Vuvuzela

[Hardy Heinlin]

Sounds fantastic ... occasionally.

But ... constantly through all 90 minutes?


(]-[)

[Shiv Mathur]

Exactly.  After a few minutes you have to put the volume off
and lose the commentary.

The whole world seems to be complaining, so one can hope that
they will eventually realise it's actually no fun, and stop it.

Shiv

[Hardy Heinlin]

I read comments saying it has to be accepted because it's part of the South African culture. I think if this piece of plastic, introduced no longer than ten years ago, manufactured in some foreign factories, is considered "culture", then it actually insults the South African culture.

Where is the true South African music? It consists of more than just one single tone. Where's the dynamic in the audience? Where are the choirs, the drums etc. pp.?

(Some say that banning the Vuvuzela would be like banning cow bells of Swiss fans. I don't mind. Ringing a cow bell constantly for 90 minutes would be just as stupid.)

Now the Vuvuzela is being distributed world-wide. Turning the TV volume down will not help a lot :-)


( ]-[ )

[John Golin]

It is so annoying on TV... especially if you are already losing to Germany 4-0.

[Hardy Heinlin]

That game was really incredibly fast. I didn't expect they will keep that high tempo. But they did. I found that rather unusual and very entertaining.

[Shiv Mathur]

I think (but have not tested) if you can feed your audio through
an equalizer, and knock off the 200-250 Hz. range, you would get rid of the beehive, and yet keep the other sounds.

[Hardy Heinlin]

I don't think so. That trumpet sound is so full of overtones, it covers the whole spectrum up to the high mids.

...

There are already some defrauders on the net  ... haha ... selling an "active anti-vuvuzela mp3 sound": You play that mp3 sound on your hifi speakers in your room; the amplitudes in that mp3 file are reversed so that the vuvuzela sound from the TV speaker is automatically eliminated. Hilarious! :-) All credit cards are accepted.

Ha! People who buy that swindle will be surprised. It will get even louder! :-)


|-|

[Avi]

Sad, but expected, news.
The Vuvuzela is here to stay (FIFA decided today not to ban it).

[Will]

From wikipedia:

They have been associated with permanent noise-induced hearing loss,[4] cited as a possible safety risk when spectators cannot hear evacuation announcements,[5] and potentially spread colds and flu viruses on a greater scale than coughing or shouting.[6][7] Commentators have described the sound as "annoying" and "satanic" [8] and compared it with "a stampede of noisy elephants,"[9] "a deafening swarm of locusts,"[10] "a goat on the way to slaughter"[11] and "a giant hive full of very angry bees."[12].

4. "World Cup horn risks permanent damage to hearing: study". Associated Press. June 8, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
5. "Are vuvuzelas a safety risk?". IOL. May 27, 2010.
6. Snyman, Mia (June 10, 2010). "Study: Vuvuzela could spread colds and flu". Associated Press. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
7. Presence, Chantall (June 10, 2010). "SPCA worried by vuvuzelas". iafrica.com. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
8. a b 'Ban the vuvuzela' News24/Sunday Sun
9. "The World Cup noise that annoys". Sydney Morning Herald. June 4, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
10. Clarke, Liz (June 6, 2010). "World Cup ready to open in South Africa and vuvuzelas will make plenty of noise". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 11, 2010. "several coaches and players called for its banning, saying the din made it impossible to communicate on the pitch. Others claimed the vuvuzela posed a health hazard, stood to overwhelm TV broadcasts and was annoying, to boot. Why play the beautiful game, detractors asked, amid such horrible noise?"
11. Makhanya, Mondli (May 30, 2010). "Nothing kills the joy of soccer like a bunch of wailing vuvuzelas". The Times. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
12. Brunt, Stephen (June 11, 2010). "The happy chaos of Soccer City". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 11, 2010.

[Shiv Mathur]

And (as an ex-audio engineer ?) Hardy was right.

I just tried out the equalization thing ... it doesn't really work.
As Hardy said, the frequency range is much larger, and if you
try to knock it all off, the sound is still unsatisfactory.

Damn !!

Shiv

[Shiv Mathur]

Sad, but expected, news.
The Vuvuzela is here to stay (FIFA decided today not to ban it).

We can hope that the South African government/people will voluntarily
decide to put an end to this.
Fingers crossed.

Shiv

[Holger Wende]

...knock off the 200-250 Hz. range...

Today I also heard rumors, that television companies think about implementing measures to reduce Vuvuzela noise.

If that doesn't work: Vuvustop is annother alternative :?

Initially I thought a single or a few Vuvuzelas are sort of fun, but too many just create an continuous "humm"-noise without significant modulation. No more fun.

Last Satureday I went with my bike though our city and a pedestrian blew his Vuvuzela just when I passed  :twisted:
Honestly, that sudden and unexpected lound noise scared me to death and I had to concentrate not to fall off my bike. Dangerous!

Regards, Holger

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

This cartoon wonderfully combines the current craze about both Vuvuzelas and other orange junk that litters the supermarkets and drives mothers with kids crazy.

[OKD]

The worst part was that I couldn't even listen to all National Anthems...Coz I also really like the South African's, German's, NZ's yet to be playedand of course the Aus...even though we lost 4-0!!

[frumpy]

i read that them things go 300-1000hz.
i am not into soccer, i just get bothered by
kids, running around the block and blowing
the horn for the whole saturday and sunday.
i told them that i dislike it, instead i got a
private concert. kniebeißer, verdammte!  :twisted:

[wolfie]

Ran into this site where you can test your nerves against the annoying sound of the Vuvuzela, check it out > http://www.longestvuvuzela.com

[frumpy]

i always wondered, what them vuvus stand for:



now i know

[Will]

BEGIN QUOTE:

South African Vuvuzela Philharmonic Angered By Soccer Games Breaking Out During Concerts

JOHANNESBURG—Members of the South Africa Vuvuzela Philharmonic Orchestra, widely considered to be among the best large-scale monotonic wind instrument ensembles in the world, told reporters Friday they were furious over the recent outbreaks of international soccer matches during their traditional outdoor concerts.

"I cannot imagine what is getting into these football teams that they would suddenly begin full-scale international competition just when we are beginning our 2010 concert series," said Dr. Stefan Coetzee, the Philharmonic's program and concert director. "It is disrespectful to the performers, it is disrespectful to the music itself, and by extension, it is disrespectful to the great nation of South Africa."

SOURCE (and the rest of the article):

http://www.theonion.com/articles/south-african-vuvuzela-philharmonic-angered-by-soc,17625/

[Shiv Mathur]

More on the vuvuzela, and related soccer insanity.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/21/1693072/dave-barry-blowing-the-vuvuzela.html

(Might require free registration)

Shiv

[Shiv Mathur]

Someone sent me this:

Definitions:  The feeling that you have heard
a really irritating sound before -- deja vu-vuzela