Final answer:
When evaluating whether an instrument is loud enough or too loud in a mix, you are listening to the sound's loudness. The loudness of a sound is closely associated with the amplitude of the sound wave. Higher amplitudes are associated with louder sounds.
Step-by-step explanation:
When evaluating whether an instrument is loud enough or too loud in a mix, you are listening to the sound's loudness. The loudness of a sound is closely associated with the amplitude of the sound wave. Higher amplitudes are associated with louder sounds. Loudness is measured in terms of decibels (dB), a logarithmic unit of sound intensity.
To determine if an instrument is loud enough or too loud in a mix, you can use your ears and subjective judgment. You can also use tools such as a sound level meter to measure the sound intensity in decibels. By comparing the measured sound intensity to acceptable ranges for the specific context or environment, you can assess whether the instrument is too loud or at an appropriate level.
For example, if you are mixing a band's performance, you can listen to the overall sound and make adjustments to the individual instrument levels to achieve a balanced mix. If a particular instrument is too loud and overpowering other instruments or vocals, you can decrease its level. On the other hand, if an instrument is not loud enough and gets lost in the mix, you can increase its level.