My ear sucks

[proxy]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

Why the hell do people get off on making other people feel bad about themselves? I just don't understand how someone can feel better about making someone else feel bad......

+1

I had to reread the thread again to figure out why, after what was initially a useful discussion about protecting your ears, etc., it had to turn into this...

Just to throw in one more comment about the *original topic*, I recently had a lot of back problems (from weeks on end of 16hr days for a film all hunched over the DAW, but that's a different story). The chiro was great and what came to light was that the back corrections influenced jaw-alignment issues, which he was explaining can interfere with you hearing if you jaw's alignment is enough to-one-side. All day computing -> posture issues -> jaw issues -> ear-canal, it's all related.

I'm not saying computers will make you deaf, but it was an interesting experience that I thought might actually be useful to someone here.

- proxy

[mars]

Some recent research has shown that it's normal to have differing responses between the left and right ear. Apparently one ear is wired to respond to speech, the other to everything elese (like music). Also, there's a difference between men and women in this. I'll try to find a link...

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by proxy

+1

I had to reread the thread again to figure out why, after what was initially a useful discussion about protecting your ears, etc., it had to turn into this...

Just to throw in one more comment about the *original topic*, I recently had a lot of back problems (from weeks on end of 16hr days for a film all hunched over the DAW, but that's a different story). The chiro was great and what came to light was that the back corrections influenced jaw-alignment issues, which he was explaining can interfere with you hearing if you jaw's alignment is enough to-one-side. All day computing -> posture issues -> jaw issues -> ear-canal, it's all related.

I'm not saying computers will make you deaf, but it was an interesting experience that I thought might actually be useful to someone here.

- proxy

Great points. Yes I am a firm believer that what you do to any part of your body has some effect to the rest of your body.

Western thought as always been focused on treating the part of the body that is directly effected by the "illness" while Eastern thought is to treat the body as a whole. Both approaches can have drawbacks but used together (as I believe we are starting to see in Western medical practices) we can begin to unlock some of the keys to how we are put together.

[hociman]

Originally Posted by Scinx

Actually this does exist - well, sorta (its not a vac that goes in the eustachian tube). They insert a small vacuum into your ear and it sucks all the wax buildup out.

That's not my problem. Only once in the last five years have I had enough wax buildup to have any doctor clean my outer ear. My problem is on the inside of the ear drum. I've had scopes up my nose (what do they call that procedure?), ABR tests, balance testing (worse than any roller coaster), etc.

So my original point still stands. I wish they could suck the garbage out of the eustachian tubes.

For the person that commented on the jaw alignment, I would believe it. I suffer from TMJ, unfortunately, and if I purposely shift my jaw, the stereo image shifts. The difference between TMJ and hearing is that health insurance will cover your ears. You have got to have some good doctors and a little luck to get anything involved with TMJ covered.

[ponzi]

Originally Posted by Zeppelin4Life

... a relatively difficult rock solo quite well. ...

"Relatively difficult" is, of course a relative thing.

For some reason, the video recorder on the shelf, or whatever, reminded me of the videotape of the girl getting poisoned by her mom in the "I see dead people movie."

Shotgun, thanks for taking 7 minutes out of my life waiting for his star-turn video to download--it was worth the wait--or not.

[Zeppelin4Life]

Originally Posted by ponzi

"Relatively difficult" is, of course a relative thing.

For some reason, the video recorder on the shelf, or whatever, reminded me of the videotape of the girl getting poisoned by her mom in the "I see dead people movie."

Shotgun, thanks for taking 7 minutes out of my life waiting for his star-turn video to download--it was worth the wait--or not.

LOL. I love that movie.

[Shotgun]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

Why the hell do people get off on making other people feel bad about themselves? I just don't understand how someone can feel better about making someone else feel bad......

Well, it's not so much that I "get off" on making other people feel bad about themselves, what I more get off on is...


...whoa, this ain't that kinda website.


Anyway, let's face facts here. A common affliction of the human condition is for somebody to take themselves too seriously. Just because it happens more often than not on GearSlutz.com doesn't mean that it's "normal". The only cure for the condition is to be slapped upside the head with reality taped to a large stick.

And quite frankly, why is it you get bent out of shape because I call a waddling, quacking thing a duck and not at the original problem here? I mean seriously, if we want to get all touchy-feely and "all I needed to know I learned in kindergarten" about this thing...then why don't you ask Sir Wank-a-Lot why it is he attaches his self worth to his age and his gear list? Oh wait, you post at GearSlutz. Sorry, dumb question.

Anyhooters, just an update for ya Zep ole buddy...typing "LOL" doesn't make you look less dumb. You see, we're not making fun WITH you, we're making fun OF you.

And yes, PLEASE make another video for us. PLEASE. Can we poll for requests, or are you a "I pick the song and passage" kind of artiste?

Tell you what I'll do, since I'm such a nice guy. If you make me 10 or 15 of those video clips at full res, I'll put them together in a DVD for you, with a commentary track. I'll get a few of the guys over and we can do a whole 60 minute show of you playing guitar.

Think of the chicks you'll get when you tell 'em you have a '58 reissue Les Paul AND A DVD.

Not that the honeys aren't lining up outside your door as it is, I'm sure...but more is better, right stud?

Love Always,
Shotgun

[not_so_new]

And quite frankly, why is it you get bent out of shape because I call a waddling, quacking thing a duck and not at the original problem here? I mean seriously, if we want to get all touchy-feely and "all I needed to know I learned in kindergarten" about this thing...then why don't you ask Sir Wank-a-Lot why it is he attaches his self worth to his age and his gear list? Oh wait, you post at GearSlutz. Sorry, dumb question.

So you are now the "Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously Gestapo" huh?

You know, he is just a freak'n kid, when I was that age I was an idiot too but I turned out just fine. You may not agree and will say so with a snide little comment….. but.... on the other hand you don't know me and I don't give a sh*t what the fukk you think of me so save it for someone who can read your posts (see below).

Do you go around shopping malls and yell at the little teenage girls wearing too much make-up and not enough clothing? If you do you are a pompous ass and if you don't then I assume you are following that wonderful rule of "it's only the internet so I can treat people differently because they are not human." Very nice.

I don't give a rats-ass about making the kid feel good or bad. That is just the point, I don't go out of my way to hurt other people. If I don't like what he does in his video I don't watch it. His playing is not that bad and that he even plays at all is a positive thing. I tend to not go about looking for the negative at every turn, something you might want to think about.

Funny I just read a really good thread about trolls and how to block seeing their posts.

Good bye troll.....

[Shotgun]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

So you are now the "Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously Gestapo" huh?

I prefer the more PC term of "attitude engineer"

You know, he is just a freak'n kid, when I was that age I was an idiot too but I turned out just fine. You may not agree and will say so with a snide little comment….. but.... on the other hand you don't know me and I don't give a sh*t what the fukk you think of me so save it for someone who can read your posts (see below).

Are you sure you grew out of it, pardner?

Do you go around shopping malls and yell at the little teenage girls wearing too much make-up and not enough clothing? If you do you are a pompous ass and if you don't then I assume you are following that wonderful rule of "it's only the internet so I can treat people differently because they are not human." Very nice.

Yes, I do, but as yet, none of them have gotten into my van. Teenagers are so fickle.

I don't give a rats-ass about making the kid feel good or bad. That is just the point, I don't go out of my way to hurt other people. If I don't like what he does in his video I don't watch it. His playing is not that bad and that he even plays at all is a positive thing. I tend to not go about looking for the negative at every turn, something you might want to think about.

Tell me this, oh sage one. If you never see "the negatives" how do you ever fix problems? Seriously. Do you listen to your mixes and only see the good in them? What color is the sky in your world?

Funny I just read a really good thread about trolls and how to block seeing their posts.

Good bye troll.....

I call this "pulling a STILL" but you guys probably don't know why. Does that ignore button come with a free vagina?


Love ya!
Shotgun

[not_so_new]

What was that... I can't hear you.......

"This message is hidden because Shotgun is on your ignore list."

Ahhhhhhh, that might have something to do with it. Troll away big guy.

[Shotgun]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

What was that... I can't hear you.......

"This message is hidden because Shotgun is on your ignore list."

Ahhhhhhh, that might have something to do with it. Troll away big guy.

Pussy.

[iomegaman]

Originally Posted by Shotgun

Pussy.

And this is how we get the ignore button to malfunction...


I hate it when grown pompous people play like little kids and take thier ball and go home.

Grow the STILL up.

[Shotgun]

Originally Posted by iomegaman

And this is how we get the ignore button to malfunction...


I hate it when grown pompous people play like little kids and take thier ball and go home.

Grow the STILL up.

BA HA! Classic 'Megaman. "Grow the still up". I'm gonna use that in my everyday conversation. Thank you so much megaman.


~S

[2leod]

See, the thing is...

Just because Mr. Bunnerskull 'n' crossbone's diplomacy skills are - shall we say... thin - doesn't mean there isn't a valid point being raised. I have my hearing checked regularly, my right ear is perfect and the left has small dips in the 80 and 11/12 k bands, above normal results. I find it improves my perception of these frequencies, by sweeping my head back and forth I can pick those ones out by the change I hear. I can guarantee that there are plenty of other things that limit my ability to make it sound good before my hearing is the issue. In fact, there's a whole troller-hatch full of fish to fry before that one comes up.

The Marshian herd likes to run lean and fast - misfits and stragglers are hamstrung and left for the dingoes. The herd here is larger, slower and alot more diverse. Thinning of the herd happens through more of a natural selection process with the weaker falling by the wayside.

Remember those Mutual of Ohmaha wildlife shows with the young gazelle learning how to run and jump, but mostly just spazzing up and down in the same spot? Didn't it make you chuckle?

Speaking of which, your attitude engineer line made me chuckle Shotgun. Mind if I try it out in my sig for a bit?

[Shotgun]

Originally Posted by 2leod

See, the thing is...

Just because Mr. Bunnerskull 'n' crossbone's diplomacy skills are - shall we say... thin - doesn't mean there isn't a valid point being raised. I have my hearing checked regularly, my right ear is perfect and the left has small dips in the 80 and 11/12 k bands, above normal results. I find it improves my perception of these frequencies, by sweeping my head back and forth I can pick those ones out by the change I hear. I can guarantee that there are plenty of other things that limit my ability to make it sound good before my hearing is the issue. In fact, there's a whole troller-hatch full of fish to fry before that one comes up.

The Marshian herd likes to run lean and fast - misfits and stragglers are hamstrung and left for the dingoes. The herd here is larger, slower and alot more diverse. Thinning of the herd happens through more of a natural selection process with the weaker falling by the wayside.

Remember those Mutual of Ohmaha wildlife shows with the young gazelle learning how to run and jump, but mostly just spazzing up and down in the same spot? Didn't it make you chuckle?

Speaking of which, your attitude engineer line made me chuckle Shotgun. Mind if I try it out in my sig for a bit?

I don't at all get the Mutual of Ohmaha metaphor. Plus, I am neither lean, nor fast. Though I aspire to be one day.


~S

[2leod]

Apologies. Others have speech impediments, I suffer from terminal obtuseity. I was trying (poorly apparently) to point to how the young'uns among us, once they find their wobbly legs, sometimes do goofy things in their haste to run.

[figur8]

This is an interesting thread (in some parts! ;)). Does anyone now about more online resources about what kind of food does affect your hearing? To mee it feels like on some days i can hear more and on the next day i can hear less but i went to sleep early and did not go out or stuff like that (so i think it depends on the stuff i ate or drank on the day). I don´t play in band anymore (for 4 years now), i never drank any alcohol and i never smoked cigarettes or took any drugs (and was vegetarian in my youth calling myself 'straightedge', but this was before i got into the recording stuff) and this proved to be a healthy way of living so far. but if i can improve my ears with maybe stopping to eat bread or drink milk i would do it. Would be cool to get some more reliable information on that topic.

Thanks and see ya.

[syntheasy]

Hello
first at all I want to present me: I'm a PHD with a degree in audiology and I'm making a lot of research on hearing loss and tinnitus in musician, here in Italy.
There are some points that are unclear to many many musician:
1) The audiologist test for your ear is something very uncertain. They check only for 7 frequencies and they draw a line between them. This is a standard method, but for my research and your ear I use to split the audio spectrum in octaves. For my standard audio test, I use something like 24 points and very often I can find deep and hearing loss that the standard test doesn't find. In 2005 the standard test is a very low quality test, but I can understand one ear test cannot be long as an hour, like mine.
2) If your ear test seems to be right but you hear wrong, you are right!! A lot of persons I examined had hearing loss in between the frequencies the standard test checks. And more illness can be found to cause hearing loss, not only ear but also cardiovascolar and muscolar reasons.
3) It's not true that max frequency is 8 kHz for hearing test. My clinical audiometer goes 20-20.000 Hz and I use to make a high frequency test tone to everybody. Today we have only standard curves until 16.000 Hz, but it'sw easy to find also the curves for 20.000. Please note that tha classic audiometer is not requested to have more than standard frequency.
4) Ear impairment is a two stage illness: it could be mechanical or/and it could be neurological. My research on tinnitus confirm that musicians have more frequently neurological ear loss and I have to stop here, because the next step is rehabilitation, under research.
5) If you have tinnitus, if you are a musician for years and if you think to have an ear loss, there are more tests to check the origin of ear loss, but try to find an audiologist can do a better hear test

For what I understand, audiologists make their work right, but we are in 2005 and not in 1975 and it's time to be more clear in how you ear,
Luca

ps: sorry for my bad english :-)

[Empty Planet]

Thanks, syntheasy, good information. And don't worry about the language thing, it's cool actually; it's the rare American who knows two.

And thanks to not_so_new as well. I had no clue we had "Ignore" options -- VERY cool. Shotgun is my inaugural member!

Fab.

[Don S]

I just got an ear infection. For a week I'm hearing a slight ring along with the "iso booth" effect. I'm hoping it doesn't last too much longer. This is the first one I've ever had. How long did yours last?

Also FWIW. I remember reading a good article in MIX about hearing by Steve St.Croix. Basicly he said any food or drink that raises your blood preasure will have a negative effect on your ability to hear.

[Frequency]

I've had an ear infection for two months now. I've been having tinnitus, sometimes bad, and occasionally my hearing has disappeared on one ear. Only for 5 or 10 seconds at a time, but still nerve wracking. I've also lost some high frequencies once in a while, especially in the evenings.

The last few weeks I've been slowly becoming better. The tinnitus has gone down to an acceptable level which I don't notice most of the day. However, I sometimes get weird click sounds in one of my ears and once in a while (not very often now) I lose some high frequencies.

Went to a doctor yesterday, who told me it was an infection and that it will very likely be over in a month.

I've read a lot about tinnitus lately and people have been "cured" of severe tinnitus problems. There is a therapy of some sort where you teach the brain to stop noticing the tinnitus. A LOT OF people have been helped. However, many doctors are not aware of this kind of therapy. The method is fairly new.

I had my own go at this, by stop focusing on the noise. E.g. through listening to music. And it helped.

[u b k]

Originally Posted by Don S

Basicly he said any food or drink that raises your blood preasure will have a negative effect on your ability to hear.

well THAT explains the whole 80's/coke thing.


gregoire
del ubik

[syntheasy]

It's not so easy to link eat with tinnitus and hear loss. Also the blood pressure is an important parameter but damage on ear is possible only if there are more cardiovascular problems and the blood pressure is high for a lot of years.
There are no evidences about this correlation.
Too low pressure and too high pressure can be dangerous for every vascular districts, like brain or heart. The cochlea seems to have e good resistence for high pressure, like the Meniere syndrome.
For musicians it's better to protect the ears.
Luca

[massimo]

A couple months ago I had to realize my left ear was hearing differently than the right ear. I was wearing headphones and testing mic positions with my classical guitar. I was scared, really, I did not want to believe it was true. I was hoping there was something wrong with audio connections, whatever. Nope.

I went to the audiologist. My left ear has problems around 4kHz. Ironically, the audiologist said it was an average result - I would never have noticed this had I been a truck driver instead of a musician! Here's the point, like our friend from Milano said, most audio tests today are for truck drivers. Not accurate at all: how distant the right ear track is from the left ear track on the diagram depends on several wild variables, including the operator, how long you take to respond to a frequency test tone, etc. There's a circa 10db confidence error in these graphics! Think when you do those 0.5 db adjustments on your fader or equalizer...
So, something that is simply scaring for me is average for the average physician.

However, I see from other posts I am not alone! This is good and bad at the same time, for obvious reasons. Only, in my case, where loss is about 10db at 4k with respect to my right ear, I must notice that where your problem frequency lies will determine varying results. In my case I had false impressions that my left channel microphone fell short in representing certain finger, string and fret noises that I like. Not true! Just reverse your headphone cans. Same with converter quality. This can really affect the way we judge certain pieces of gear for certain tasks: idiosyncratic noises we want to hear, how "fast" a mic or micpre is thought to be at capturing certain transients, you name it - maybe we do not hear those noises well if they happen to live in those problem frequencies or are picked by the microphone that happens to be panned on the "wrong" ear.

So I learn many of us have this problem. It helps greatly to be aware that ear-to-ear differences are more common than generally believed, and behave accordingly. I have since learned to reverse cans often.
best regards
ciao
Massimo

[syntheasy]

Originally Posted by massimo

I went to the audiologist. My left ear has problems around 4kHz.

You have another problem: you can't know, with standard tone test, if that deep is real. When we have an earing loss, it's not only one frequency but a group of frequencies around the deepest. So the 4 kHz could be the central frequency of the one of the group, but you can't tell which is without a better audometer to check the frequencies around 4 kHz. Think to a bell filter with high Q with attenuation,
Luca

[Zeppelin4Life]

Originally Posted by massimo

A couple months ago I had to realize my left ear was hearing differently than the right ear. I was wearing headphones and testing mic positions with my classical guitar. I was scared, really, I did not want to believe it was true. I was hoping there was something wrong with audio connections, whatever. Nope.

I went to the audiologist. My left ear has problems around 4kHz. Ironically, the audiologist said it was an average result - I would never have noticed this had I been a truck driver instead of a musician! Here's the point, like our friend from Milano said, most audio tests today are for truck drivers. Not accurate at all: how distant the right ear track is from the left ear track on the diagram depends on several wild variables, including the operator, how long you take to respond to a frequency test tone, etc. There's a circa 10db confidence error in these graphics! Think when you do those 0.5 db adjustments on your fader or equalizer...
So, something that is simply scaring for me is average for the average physician.

However, I see from other posts I am not alone! This is good and bad at the same time, for obvious reasons. Only, in my case, where loss is about 10db at 4k with respect to my right ear, I must notice that where your problem frequency lies will determine varying results. In my case I had false impressions that my left channel microphone fell short in representing certain finger, string and fret noises that I like. Not true! Just reverse your headphone cans. Same with converter quality. This can really affect the way we judge certain pieces of gear for certain tasks: idiosyncratic noises we want to hear, how "fast" a mic or micpre is thought to be at capturing certain transients, you name it - maybe we do not hear those noises well if they happen to live in those problem frequencies or are picked by the microphone that happens to be panned on the "wrong" ear.

So I learn many of us have this problem. It helps greatly to be aware that ear-to-ear differences are more common than generally believed, and behave accordingly. I have since learned to reverse cans often.
best regards
ciao
Massimo

It's all interesting. If you are really into classical music, noise induced hearing loss is probably not from the music, if any. I used to stand with my guitar amp to my right for hours, and im convinced that mixed with my ride cymbal (also on my right) wore down some of my hearing. However, almost everyone hears slightly differently in each ear even without loss. we have dominant ears and eyes too. I know one of my eyes sees things brighter than the other, I dont know why.

[rollingrecords]

went to a black crowes show less than a month ago it was a sold out show in about a thousand capacity gym, fan club show, but with a complete arena stage sound, lights loudest ****ing thing i ever heard in my life, because of the suckass acoustics of the place there was a ton of low end midrange build up but it was a killer show they sounded just like like black sabbath, i went and got my ears checked to day and and there was a dip in my left ear from 3-4k and then it evens out. the audiologist said that most people would not be able to tell. but i feel like my equilibrium (spelled wrong) is off and my head feels like it is going to one side anyway i am set up to see a specialist, allthough i do this for fun now (recording) i am just 24 so this sucks

[midislut]

interesting thread

i have hearing damage in my right ear due to a accident (noise induced...gun shot)

the following helps for me

no chocolate

no coffee

no alcohol

plenty sleep

enough exercise

...i love 3 of the 4 above...but tough luck...my ears are more important

[dirren]

I too scored well on the last hearing test I did. However, I played big band jazz for 4 yrs as a trombonist. And sitting in front of a horn section my hearing got affected somewhat and I now have a constant hiss going on which is audible when there's not much sound/noise around. Not too distracting but definitely there.

What does worry me more is, that after a 2 week infection which completely clogged my ear 6 months ago, my left ear now responds weirdly to low freq sound. It's like the whole ear reacts / gets upset to certain low freq sound like somewhere in the 80Hz range. i whish I knew what that was...



/D