Did you know that you have a dominant ear?

[Coldbricks]

Food for thought. Did you know this? It is typically the ear you use for the telephone. However, in research they found that people listening through their non-dominant ear only, learned (audio, speech) much less efficiently that those with only their dominant ear. I typically notice I face one direction when I drum or play guitar. Flip the headphones around. Even if your ears are perfect (they are probably not) it will sound different to some extent. Just thought I'd share that for no apparent reason.

[herecomesyourman]

It's true...though I find that lately I also have to clean my ears out with a Q-Tip every few days to make sure I really have a balanced response when I listen to things.

Some hearing loss aside I have really learned how my ears should hear things over the years...and now I can tell when stuff feels a bit muddy due to wax buildup. =p

My left ear is definately my dominant.

[joeq]

I heard it was the ear you would put up to the wall to spy on your neighbors.

which for me is the right - the opposite of the ear I use for telephone. I think the phone is a bad example because there are other factors besides hearing involved in the preference. I prefer the phone on the left I think because it leaves my right hand free to use a pen...


I used to have a switch on the return from the 2-Track so that when I listened to the playback of a mix I could swap the left and right channels. I felt it kept me 'honest'.

[Coldbricks]

Originally Posted by joeq

I heard it was the ear you would put up to the wall to spy on your neighbors.

which for me is the right - the opposite of the ear I use for telephone. I think the phone is a bad example because there are other factors besides hearing involved in the preference. I prefer the phone on the left I think because it leaves my right hand free to use a pen...


I used to have a switch on the return from the 2-Track so that when I listened to the playback of a mix I could swap the left and right channels. I felt it kept me 'honest'.

Definetly true. I have a near perfect hearing range (I am 22) with some very minor loss, and for some reason if I close my right ear (i.e., my left ear is listening) I like 'cant focus' on the sound; it just becomes noise! If I close my left ear, I can listen fine. I am definitely right ear dominant! I wonder how it affects mixing??

[author]

Originally Posted by CuminGingerSpice

Food for thought. Did you know this? It is typically the ear you use for the telephone.

Most right handed people use left hand/ear for the phone, so they can use right hand to take notes and mouse around...

[Coldbricks]

Originally Posted by author

most right handed people use left hand/ear for the phone, so they can use right hand to take notes and mouse around...

outliers!!! Hide them quick!!

[MarkRB]

I'm pretty aware that I lean my head to the left a bit (making my right ear prominent) when really listening to one particular sound in a mix, but it is the opposite ear I use when on the phone. (Which kind of fits the "learned audio much less efficiently" thing Haha!).

I've also noticed that I used to have a tendency to place really aggressive, middly sounds to the right in a mix. Less so now for some reason.

I'm pretty sure my right ear is dominant, so last time I went for a hearing test I expected my right ear to be more sensitive or have a better freq balance.
I was surprised to learn both ears are really very similar.

Maybe it's the "Left brain controls right side, Right brain controls the left side" thing. Who knows?

Very interesting stuff, but definitely not worth getting hung up about.

[MarkRB]

Originally Posted by author

Most right handed people use left hand/ear for the phone, so they can use right hand to take notes and mouse around...

A-Ha!! I way prefer that to the "learn less efficiently" explanation!

[gussyg2007]

i had hearing problems when i was a child so i have issues with certain frequencies (not sure which ones) but yer I'm left handed an my dominant ear is my left ear but not sure if that is due to deafness

[Bunny]

Originally Posted by MarkRB

Maybe it's the "Left brain controls right side, Right brain controls the left side" thing. Who knows?

Very interesting stuff, but definitely not worth getting hung up about.

yup signals form the right ear go to the left side of the brain. Also if you are right handed, your language areas area in the left side of the brain (95% of the time). If you are a trained/acomplished musician, eventually your language areas shift over to the other side aswell. Music can do weird things to our brains, rewire them. Thats why its good to get children into it before they turn 12, that's when our neuroplasticity hardens and becomes less flexible, even if they arent very good at their instrument, at least the neural pathways have been laid down for a possible future career in audio-engineering.
Have you ever noticed that left-handed people seem to have a natural apptitude for playing instruments? I was in a band once which had 5 members in it and 3 of them were left-handed and they were all amazing musicians. I was kicked out after a while.

[sound_music]

very cool thread, i've always had the impression my left ear hears things more clearly. maybe now iknow why! googling this topic immediately.

@ herecomesyourman: be careful with those q-tips dude, an ear specialist told me many years ago that you should never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear! the q-tip is a very dangerous instrument for people in the audio field. word to the wise....

[Dean Roddey]

What a buncha whimps. BOTH my ears are dominant. You gotta problem hearin that? Then try usin' your good ear.

[Zeppelin4Life]

My audiologist told me this once. He said it makes a hell of a difference which ear is dominant, as people are indeed left or right BRAIN dominant. The whole thing is really fascinating. Cool thread!

[larry b]

I never knew this, but i do definitely use my left ear to listen to sound sources when placing microphones. Never my right ear.

[MixShmix]

What?

Hold on a sec... let me turn my head...

OK. Uh... NO!

[sahiaman]

Has anyone noticed if the ear you use the phone/cell phone with has a bit damage compared to their other ear? I noticing a very slight high frequency damage to my right ear.

[Coldbricks]

Originally Posted by sahiaman

Has anyone noticed if the ear you use the phone/cell phone with has a bit damage compared to their other ear? I noticing a very slight high frequency damage to my right ear.

I noticed that once but audiologist tests say it is very negligible. but I notice it. I also notice that I sleep with this ear up. interesting