Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - Increasing Perceived Loudness with ERs?

I have an idea - somebody please tell me if it's a good one!

If I clap my hands in an acoustically dead space it sounds a lot quieter than if I do in a tiled bathroom.

Why?

Sure, there's a long reverb tail in the bathroom but I don't think this affects perceived loudness. I'm guessing it's to do with a blizzard of loud ERs in effect putting a sustain on the sound. Although they won't increase the peak level I'm guessing that one perceives a multi-peaked, sustained sound as louder than one with just a single initial transient.

Does that sound true? And in practice does anyone use this effect (eg with Altiverb) to make percussive type sounds seem bigger?

26th April 2012	#1
cabinfever Gear interested Joined: Nov 2010 Posts: 6 Thread Starter	Increasing Perceived Loudness with ERs? I have an idea - somebody please tell me if it's a good one! If I clap my hands in an acoustically dead space it sounds a lot quieter than if I do in a tiled bathroom. Why? Sure, there's a long reverb tail in the bathroom but I don't think this affects perceived loudness. I'm guessing it's to do with a blizzard of loud ERs in effect putting a sustain on the sound. Although they won't increase the peak level I'm guessing that one perceives a multi-peaked, sustained sound as louder than one with just a single initial transient. Does that sound true? And in practice does anyone use this effect (eg with Altiverb) to make percussive type sounds seem bigger?