PLAY LOUD - but *why*?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Why does music sound a billion times better at a higher than usual volume?

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 5 April 2003 22:11 (twenty-two years ago)

higher than usual: it cuts everything else out? you can only hear the music?

too much higher than usual: because you can't actually hear it? a trick employed by shit live bands, I guess.

I don't hold with "the louder the better" the way some do.

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 5 April 2003 22:14 (twenty-two years ago)

higher than usual: it cuts everything else out? you can only hear the music?

No, there is no other noise to block out right now.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 5 April 2003 22:17 (twenty-two years ago)

- because bass is frequently lost at low volumes
- becuase it's more dynamic--silent bits are relatively more silent making the quiet parts more audible and the loud bits more loud (i am not an acoustical engineer and am not saying it correctly, but it is true)
- because rhythm guitar-generated "air displacement" (joan jett, ac/dc) is one of the keys to enjoying good music and air does not displace at low volumes
- unconscious association of loud music w/ pissing off mom who never really understood, man

― dan (dan), Saturday, 5 April 2003 22:22 (twenty-two years ago)

because of the Fletcher-Munson curves of the human ear.

― aeon, Sunday, 6 April 2003 05:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Note: This rule does not apply to John Cage's 4:26 [screw me if i got the music title wrong]

― Andrzej B. (Andrzej B.), Sunday, 6 April 2003 06:47 (twenty-two years ago)

You're off by 7 seconds.

So screw you! :-)

― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Sunday, 6 April 2003 07:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think it does.

― jel -- (jel), Sunday, 6 April 2003 07:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Feel the bass...

― Siegbran (eofor), Sunday, 6 April 2003 10:14 (twenty-two years ago)

its nice to be immersed. to swim in it. too loud is bad though.

― gaz (gaz), Sunday, 6 April 2003 10:18 (twenty-two years ago)

It depends on whatkind of music it is. if it's too dense, then you need to hear it at different volumes to get to hear certain elements of the music.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 6 April 2003 10:24 (twenty-two years ago)

yes. of course some(most?) music is designed for particular listening experiences (cue story of Spector auditioning stuff through tiny speakers to hear what it would sound like on the radio)

― gaz (gaz), Sunday, 6 April 2003 10:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not necessarily talking about mega loud. I mean like, the difference between 1 and 3 on my (100W) amp, 1 being quiet enough for my flatmate not to really hear it in the other room.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 6 April 2003 10:54 (twenty-two years ago)

it sounds better when you don't have to worry about yr flatmate

― gaz (gaz), Sunday, 6 April 2003 11:09 (twenty-two years ago)

higher than usual: it cuts everything else out? you can only hear the music?
- becuase it's more dynamic--silent bits are relatively more silent making the quiet parts more audible and the loud bits more loud (i am not an acoustical engineer and am not saying it correctly, but it is true)

These two explainations are the two ones which I would say makes most sense.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 6 April 2003 11:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Gaz is so OTM man

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Sunday, 6 April 2003 11:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I finally found the perfect name for a band: Fletcher Munson's Rhythm Generated Joan Jett Air Displacement Method

― Scott Seward, Sunday, 6 April 2003 11:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Serously - I just listened to Tatu's 'How Soon Is Now?' loud and before I thought it was kind of meh and now it's wahay. WOOW! The Only One's 'Baby's Got A Gun' is *swinging*! I love music again.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 6 April 2003 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Why? Because Bowie said so on that Ziggy Stardust album. Admittedly he was only talking about that album.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 6 April 2003 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I certainly don't agree with this rule. I mean, Genesis is too loud at any volume.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Monday, 7 April 2003 11:37 (twenty-two years ago)

"Genesis too loud at any volume" = "Get 'Em Out By Friday" turned up to 11 heartily disagrees.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 7 April 2003 12:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, the way many records are mixed, at lower volumes there are many parts/instruments that the listener may not hear.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 7 April 2003 12:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Because it makes it more fun to bounce around to, and it also masks your weird strangulated screams of joy.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 7 April 2003 12:11 (twenty-two years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.