So far, I've seen opinions and anecdotes, but no one has really answered the question as to why (rock) music has to be played so loud.

I hear the arguments that drummers have to play at a certain level.... agreed.

I hear the argument that older tube guitar amps sound better pushed... agreed.

But that was then.....this is now.

With electronic drums and better technology, drums can sound good and be much quieter, especially the E-kits. I know not every drummer likes e-drums or can afford them.

Guitar amps, no excuses there. There are nice boutique amps with lower wattage and modeling which allow amazing tone at low and reasonable volume.

As for why any music sounds better louder..... the ear is not linear in it's response, but logarithmic. It has to do with the ear's response to frequency as volume changes and how the resonance of the ear canal itself affects what we perceive.

This article explains all that better than I can..... LOUD MUSIC SOUNDS BETTER


There's a name for this effect (loud sounds better) where we perceive music that is louder to sound better than the same music at a lower volume. I can not recall it's proper name.

This plays a huge part in how one should MIX music. Always mix at lower sound pressure levels. 85dbl is the recommended level for mixing.... that tends to be lower than many find ideal. It forces one to mix properly. Only when the mix is finished should it be monitored at a higher level. Mixing louder will tend to bias the EQ into less than desirable curves, resulting in a mix that doesn't translate well across devices.


Here's more>>>> More on LOUD

You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.