images

CHAPTER 6

How Loud Is Loud

In this chapter we’ll take a look at the new loudness meters, how to use and interpret them, and their relevance to music production.

The revolution in loudness-normalized digital radio and TV has inspired a plethora of loudness meters, in every shape and size, to fit every taste. But because the ear/brain is complex, no meter can anticipate our ear’s perceptions at every moment in time. For example, when I master an album that has a tune with a soft, delicate ending, the beginning of the next tune usually sounds too loud. But if I play the middle of the later tune for a moment, it doesn’t sound too loud, and when ...

Get iTunes Music: Mastering High Resolution Audio Delivery now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.