What were the largest man-made sounds, excepting explosives, before the 18th century?

Factual Questions
21

The crowd in the Colosseum screaming as a lion ate a Christian.

22

Le Pétomane

23

Here I was thinking it was the Alsatian Kraut & Bean Festival of 1764…

24

Must have been some real sour Krauts in that crowd.

25

Actually, that may have been the unfortunate Christian.

26

Taiko drumming has been around for 1400 years.

“Taiko were definitely used in battle to issue commands and coordinate movements by the 1500’s; the taiko being the only instrument that could be heard across the entire battlefield.”

27

Had it succeeded, I’d wager the Gunpowder Plot would have been on the list of top contenders.

28

Except the OP specified “excepting explosives.”

29

Imagine the screaming if it was the Christian eating the lion.

30

Especially if he gave up lyin’ for Lent.

31

The OP has excluded explosives, but would natural gas explosions count?
Mine explosions in the 19th century were recorded as being heard multiple tens of miles away.
I can’t name any specific mine disasters pre-18th century, but coal mines have been around since the 16th century so there may be contenders.

32

We have steam boiler explosions before 1800. I’d put them up there in sound. These were mechanical explosions - no munitions involved.

33

I feel the spirit of the OP is no explosions of any kind, munitions or otherwise.

34

Splodeys or NOTHING

35

Though I do feel it worth noting that probably nothing else humanity does is quite as “soundy” as an explosion.

Sound is, at the end of the day, ripples of compressed/expanded gas rippling out from some origin point. And all an explosion is, is the sudden release/creation of compressed gas at one central point. All an explosion is, is a very high decibel noise.

I just thought someone might find that interesting to know.

36

Chopping down a big tree – the sound it makes when it hits the ground.

37

Yeah, but if there is nobody listening?

38

Riots

39

Trumpets?

40

The loudest sound I have ever experienced was a ship launch. I’ve experienced more protracted serious loudness at airports and rock concerts, but that was the only thing that actually had my ears hurting for days afterward.

Although the ships were much smaller, and the methods probably different, I’m betting it was still pretty loud.

These may give you some idea, although none really captures it: - YouTube

ETA: Felling large trees would be another one for a single shockingly loud sound.