A great band and excellent singers provide a source that is easy to mix . On the other hand , a jumbled mess of unstructured playing and out-of-tune singing is difficult to mix . The sound operator ends up arranging during the mix by continually highlighting one instrument or voice while intentionally understating others .
UNDERSTANDING HEARING DIFFERENCES It is important for everyone involved in sound operation and music to understand that , aurally speaking , we are not all created equally . Some people are more sensitive to certain sounds than others — it ’ s just the way they are made . Mixing sound for a group of people is challenging in many ways . A hundred people might all have slightly or radically different impressions of the mix you construct . Ear damage , age , and physiology combine throughout the audience demographic to create a potentially troublesome situation .
Many musicians and music lovers enjoy the sensation of loud music . As the sound gets a little louder ( 90 dB and above ), the low frequencies can be felt as well as heard , and the highs are clearer and more precise . Loud volume isn ’ t perceived as anything other than a pleasurable listening experience . When someone complains about loud volume or about loud sounds causing pain , it ’ s difficult for the lovers of loud music to relate .
The wise sound operator will become educated about hearing issues in order to serve the needs of the audience . When people express their opinions about volume or sound issues , they ’ re often treated like complainers or their requests are trivialized . As a musician and sound operator , I have to admit that I ’ ve been through this . In the past , if someone complained about volume or sound issues , I might have been polite , but inside I was a little miffed and couldn ’ t understand what the big deal was . To me , the sound was great . It felt good , and it had clean highs and a warm , full , low end . What could be wrong with that ?
TYPES OF HEARING LOSS As I ’ ve researched degenerative and physiological hearing conditions , I ’ ve grown more compassionate and sympathetic to the problems loud sounds present to many people . There are three basic types of hearing loss presbycusis , tinnitus , and conductive and two fundamental physiological conditions that cause hypersensitivity to loud sounds hyperacusis and recruitment ).
Hearing loss can be caused by loud sounds , age , and obstructions , such as swelling and wax buildup . Each person seems to experience a unique set of symptoms in this area . When subjected to the same sound source , some experience little damage , while others experience catastrophic damage .
A hundred people might all have slightly or radically different impressions of the mix you construct .
PRESBYCUSIS Presbycusis is hearing loss primarily related to aging ; however , it can also be caused by illness , prescription drugs , circulation problems , loud noises , heredity , infection , or head injury . This loss occurs gradually over time and is typically due to sensorineural damage , in which there is damage to parts of the inner ear , the auditory nerve , or hearing pathways in the brain . The progression of presbycusis is often analogized to the body ’ s transformation of one ’ s original hair color to gray — it is gradual , steady , and relentless , and it happens at differing times and speeds for everyone .
People with presbycusis usually experience the regular discomfort of hearing loss — difficulty understanding speech and other sounds that contain abundant high-frequency information . In addition , this condition can cause intolerance of loud sounds .
Once we understand there are multiple physiological causes for discrepancies in opinion regarding sound , it is easier for us to provide the compassion required to serve the audio needs of a multigenerational audience .
TINNITUS Tinnitus manifests as a ringing , roaring , or other noise that ’ s heard separately from acoustic sounds . Although tinnitus accompanies other forms of hearing impairment , it also adds to hearing loss in varying degrees , depending on the severity of the internal noise .
The noise of tinnitus is typically constant , although it varies in intensity , depending on several factors . It can be caused by loud noises , hearing loss , medication , circulatory problems , jaw misalignment , certain tumors , allergies , ear or sinus infections , wax buildup , and head or neck trauma .
People who attend loud concerts often experience a ringing in their ears after a show — this is tinnitus . Sometimes the ringing will disappear over time , but hearing damage is cumulative . Continued concert attendance could result in an increase in the length of time the ringing persists . Eventually , the ringing might remain permanently .
Some aids claim to decrease the symptoms of tinnitus , but most in the medical community consider this condition to be incurable as of yet . Some herbal remedies claim to help improve the condition , and vitamins C and B-12 are said , by some , to help decrease the ringing noise . Some say that aspirin , alcohol , and smoking worsen the condition .
CONDUCTIVE HEARING LOSS The tympanic membrane , also called the eardrum , receives the sound waves — it vibrates