[LAD] twice as loud

[Jörn Nettingsmeier]

On 07/22/2010 09:14 PM, lieven moors wrote:
> On 07/21/2010 07:24 PM, Fons Adriaensen-2 wrote:
>> Subjective loudness is a very complex thing, depending on the
>> spectrum, duration, and other aspects of the sound, and also
>> on circumstances not related to the sound itself.

> Let's suppose we have two sounds A and B,
> and sound B has been measured as being twice as loud as A,
> by somebody.

a very interesting thread!
i guess the basic problem is the unfortunate combination of the words 
"twice as", which implies a mathematically precise ratio, and "loud", 
which is a very individual, psychoacoustic criterion.

not that it doesn't make sense to discuss inter-individual metrics, but 
in case anyone gets frustrated in the process: try to discuss "twice as 
green" on some designer list, or "twice as harmonic" among 
musicologists. or while you're at it, "twice as beautiful"...

in comparison, the audio level problem is a lot more tractable ;)