Some Proposed Enhancements to the Operationalization of Prominence
Trevor de Clercq · Music Theory Online · 2024
This article offers an alternate methodology for quantifying the parameter of prominence introduced by Duguay (2022) to describe the relative level of the voice in the mix. I begin with a discussion of RMS amplitude, focused on the difference between average and true RMS values. I then propose that overall RMS amplitude ratios be logarithmically transformed to more closely represent the perception of relative level differences, with the relative level of the vocal better assessed through comparison to the mix minus the vocal rather than the full mix. I also discuss methods to compensate for the uneven sensitivity of the human ear to different frequencies at different sound pressure levels, ultimately recommending that prominence be quantified in terms of K-weighted loudness units. I conclude with a reconsideration of vocal prominence in the four Rihanna and Eminem collaborations that Duguay analyzes in her original article.