My poor hears are getting old

[floid]

I've had a hearing imbalance for years. My left ear has less highs, and seems more compressed, if that makes sense. Oddly, I find that in most non-critical listening environments, it's actually the ear I favor when I'm really trying to pay attention.

Anyway, like I said, this has been something I was aware of for most of the last decade. But this summer it's really become a problem for mixing in stereo. I just can't trust the balance of what's happening in the sides. Collapsing to mono doesn't really help when I'm trying to see how the sides pull against each other. Swapping L/R just makes me more confused.

Just curious if any of you have similar experiences, and what you do to compensate.

[drumsound]

I'm like that too. I believe it's from driving with the window down for soooo many years. I'm just used to it. There is still high end there, I think my hi-mids a little more off.

I suppose you could try an analyzer as a spot check.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

I have a bit of the same. I had chronic ear infections as a kid and have had an industrial strength tube in my right ear since the 90s. The hearing in my right ear is worse then the left but not terrible. If I have a head cold or allergies all bets are off. Mixing in mono on an auratone has changed my life. Flipping left and right is weird and not always helpful but sometimes informative. Backing up from the speakers helps a bunch too.

[ubertar]

What occurs to me as the best solution to compensate is to borrow an extra set of ears when needed. Spouse, kids, anyone whose opinion you trust and whose ears aren't shot from decades of music-making.

[vvv]

Could also try flipping left to right and back ...

But yeah, meters and FFT and stat analysis (like, peak and RMS).

[Scodiddly]

I've got the opposite - the older I get, the more sensitive my ears get. I can't mix rock shows anymore, and even jazz is getting a bit too loud.

If you're hearing some loss, don't be afraid to look into hearing aids, though. The modern stuff is just amazing.

[Nick Sevilla]

Suggestions:

1. Get a listening test done by a doctor. Their equipment does not go much past 8K, but that is ok to find really bad issues.

2. Do a test at home for the extended range, above 8K. See how loud you need a frequency to be for you to hear it clearly.

3. Once you find where the issues are, you now know where to be more careful when mixing.

I have some tinnitus, and measured it once, in one ear it was at 8016 Hz, and in the other it was at 8011 Hz. They oscillate slightly,, but keep to those frequencies. So, I am more careful when EQing in that range. I try to not overdo the EQ there, nor ignore it. Just use an analyzer to make sure I am not off the rails in that area.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

the older I get, the more sensitive my ears get.

Same here. I'm not complaining, but sometimes it makes being out in the world a bit challenging, everything seems too loud, the beeps from supermarket scanners for instance. Back when we lived in the city, screeching bus brakes would have me diving for a foxhole like a soldier.

I'm quite sure my hearing isn't the same in both ears but my hearing *in general* seems the same as it always has, so I just don't wanna know if there's any real imbalance, I'm afraid I'd want to try and compensate for it if I knew.

[digitaldrummer]

I had a recent scare where most everything below 500hz was gone in one ear for about a month. verified by an ENT. luckily it corrected itself, but in the meantime I was using the "free" Stereo Swapper plugin from Raising Jake -- https://www.raisingjakestudios.com/util ... %20fx.html and it was really helpful. and even after that, I still find it can be helpful.

[Snarl 12/8]

What???

[Jarvis]

Reference mixes may help here.

[Jitters]

Bring back mono!

[Recycled_Brains]

My right ear is more sensitive to upper mid frequencies. Most likely from standing in front of a Marshall full stack for years (with ear plugs, but still).

It affects where I pan certain things and sounds like clanking dishes or air breaks or loud beeping sounds make me want to die a little bit, but I think my hearing is still good

I have tinnitus in both ears, but a lot of that is because I have terrible TMJ inflammation pretty often and that makes it much worse. On days when that is more chill I barely notice it, but I also notice a huge increase in sensitivity when I have flair ups.

[markjazzbassist]

Suggestions:

1. Get a listening test done by a doctor. Their equipment does not go much past 8K, but that is ok to find really bad issues.

2. Do a test at home for the extended range, above 8K. See how loud you need a frequency to be for you to hear it clearly.

3. Once you find where the issues are, you now know where to be more careful when mixing.

I have some tinnitus, and measured it once, in one ear it was at 8016 Hz, and in the other it was at 8011 Hz. They oscillate slightly,, but keep to those frequencies. So, I am more careful when EQing in that range. I try to not overdo the EQ there, nor ignore it. Just use an analyzer to make sure I am not off the rails in that area.

+100

i see the audiologist every 2 years, hearing is my life, my passion, and my part time job, i don't mess around when it comes to my ears. i also use in ear monitors for live gigs that are noisy, i use ear plugs for noisy gigs/rehearsals. i don't tolerate amp cranked smash and bash dumb fuck musicians, if you can't control your dynamics, you ain't good enough to play with me homey, end of story. the bands i'm playing with now are all cats who can play at a reasonable volume so we don't need ear plugs/IEM.

[vernier]

My ears seem same as ever ..I detect yucky high-end on modern stuff, would be nicer to not hear it actually.