s Musical Director aboard the Apollo, LRH inevitably addressed every aspect of composition, performance and arrangement. Typical of his acuity was his solution to the perennial problem of instrumental cancellation. That is, when working such big bands as the Apollo Stars it often happens that one instrument tends to “wipe out” another regardless of volume. Although professionals have devised various remedies, Ron was factually the first to both dissect the problem and define its solution. The following article written in 1974, and appearing here for the first time, is both Ron’s delineation and answer to the question of proportionate sound.

The problem of separation of instruments so they can be separately heard has been largely unsolved in bands and recording.

Study of the subject has brought up certain natural laws apparently not before known.

It has been known but only as a theory without application that two cannons, fired at each other at the same instant could cancel each other’s sound waves and result in silence. I doubt any scientist ever tried it out.

However, the truth is that sound waves can cancel sound waves. And this is the basic fact behind proportionate sound.

The laws are:

VOLUME of sound, contrary to rock performers and recording engineers is NOT the controlling factor in instrument separation. You can turn up volume on one instrument and turn down volume on another and still get cancellation of sound waves.

TIMBRE (Tone Quality) and PITCH (vibrations per second on the note) are the main points to be used in separating instruments.

Instruments of similar timbre and pitch cancel each other’s sound waves or one cancels the other.

No matter how loud an instrument is played, it may still have trouble in being heard due to cancellation by another.

Separation is done by:

(a) Changing the range of the scale between two or more instruments, and

(b) Changing the timbre of the instruments.

Apparent volume of an instrument can be changed by separating it out by its timbre or pitch from other instruments.

Instruments going out of tune can destroy proportionate sound already established.

These laws vigorously applied with full understanding will, with experience, produce clarity of instrument separation never before heard in a musical group.

The voice, for these purposes is considered an instrument. Voice strain usually occurs through proportionate sound failures or failures to properly mike.

“Wipe” is the expression used to indicate the idea of sound cancellation or lack of separation. “The saxes wiped each other out.” “The drum wiped the guitar.”

Bass and treble controls are of use in setting proportionate sound.

Microphone changes are the best method of changing timbre in recording.

Microphones of one instrument muddied up by nearby instruments can also mess up proportionate sound as the timbre gets changed.

Direct recording with attention only to meter volume and no attention to proportionate sound (as in multi-track) can produce wipes in the final mix. Therefore proportionate sound is vital to establish before recording. (“Mix” means putting several tracks onto the two stereo tracks of the final product. It is done through a mixing board.)

Proportionate sound is mandatory if one wants to be heard and if the band instruments are each to be heard.