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Nobody could predict that an innocuous-looking plastic trumpet would evoke such strong reactions at the FIFA World Cup 2010.
Silencing the Vuvuzela
Nobody could predict that an innocuous-looking plastic trumpet would evoke such strong reactions at the FIFA World Cup 2010. The Vuvuzela, a metre-long plastic horn, when blown at full blast produces a loud monotone that's noisier than an aircraft taking off. Critics have branded its noise as "satanic", "a deafening swarm of locusts", and called for its ban. FIFA, for now, is disinclined to outlaw the African instrument. But, if you find the Vuvuzela's blast annoying, here are ways to block it out:
- There are downloadable software available on the net, for a price, that claim to filter out the Vuvuzela noise. One site sells an MP3 with a sound wave similar to the horn's, which "cancels" the noise. Acoustics experts have questioned this claim.
- A simpler way of doing it would be to adjust the hardware settings of your TV or stereo with an equaliser to filter out the noise. Lifehacker, a tech blog, claims that if you take the EQ levels down between 465Hz and 235Hz, the Vuvuzela noise is blocked out.
- If your TV set does not have these settings, reach out for the remote and tap the mute button.
