Hey everybody! I have a small question. I feel a bit ashamed and worried saying this but my hearing range is going only until 14,000 hz. Im 27 years old, so I believe I should hear a bit more but well, such is the case. My question is: Is there any tips that you guys can provide in order to compensate for this as an aspiring engineer? Im about to buy speakers in order to stop using headphones altogether, or at least to a very minimal extent. Thanks!
Hola Andres, Are you sure of your diagnostic? I did the test here but the frequencies moves so fast that it quickly drops to the bottom frequencies, and by the time i pressed the button it was written 16Khz... I know I hear more, i've been to the ear doc and said I was ok above 20Khz. But anyway to most people it's just a little hiss somewhere in the air that noone pays attention to, really, so by that I just mean that won't prevent you from doing / becoming sound engineer ! Why don't you put a track on your DAW, and with a quite narrow Q do boost +18db by moving slowly from 9K to 12Khz and see the difference you hear, then from 12k to 14k (your "limit") hear what it does and then from 14k to 22k++ and see what it does to you. it's more problematic, I think, to hear badly the bass freq. if you know exactly to which amplitude in db you lost and its frequencies range (get a real ear doctor text is possible but ableton live or so can do this test), then you can probably compensate. Say you lost 6db on the 14KHz range.... When you mix, You could boost by 6db this range to hear how it does... work it, then cut it back 6db... Just a guess, take it easy :)
Hi Andres, To add to what has already been said above. Firstly don't panic.... if you're worried, it's worth going to a specialist, the test on here is ok as a rough guide but it's not medical or in my experience that accurate for the reasons mentioned above, and it only tells you the highest frequency you can hear. You can get a much more detailed ear exam and that way you will know what areas need compensation. for example I have slight loss (3-4db) around 6Khz in my right ear, but the rest of my hearing is great (especially for my age) generally speaking a good calibrated space or headphones at a decent but safe working level I don't have any major issues. Obviously you can try to diagnose the issues yourself, but unless you are using a fully calibrated set up it's difficult to be accurate. Also it's worth mentioning you might have a build up of wax in your ears that can have an massive influence on your hearing, so again worth getting it checked out. Using speakers can still be damaging if you are listening too loudly and headphones are essential for detail at times And finally it there is real long term damage to your hearing watch the levels you are working at, I'm amazed at how poorly most musicians and engineers look after their hearing gigs, shows, rehearsals, loud headphones etc are all contributing factors to ear damage. Hope that's helpful. J
yes i agree wax sometimes becomes a problem.. I did an ear coning once and my ears were so sensitive.. that I had to stop for a few days to readjust.. was hearing way too much.. another thing.. sometimes I cannot hear in that high high range even though alot is air and lift... you can always now with the new technology look at similar mixes with where the high end is.. and match is slightly.. just a thought .. ps i always listen through nearfields at a very low volume.. i am 67
You've been given some great advice already so I just want to say: don't worry! One of my teachers used to mix with a guy who was completely deaf in one ear from some kind of accident. He mixed mostly in mono then switched to stereo to check certain things. And he made really amazing mixes. It's all about knowing your limitations and compensating for them, something which is pretty easy to do nowadays with digital EQs and the like. Another thing to consider: I had a hearing test done by a ear doctor and the machine only tests up to 8 kHz (and only down to 125 Hz on the low end). While we can obviously hear frequencies above and below those, that is really the critical range of hearing for most adults so as long as you are hearing OK in that range I wouldn't sweat it too much.
Oh man, you guys have taken a weight of off my shoulders. I really appreciate all the advice and I want to thank you for that. I will follow the consensus and go to an ear specialist and get my ears checked out, as well as mix at low volumes and just be generally careful with how I expose myself to sound. Also, the story about the deaf guy really put things into perspective and makes me realize that one doesnt have to be perfect to achieve great results. Thanks guys, for real!
You could also put a track into your DAW and throw on a high pass filter. Gradually slide it up and hear what you notice. I agree with the others that you can probably hear higher than you think.
Are you sure you only here up to 14.000Hz ? There are speakers that dont reproduce such high frequency content. I got scared one time when i listened to a soundtest on youtube and my range stopped somewhere at 17k idk.. But then went to my monitors and everything was OK! Even if this is the case, 14.000Hz and beyond is a pretty unimportant area.. Mostly provides that sense of "air" I would say.. Besides, a mixing engineer sends of he's mixes to a mastering engineer (In most cases) so your mastering engineer will be your safety-net and he will boost or cut your 10-20k content to perfection.. (If you have a good mastering engineer) Besides, alot of people do not hear say 14-20k at ALL, specially above 30+ And younger people have strongest hearing sorrunding 1-3k. So believe or not, your problem could actually be a advantage! If you focus your mixing around what frequencys people mostly hear your mixes could be even better then people that hear it all.. Hehe just some thougts.. Btw, I can hear well over 14.000Hz but even thought you can hear it, it is much lower in volume, due to our natural hearing range sorrounding around 1-3k due to evolution. If I where to A/B content with 14k+ and without it would probably be hard to hear.. Also! If you have lower 14k+ then usually, there will be more Decibel to gain in the 20-14000 range, so your mixes could be slightly louder that way hehe!! No sweat..
I'd say hearing up to 14kHz is not extremely worrying or a handicap for a music career. If you are aware about your limits you can "guess" a bit when you mix/EQ cymbals or very high-freq content with the help of some visual tool and some other ear at your side or to be consulted. In any case, take care of your exposition to loud sounds (above 85 dB SPL you should start gettingsome rest time every hour, ear protection and periodic checks by your doctor).
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