I think I might have to stop using headphones

[Mslwte]

I have a real issue with listening at low volume when using headphones. Im forever touching the dial and gradually increasing the volume when I'm producing over the course of a session. Especially when I'm trying to dial in on a certain part of the mix. I dont know if im already going deaf (sorry, did you you just say something?)
Or whether its down to poor production techniques but I just can't keep the volume down.

After an evening session im feeling the effects of being to loud, fatigue and possibly a bit of ringing. Obviously i am conscious of this and I turn the volume down but then im struggling to dial in again and really hear whats going on.

On the monitors im good. I have the levels at a reasonable amount and im good. I know this because my wife always asks me to turn it down

But im wondering if anyone else suffers with this and what you do to overcome it?

Is it just a case of discipline and training your ears. And to add I havent been making much music over the last year so I am a bit out of practice, but ive had this issue for years. (And I've probably damaged my ears because of it).

I've thought about having a hearing test just to find out if anything is up. I do get mild short term ringing in my ears from time to time, I usually hear it when I go to bed. Its not anything painful, or long term, or anything to keep me awake. This is just normal stuff right?

[2latuile]

I do get mild short term ringing in my ears from time to time, I usually hear it when I go to bed. Its not anything painful, or long term, or anything to keep me awake. This is just normal stuff right?

Well, it's the "normal" reaction of your earing system when you listened for too long at loud volumes. Do it often enough and one evening you realize the ringing isn't "short term" anymore. I hate being the local Debby Downer, but yes, you should take care - tinnitus is a real PITA.

[illit_]

I use only headphones, my room is untreated and my monitors are Eris E5s. Theyre good little speakers but theyre only decent to check when the track is at the final stage and I'm listening for mostly loudness and mid range clarity, they have a cutoff of about 50hz so sub work is a guessing game.

To overcome the ear fatigue I have a 10 - 15 minute break every 50minutes. I set my levels to a VU meter and turn up my interface to a comfortable level usually by listening to another artists release. Then I commit to the volume, this allows me to have a 5 hour session max before I need a 2 hour break.

If i find myself turning up the interface before that 2 hour break I'll stop and have the 2 hours then. My tinnitus isn't very noticable but it is there when there is silence. I always wear earplugs at gigs. My ears seem to overproduce wax which helps at dampening the tinnitus, I know drummers who have to get their ears cleared of wax every 6 months or so, not sure how common it is but I think it has protected my ears a bit as I have blasted my eardrums on headphones and rigs since I was a teenager but I wouldnt say I suffer from tinnitus its just there.

Its hard to compare, some people really suffer as they pay a lot of attention to it, I can pretty much ignore it but if i really tried before bed i can hear it clearly.

Also my headphones are open backs so the pressure from the waves bounces out of my ears and out the headphones. No idea if there is any science behind that though, might be chatting out my arse!

[Lost to the Void]

I dealt with this by calibrating my monitoring.
Work to same rms at same level. If I turn it up too high I know straight away as the volume dial won't be where it should.

I produce mostly in headphones. (OLLO S4X currently..... Amazing headphones). Ears tested every year and in better than average condition for my age. So you can do headphones and keep your ears safe.

Also a set of Flare calmer (I use the HD90s which are fucking amazing) will help both deal with tinnitus, and keep it away as they clean up mid range. I highly recommend them to you all, the entry level calmers are just 20 quid and can be worn under headphones (though you will provably end up wearing them more in general). Upgrade your ears!!!

The HD90's are an invaluable part of my mastering studio.

https://www.flareaudio.com/collections/hearing

[Mslwte]

I do get mild short term ringing in my ears from time to time, I usually hear it when I go to bed. Its not anything painful, or long term, or anything to keep me awake. This is just normal stuff right?

Well, it's the "normal" reaction of your earing system when you listened for too long at loud volumes. Do it often enough and one evening you realize the ringing isn't "short term" anymore. I hate being the local Debby Downer, but yes, you should take care - tinnitus is a real PITA.

No worries mate I'm sure you are right. I think I'm ok for now but I know it needs to be addressed before its to late.

[Mslwte]

I use only headphones, my room is untreated and my monitors are Eris E5s. Theyre good little speakers but theyre only decent to check when the track is at the final stage and I'm listening for mostly loudness and mid range clarity, they have a cutoff of about 50hz so sub work is a guessing game.

To overcome the ear fatigue I have a 10 - 15 minute break every 50minutes. I set my levels to a VU meter and turn up my interface to a comfortable level usually by listening to another artists release. Then I commit to the volume, this allows me to have a 5 hour session max before I need a 2 hour break.

If i find myself turning up the interface before that 2 hour break I'll stop and have the 2 hours then. My tinnitus isn't very noticable but it is there when there is silence. I always wear earplugs at gigs. My ears seem to overproduce wax which helps at dampening the tinnitus, I know drummers who have to get their ears cleared of wax every 6 months or so, not sure how common it is but I think it has protected my ears a bit as I have blasted my eardrums on headphones and rigs since I was a teenager but I wouldnt say I suffer from tinnitus its just there.

Its hard to compare, some people really suffer as they pay a lot of attention to it, I can pretty much ignore it but if i really tried before bed i can hear it clearly.

Also my headphones are open backs so the pressure from the waves bounces out of my ears and out the headphones. No idea if there is any science behind that though, might be chatting out my arse!

well I never used to consciously take breaks. I would easily have a session all afternoon and evening. I would obviously stop every now and then but nothing that was sent in stone. I'm going to look at UV meters today. i had the Klanghelm one in my mind for some time.

I've got some Etymotic earplugs that I've had for years. Wore them to a few gigs in the past, but they cut so much out I wouldn't wear them for production.

Yeah bedtime is a teller. Sometimes I get a mad rush of ringing that comes and goes very quickly but nothing permanent.

My headphones are open back too, but I have wondered if closed back would immerse me more that I would feel the urge to crank it. I haven't used closed back before or so long that I cant remember hahah.

[Mslwte]

I dealt with this by calibrating my monitoring.
Work to same rms at same level. If I turn it up too high I know straight away as the volume dial won't be where it should.

I produce mostly in headphones. (OLLO S4X currently..... Amazing headphones). Ears tested every year and in better than average condition for my age. So you can do headphones and keep your ears safe.

Also a set of Flare calmer (I use the HD90s which are fucking amazing) will help both deal with tinnitus, and keep it away as they clean up mid range. I highly recommend them to you all, the entry level calmers are just 20 quid and can be worn under headphones (though you will provably end up wearing them more in general). Upgrade your ears!!!

The HD90's are an invaluable part of my mastering studio.

https://www.flareaudio.com/collections/hearing

If I'm honest I've never worked with setting my RMS and UV meters etc. I know its been spoken about a lot here in the past but I've always skipped that part. Sounds like good practice that I should be doing.

I think a hearing test wouldn't be a bad idea. Especially now I'm elderly

Checking out the ear plugs. I use the foam type ones a lot when I'm working away, but some dedicated ear plugs at home would be good to quieten down the kids

[Lost to the Void]

I dealt with this by calibrating my monitoring.
Work to same rms at same level. If I turn it up too high I know straight away as the volume dial won't be where it should.

I produce mostly in headphones. (OLLO S4X currently..... Amazing headphones). Ears tested every year and in better than average condition for my age. So you can do headphones and keep your ears safe.

Also a set of Flare calmer (I use the HD90s which are fucking amazing) will help both deal with tinnitus, and keep it away as they clean up mid range. I highly recommend them to you all, the entry level calmers are just 20 quid and can be worn under headphones (though you will provably end up wearing them more in general). Upgrade your ears!!!

The HD90's are an invaluable part of my mastering studio.

https://www.flareaudio.com/collections/hearing

If I'm honest I've never worked with setting my RMS and UV meters etc. I know its been spoken about a lot here in the past but I've always skipped that part. Sounds like good practice that I should be doing.

I think a hearing test wouldn't be a bad idea. Especially now I'm elderly

Checking out the ear plugs. I use the foam type ones a lot when I'm working away, but some dedicated ear plugs at home would be good to quieten down the kids

Flare calmer aren't ear plugs (they do also make earplugs). They don't reduce volume.
They are bits of acoustic treatment you put into your ears that change the mid range of your hearing by reducing natural distortions produced in the ear due to the shape. Sounds mental but it's real science.. Watch the videos on the website, or read the studies.
They also help with tinnitus due to the smoothing of mid range.

I use the pro ones in the mastering room and they help me really be able to focus on mid range, I can hear more detail, and I can work for ages without fatigue.

They also make listening to music an enhanced experience.

They reduce the harshness of every day city noise too, so it makes travelling less fatiguing, but you still have crystal clear hearing so its safe.
Good as sleep aids too.

I really recommend them in general as a hearing upgrade.

[Aureliano]

Also a set of Flare calmer (I use the HD90s which are fucking amazing) will help both deal with tinnitus, and keep it away as they clean up mid range. I highly recommend them to you all, the entry level calmers are just 20 quid and can be worn under headphones (though you will provably end up wearing them more in general). Upgrade your ears!!!

The HD90's are an invaluable part of my mastering studio.

Do they really make your hearing flatter in terms of freq response? There's not a lot of info or user reviews online, sadly. I've seen a few people complain of a loss of lower freqs and 'warmth', but perhaps this is just increased brightness changing balance perception which I expect you can get used to. I also wonder how wise it is to take out reflections and diffused sound: if you're in a treated room with plenty of diffusion, wouldn't you be sacrificing soundstage width with these?

In any case, they look like a lot of fun for non-musical activities, like listening to birds or other sounds outside that could benefit from being magnified at the expense of ambient noise.

[Lost to the Void]

Soundstage is an audiophile term that means nothing, I'm insta suspicious when anyone uses that term.
These don't effect the difference between left and right. "Soundstage" stays exactly the same, you just have more clarity.
It doesn't flatten your hearing, it's just a smoother experience. Hard to explain.
I use the HD90s in the mastering room. They help me focus, they reduce fatigue, and its easier for me to deal with tricky mid high region. Entry level Calms are 20 quid so it's no bind to try them.

youtu.be/MJzL8kMQDGc

youtu.be/axLGNtiJPRU

[Mslwte]

I set my levels to a VU meter

well I think this is probably a large contribution to my problems.

I now realise gain staging without using a UV meter is just a stab in the dark. I grabbed a free meter and went through a few a bunch of tracks and although my levels look good, the meter told a different story. Once I had adjusted the levels and mix the track again I could tell the track was more pleasing on the ears.

School boy stuff really

[Mslwte]

Ive watched a few reviews on ear plugs and they get mixed reactions. I think possible they are used in the wrong application and then don't meet expectations. Reckon I could get a few different sets tbh.

[timc3]

Never heard of those Flare Calmer - but it certainly is something I am going to check out, those edgy sounds do have more effect on me now days than I care for.

[Lost to the Void]

Ive watched a few reviews on ear plugs and they get mixed reactions. I think possible they are used in the wrong application and then don't meet expectations. Reckon I could get a few different sets tbh.

I must stress again, that Calms are not earplugs, they don`t stop sound, it`s acoustic treatment for your ears.

[illit_]

I set my levels to a VU meter

well I think this is probably a large contribution to my problems.

I now realise gain staging without using a UV meter is just a stab in the dark. I grabbed a free meter and went through a few a bunch of tracks and although my levels look good, the meter told a different story. Once I had adjusted the levels and mix the track again I could tell the track was more pleasing on the ears.

School boy stuff really

Yeah I only started using one religiously in the last 6 months of so. Only pay attention to it in the creative stage and the first moment of the mix. Often in mixing i end up going off a LUFs meter after the first 3-4 parts are fitting nicely and the comp buss is set up.

[Lost to the Void]

I set my levels to a VU meter

well I think this is probably a large contribution to my problems.

I now realise gain staging without using a UV meter is just a stab in the dark. I grabbed a free meter and went through a few a bunch of tracks and although my levels look good, the meter told a different story. Once I had adjusted the levels and mix the track again I could tell the track was more pleasing on the ears.

School boy stuff really

Yeah I only started using one religiously in the last 6 months of so. Only pay attention to it in the creative stage and the first moment of the mix. Often in mixing i end up going off a LUFs meter after the first 3-4 parts are fitting nicely and the comp buss is set up.

The problem with LUFS meters is that they aren`t momentary. They are good for mastering when aiming for specific standards, but generally, in production, I think they react too slowly. RMS metering is generally better I find. I`ve spoken about monitoring standards quite a bit in here, I`m sure there`s a section in the mastering sticky,

[illit_]

well I think this is probably a large contribution to my problems.

I now realise gain staging without using a UV meter is just a stab in the dark. I grabbed a free meter and went through a few a bunch of tracks and although my levels look good, the meter told a different story. Once I had adjusted the levels and mix the track again I could tell the track was more pleasing on the ears.

School boy stuff really

Yeah I only started using one religiously in the last 6 months of so. Only pay attention to it in the creative stage and the first moment of the mix. Often in mixing i end up going off a LUFs meter after the first 3-4 parts are fitting nicely and the comp buss is set up.

The problem with LUFS meters is that they aren`t momentary. They are good for mastering when aiming for specific standards, but generally, in production, I think they react too slowly. RMS metering is generally better I find. I`ve spoken about monitoring standards quite a bit in here, I`m sure there`s a section in the mastering sticky,

Yee i have read them a few times, i do have an RMS meter but have gotten into the habit of using the LUFs instead, the plugin i use has a long term and short term number, does that make it momentary?

Im using it for loudness referance as I am now achieving final loudness in the mix rather than having a seperate mastering session. Has been working well for me but my laptop lags out pretty hard by the end of it and the project wanders into being unusable haha

[Lost to the Void]

Yeah I only started using one religiously in the last 6 months of so. Only pay attention to it in the creative stage and the first moment of the mix. Often in mixing i end up going off a LUFs meter after the first 3-4 parts are fitting nicely and the comp buss is set up.

The problem with LUFS meters is that they aren`t momentary. They are good for mastering when aiming for specific standards, but generally, in production, I think they react too slowly. RMS metering is generally better I find. I`ve spoken about monitoring standards quite a bit in here, I`m sure there`s a section in the mastering sticky,

Yee i have read them a few times, i do have an RMS meter but have gotten into the habit of using the LUFs instead, the plugin i use has a long term and short term number, does that make it momentary?

Im using it for loudness referance as I am now achieving final loudness in the mix rather than having a seperate mastering session. Has been working well for me but my laptop lags out pretty hard by the end of it and the project wanders into being unusable haha

Well my point is, due to the way lufs is calculated, you can't really read the meter. You just get given a number. There are some meters that will give you a plot over time, but it's still this weird algorhythmic averaging and so too slow to read movement. Sometimes with a RMS or classic VU you can read certain things just from the movement and the reaction. You can't do that with Lufs.
I find the visual referencing of peak to rms in a meter to be invaluable both in production and mastering, especially if you have calibrated your monitoring levels.

[dubdub]

Ive watched a few reviews on ear plugs and they get mixed reactions. I think possible they are used in the wrong application and then don't meet expectations. Reckon I could get a few different sets tbh.

I must stress again, that Calms are not earplugs, they don`t stop sound, it`s acoustic treatment for your ears.

Are you actually using them on a day to day basis now? The concept seems interesting but I don't really like sticking things in my ears (e.g. in ears) for longer periods of time.

[Val Endrada]

Falling into the trap of turning up the headphone volume to hear details is common for me as well.

In order to combat this, I've tried making my monitors sound more like my trusted headphones (Grado Labs SR60). In order to get closer to that sound, I ended up buying a new, smaller (10" 150W) subwoofer, since the old, bigger one (12" 400W) resonated with the room too much at certain frequencies (despite attempts at "treating the room" with baffles and such).

"Standing waves" can be a real bitch - and it meant that I couldn't really trust the monitors for detail work, which again resulted in me reaching for the headphones more often than not. It took me way too long to accept that I needed a smaller subwoofer, one that ended up costing costing me about a 10th of what I originally paid for the big one. I guess "downgrading" just seemed unreasonable to me.

The old one now serves as a ridicilously oversized bass unit for my kitchen stereo, along with an old pair of Alesis M1s. Having immense bass in the kitchen is actually pretty sweet though

But anyway - I guess my advice is for you to try to upgrade your monitoring system to a point where you feel you can trust what you're hearing. Trust your ears and experience - and don't let price, size or hype mislead you.