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Post by Mister Chase on Feb 23, 2017 21:31:33 GMT -6
I wonder how prevalent this is among types like us. I got my hearing tested last week and while I have no loss at 1 to 2kHz I do have some loss on low frequencies and a big trough about 15 to 20 db down at 4kHz. I have tinnitus in that area pretty bad.
Kind of a bummer at 32 years old but to be expected as I started drumming at 12 and marched in drum corps in a snare line etc.
Anyone else dealing with this?
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Post by johneppstein on Feb 24, 2017 2:17:23 GMT -6
Weighted for age, my frequency response is pretty good.
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Post by Ward on Feb 24, 2017 7:09:15 GMT -6
Every single human being starts losing hearing response from as early as 6 months of age. Some of us might grandstand and brag about our hearing (like I'm about to do), but it's just posturing. Everyone of us is losing, albeit some at slower rates than others,
(Enter Grandstanding) I had mine tested just a few short years ago and it was 'good' from 20 to 16,400 cycles. Good meaning within a couple db... but all over the place, nothing flat. But if I were to go and get tested again today, my high-end might be down to 15,500 . . . being in this business, I've always made the effort to protect my hearing as much as possible.
And due to a swimming pool accident when I was 5, the response is still down considerably in my right ear. I 'relearned' to hear balance about 25 years ago. With the help of my ENT. Remember the Pete Townshend story?
My ENT told me that most adults hearing is down to 16K by the time they're 21, 12K by the time they're 30... mostly because of industrial noise and that they don't take measures to protect it. Down to 8K by 40 and even as low as 4K by 55
Just my collection of ramblings, thoughts, recollections, collected knowledge and what-not. YMMV
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Post by b1 on Feb 24, 2017 7:40:25 GMT -6
I've had tinnitus most of my life, but don't feel I have any noticeable hearing loss; maybe technically, but I haven't been tested in decades and never felt the need to be. Sometimes I forget about the ringing in my ears if my mind is occupied.
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Post by b1 on Feb 24, 2017 7:44:52 GMT -6
Now that I think about it, when I was younger, I used to have to turn the stereo on at bedtime to take my mind off of the ringing in my ears. Don't need to do that anymore since I'm so used to it.
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Post by Mister Chase on Feb 24, 2017 9:26:17 GMT -6
Every single human being starts losing hearing response from as early as 6 months of age. Some of us might grandstand and brag about our hearing (like I'm about to do), but it's just posturing. Everyone of us is losing, albeit some at slower rates than others, (Enter Grandstanding) I had mine tested just a few short years ago and it was 'good' from 20 to 16,400 cycles. Good meaning within a couple db... but all over the place, nothing flat. But if I were to go and get tested again today, my high-end might be down to 15,500 . . . being in this business, I've always made the effort to protect my hearing as much as possible. And due to a swimming pool accident when I was 5, the response is still down considerably in my right ear. I 'relearned' to hear balance about 25 years ago. With the help of my ENT. Remember the Pete Townshend story? My ENT told me that most adults hearing is down to 16K by the time they're 21, 12K by the time they're 30... mostly because of industrial noise and that they don't take measures to protect it. Down to 8K by 40 and even as low as 4K by 55 Just my collection of ramblings, thoughts, recollections, collected knowledge and what-not. YMMV Man. Did you dislocate some of those bones in the ear region? I know they are super important to hearing and most people don't realize that. I am just a little concerned/surprised at a 15-20db trough at 4k. That's pretty significant. It's right at the area where my loud ringing is. I don't know the Townshend story... I need to start protecting my ears. I worked at a guitar manufacturer on machines for a little while and work on equipment now, and of course play music/record/mix. Time to use the etymotics more. |
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Post by Mister Chase on Feb 24, 2017 9:27:13 GMT -6
Now that I think about it, when I was younger, I used to have to turn the stereo on at bedtime to take my mind off of the ringing in my ears. Don't need to do that anymore since I'm so used to it. I think I'm one of those people that gets driven nuts easily and obsesses. I use a white noise machine at night. But even here typing with the computer on etc, I hear loud ringing... |
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Post by b1 on Feb 24, 2017 10:35:31 GMT -6
I think I'm one of those people that gets driven nuts easily and obsesses. I use a white noise machine at night. But even here typing with the computer on etc, I hear loud ringing... I have "stereo tinnitus". It was really troubling to me in my early years. I did everything to my ears that one should never do. I spent a few years as a Dyno operator for Cummins Engines and would have to go into a closed room with everything from 6 cylinder to 16 cylinder engines wide open and load them down and inspect them. I wore ear muffs but it would still rattle your teeth to walk in there... I always liked REALLY loud music and huge driven speakers. I still monitor with headphones pretty loud. As I said, I would put on 3 or 4 albums on the turntable to occupy my mind until I fell asleep. I'll still occasionally leave music, a vid, or TV on while falling asleep, not so much out of necessity any more, but there may be a comfort factor to it. Like you, I hear the ringing no matter what other noises I hear. I find myself forgetting about it for short periods of time; conversations, etc., while my mind is occupied. It's just a part of life now in my "older" age... |
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Post by NoFilterChuck on Feb 24, 2017 12:55:16 GMT -6
I am just a little concerned/surprised at a 15-20db trough at 4k. That's pretty significant. It's right at the area where my loud ringing is. From what I understand, that frequency is where Cymbals live. So, if you play lots of drums, you'll lose a lot of hearing there if you don't protect your ears. |
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Post by Mister Chase on Feb 24, 2017 17:37:24 GMT -6
I am just a little concerned/surprised at a 15-20db trough at 4k. That's pretty significant. It's right at the area where my loud ringing is. From what I understand, that frequency is where Cymbals live. So, if you play lots of drums, you'll lose a lot of hearing there if you don't protect your ears. Yea, I did play for years with no protection. I haven't played for quite a while though. I will have to make sure I protect my ears from now on. |
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Post by Mister Chase on Feb 24, 2017 22:25:57 GMT -6
I think I'm one of those people that gets driven nuts easily and obsesses. I use a white noise machine at night. But even here typing with the computer on etc, I hear loud ringing... I have "stereo tinnitus". It was really troubling to me in my early years. I did everything to my ears that one should never do. I spent a few years as a Dyno operator for Cummins Engines and would have to go into a closed room with everything from 6 cylinder to 16 cylinder engines wide open and load them down and inspect them. I wore ear muffs but it would still rattle your teeth to walk in there... I always liked REALLY loud music and huge driven speakers. I still monitor with headphones pretty loud. As I said, I would put on 3 or 4 albums on the turntable to occupy my mind until I fell asleep. I'll still occasionally leave music, a vid, or TV on while falling asleep, not so much out of necessity any more, but there may be a comfort factor to it. Like you, I hear the ringing no matter what other noises I hear. I find myself forgetting about it for short periods of time; conversations, etc., while my mind is occupied. It's just a part of life now in my "older" age... I'm sorry to hear that. Working on engines sounds like a thrill, but that's going to take a toll... I definitely leave the TV on too. Hah. Ah well. Fingers crossed that the genetic treatment to regrow hair cells in the ear is available soon! |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2017 10:51:14 GMT -6
I suppose I'm lucky that in my days of playing rock, it was pretty hard to get nearly as loud as you can these days. 100 watts sounded loud because it was distorted, but now you can throw tens of thousands of clean watts at a venue. I really can't think of any justifiable reason for it. For me there were a couple of those scary late-night, ears-ringing episodes that helped nudge me off that particular career path. Since then, my listening levels rarely get much above 72dBA (I know I'm really cranking it when I get to 80). I'm on film dub stages from time to time. They're mixing at a regulation 85dBA and I don't know how they can stand it for 8 hours at a time! I've had lots of mixers that I respect a lot tell me they've got to crank it in order to get the feel of it. But I can't help but wonder if that's really the effect of cumulative damage.
This isn't unique to the world of rock. I know a fair number of symphonic players and the woodwinds get especially clobbered. They're typically right in front of the brass and even with earplugs, a career of orchestral playing still has lifelong consequences. I know that those of you who mix are in the position of having to please the customer and often that customer wants it loud. I really do sympathize and I hope the customer understands when you point them to the master fader and then get the hell out of the room.
I was fortunate a few years back to do contract work on a hearing therapy for people suffering from tinnitus (I get the odd whistle myself, but I've put on quite a few years). This therapy was directed toward returning soldiers who'd spent a little too much time standing beside artillery. Tinnitus is something the brain makes up for missing frequencies. If the hearing system has a notch at a particular frequency, the brain thinks something should be there. So it makes up a whistle to fill that empty slot. There is currently no cure, but it's possible to lower the effect tinnitus can have on your life. There are the basics--eat right, sleep right, learn to relax and so on. The therapy itself is based on very gentle stimulation of the bands around which you hear the whistles. It used very gentle music that was very slightly boosted in those areas (this system used "New Age" stuff that sets my teeth on edge for other reasons). The idea is that if your brain gets used to hearing stuff in the areas right around the problem, then it will relax a little. The whistle's always there, so the idea is to lower your reaction to it.
I'll always remember an episode at an AES (when the House Ear Institute did the hearing tests). I took a test. I was looking at my result (not bad for my age) when a fellow came up to me and showed me his chart. There was a huge gap right around 3K. He shook his head, smiled a little and said "That's the snare drum right there".
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