I want to know the dB range of the clarinet.
I want to buy a Power Barrel to see if it's even worth the 12-15 dB sound increase all for about $120.
I think it will insanely help pep band and marching band, but I want to know this before buying it.
So any help?

Don't know the actual decibels but I'd say barely audible to painful - even without a power barrel. The danger in going that route is that you might then overpower other players & cause a balance problem in the band & the director will tell you to play quieter!

A 12 to 15dB increase will not be noticeable by most listeners. The 12 to 15 dB increase is only about a 10% increase in decibles from your loud playing of (110 dB), normal hearing of a healthy 20 year old would need to be a 20% increase in dB.

You can get a much better result for what you want to do by changing the frequency overtones. If you can generate higher harmonics on your notes your sound will seem louder. Ever notice how commercials on TV seem to be louder than the movie your watching? It's not louder it's just a different set of frequency equalizations.

How can you get higher harmonics from your clarinet?
Use of a harder reed will help. Try using a fibrecane,plastic,or synthetic reed. The rib structure and plastic micro balloon fill allow for production of higher harmonics. Plastic/synthetic reeds project very well outside and in Gymnasiums.

To contra448 - One thing I forgot to mention is that you can still remain quiet when it's needed. It's not always loud or overpowering, so I'm not afraid of making anything sound bad or overpowering something else in the band.

To JOhnlovemusic - One thing I know for sure is that 110 dB is LOUD! Maybe with the reed its being played with, but it's still loud. I don't look forward in buying any other type of reed, just the same wooden reeds. I'm currently on a 3 1/2 (tried a 4 and it buzzed like CRAZY!). The higher harmonic part lost me, sorry.

I mostly want this because of notes starting from low notes to about middle D that never actually come out loud-ish and is BARELY audible while playing out march (Bravura) which has a crazy good trio, but less then half the clarinets and flutes could play it correctly, so maybe this could boost that part in out competitions.

Re: "Ever notice how commercials on TV seem to be louder than the movie your watching? It's not louder it's just a different set of frequency equalizations."

Actually, commercials seem louder because they're compressed.


Re: "To JOhnlovemusic - One thing I know for sure is that 110 dB is LOUD!"

Yeah, 110 decibals will damage your hearing.

Re: "I mostly want this because of notes starting from low notes to about middle D that never actually come out loud-ish and is BARELY audible while playing out march (Bravura) which has a crazy good trio, but less then half the clarinets and flutes could play it correctly, so maybe this could boost that part in out competitions."

The low range of a clarinet (called the "chalumeau" register) is inherently soft, and a proficient composer or arranger will take this into account. If you have clarinet music that's supposed to be loud in the lowest range, you have badly written clarinet music. At any rate, the band leader, not the clarinetists themselves, should be deciding the balance.