Your Hearing - Poll

PaulBrewer

In light of Dagon's interesting post here's a poll regarding hearing -

If anyone thinks that the categories can be improved I can make improvements as necessary.

jtsuited

edit: couldn't see the poll

PaulBrewer

Don't know what that's about ...can anyone see it?

jtsuited

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Don't know what that's about ...can anyone see it?

it appeared eventually. my bad.

120_Minutes

I'm pretty sure i've low level tin in my left ear, been meaning to check for ages now....just never get around to it.

Soundman

I'm nearly 29 and have been working in the Live industry for 10 years. I can still hear 18k and have no tinnitus. I think I have pretty damn good hearing for my age.

Neurojazz

I still think i'm a freak being able to hear bats... maybe i'm just hearing a lower fundamental lol...

When i use EQ i can here small levels of boost across all high frequencies luckily - only had one loud burst catch me out at a gig years ago but got away from the speakers fast... not much headphone use these days and monitor at random levels that are low until a final loud test for fun.

The worst sound for damage is a square wave (for obvious reasons!) - so stay away from those MXR dirtboxes ;P

trackmixstudio

I can hear 16k perfectly well.
Can you?
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/hearing.html

PaulBrewer

trackmixstudio wrote: »

I can hear 16k perfectly well.
Can you?
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/hearing.html

Barely 12 k at the moment!

I got off a plane last Sunday having caught a cold in Spain. The lugs were so bunged up that my right ear didn't pop open til bleedin' Wednesday!

However I am middle aged ...

eoin5

trackmixstudio wrote: »

I can hear 16k perfectly well.
Can you?
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/hearing.html

Yep , good test that.

My hearing isnt as good in my right ear as my left though, I've no idea why exactly.

eoin5

I just tried 18.5khz and if thats what it sounds like I dont want to try any higher :S

raindog.promo

What?

PaulBrewer

Shyte .... as it stands more people have issues than don't. And there's also the possibility that some people are unaware (which was the point of category 2).

Who is the only person who's had them checked?

Would he/she care to tell us the process?

FlipperThePriest

Did your gran ever scold - "thats some shyte you're listening to?" Probably right - in her ears. A common condition in later hearing (can't remember the name) is when frequency bands on the cochlea begin to become overlapped and cause a harsh beating in a lot of music. So if she could only listen to Cannibal Corpse in its untarnished form I'm sure she'd appreciate the finer qualities!

i57dwun4yb1pt8

well ive had mine checked and im in the bad category.

the main man to do this is frank cass hearing specialiat on sunrive road / harolds x crossroads.

hes apparently done bowie and britteny etc ,( for hearing that is ;-) )

you put on heavy isolation phones and they play progressly higher sounding pitches at gradually lower falling volumes and you clik a button if you hear the tones.

PaulBrewer

DaDumTish wrote: »

well ive had mine checked and im in the bad category.

the main man to do this is frank cass hearing specialiat on sunrive road / harolds x crossroads.

hes apparently done bowie and britteny etc ,( for hearing that is ;-) )

you put on heavy isolation phones and they play progressly higher sounding pitches at gradually lower falling volumes and you clik a button if you hear the tones.

Right, a controlled version of TrackMix's link.

Of the lads who can hear the 16k - how does it relate to the 1k level?

jtsuited

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Right, a controlled version of TrackMix's link.

Off the lads who can hear the 16k - how does it relate to the 1k level?

I've got about 12 db of a difference.

anything above 16/17k is truly horrible to listen to (feels like your hearing it in your back teeth)

it's good to check each ear seperately too. so you can figure out which member of your band to tell turn the feck down.

11811

my hearing is ok, altho it does after playing a gig it tends to be bad, never any ringing tho, just feel like my ears have had concrete poured into them....
They do get a bad pounding being a bass player and all..dosnt help either that our drummer has the loudest snare on the planet!*

*possibly not but its loud as hell!

PaulBrewer

Cuddleworthy wrote: »

my hearing is ok, altho it does after playing a gig it tends to be bad, never any ringing tho, just feel like my ears have had concrete poured into them....
They do get a bad pounding being a bass player and all..dosnt help either that our drummer has the loudest snare on the planet!*

*possibly not but its loud as hell!

The way I understand picking up hearing problems from hearing stories anecdotally is that they're usually linked to one or more specific events i.e. the one blast of feed back or the head in the bin when the PA got turned on or whatever.

So really if your lug is feeling the sound at any stage there's no time to wait. Deal with it immediately. Bog roll/ Chewing gum in lug, whatever it takes.

A snare that loud is going to make the kit acoustically unbalanced too making the sound out front harder to control and lowering the quality of the mix.

Completely unacceptable in my opinion. I'd stick the drummer with a Head and take it from there, it's the only language they understand!

11811

PaulBrewer wrote: »

The way I understand picking up hearing problems from hearing stories anecdotally is that they're usually linked to one or more specific events i.e. the one blast of feed back or the head in the bin when the PA got turned on or whatever.

So really if your lug is feeling the sound at any stage there's no time to wait. Deal with it immediately. Bog roll/ Chewing gum in lug, whatever it takes.

A snare that loud is going to make the kit acoustically unbalanced too making the sound out front harder to control and lowering the quality of the mix.

Completely unacceptable in my opinion. I'd stick the drummer with a Head and take it from there, it's the only language they understand!

Ah yeah,I usually wear plugs at practice, just for gigs i leave em out as I find it hard to pick out some instruments with them ( I use the cheap ones). as for our drummer, I've often pointed this out, but sure you know what they're like!:rolleyes:

Actually maybe someone could recommend good affordable ear-plugs?

eoin5

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Right, a controlled version of TrackMix's link.

Of the lads who can hear the 16k - how does it relate to the 1k level?

Its different at different levels but about 15dB on average.

FlipperThePriest

You can make a hearing test relatively easy using Pure Data. Or check out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G60hM1W_mk

I can hear to around 16.5K. It's mad you will probably notice certain lulls were you have had particular damage at those ranges.

jtsuited

zippy84 wrote: »

You can make a hearing test relatively easy using Pure Data.

i had a really simple max patch for doing it, but unfortunately it died with my old computer.

if you wanted do a really unscientific test just use the test oscillator in logic. and a friend to turn it on and off without telling you.

PaulBrewer

zippy84 wrote: »

I can hear to around 16.5K. It's mad you will probably notice certain lulls were you have had particular damage at those ranges.

Elderly buckos like myself would be very exceptional to hear 18k. In fact guys my age on average might be able 14.5k according to my general random internet readings.

However it's not just being able to hear the frequency that counts, but at what level i.e. how loud it needs to be heard that's critical.

What's pretty scary is if you're in your early to mid 20s now with damaged hearing will you be able to hear even 10k when you're my age?

Mars Bar

Don't be saying things like that Paul...you are scaring me!

PaulBrewer

mars bar wrote: »

Don't be saying things like that Paul...you are scaring me!

facts is facts is facts

son.of.jimi

Sweet jesus i got to 19k and it swear i thought my ears were crying....

jtsuited

son.of.jimi wrote: »

Sweet jesus i got to 19k and it swear i thought my ears were crying....

it is so fcukin nasty though innit. it reminds you of how your ears are such little delicate things.

PaulBrewer

A couple of links found on the Auralex website -

http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-105.shtml?source=eNewsLetter2007Wk13-2&key=Body+Prot

http://www.hei.org/

PaulBrewer

trackmixstudio wrote: »

I can hear 16k perfectly well.
Can you?
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/hearing.html

I just did this test again post my cold - I can hear something with the 16k is playing but I'm not sure it's 16k.

For my age I shouldn't be able to hear 16k.

Even though I have taken care of my ears over the years statistically one would expect that my ears have been exposed to more of a racket than the normal lad on the street - which should reduce the likelihood of it being audible.

So I got thinking - 4k 8k and 16k are the same note but octaves apart. So if you can hear the 4k note the 8k note you should be able to heard the 16k as a note, not as a noise.

If you can't it's reasonable to suggest that it's not the 16k you're hearing but distortions or filters ringing or other system noise.

Can the guys, especially the young guys, who can hear the 16k hear it as a note as opposed to an 'experience' ?

jtsuited

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Can the guys, especially the young guys, who can hear the 16k hear it as a note as opposed to an 'experience' ?

yeah you hear it in just the same way that you hear the 1k. except it hurts like hell.

PaulBrewer

jtsuited wrote: »

yeah you hear it in just the same way that you hear the 1k. except it hurts like hell.

Why would it hurt? Surely that can't be good?

Helix

it doesnt hurt as such, it just discombobulates the brain

my hearing range is pretty exceptional, but i appear to have damage in the speech range because i often struggle to hear what people are saying to me if im not paying attention to their faces

PaulBrewer

Helix wrote: »

i often struggle to hear what people are saying to me

Yea , I noticed that ...;)

af_thefragile

I wouldn't say perfect, but its not yet damaged. Though i think it'll get there pretty soon if i stop taking care of my ears and get back to jamming regularly!

trackmixstudio

I heard a good joke related to this topic.

How do you make your ears more sensitive?

Have a w@nk.

PaulBrewer

trackmixstudio wrote: »

How do you make your ears more sensitive?

Have a w@nk.

Nope ... still the same.

PaulBrewer

I see we've now 40 on the poll and that from the start it's roughly been 50/50 .

It's also worth noting that the guys who think they're hearing is ok for their age (and I include myself in that) have no real evidence to back that up. Changes could be over time that perhaps aren't noticed.

I'm guessing the guys who do reckon they have problems have come to that conclusion through not being able to hear as well as they once could.

All in all it's pretty scary for the Irish music scene when so many people are going deaf ....

i57dwun4yb1pt8

awww i dunno, its a great help when some muppet picks up an electric and starts playing " indeee"

PaulBrewer

DaDumTish wrote: »

awww i dunno, its a great help when some muppet picks up an electric and starts playing " indeee"

Spose!;)