How's your hearing?

[STRAT TOOL]

20% loss in one ear, 10% loss in the other.

Constant riging.

Audiologist says my hearing loss is not likely from exposure, more likely some type of birth defect. This is laughable to me, as my whole life has been one big loud {censored}ing noise. Guitar since I was 15, construction, factories, guns, concerts, power tools, now sound reinforcement. My hearing curve is flat, which is a good thing, it's like good attenuation, no loss of any particular frequency. I like tuning people out. The ringing sucks though.

[BillESC]

I know I've got some loss. Not surprising since I was touring with Hot Tuna for a while.

[Dogoth]

I suspect that in the coming years, there will be an epidemic of low freqency hearing loss among relatively young people, all related to an apparent fascination for excessively loud low frequency sound. You know what I mean -- when the subs in the car half a block down the steet are vibrating your car and everything in it, the poor soul(s) in the originating vehicle have to be killing a few auditory cilia, don't you think?

Slightly off topic but I heard a funny one about a guy who wires a liscense plate to the grill of his sub so that the Hip Hop will sound right

Back on topic. Hearing loss is a part of life for almost everyone. You can choose to make it worse by playing or mixing really loud but everyone suffers from it to some extent or another as they get older. I think my hearing is still pretty good (It's been a while since I've had it checked - I'm definitly due). As long as it didn't happen suddenly then you will still mix about the same as it changes (today I know what a piano sounds like acousticly so I try to make it sound the same through my system (I'm over simplifying a bit but you get the drift)). Mixing sound is not necessarily based on aural acuity (athough there needs to be some minimal standard), but more about ear training, learning to listen critically and sonic memory. As long as you're not too far out of the "norm" for your age bracket, don't worry about it. Just try to keep what you have (because it probably will drop below that minimal standard some day (hopefully you'll be retired by then :>))

[dboomer]

My hearing is terrible ... but I make up for it with cunning;)

That makes me a good live sound engineer and a not so good recording engineer.

[twangin6]

I knew I had some hearing loss several years ago. (51) I was a bit shocked when I put on a test CD and heard nothing at 7k up of test tones:facepalm:

[twangin6]

I knew I had some hearing loss several years ago. (51) I was a bit shocked when I put on a test CD and heard nothing at 7k and up of test tones:facepalm:

[Dogoth]

I knew I had some hearing loss several years ago. (51) I was a bit shocked when I put on a test CD and heard nothing at 7k and up of test tones:facepalm:

 

 

OUCH!

 

I gave a kid who wanted to learn more about audio one of those feedback trainers. I could hear the 12k no problem, the 16k only if I gave it an extra 10db (and then barely) and the 20k nada. I was using my AKG K240 phones so they should have reproduced those freqs well enough. I guess that's not too bad for 51.

[DBR]

After a friend of mine shouted directly in my ear, I have had a bad ringing problem I used to be able to hear bats..now a loud ringing is is prominent. bastard. I told him the next time he does that he will have to pack his stuff and go. Up until then.. I have had no problems.

[SpaceNorman]

I haven't been tested - so I can't quantify exactly where or how much I've lost. Regardless - there's no question that I've lost some. I have a what I suspect is a tiny bit of ringing in both ears. How much can be attributed to loud noise and how much should be attributed to simple aging is probably an open question.

[rhat]

I haven't been tested - so I can't quantify exactly where or how much I've lost. Regardless - there's no question that I've lost some. I have a what I suspect is a tiny bit of ringing in both ears. How much can be attributed to loud noise and how much should be attributed to simple aging is probably an open question.

 

 

It doesnt make a hell of alot of difference ,,,, you hear what you hear. if you need hearing aids , you get them. Now this isnt to say you dont need to watch it. we played this small stage and i was too close to the pa speakers ... my hearing was kinda dorked up for a couple days ,, did I lose any ,, who knows. Am i going to do anything about it.. na ,, I got the hell away from that EON on the next gig. First time in that bar ,, play it again tonight ,,, one thing for sure i could hear my keys in the mix ,,,

[jimmymio]

Until recently, my last check was 19 years ago! Wish i hadn't waited. I have a pretty good dip at 3K in my left ear. I'm a KB player and i always have my wedge on the left. I've gone back to wearing my custom mold earplugs that i should have been wearing all these yers.

JP

[MuddyJay]

Until recently, my last check was 19 years ago! Wish i hadn't waited. I have a pretty good dip at 3K in my left ear. I'm a KB player and i always have my wedge on the left. I've gone back to wearing my custom mold earplugs that i should have been wearing all these yers. JP

 

Good call!

[MrKnobs]

My hearing took a sudden turn for the worse.

 

Terry D.

[teleman55]

What?

[jimmymio]

 

My hearing took a sudden turn for the worse . Terry D.

 

 

Sorry to hear this. Best of luck finding some improvement. Thanks for the warning.

JP

[RoadRanger]

Just say no to commercial airlines .

 

Last time I long distance "tripped" it was to Wally World from here in CT. Only a day and a half drive and I didn't have to rent a car down there, pay to park mine up here, get up some stupid hour or get in at 3am, or deal with being treated like a criminal and having to worry about what I brought with me. Oh, and I didn't die of a blood clot, destroy my ears, or catch some infection. Screw all that . Ate well on the trip too - no expensive stale peanuts for us .