[Bell Historians] Olympic Bell

[Richard Offen]

There is another factor I have recently learned. The sound of the bell was
amplified for the stadium (along with pretty well everything else). A total
of four microphones were fitted inside - two hung free and two fixed to the
waist of the bell. These allowed sound levels to be increased to whatever
the Director wanted, but due to the long reverberation time, the amplifiers
were turned down soon after the bell was struck, which I guess would give
the impression of the sound dying away very quickly.

That would explain why the sound was so distorted and very short-lived in
duration.   The sound engineers did the bell no favours whatsoever.

I gather that the sound in the stadium generally during the ceremony was so
loud, had it been an industrial establishment, ear defenders would have been
statutory!

R

           
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