This is a little off topic, until you consider running a bass synth through it, but the Large European Acoustic Facility is a sound system so loud that, if you ever heard it, it would kill you.
You might think that the LEAF was invented to get back at dudes that drive at three in the morning with their massive subs cranked up – but it’s actually used for research.
in the photo above, Engineer Kees van Zijtveldt is standing beside the largest sound horn of ESA’s Large European Acoustic Facility (LEAF), capable of subjecting satellites to the same noise a launcher produces as it takes off and flies through the atmosphere.
It is the most powerful sound system in Europe – but no human being could survive hearing it at maximum output.
Large European Acoustic Facility (LEAF)
LEAF is an integral part of ESA’s ESTEC Test Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, a collection of spaceflight simulation facilities under a single roof. One wall of the chamber, which stands 11 m wide by 9 m deep and 16.4 m high, is embedded with a set of enormous sound horns. Nitrogen shot through the horns can produce a range of noise up to more than 154 decibels, like standing close to multiple jets taking off.
The LEAF includes safety features to ensure that its lethal audio capabilities are not tested. It can operate only once all the doors are closed. Steel-reinforced concrete walls safely contain its noise, coated with epoxy resin to reflect noise to produce a uniform sound field within the chamber. The chamber itself is supported on rubber bearing pads to isolate it from its surroundings.
BUT…
Does it THUMP?
No, does it WUB?
It would be awesome to do a filter sweep on this beast.
A distorted 808 kick drum through it , whilst politicians and bankers where locked in the room .
Is there any room for a couple ex wives,cops,judges and moslim extremists?
oh,and lawyers !
I didn’t knew my 21 ex wives was looking on synthopia 🙁
21 ex wives? ever thought that maybe YOU are the problem…
Moslim lololo spell check check chek
It’s spelled “Muslim” you bigot redneck.
I vote for this.
It’s indeed a nice tool to help them listen and ear people’s voice 🙂
I’d hate to have to be the person to clean that mess……
marty mc fly would be so proud right now!
honestly. who thought this was an article about Crispin Glover in a medical facility before they read the articles title?
No, he’d be dead….First thing he would do is strap on his axe and stand in front of the fuc*er lol!
It could a great weapon of mass destruction!!
I think this is the same sound system my neighbour uses…
“They told us, all they wanted
Was a sound that could kill someone
From a distance, so we go ahead
And the meters are over in the red
It’s a mistake in the making”
Kate Bush – Experiment Iv
I bet you could still my wife over it.
Pretty clever to put the gain controls right by the horn. I think we all know what that lab tech does after hours. I’m pretty sure he as a diaper on.
Isn’t this part of Disaster Area’s sound system?
How does it go? `Bwarm! Bwarm! Baderr!!’ something, and in the stage act you do it ends up with this ship crashing right into the sun, and you actually do it!
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has one too: http://instagram.com/p/YBH7w2s1MX/
Great, another weapon for dubsteppers.
An hour of this at max volume > a hardwell set
What I want to know is HOW would it kill you? Like, would the sound crush your ribcage, or turn you inside out or what?
it would pop your brain like a zit
Like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu0R96OZy6w
Google it, sound at over a certain decibel level starts to cause permanent ear damage, keep cranking it up and you’re looking at brain damage from the energy being absorbed through the ear drum, and eventually, either listening at that level for an extended period of time, or by continuing to crank it up, it will kill you…
I suppose one possibility is pneumothorax: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3614180.stm
Ted Turner?
& The soundsystem of the plan-E.T.elephones is so powerful, it can still be heard by someone on the other side of Christ’s tiny hemo’globe. Because the world is like a tiny drop of Jesus Christ’s homo’globe that fell into the earth be’low.
I’ll have what he’s having…
Playing sweeps of Minimoog lowpass filter in self oscillation while people who deserve it locked in the room.
P.S. thanks for the inspiration Brandon 😉
if there’s no one there to hear it, does it still make a sound? (KIDDING)
There may be safety interlocks, but if you’re in there and the engineer outside knows you’ve been noodling his wife, I would say you are about to experience the unknown. I wonder, would you come back all blue and glowy with super powers?
Perhaps they would consider putting justin bieber in there playing one of his songs on repeat for a few hours just to make sure the job is done??
This thing running at 1% would violate NAMM’s noise limit.
That’s funny man. I’m going to the NAMM in a couple weeks.
…No headphones in class? Fine bitch, I’m playing this at the lunchtables.
Just the thing for a Dethklok concert.
How does it kill?
I can understand instant deafness, but death?
If it’s true, how do they know?
Point that thing towards outer space and play a recording that says “Is anybody out there?” over and over.
it would reverberate around the world. cant go far in space
And from space, they would awnser even louder ‘turn that shit down we are sleeping here, morons.’
Use it in a freeparty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afwYMdN43Mc
In the first frame there, I notice those are definitely not teenager’s hands.
Almost as interesting as the absurdly quiet soundsystem that could kill you if you didn’t hear it.
“No, I expect you to die, Mr. Bond.”
Will it djent?
The only appropriate track to play….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ht0EHGMWiM
play the brown frequency in it during a KLU Klux Klan meeting …
Death by drum machine
Put some real psychedelic music through it.
But what about the Tweeters?? #cwutididthur
This would not kill you, at worse you would have severe hearing damage. Manowar regularly play at 125db or so, I think they have approached or breached the 140db barrier in a festival open-air setting, but you can’t actually die from noise like this, once your eardrums burst there is no mechanism to receive further sound. The only way is if the physical sound waves shook you apart, and that would probably have to be in the 1000s of decibels I am guessing. Cool tho. But it’s not like Scanners where you head would just explode (although it may feel similar).
This should be how they administer the death penalty.
I listen to a 156db sound system in my car and I’m still living hmmmmmm
But how are you living though mate. It’s no life…
Would like to listen 4’33” by John Cage on it.
Competition sound systems in cars these days are much louder. 170db +
Ah yes. The type 3 Death Trumpet. Good times.