Have you ever heard some details better at low volume?

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mixsit

Well-known member
I've noticed on several occasions, like with a quiet radio, being able to hear the recording's ambiences or backgrounds real well or in a way that, when I turned it up (to hear it better!?), I was unable to. This seem kind of interesting that something like the reverbs would be more identifiable at the lower vollume.
Anybody else run into that?
Maybe it's a byproduct of all the compression thats on FM/AM.
 
I definitely hear the basslines clearer when I listen to anything at l(very) low volumes...
comparing this to the fletcher-curves I must be a mutant.:D

you mentioned verbs... could be this way cause when you crank it up the sound is reverbed in your room.
try it with headphones.
 
It is good practice to ocassionally turn down and listen to your mixes at low volume, just as it's good practice to crank them from time to time. It's amazing what can pop out!

Slackmaster 2000
 
I find for me, turning the volume way down is good for getting the volume levels in a mix...I use it especialy for the vocal{sittin a lead voc} relationship to the music..


Don
 
me too mixit,

I can hear the room better at low volumes. At high vols, I have a tendency to use more reverb to compensate
 
I hear compressor/limiter artifacts better on low volume..
 
I went through a college level audio engineering course and one of the first things they tought us was to always mix a low levels. Different instruments have different gain structures. Meaning that as you bring up your overall volume certain things come forward faster than others. This is why you should always "test" your mixes at higher levels. But the relative levels of individual instruments as well as their position in the stereo field are much more noticable at lower decible levels. Your ears are designed to distinguish very minute changes. Those small nuances are often overwhelmed by higher decibles and louder listening can actually fatigue your ears beyond the ability to do this. So especially if you have a long mixdown session planned, mix at low levels. In response to the radio compressing things, it's the radio station that compresses the signal before it goes out so it will be just as compressed at your low playback volume as at your high playback volume.
 
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