Lucy

The sound policy for unSCruz 2023 respects the requirements of our host, the San Benito County Fairgrounds. It is designed to maintain good relationships with our neighbors, and ensure that we are welcome to return next year.

Rule number one—
No Renegade Sound.

If you are a sound camp, whether stationary or an art car, you should have indicated your desire to play loud when you applied for placement. Sound louder than a conversational level played by any camp or individual without explicit approval from unSCruz will be considered Renegade Sound. When unSCruz encounters Renegade Sound it will be shut down immediately. Repeat offenders may be ejected from the fairgrounds and disinvited to future events. 

At all times each sound camp must respect a maximum allowable sound level as determined and communicated by unSCruz staff or rangers. Sound levels will be measured in the sweet spot—the center of the dance floor or listening area.

  • Loud hours are 11am – 7pm. During this time the maximum sound level will be 95dB.
  • After 7pm, the sound will slowly decrease in increments of 3dB until 10pm. You will be told when to turn it down and to what exact level in dB.
  • After 10pm, sound must be at a level quiet enough that it is easy to conduct a normal conversation in the center of the dance floor or listening area. 

It is possible that conditions will dictate a different sound level for your camp than was anticipated. In this case, you will be still told a precise decibel limit for your camp by unSCruz staff or rangers.

Sound leads of all sound camps must have a conversation with Sound Control lead Lauren Seales (lauren@unscruz.org) before the event to make sure you and unSCruz staff are all on the same page. Look out for communication from her.

If you are a non-sound camp, sound must be at a level quiet enough that it is easy to conduct a normal conversation, especially at night. 

After hours, there will continue to be sound indoors and silent disco outdoors. You can keep jumping while your neighbors are, well, you know…

Whether you’re a sound camp or non-sound camp, you must be responsive to staff or rangers when they set a decibel limit. Failure to do so after a sufficient warning will result in ejection from the fairgrounds and disinvitation to future events. So, just don’t. Nobody wants that. We all want you here year after year having consensual fun with your ears (and everything else). There are lots of hours and opportunities throughout the day and night to get your bang on.

Rest assured, we’ll keep you as loud as we can for as long as we can. We love it loud too!