Sounds of Summer 2014 took place this past Saturday at the Regina Centre Crossing (a.k.a. the old Superstore parking lot). It was hosted by Autolounge Customs & Krazy Kileys. There was a good turn out, especially for the sound competition they held.
This was only the second sound competition I’d ever seen. For anyone else who has no idea what these events entail, here’s what involved: get a car and put a loud sound system in it (subs are your friends), show up to an event like this, pick a good song, and play it loud. As a spectator, you don’t get your eardrums blow out because in order to get the high db you need to keep as much sound in the car as possible. As for the people competing, I can only hope they had good ear protection.
I did find someone who competed in these types of competitions before and they helped me understand how they’re run. Shane Syholnyk explains that a bass competition usually consists of 3 classes DB Drag Race, Spl, and Sound Quality. The Dbdrag race is where there is a set sound pressure level (spl), and the class has three options 119.0 db, 129.0 db, 138.00 db. Two competitors line up beside each other and have 30 seconds to get as close to that option without going over. There is a time limit, which is however long the song is. The song has to have lyrics as well.
Spl classes are divided according to what your vehicle has for a system; how big the subs and amp are, whether you have an extra battery and/or alternator, and if your box is walled off. This means the interior of the car is enclosed to increase spl. Then you get put into classes with people who have similar set-ups. Two cars line up and have 30 seconds to be as loud as can be. A winner is determined and the loser is eliminated, and the competition continues until a car is deemed the loudest car in its class.
Final class is based on sound quality. A judge strolls around and plays a CD in the vehicle. They determine the quality of sound because every brand or set-up of equipment sounds different. This isn’t a race; each car is judged one at a time. Thanks to Shane for the information!
Not only was there a sound competition, but there was also a show and shine. They even had prizes! Some of the categories included: Best European, Best Motorcycle, Best Import, Best Truck, and Best Overall.
This beamer, owned by Terry Oh, not only won ‘Best European’ but it also has a super cool custom install. “In the Flesh” is written on this zombie-themed sub box.
The BassFreakz was a well-represented club that attended and competed in the sound competition. The BassFreakz took the top three wins in the SPL competition with Cody Chambers in his 2003 Sunfire taking first place. For the competition and the show and shine, there was a mixture of all kinds of vehicles.
The Odd Man Out crew not only brought out some of their best, but they were also one of the sponsors of the show.
This event was definitely different from your average show and shine. It was nice to have a competition to watch while also checking out all the rides. Here’s hoping they hold this annually!