The "magic" listening level

[Chris A]

On 4/1/2015 at 11:19 AM, Marvel said:

Posted this a long time ago about playback levels and mixes. For most recordings, this would mean listening at 75-85 db would be ideal:

According to an old book on recording, "Modern Recording Techniques" by Robert Runstein, studios use a playback volume of close to 85 db. Due to the Fletcher-Munson curves, this allows music to be played a little louder and a little quieter without much apparent change in the eq of the recording. I think Invidiosulus said they taught 90 db at Full Sail in Orlando. Then again, recording engineers are listening to music playback at those volumes all the time.

 

When demastering recordings (i.e., undoing the EQ on those stereo recordings that were mastered using EQ which in some way masks the balance of instrumentation and voices), I've found that the typical mastering used makes them sound like a table radio:

 

Too much midrange and treble, too little midbass and bass. 

 

There really isn't any loudness playback level that is correct to the Equal Loudness Curves for these type of recordings which can be used to approximate a balance to real life.  This is important to note, because the better recordings that I own that do not require demastering (notably multichannel recordings with subwoofer and surround channels added to the front three channels) have a natural playback level that pretty much matches what you'd hear in real life if you were standing on-stage (with fully acoustic instrumentation used--not amplified instruments like electric guitars, bass, drums and voice).  Good examples of acoustic instrumentation are symphony orchestras, wind symphonies ("bands"), choral, and small groups or "chamber music".  These recordings always have a natural playback level that seems to match real performance.

 

Amplified music, i.e., that recorded music which many people seem to associate with their comments on forums like this one, tend to be more problematic since the very definition of "concert level" is not defined by the instrumentation itself (without electricity required to produce or amplify the sound).   It is interesting to me that this type of music--when confined to the "biggest hits" on radio top-100 lists, tends to have much flatter mastering EQ used for low frequencies and much more boost of frequencies in the 1-5 kHz band--i.e., not produced by the instruments without some sort of frequency-based electronic EQ or "distortion". 

 

When I demaster these recordings, I find that the playback level that I used is usually "locked in" to those recordings.  If the original concert level was relatively low, then everything is okay - just set the volume control to that level and enjoy your music and conversation. 

 

However, when playing back amplified music that's been demastered, several things are apparent:

 

1) If played back at much less than the demastered volume level, the recording sounds dull and in background, perhaps with too much midbass and too little treble (1-4 kHz).

 

2) When played back at slightly higher SPL, when music gradually "comes alive", until reaching an SPL close to the demastered level. 

 

3) When played back at too high an SPL, human hearing will eventually accommodate somewhat, but it is always apparent that the music is too loud--until the defense mechanism for the ears kicks in...like you're at a proverbial rock concert. (This is the reason why I don't attend those any more, since I wish to keep whatever level of hearing acuity that I presently have.)

 

Chris

[Harleywood]

So much to learn from this thread. My current house has forced me into the formal living room which is about 12'x22'' with wood floors. My epics are on the feet but my last house had carpet which definitely had a dampening effect on the lows. When I'm not listening my speakers are shoved against the same wall about 10' apart. When I want to soak myself in sound I drag those 80 pound cabinets to opposite corners the length of the room and position myself right in the center. My wife thinks I'm crazy and my kids, 20 and 15 years old are finally waking up to music and becoming more understanding with what I'm trying to accomplish. Although I still get yelled at around midnight to turn it down. Pointing out the volume is only on 1 1/2 doesn't present a valid argument in my wife's eyes.