Volume, the New York Times reported that such hype is standard practice:
At sporting events across the nation, and in the N.B.A. in particular, noise has become a part of the show — rarely more so than in Dallas, where the Mavericks face the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the N.B.A. finals Tuesday night. It is hard to tell if the Mavericks’ favorite machine during these playoffs is Dirk Nowitzki, their star player, or their sound system.
The Mavericks’ equipment involves more than simply pumping up decibels to levels that some experts fear could contribute to long-term hearing loss. Rather, with fans spoiled by earbud fidelity and 5.1-channel home theater systems, owners like the Mavericks’ Mark Cuban have turned hosting a game into producing an event — with “assisted resonance” and “crowd enhancement,” buzzwords for insiders and euphemisms for others.
Sixty mammoth speakers hanging above the court thunder music and clamorous sound effects louder than a jumbo jet engine.
NoLandGrab: Residents living near the Barclays Center are even more concerned about what the noise will be like outside the arena.
Posted by eric at June 8, 2011 7:06 AM