Ear fatigue

[antispatula]

Is this a common event? Today I recorded for about 6 hours straight and near the end, EVERYTHING I tried recording sounded like crap. I tried adjusting the levels, mic placement, 703 placement, and even tried eq'ing the crap out of it, but nothing worked. Then I noticed things that I had previously recorded all of a sudden sounded bad too. So then I stopped, and an hour later it still sounds bad. But it all sounded good yesterday! This kind of thing has happend before; where I record late into the night and go to sleep all depressed because it was terrible, then in the morning it sounds great! So I guess after recording (especially loud distorted guitar for 2 hours!) for a few hours, ears don't hear as clearly or as well as fully rested ears.

 

[antispatula]

another thing I've been noticing after ear fatigue is the temporary loss of high frequency hearing. Everything I listen to today sounds dull and muffled, like a record from the 50's or something

 

[twostone]

Whoa loss of high frequency man you need to get your ears check you may have damaged you ears. And your ears are the # 1 tool without them your screwed, Sounds like your spending way to much time at high volume dB's.. Most I spend on mixing is about 2 hrs then take about hour break I know the low frequencies get to me after awhile, so I think it's important not to have your volume cranked to loud and definitely take short breaks in between your mixing process.

 

[recordingpro]

another thing I've been noticing after ear fatigue is the temporary loss of high frequency hearing. Everything I listen to today sounds dull and muffled, like a record from the 50's or something

Yep you're cookin your ears, You probably already have damaged them and have lost alot of highend - I'm sure you've done the loud thing more than once. Pretty stupid behaviour but heck you don't need ears anymore to mix just look at the graphs right?

 

[diskobox]

i doubt yours ears are damaged, you don't have to listen to things incredibly loud to get a good sound. With ear fatigue you have to be strict, when your getting to the point where everything sounds crap, just stop because you ain't gonna get anywhere. obviously if it still sounds crap in the morning then it was crap.

also it sometimes helps me if i stop recording and listen to some other music for a while (not your own recorded music) to regain perspective.

 

[TragikRemix]

yeah, it could just be some temporary damage. i would definitly get it checked out though, don't mess around.

are your speakers blown?

 

[Golden]

Try not to over do it. Take it easy on your self. I've spent years in a rock band and my right ear isn't 100%. When it comes to recording, just trust yourself, use other CDs as reference, and have fun.

 

[Rochambeau II]

Whoa loss of high frequency man you need to get your ears check you may have damaged you ears. And your ears are the # 1 tool without them your screwed, Sounds like your spending way to much time at high volume dB's.. Most I spend on mixing is about 2 hrs then take about hour break I know the low frequencies get to me after awhile, so I think it's important not to have your volume cranked to loud and definitely take short breaks in between your mixing process.

What about loss of low frequency? Every time I go to a show, the vocals sound like they're on helium. Seriously. What does that mean?

 

[recordingpro]

What about loss of low frequency? Every time I go to a show, the vocals sound like they're on helium. Seriously. What does that mean?

It means it's time to see an audiologist. If you had oozing sores on your wank you'd go see a doc, right?

 

[Rochambeau II]

If you had oozing sores on your wank you'd go see a doc, right?

No, I'd just lick em off. And what do you mean "if"?

 

[c7sus]

Get yourself a dB meter. Radio Shack has them for about $30US.

For monitoring/mixing in the CR you really don't need to be much above 80dB.

And 70dB is normal conversation.