Fletcher, Munson, and You

07/08/24 • 19 min

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My Take on Music Recording with Doug Fearn

Our perception of frequency balance varies with loudness, a fact documented by Harvey Fletcher and Wilden A. Munson, two scientists at Bell Laboratories. In 1933, they published a paper called, “Loudness, its definition, measurement and calculation.” It was groundbreaking science in the field of human hearing, and has implications today for how we perceive music. This is especially important when we are mixing.

In this episode, I explain the basics of the Fletcher-Munson Curves and how we can use that knowledge to make better recordings.

email: [email protected]
www.youtube.com/c/DWFearn
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In this episode, I explain the basics of the Fletcher-Munson Curves and how we can use that knowledge to make better recordings.

email: [email protected]
www.youtube.com/c/DWFearn
https://dwfearn.com/

Previous Episode

Getting the Best Vocal Recording

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Almost all pop music features someone singing. Getting the best vocal performance is crucial, since most listeners respond to the words of a song and need to be able to hear them.

In this episode, I first discuss the human factors involved in getting a great performance from singers, mostly from a producer’s viewpoint.

And then I focus on the technical requirements of capturing that performance using microphones, mic preamps, processing, effects, and mixing. Often there are problems to be fixed in a vocal track, and I review some of the techniques from salvaging a performance that is less than perfect.

email: [email protected]
www.youtube.com/c/DWFearn
https://dwfearn.com/

Next Episode

The Art of Producing - Part 1

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The art of producing a record requires knowledge of music, mastering the technical aspects of the recording process, and an ability to work with people.

This is the first of a three-part series about producing. In this episode, I talk about the role of the producer, using a typical album project for Corrie Lynn Green as an example. Not all productions will follow this example, since there are many different styles of music, different artists and musicians, that you may encounter.

My approach to producing and recording is not typical in many ways. I point this out in the episode, and encourage people to find what works best for them.

By the way, "My Take On Music Recording" is now carried by YouTube Podcasts. Just like any podcast provider, this is audio only. You can find it on YouTube by searching for "Fearn" under "Podcasts." All 94 episodes to date are available, and each new one will be added.

The dozens of other podcast providers will continue, of course.

email: [email protected]
www.youtube.com/c/DWFearn
https://dwfearn.com/

My Take on Music Recording with Doug Fearn - Fletcher, Munson, and You

Transcript

93 Fletcher, Munson, and You July 8, 2024

I’m Doug Fearn and this is My Take on Music Recording

No, there wasn’t a guy named Fletcher Munson. It was Harvey Fletcher and Wilden A. Munson, two scientists at Bell Laboratories. In 1933, they published a paper called, “Loudness, its definition, measurement and calculation” in the journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

It was typical of the pioneering work being done at Bell Labs. The Bell Telephone Company wanted