Left ear right ear
- Thread starter amarshism
- Start date
AceFireForce117
Member
interesting, since i've started mixing i've realised my right is much more sensitive than my left ear. I guess it's also due to rehearsals etc.
Shinozoku
Senior Memory
No professional tests, but I have much more cloudy (more low mids?) hearing in my left ear. Right catches more high mid material. I can hone in on a conversation from across a room, but ini a loud club, I can't hear ANYONE. I have great hearing, but I hear more noise than anything else in loud areas. My friends with hearing damage think I'm retarded in such situations.
decoy205
STUCK IN HELL
- Sep 4, 2008
- 336
- 0
- 16
Interesting thread. i'm glad I'm not the only one experiencing this. My left seems more sensitive than my right. Last time I went to the Ear dr. around 2008 I think, they said I was losing top end 14-16k in my left and said it was perfectly normal for my age. I'm sure its worse now so I try to be very mindful when working.
Men lose frequencies before Women. Men start losing high frequencies on average at the age of 21!!! Woman closer to 30. Has to do with Woman having to hear their children. Ive been wearing plugs since I was 21 at practices and shows. I HATE the sound of cymbals in my ear!!
Men lose frequencies before Women. Men start losing high frequencies on average at the age of 21!!! Woman closer to 30. Has to do with Woman having to hear their children. Ive been wearing plugs since I was 21 at practices and shows. I HATE the sound of cymbals in my ear!!
Yes, that would be interesting to discuss. How do you compensate for HF loss that occurs as a result of aging?
Many famous producers/ae are in their forties, sometimes even fifties. I guess they top no more than 13-14 khz, maybe even lower..
ze kink
THE BLACK WIZARDS
I feel like my left ear hears things more accurately. When I had a hearing test done though, the curves for both ears were identical. I can't remember what they were like, but I have two small dips in the spectrum due to the shape of my ear canals. It's very common that the canal shape does at least something. No real damage yet except for a slight tinnitus, even though I used to blast my CD-walkman on 10 with crap IEM's in lower secondary school, don't always use plugs at gigs and usually mix the first 2-3 songs without earplugs when doing FOH (and don't use them at all if I can keep the SPL at ~90dB). I have a pair of those professional molded kind of plugs that don't really affect frequencies too much, but still dampen approximately -15dB. I always use them at band practice though.
Be careful with using plugs too much though, you might also sensitivize your hearing, progressively making the pain threshold lower and ultimately resulting in having to wear earplugs even to normal city noise and such. I know of a person who cannot function as a musician at all anymore due to that, though IIRC he got the condition from a disease.
Apparently professional musicians lose their hearing FAR slower than normal people by the way; I can't remember if it was because our brains learn to compensate due to the memory imprints of what music sounded like when we were young, or if our ears are just more flexible – like muscles*– due to being exposed to so much so often. Something like that anyway, I don't really care about stressing about it. I just use it.
Be careful with using plugs too much though, you might also sensitivize your hearing, progressively making the pain threshold lower and ultimately resulting in having to wear earplugs even to normal city noise and such. I know of a person who cannot function as a musician at all anymore due to that, though IIRC he got the condition from a disease.
Apparently professional musicians lose their hearing FAR slower than normal people by the way; I can't remember if it was because our brains learn to compensate due to the memory imprints of what music sounded like when we were young, or if our ears are just more flexible – like muscles*– due to being exposed to so much so often. Something like that anyway, I don't really care about stressing about it. I just use it.
decoy205
STUCK IN HELL
- Sep 4, 2008
- 336
- 0
- 16
I know when I wear shitty in ear phones my ears get irritated fast. I'm sure they are doing more damage. Interesting point about the plugs. I think that is true you can desensitize your hearing and certain sounds actually do become painful.
I wonder what the more seasoned veterans do in the studio. Although they just may have stronger hearing genetically than most. Some people are said to have 'golden ears'.
I wonder what the more seasoned veterans do in the studio. Although they just may have stronger hearing genetically than most. Some people are said to have 'golden ears'.
matt youwin
pumping the mids
I noticed when testing a portable mixer at work that the 1kHz test tone sounded sharper in my left ear than in my right. Almost a quarter tone out! Defintely need to get to an audiologist and get a full test done.
Have the usual diminished high frequencies, and things seem to sound more present in my right ear.
I had ear infections/grommets as a kid so I wouldn't be surprised if that messed something up. Always wear earplugs at practice/shows these days, the custom molded -15dB ones are the best thing I've spent money on.
Have the usual diminished high frequencies, and things seem to sound more present in my right ear.
I had ear infections/grommets as a kid so I wouldn't be surprised if that messed something up. Always wear earplugs at practice/shows these days, the custom molded -15dB ones are the best thing I've spent money on.
left ear has always been my dominate ear, I could tell instantly. Hear a bit less top-end and detail in the right...
@ERMZ: That's SCARY dude! I'm just now recovering from a massive ear infection that popped up about a week ago or so...on anti's and ear drops. Went to a specialist yesterday and he told me it looked like the infection was at it's tail end but I can still feel a bit of loss in my right ear, volume wise.
Said it'd take a good 2-3 weeks to recover. God I hope nothing is fucked.
@ERMZ: That's SCARY dude! I'm just now recovering from a massive ear infection that popped up about a week ago or so...on anti's and ear drops. Went to a specialist yesterday and he told me it looked like the infection was at it's tail end but I can still feel a bit of loss in my right ear, volume wise.
Said it'd take a good 2-3 weeks to recover. God I hope nothing is fucked.
hurdy
Sup
If your ears hav the exact same curve, I think it would screw up the stereo image.
What Im saying is it's completely natural to have slight differences between our Left and right
By having a slight variation between the two ears, it helps us notice whether the noise is coming from the left or right side
For example record two guitar tracks, pan one hard left and one hard right, now change the mid/high freq EQ on one side (ideally around the sensitive area 1Khz to 3Khz)
Instantly, it sounds like the stereo image is enhanced and wider (makes it easier to tell which is left and which is right)
Get what I'm saying??
What Im saying is it's completely natural to have slight differences between our Left and right
By having a slight variation between the two ears, it helps us notice whether the noise is coming from the left or right side
For example record two guitar tracks, pan one hard left and one hard right, now change the mid/high freq EQ on one side (ideally around the sensitive area 1Khz to 3Khz)
Instantly, it sounds like the stereo image is enhanced and wider (makes it easier to tell which is left and which is right)
Get what I'm saying??
I have a beeping tinnitus in my right ear that I hear fairly loudly at night. Makes me want to rip my damn head off. Beep, beep, beep, beepbeepbeep. I used to think there was some electronic device going off in my ceiling, but its gotten louder as I get older and its definitely my ear!
My right ear also doesn't hear as much 2k-5k as my left. Guitars and cymbals are crispy and crunchy in my left ear, yet smeared and not as present in my right. It sucks, but it doesn't bother me as much as the ROARING tinnitus in my right ear at all times of the day. Coupled with the beeping at night, I don't know how I do it.
I think it probably happens to a large portion of the population - but they aren't critical listeners and don't notice it like we do. Also your monitors and headphones are probably not very close L to R, so switch them around or put them on backwards and listen - see if its your ears or your monitors or cans. Headphones are notoriously bad at this in my experience.
My right ear also doesn't hear as much 2k-5k as my left. Guitars and cymbals are crispy and crunchy in my left ear, yet smeared and not as present in my right. It sucks, but it doesn't bother me as much as the ROARING tinnitus in my right ear at all times of the day. Coupled with the beeping at night, I don't know how I do it.
I think it probably happens to a large portion of the population - but they aren't critical listeners and don't notice it like we do. Also your monitors and headphones are probably not very close L to R, so switch them around or put them on backwards and listen - see if its your ears or your monitors or cans. Headphones are notoriously bad at this in my experience.
Nimvi
Member
Man, those stories about tinnitus going on day and night really scare me. It sounds awful to hear an annoying noise that you can't block out permanently. Not looking forward to that...
hurdy
Sup
There has been results with masking out tinnitus by playing frequencies into your ears (white noise could b used I think)
but I think it has to be louder than the tinnitus tone that is being heard
This cancels out tinnitus maybe because the brain concentrates on the new sound (white noise or other)
but I think it has to be louder than the tinnitus tone that is being heard
This cancels out tinnitus maybe because the brain concentrates on the new sound (white noise or other)
My left ear is also my dominant CJ! I heard that our brains interpret signal from the left ear first. I think the majority in this thread mention their left ear also being dominant. Is their anything concrete to back this up?
Sloan
Sounds like shit!
had a firework get caught in my hair and explode in my left ear thanks to my brothers asshole friends (i slammed a good strong boot into his nutsack for that). every so often it has like shellshock or something where the sound gradually fades back in. it's not common and i seem to be able to hear and balance things ok.
my right ear definitely hears a lot shittier than my left...haven't bothered having it tested though, because there isn't exactly a lot that can be done
also, from my understanding, the brain does a lot of shit to mask the differences in perception between our 2 ears
also, from my understanding, the brain does a lot of shit to mask the differences in perception between our 2 ears
TheBeville
Disarm Goliath
Feels a little reassuring seeing others in the field posting about tinnitus and worse hearing at __ frequency in one ear etc.
What I will say about tinnitus, based on the great ENT specialists I saw recently, is to try not to let yourself get too bummed out about a few things: a) you will hear from lots of 'professionals' that it is permanent in most cases, and there's nothing to do but learn to live with it - that is not true, and knowing this can help you come to terms with it; b) a lot of the longevity of the annoyance caused by tinnitus (and thus, the tinnitus itself) is because of the emotional attachment placed on the noise by us, as musicians, blaming ourselves for the noise and feeling guilty. Guilt in particular is a very strong emotion, and feeling this when you hear your tinnitus can embed the sound further and encourage your auditory system to listen out for it more because the noise is perceived as a threat; c) lots of people get tinnitus, but (according to the info I was given) 85+% do not 'suffer' to a high level and this is mostly because of their mental makeup - they tend to be people who worry less, in general, so when they hear the noise they are less likely to let it become an annoyance through concern over the noise.
Basically, I've found I'm coping better and better by doing what I can to believe in the power of the mind to overcome this - afterall, when you walk into a kitchen and the refridgerator and freezer are making a loud humming noise, you may hear it at first but because of the lack of importance attached to the noise you will soon forget about it and stop hearing it. Tinnitus can be treated the same way, over time, with habituation/tinnitus retraining therapy, and once your mind has learnt to switch the tinnitus out of the soundscape it focuses on, you can effectively go back to living without annoyance.
Some of the above is my own experience, and some what I hope to experience based on the research I've read recently, but I do believe that until they find a physical cure, the best treatment is through willpower and mental training. If you're having trouble sleeping at night, try and create a long CD with sounds that are in the frequency areas of your T so it will mask it a bit. From what I've read, you will find fastest results at habituation if you don't completely mask the tinnitus, but get the CD to a level where you can hear the tinnitus if you listen out for it, but as you get drowsy and focus on the CD you will train your mind to focus on other sounds. It is unnatural to sleep in environments as quiet as we do nowadays, with our soundproofed homes, so to some extent natural soundscapes work best (I combined rain and ocean waves, with some white noise lower in the mix, as I have mainly a high ringing around 12kHz ish, and it does the trick for me). If you want a quick solution, the website Simply Noise does some great 60-min background noises, including the ones I used.
Important: If you are also suffering from hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to sounds) it may not be best to follow advice on the internet and get checked out ASAP until you get the help you need, as from what I can gather the treatment methods are different for people who also suffer hyperacusis with their tinnitus. Try to remember that damage is partly about length of exposure, so while you may be tempted to put in the earplugs when someone is hitting the drums a few times to tune them before any mics/PA are involved in a soundcheck, this is unnecessary in rooms large enough for 100+ people and may encourage a mental fear of loud noises that aren't actually too bad for short durations. Also, get some decent ear plugs instead of the cheapo ones given away for free - not only do they have a flatter freq. response but the cheaper ones don't always offer enough protection for the duration of a gig (usually a few hours). The cheapest I'd recommend are the ER-20 filtered ones available by many different brands for £10-15 (like these ones).
Sorry for the huge wall-of-text, but I know that tinnitus is a horrible thing to deal with when it's getting you down, and hopefully I can help others that love music and life as much as myself and need a helping hand.
What I will say about tinnitus, based on the great ENT specialists I saw recently, is to try not to let yourself get too bummed out about a few things: a) you will hear from lots of 'professionals' that it is permanent in most cases, and there's nothing to do but learn to live with it - that is not true, and knowing this can help you come to terms with it; b) a lot of the longevity of the annoyance caused by tinnitus (and thus, the tinnitus itself) is because of the emotional attachment placed on the noise by us, as musicians, blaming ourselves for the noise and feeling guilty. Guilt in particular is a very strong emotion, and feeling this when you hear your tinnitus can embed the sound further and encourage your auditory system to listen out for it more because the noise is perceived as a threat; c) lots of people get tinnitus, but (according to the info I was given) 85+% do not 'suffer' to a high level and this is mostly because of their mental makeup - they tend to be people who worry less, in general, so when they hear the noise they are less likely to let it become an annoyance through concern over the noise.
Basically, I've found I'm coping better and better by doing what I can to believe in the power of the mind to overcome this - afterall, when you walk into a kitchen and the refridgerator and freezer are making a loud humming noise, you may hear it at first but because of the lack of importance attached to the noise you will soon forget about it and stop hearing it. Tinnitus can be treated the same way, over time, with habituation/tinnitus retraining therapy, and once your mind has learnt to switch the tinnitus out of the soundscape it focuses on, you can effectively go back to living without annoyance.
Some of the above is my own experience, and some what I hope to experience based on the research I've read recently, but I do believe that until they find a physical cure, the best treatment is through willpower and mental training. If you're having trouble sleeping at night, try and create a long CD with sounds that are in the frequency areas of your T so it will mask it a bit. From what I've read, you will find fastest results at habituation if you don't completely mask the tinnitus, but get the CD to a level where you can hear the tinnitus if you listen out for it, but as you get drowsy and focus on the CD you will train your mind to focus on other sounds. It is unnatural to sleep in environments as quiet as we do nowadays, with our soundproofed homes, so to some extent natural soundscapes work best (I combined rain and ocean waves, with some white noise lower in the mix, as I have mainly a high ringing around 12kHz ish, and it does the trick for me). If you want a quick solution, the website Simply Noise does some great 60-min background noises, including the ones I used.
Important: If you are also suffering from hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to sounds) it may not be best to follow advice on the internet and get checked out ASAP until you get the help you need, as from what I can gather the treatment methods are different for people who also suffer hyperacusis with their tinnitus. Try to remember that damage is partly about length of exposure, so while you may be tempted to put in the earplugs when someone is hitting the drums a few times to tune them before any mics/PA are involved in a soundcheck, this is unnecessary in rooms large enough for 100+ people and may encourage a mental fear of loud noises that aren't actually too bad for short durations. Also, get some decent ear plugs instead of the cheapo ones given away for free - not only do they have a flatter freq. response but the cheaper ones don't always offer enough protection for the duration of a gig (usually a few hours). The cheapest I'd recommend are the ER-20 filtered ones available by many different brands for £10-15 (like these ones).
Sorry for the huge wall-of-text, but I know that tinnitus is a horrible thing to deal with when it's getting you down, and hopefully I can help others that love music and life as much as myself and need a helping hand.
I think I was born with tinitus. I've had this ringing/static noise going on for as long as I can remember. I actually thought it was normal until my friends described silence as.. absolute silence. That seems almost absurd to me lol.
TesticleMilkshake
pewpewlazrz
Yes, right ear is awesome, left ear is shit.
I had chronic ear infections as a child and my left eardrum has ruptured twice, most recently in the Fall 2006. I was a freshmen in college and I woke up out of a sound sleep in the middle of the night, literally, feeling as though someone had stabbed me in the side of the head. I tasted blood in my mouth (like the back of my throat) and had fluid all over the side of my face and my pillow. My roommate actually woke up because I was crying, it was horrible. Next day, I went health services, and the nurse looks in my ear and says, "You need to go home and see an ENT as soon as possible, because I'm pretty sure your eardrum ruptured." Weirdest thing, there was no evidence of an infection, my eardrum just ruptured. It took weeks to heal and my left ear has never been 100% right since. I may also have nerve damage in that ear, because I'll experience pain at random times, no ear infection or anything.
It hasn't hurt my ability to perceive pitch, but I have issues with texture and timbre. Fricative and affricate consonants are a major problem in speech. Some plosives can be difficult too. I have problems hearing people speak, where my ear will just shutdown. This really hurt me when I was studying Mandarin, because some of the consonants sound very similar. Vowels were never a problem though, because the language is tonal
