SOAK Sound Policy
Last updated Feb 1, 2025

We are seen and heard.

SOAK is dedicated to the cultivation of an enriching, participatory experience, while simultaneously respecting boundaries and the principle of consent.

Music is an integral part of SOAK. Unlike other forms of art, sound can overwhelm a space, making it difficult to opt out from that experience. Additionally, bass travels omni-directionally and cannot be effectively contained within a camp. SOAK is simultaneously dedicated to radical self-expression and to cultivating community; as such, we must be considerate to all participants, local wildlife, and the surrounding residents.

All participants must abide by this policy. If you believe a participant is not following this policy, bring your concerns to SOAK Rangers, who can be identified by their khaki or forest-green clothes and lanyards. Rangers can be found at their headquarters in Central Services, located in the Main Field, or you can request any SOAK volunteer with a radio to call for Ranger assistance. SOAK Rangers will first investigate complaints and mediate with camp leadership about excessive sound, then escalate to SOAK Operations as needed.

Failure to respond appropriately to complaints raised by SOAK officials may result in one or more of the following actions:

  1. Volume check (via decibel reading) by SOAK Operations 

  2. Mediation between camps and/or individuals

  3. The modification or loss of amplified sound privileges

  4. Ejection from the event

Additionally, Camp Standing with Placement may be degraded. Any camp with a pattern of generating sound-related complaints or sound policy violations may not be placed in future years. 


Sound Policy

This policy applies to every individual, group, instrument, and device producing sound at the SOAK event site.

  1. Event-wide “Quiet Hours” are from 6:00am - 10:00am, every day. During this time, volume check via decibel reading must stay at or below 60 dB (normal conversation level) so people can sleep. (See “Processes and Procedures” below for details on decibel readings)

  1. Camps at SOAK are placed within any of four Sound Zones (these are defined on the Placement Map). Camps in each Sound Zone are required to adhere to their respective “Quiet Hours” policies in addition to the Event-wide “Quiet Hours” policy above. They are:

  • Zone 0:

    1. From 10:00pm - 10:00am, volume check via decibel reading must stay at or below 60 dB (normal conversation level).

  • Zone 1:

    1. From Midnight - 10:00am, volume check via decibel reading must stay at or below 60 dB (normal conversation level).

  • Zone 2:

    1. From 3:00am - 10:00am, volume check via decibel reading must stay at or below 60 dB (normal conversation level).

  • Zone 3:

    1. From 3:00am - 6:00am, amplified subwoofers must be turned off.

    2. From 6:00am - 10:00am, volume check via decibel reading must stay at or below 60 dB (normal conversation level).

  1. Your camp is your responsibility. Ensure that everyone creating sound within your camp, or from any mutant vehicle (each of which is effectively an extension of your camp), is aware of this policy and agrees to abide by it.

  2. Amplified sound systems of 300 watts or more must be pre-registered with SOAK (see “Processes and Procedures” below for details). A representative for the sound system must attest to Placement prior to operation that all policies are understood and agreed to.  Note that ALL sound systems must comply with applicable Sound Zone policy, irrespective of how many watts they use.

  3. Each sound system must be operated in a manner that is considerate of other camps within the projected sound cones created by the system’s amplified speakers, especially being mindful of an adjacent Sound Zone’s Quiet Hours (as defined in section 2 above).  Dominate your own space to the best of your ability, not the spaces of others.

  4. Speakers must be positioned and oriented to minimize interference with the sound produced by other Sound Camps. SOAK Operations reserves the right to require camps to reposition their speakers as necessary.  (See “Policies and Procedures” below for details).

  5. If SOAK Operations requests that you turn your amplified sound system’s volume down or off, you must do so, regardless of what this Policy might otherwise prescribe.  In such an event, SOAK Operations will explain the reason for the request, with information as to when and how your camp’s amplified sound operations may return to normal.


Processes and Procedures

  1. Throughout this document, decibel readings are discussed.  These readings will be taken with a calibrated sound meter using the dB(A) frequency weighting curve with a “slow” time weighting, at an estimated distance of 10’ outside a camp’s frontage and / or the edge of the nearest impacted camp, as appropriate (if the sound originates from within a camp), or at an estimated distance of 20’ from a sound source (if the sound originates outside a camp’s boundaries), based on the propagation of the sound produced and other relevant factors.

  2. Everyone (camps and individuals) who brings an amplified sound system is encouraged to bring a functional sound meter, and to use it to comply with applicable Sound Zone Policy.  It is recommended to acquire a purpose-built sound meter, as decent ones can be purchased at a reasonable price. If you decide to use a smartphone-based sound meter, be aware that there is great variation in the accuracy and reliability of these apps and devices - see this article on the NIOSH Science Blog for a reasonable comparative analysis.

  3. To pre-register a 300+ watt sound system with SOAK, if you are a member of a Theme Camp and the sound system is a part of your camp’s infrastructure, check the box on your theme camp application that you’re bringing Sound, and describe the system to us in provided spaces.  If you are not a member of a Theme Camp, or if the sound system you intend to bring is not a part of your camp’s infrastructure, send an email to placement@soakpdx.com with your contact information and details about your sound system, and how you intend to use it.

  4. Any Sound Camp that is found to materially interfere with the sound produced by another Sound Camp, or that materially impacts camps in other Sound Zones during their respective Quiet Hours, may be asked by SOAK Operations to modify speaker placement and / or orientation (if not already optimally placed and oriented), and / or to reduce the production of specific frequencies, and / or to reduce general system volume to a lower decibel.  SOAK Operations will make every effort to ensure a fair and equitable solution is arrived at, balancing the desires of the Sound Camp against the consent and wishes of impacted participants.

  1. Due to the event site’s physical attributes, sound propagation can be difficult to predict; therefore, decibel readings alone may not indicate a Sound Policy violation.  Participant input and observations by SOAK Rangers and SOAK Operations may be the determining factors for Sound Policy violations, in addition to (or in spite of) decibel readings.

Preventing and Resolving Conflicts

The experience of sound is subjective; sound produced by Sound Camps and individuals may negatively affect the experience of others without realizing it.  These recommendations explicitly apply to Sound Camps, but can apply to other camps and individuals, as appropriate.

  • Communicate and coordinate with other nearby Sound Camps prior to or during your setup process, to ensure that produced sound will minimally impact each other’s operation, so as to avoid downstream conflicts.

  • Communicate with nearby camps likely to be impacted by produced sound prior to operation, in order to communicate intent, and to understand their needs, so as to avoid downstream conflicts.

  • Get to know your neighbors and share your sound schedule with them. Talk about how you can work together rather than compete for sonic space.

  • Make sure your neighbors know who’s “in charge” at your camp, so they know who to talk to if they have concerns.

  • If you’re concerned about sound, start by talking to the camp or individual responsible and try to resolve the issue through direct communication.

  • If you’ve already spoken to someone and can’t find a compromise, contact SOAK Rangers for assistance. They can be identified by their khaki or forest-green clothes and their lanyards.

  • Be a good neighbor by reacting to the size of the audience and time of day. For example, if the dance floor is nearly empty at 5 in the morning, please bring your levels down.

  • Consider joining the Harmonic Council (more on this below).

The Harmonic Council

Established at SOAK in 2023, The Harmonic Council is a voluntary association between Placement and Sound Camps. All Sound Camp Sound Leads are welcome and encouraged to participate.

Participation in The Harmonic Council involves communication with other Council members in the months between when Theme Camp Placement decisions go out, through to the end of SOAK each year. 

Before the event, these communications involve mostly email, with the possibility of an occasional Zoom or real-life meetup mixed in for good measure. The idea is to get to know each other, and to discuss ways that through creative and harmonious use of sound, we can produce an optimal experience at SOAK for everyone.

When SOAK is finally happening, at the event space after we’ve arrived and set up, we work together to evaluate how the sound that each of our camps produce is heard and experienced in the environment, and, especially, how the sound we produce impacts other sound camps.

Models can only go so far, and there will always be the unexpected to contend with. How we think sound will work and interplay is not always accurate. Sound wars are bad. Cacophony is bad. We want to avoid these things, and to that end, we work together to find creative solutions to resolve conflicts, ideally before they occur.
Sound Camp Sound Leads will be sent invitations from Placement to join The Harmonic Council after Theme Camp Placement decisions go out. Feel free to contact placement@soakpdx.com if you have any questions about The Harmonic Council. Thank you.