Problems with your hearing?

revsorg

I've been manning the mixing desk at our local church for the last two months and I'm starting to think I need my hearing tested.

I'm 54, and for years have had to ask my wife what she just said, which I'm never quite sure is because I'm good at ignoring her, or if I'm going deaf.

A couple of things have happened that make me think I need my hearing checked.  The 21 year-old guy who helps on the mixing desk is able to hear sounds that I'm completely oblivious to, and this makes me wonder whether the mix I produce for the audience is intolerable to people with normal hearing.  I've done a few online tests and know I can't hear anything above 15kHz.

Also if I play through Helix Native over headphones for an hour or so I become aware that the presets all begin to sound bassy, which I'm sure they don't when the session started.  Also, at parties if there is a lot of background noise I am often to all intents and purposes deaf to conversations that are happening right next to me.

This is all a bit of a bummer because I love music and pride myself that I'm a discerning listener.  It's making me wonder if I'm just deluding myself, which is kind of hard to come to terms with.

The reason I'm saying all this is to ask - do you have a problem with your hearing?  At what point did you decide there was a problem? Do you wear a hearing aid?  If so, did you go NHS or private?

And any advice or thoughts would be gratefully received...

stickyfiddle

Pardon?





Bt srsly, I don't have proper hearing loss, but I have a bit of tinnitus is each ear, sadly at fractionally different pitches which makes it extra annoying. I do struggle to hear voices when there's lots of white noise, but I'm otherwise ok. I make it a point to wear fitted ear plugs at noisy gigs, though my current set don't quite fit properly at the moment. I must get some new moulds done.

revsorg

stickyfiddle said:

Pardon?

Bt srsly, I don't have proper hearing loss, but I have a bit of tinnitus is each ear, sadly at fractionally different pitches which makes it extra annoying. I do struggle to hear voices when there's lots of white noise, but I'm otherwise ok. I make it a point to wear fitted ear plugs at noisy gigs, though my current set don't quite fit properly at the moment. I must get some new moulds done.

I do really regret not wearing any hearing protection at the last Michael Schenker concert I attended.  I couldn't hear properly for a couple of days afterwards.  I still wonder whether it affected me for longer and I just became adjusted to muted hearing.

crunchman

According to this:

https://decibelhearing.com/high-frequency-hearing-loss/

Anyone over 50 struggles with stuff over 12kHz, and over 40s struggle with 15kHz.

If that's the case, you probably aren't doing badly for 54.

Sometimes, it's not just high frequencies.  I had a hearing test at work a while back, and there was some loss in the upper mid range frequencies.  The doctor said there was some scarring on the ear drum, maybe from an ear infection when I was younger. My high frequencies were pretty good though.

I still hear the doorbell over background noise sometimes when my wife doesn't, and she's 6 years younger than me, so I don't think I'm too bad.

If you are worried about it, it might be worth getting a test done.

I have invested in some ACS ear plugs recently.  It's nice to be able to go to a gig and not come out of it with ringing ears.  It's got to help long term.

Hootsmon

I just tried it and apparently i have mild loss in left ear and moderate loss in right ear

Vincent Mac Gough

Snags

Unfortunately age brings with it high frequency hearing loss.

As long as you're still doing an OK mix and avoiding ringing and booming I'm sure you'll be fine.  Might be worth having a younger friend act as a spotter though

At our place almost all of the PA operators are "of a certain vintage" and they all appear to be functionally incapable of dealing with high frequency feedback and ringing. The charitable interpretation is that they just can't hear it. The uncharitable one is that they don't listen and can't be told. The truth is probably both!

It's noticeable to me that when the younger team member does it (30s), we never have any issues. Ditto when those of us who are also muso's and who have some grasp on sound (and are 40s/50s). When the other regular chaps do it (50-70+) it's a bit random, but ... volunteers.

If people aren't looking round and staring at you, you're probably doing OK.

HHwarner

I have what is considered severe hearing loss and have to wear Hearing aids. Mine is not caused from loud music/noise exposure but from a degenerative inner ear problem (Otosclerosis) that effects conductive hearing. I have recently gone private for my hearing aids as the NHS ones were on the edge of their capability for my hearing loss and I was struggling with them. Iv gone with Boots as they offer a great service. You can get a hearing test done for free from either Boots or Specsavers I believe. 

Musicwolf

revsorg said:

Do you wear a hearing aid?  If so, did you go NHS or private?

Do not waste your money going private.  I had a hearing test when I had my ACS in ear moulds made (hereditary deafness runs in my family).  I was borderline for needing a hearing aid but the audiologist was happy to sell me a pair at £1500.  I went to the NHS and was given the same model for free, inc free batteries for life.  The only restrictions being no colour choice and no Bluetooth option.  The only thing that I would have to pay was £75 if I lost them.  They've been in the draw for the last three or four years.

ESBlonde

I'm an old fart too and I struggle to hear conversation in noisy environments. But I can hear a squeak/rumble in  a noisy car! I put it down to training my ears to hear detail when mixing. If the sound system is basicly well tuned with a modorate flat response then unless all the channel treble knobs are beyond 12:00 or the Graphic has a big lift in upper frequencies, I suspect things are OK. It is worth having your hearing assessed, there is a danger that certain frequencies in one or both ears are a bit low and knowing what can help you appreciate that in your mixing.

I have to ask the mistress of the house to repeat herself from time to time, then I go and forget it anyway!

Get yourself some ear protection and keep it on your key ring, worth it's weight in gold.

 You can find sundry frequency tests online, they are dependent on the soundcard and earphone quality so little more than entertainment value. Go to specsaver/boots whatever and get a free assesment.

Roland

There are two separate issues here. One is hearing loss, generally top end and tinnitus. The other is your brain’s ability to process what it does hear. That’s not just frequencies but phase differences between left and right ears, which give us stereoscopic placement and help us interpret reverberation. Many musicians find that their above average processing capability compensates for reduced physical hearing.

revsorg said:

The reason I'm saying all this is to ask - do you have a problem with your hearing?  At what point did you decide there was a problem? Do you wear a hearing aid?  If so, did you go NHS or private?

And any advice or thoughts would be gratefully received...

I’m 65. I’ve had tinnitus since I was very young, possibly caused by early antibiotics. I noticed changes in my hearing from the age of 40 something. I had to work harder at hearing conversation in noisy places. It’s the higher frequencies which help us distinguish aspirants and word boundaries. I also became less tolerant of loud noises and music. It didn’t show up in tests until I was about 60, and then only as reduced sensitivity to higher frequencies.

Since then my hearing has gone downhill more and more rapidly. I can calibrate the degradation because (so I believe) the tinnitus remains at constant volume. Hopefully it will be a few years before I need to resort to hearing aids. Apart from the cost and inconvenience I don’t want to have to deal the with EQ and phase differences which hearing aids bring. I’m told that hearing aids are much better than they used to be, smaller, lighter, with configurable EQ profiles to adjust for music and conversation.

At one time I thought that my gigging day’s would be limited by arthritis. It’s more likely that it will be hearing loss.

boogieman

I struggle with conversation in noisy places too, in fact if I’m in a pub or restaurant I can usually hear people behind me more than the person I’m talking to, which is really frustrating. I’ve had tinnitus in one ear for a long time but my general hearing is definitely deteriorating as well. I’m currently waiting for my GP to sort out a referral to the audiologist at my local hospital. I suspect hearing aids are on the cards. 

I wouldn’t go private. Hearing aids are really expensive if you go through the Specsavers/Boots route. They offer easy payment plans, which probably tells you a lot. 

Bridgehouse

hootsmon said:

I just tried it and apparently i have mild loss in left ear and moderate loss in right ear

Vincent Mac Gough

I’ve got a couple of your prints: Starry Starry Neet and Battered Sunflowers

Foster

What's that? Problems with my herring?

Emp_Fab

stickyfiddle said:

Pardon?

Good man.

Jalapeno

Roland said:

 I noticed changes in my hearing from the age of 40 something. I had to work harder at hearing conversation in noisy places. It’s the higher frequencies which help us distinguish aspirants and word boundaries. I also became less tolerant of loud noises and music.

This. In spades. Always take a pair of the over the counter Etymotics to gigs, very protective of hearing.

I also have mild tinnitus from years of standing next to drummer's crash cymbal.

Gagaryn

I would agree that your hearing seems normal (or possible better than normal) for your age. I'm a similar vintage and have similar issues, can't make out conversations in busy places like crowded pubs. This is more noticable but less worrying when I am drunk! I also struggle with higher frequencies - anything over 14kHz may as well not exist. All part of aging.

scrumhalf

First port of call when it comes to ear trouble should be a visit to the doc to check for earwax blockages. I seem to produce enough to make a small conservatory every year and the effect on my hearing is quite pronounced.

TheMarlin

I just did this test. I'm freshly 50 years of age.

 I stopped hearing ar 12900 hz,.  is that good or bad?  My hearing is noticeably better in my left ear.

Phil_aka_Pip

15k isn't bad for 50+ years. I can't hear anything above 8,2k.

NPP

TheMarlin said:

I just did this test. I'm freshly 50 years of age.

 I stopped hearing ar 12900 hz,.  is that good or bad?  My hearing is noticeably better in my left ear.

I did the same test, things got noticeably quieter beyond 11k but with turning up the volume I could hear sound up to 17k. 

I'm nearly 50, been struggling with conversations in noisy environments since my early 30s and had slight ringing in my ears due to stress I suppose in my early 40s but it has disappeared over the past few years. I try to take care of my hearing, and always wear hearing protection when working with power tools or driving open-top cars (and also did so when gigging in an earlier, sadly long past, life). 

crunchman

I can hear the 15k one but I have to turn the volume up a lot higher.  I'm 49.