how loud do you work?

[haberdasher]

80-85dB is a good level for me, and I suspect most people. If you get good results at 100+dB and are confident that you're not damaging your ears, then all power to you, I guess! To my ears that's an absolutely crazy way to work for even an hour a day, but everybody's different. Re hearing damage in general, there are a lot of variables and no one can give you a definitive answer. Not every 83dB(A) is equal.

[soundgeezer]

I feel save around 83-86 db to balance out bass and treble.
When I need to "feel" the vibe of faster songs I go up to 90-95 for a short period of time ...

[adamgonsa]

I generally do checks very loud and very quiet but most of the time I'm right around 83dB or so.

[RARStudios]

this thread made me cringe

[PatrikT]

Originally Posted by jackthebear

Still there are many people doing stellar work well into their 60's and I would bet they can't hear above 16K.

I think my 16K is pretty weak too, but then on the other hand I can get hints about the state of 16K from how the really audible stuff behaves.


Best Regards
Patrik

[jackthebear]

Originally Posted by PatrikT

I think my 16K is pretty weak too, but then on the other hand I can get hints about the state of 16K from how the really audible stuff behaves.


Best Regards
Patrik

I have no doubt about that Patrick.......I'm also prepared to bet a few lazy shekels that you'd be doing much better work than some young whipper-snapper who can hear above that.....

[DominicWyeth]

I tend to listen quietly then a bit louder in the end for quality check and final listen

[Surbitone]

100-105db For 8 hours?! Taking bets for how long it takes for deafness to kick in

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by Surbitone

100-105db For 8 hours?! Taking bets for how long it takes for deafness to kick in

This last sentence would make a good album title.

- c

[Ari-M.]

85 db = 0 vu = -18 dbFS





the big TAD's in most pro studios (soffit mains) roll off pretty sharply after 16k anyhow.....I would be willing to bet most of the ME community has a playback system/room that can articulate well beyond that....BUT most mains/mix monitors aren't resolving at the level us ME's would like

ergo, be prepared for some surprises in the highest octaves ?? that has been my experience....thank god for freq. dependent compression (grumbles)

[Suda Badri]

I work as loud as the band likes it, some like it soft (talking like 40-50dB) and some like it around 105-110... I just run with it...

[Adam Dempsey]

I measured yesterday's session at 82 - 85dB(C) but still, for me, the Dim switch is one of the most often used switches in the room. (two of these projects were for vinyl, and another being a guitar quartet album, so zero loudness additives, often only a single band of EQ, and a lot more VU swing than many projects – very fresh to the ears! Love it.).

[PatrikT]

Originally Posted by jackthebear

I'm also prepared to bet a few lazy shekels that you'd be doing much better work than some young whipper-snapper who can hear above that.....

Hold on to those Dinars, this world is in a constant and dramatic change.

At the age of 35 I can no longer hear anything. What depth? What width? What transient-mojo and what punch in the limiter? The list expands violently for every new nuance-claim there is to get alerted about, especially from the internet feed.

But, luckily, I can not see much either!


Best Regards
Patrik

[Brad Blackwood]

I work at a few diff levels during the course of a day - as high as 95dB or so but a vast majority of the day at about 80dB.

[tedpenn]

Just to clarify...

I hadn't checked my listening levels in my new room so I did so today over a wide range of program material. I was listening to full range nearfields. Here's what I've found:

All levels are dB SPL, C-weighted, slow response

I spend the overwhelming majority of my time (70-80%) right around 85dB

I listen low (and often in mono) at around 60dB

Occasionally during a mix or for client playback I'll go loud at around 90-95dB but I don't hang out up there. The "emotional impact" feels best to me in that range.

The loudest I'm comfortable listening to most material is about 100dB.

Any louder and it becomes painful and I can tell the response of my ears dramatically changes. This is not surprising as the ear's acoustic reflex kicks in typically between 70-90dB, so at 105dB you're well above that threshold.

If I were listening to a soffit-mounted full range system with subs, these numbers might all shift a bit higher, but on the nearfields that's where I fall.

For what it's worth, I'm 31 and make it a practice to get a hearing test every year. My hearing has either stayed the same or improved each year.

I think one factor that is being left out in this discussion is that while our hearing may be deteriorating every year due to loud listening or simply age, we're also training our ears (brain) to be a better and better listener. Ear training is a learned thing. I'm sure this has something to do with many of us not experiencing any measurable loss.

[tedpenn]

Also of interest:

OSHA requires hearing protection for any employee exposed to 90dBa (not c) or above for an 8 hour period.

Here are their permissible noise levels and exposure times.

Again, these are all A-weighted numbers.

[peter_martin]

Originally Posted by tedpenn

All levels are dB SPL, C-weighted, slow response

I spend the overwhelming majority of my time (70-80%) right around 85dB

I listen low (and often in mono) at around 60dB

Occasionally during a mix or for client playback I'll go loud at around 90-95dB but I don't hang out up there. The "emotional impact" feels best to me in that range.

The loudest I'm comfortable listening to most material is about 100dB.

+1

One thing I notice if I have a hard time pushing the mix to 80-85db with too much 500hz in the kick, or too bright snare, ect it always tells me what I need to fix at this level in my room. For mixing though, not mastering, but I heard its the same the same for monitoring at these levels between both applications.

[audioaddict]

I'm not a pro engineer or mastering guy, but can tell you as an audiophile/audio enthusiast that high SPLs bring out the worst in exaggerated treble or upper midrange glare.

Not super difficult to make a system sound good at reasonable volumes but higher volumes it definitely shows.

And in car audio even more so.

[Waltz Mastering]

Originally Posted by audioaddict

Ihigh SPLs bring out the worst in exaggerated treble or upper midrange glare.

Not super difficult to make a system sound good at reasonable volumes but higher volumes it definitely shows.

Most likely dependent on system components and room?

...I should probably pick up an spl meter soon..although it probably wouldn't affect my habits.