Dynamics

Dynamics refers to the variation in loudness in instrumental performance or even of a soundtrack as a whole. It is another dimension in expressing emotion through music and sound. For example you might boost loudness to lift a chorus or reduce loudness to bring the listener in for more intimate moments. Modern audio production tends to flatten out dynamic range (where the sound is roughly the same volume throughout) to adhere to loudness standards and multi-device optimisation. However the live performance of an orchestra utilises a huge dynamic range (where the difference between the loudest and quietest parts is vast) to invoke more power and emotion.