Afrikaburn Sound Policy

Check 1, 2 – Sound, and Sound Out of Place Policy

To be read with:
Mutant Vehicle Sound Policy
Event Rules
Event Disclaimer
Guiding Principles

The sonic landscape
We understand that for many, loud is good and louder is even better, but sound is very difficult to contain. Bass is omni-directional and can travel very far. All sound gifters are encouraged to tailor their sound output to suit the situation, either through the number of participants on their dance floors or their nearby surroundings.

Rarely are there more than a thousand people on any dance floor, and Funktion-One rigs can often cater for five thousand! Newer mobile sound rigs, whilst being small in size can have an output capability similar to that of the large Funktion-One rigs. Therefore all amplified sound in Tankwa Town should be used with care and sensitivity, and without being too prescriptive about sound systems, often less is more – and for some noise annoys.

The Sound and Sound Out of Place Policy sets out parameters relating to the decibel limits to ensure that you are partying safely for all our ears; the location of where sound is welcome – in which direction, and where it’s out of place, times when we want to hear you and when we want to hear ourselves.

Generators
Generators may only remain on in accordance with this sound policy hours. However, if your generator is silent, or sufficiently baffled so that it can not be heard by neighbours, it can remain on. The Theme Camp team will engage with camps who meet this requirement if there is any uncertainty and ensure they comply.

The hard and fast rules

Limits
Your decibel limit will not exceed 95dB inside the camp or on the dancefloor, and will not exceed 60dB at a 50m distance.

Locations
Where you are placed has an impact on how loud and long you can play.

The Louder Zone is located on Binnekring Road from 11ish and then up 12ish. These camps must aim their speakers out to the open desert.
Placements will be allocated directly to Level 3 mobile sound rigs by the Department of Mutant Vehicles, towards the urban edge.

We would all like to have a Binnekring that is bright, bold, and busy. Therefore, the Binnekring will be the Loud Zone, with the event being progressively quieter the further back one goes from the Binnekring.

Camps in Open Camping may play music, as long as your neighbours are enjoying it too. Please be extra considerate of noise in Open Camping and check with folks next door.

There are two Quiet Camping Areas: located behind the sand dunes on the 3rd and 4th radial roads, and another behind the dunes on the 9ish and 10ish. The nearby sand dune acts as a sound barrier. The Quiet Camping Areas must be free of any amplified sound, and is also a generator free zone. These areas are demarcated on the map and are signposted. Participants who are not respectful of the Quiet Camping Areas will be asked very nicely to relocate to another camping area.

Timing

Quiet hours:
Open Camping: quiet hours from midnight to 11am for the duration of the event, meaning no parties with amplified music may take place in the camping areas between midnight and 11am throughout the event, when the shut off applies. Acoustic music during shut off is at the discretion of your neighbours. Please play nice, and stop if they ask.

All other zones:
Monday – Thursday quiet hours are between 7am and 11am – meaning no amplified sound at the event, with the exceptions of:
A registered Theme Camp offering a morning gift of food and/or drink. This does not include dancefloors.
Radio Free Tankwa, operating at half volume from 9am with speakers facing the Binnekring.
DPW Kitchen, who are permitted to play music at half volume with their speakers turned inwards.

Friday – Sunday
Based on advice from our health care professionals, all sound camps and participants are encouraged to play music at half volume between 7 am and 11 am and to play downtempo music, in order to help prevent sleep deprivation and psychosis experienced by participants.

Noisy hours:
Monday – Thursday
All camps in the Loud Zone which is on the Binnekring and A roads, and includes the top of 11ish, can play music and run generators until 2am.

Louder Zone camps must switch off at 7am.

Friday – Sunday
Camps in the Loud and Louder Zones can play music and run their generators until midnight on Sunday.

Sunday Night Shut Off – All zones
The event officially ends at midnight on the Sunday of the event. It is therefore requested that all sound camps and rigs lower their volume at 10pm to facilitate the winding down towards a total shut off at midnight.
Midnight Sunday is a HARD CUT OFF – there is no amplified music after this time.

Before and after Silent Burns
Sound Wranglers request 1 hour total silence before Silent Burn. During Silent Burns, all amplified sound is switched off, and people are asked to be quiet too. Weather conditions may have an impact on the Burn schedule, please be flexible if this is the case. Silent Burns are held at the discretion of the artist/creative crew.

Consultation and Communication

Ahead of the event
Open consultation on the Sound and Sound Out Of Place Policy took place on 28 March, with further policy communication engagements on 16 and 18 April 2024. The intention being to foster a better understanding and acceptance of the Sound Policy.

All sound gifters must have attended one of the April meetings.

Subsequently this policy will be shared to all so informed so sound (pun intended) decisions can be made.

At the event
A high level explanation of the policy for all participants is communicated through the WTF? Guide and the Tankwa Town Map.
Every Artwork/Theme Camp/Mutant Vehicle with amplified sound needs to appoint a Sound Officer. This person assumes responsibility and accountability for any sound issues or complaints and will be the point of contact for Sound Wranglers..
Sound Wranglers will be at the event from Friday to assist with sound system setups. Sound Officers are to ask for assistance at the Theme Camps Desks at Arteria, who will call the Sound Wranglers

Sound Wranglers are there to help you and your project to have a successful AfrikaBurn, they are not there to police the event. Please bear this in mind whenever you have to interact with a Sound Wrangler.
It is your responsibility to talk to your neighbours and work out schedules, so that your sound gifts do not clash. Reduce sound levels if there are fewer people on your dance floor. Remember, this is not a competition.

The AfrikaBurn team reserves the right to request changes to the orientation and location of speakers at any time.

Specific requirements when gifting sound

As a: Theme Camp
Sound Camps will be curated to avoid sound bleed where possible, and so that the loudest camps do not dominate the landscape. These camps will need to follow direction with regards to speaker volume, direction and placement, and Sound Wranglers will be onsite during set up to ensure everything is in order.

Speakers must face away from residential camping areas with consideration of the annual sound layout of Tankwa Town, nearby art works, and be aimed to create a focused sound zone.
In other words, the orientation must be downward and focused inward towards the space, to ensure sound bleed isn’t a major factor for nearby artworks, theme camps or other sound systems.

Raise your bass bins off the ground, using pallets, truss, scaffolding or other means of elevation.

As an: Artwork
Artworks are to indicate sound plans including position of DJ box and speakers if applicable, before build begins. Speakers should be directed away from the city.

Raise your bass bins off the ground, using pallets, truss, scaffolding or other means of elevation.

As a: Mutant Vehicle
You will receive a map of suitable areas to stop and play on the Binnekring. MVs must not direct their speakers towards the city. We encourage MVs to use sound systems that are smaller and require less power, these are loud enough to create the party environment and the sound speakers can be directed away from the city.

Mutant vehicles with sound are requested to be respectful if they are parked in front of other theme camps or artworks, and switch off their sound systems if requested.

Mutant Vehicles should switch off sound rigs as soon as they leave the Binnekring to head home to their campsites. They must turn off all sound before entering the city.

Sound and Sound Out Of Place Policy Monitoring and Application
Dust Rangers are to be empowered by the policy to monitor and manage the sound shutoff times.
Sound Wranglers are responsible for monitoring decibel level, speaker placement.
Any disputes will be handled by the Site Managers.

Thank you for your participation – play wonderfully, and have lots of Fun!