My right ear

[JamieBall]

Keeps making this odd popping/scrunching noise at random times.

My left one is pretty much doomed I think through years of splinteringly loud headphone monitoring :-S

Got to have at least ONE ear ! Was just wondering if anyone else had the same thing. It's like bubble wrap bursting or something, kinda unnerving LOL

I should probably go to the doctors but meh, should I just fire a cocktail stick in there as hard as it'll go ?

[module]

it might be your gains.. maybe lol

seriously though, go see about it man.. if you lose that ear.. f**k.. i mean, no more stereo ??? get it sorted sir :)

[module]

ive been a bit anal about my ears over the years & staying away from really bad pa's that get pushed too much.. i reckon my lugs are well bent, but not as bad as some i know..yet.

[JamieBall]

ive been a bit anal about my ears over the years & staying away from really bad pa's that get pushed too much..

I, on the other hand, have not :-(

Need to get some pro earplugs, but I've already spent about £300 on them in the past and I lost them both times within about an hour.

I got my shit ON LOCK, ya hear ?

Aye, I'm gonna go register with a doctor tomorrow. Can't wait to get a cold/flu off all the snivelling bams in the waiting room LOL

[Mucky Beats]

wow ive got exactly the same thing in my left ear !!... it just kinda pops and is kinda like when you go thro a tunnel and sends one side of my head bit num ... it sends me nuts... about 3 months ago i got tinitus which dont help me either ive finally started using my ear plugs which give me a 15 db drop...but there useless to mix with for me as i need stuff to be 100% clear and loud... and so finally i have found a company that do all the major music people and racing car inear plug headphones... gunna set me back £500 but the moulded to my ears and cut out all outside sound and just send me the signal from the mixer...this means im gunna have to learn to mix just thro the mixer with the cue crossed over with the master but at least it means i control all sound going in my ears... does anyone else mix like this as its been driving me mad the damage ive done to my ears and i see this as on option ..unless anyone else has any advise ?

[JamieBall]

wow ive got exactly the same thing in my left ear !!... it just kinda pops and is kinda like when you go thro a tunnel and sends one side of my head bit num ...

Exactly it !

I've had RIPPING tinnitus for years, totally used to that now to the point of not really noticing it. It's real ****ing annoying when u first get it, used to piss me right off lying in bed listening to the varying, wavering hissing/grind LOL.

But aye, this poppin' pressure thing is a lot more gay.

[DannyBlack]

does anyone else mix like this as its been driving me mad the damage ive done to my ears and i see this as on option ..unless anyone else has any advise ?

I do.



I had a lot of operations when I was a nipper on me ears. Occasionally I get the bubble wrap sensation too, but it usually just turns out to be a build up of wax. Best thing to do is get the ears cleaned out by the docs, it is a bit uncomfortable but it works.

[Numeric]

could just be bad earwax, then again...

i'm totally on top about my ears nowadays, don't have the iPod headphones on loud any more and stay as clear of the speakers as possible when i'm at a club, can't be doing with tinnitus

[JamieBall]

It was wierd when it came on though, there was a ripping pulse/buzz through my brain and I went TOTALLY DEAF for about 1 or 2 seconds, then loadsa bubblin and both ears came back on - the right one totally dead to high freqs :-S

Thought about the wax thing (i've had 'em done b4) but this ain't the same feeling, and I don't think u can get a wax landslide all of a sudden - though I remain open to convincing.

**** it, off down the docs to see what's what.

[Numeric]

hope it's not too serious man, although from what you're sayin it's not lookin good

[Mucky Beats]

deffo go docs man.. everytime i go there like stop djing nowt we can do hahaha ! im like nice one !

yeh im not sure its wax will go get um cleared again...but ive had that done at doctors b4 a few times years ago and im not sure its that as it always comes on back end of too much loud music and like 2 nights ago it had gone and i went on decks and now its back...can wax really move from the sound of the music??

danny are you saying that you do mix just in headphones or that you had advise hehe??

its just im unsure if gettin these inear things im gunna waste £500 wich is loads of money to me... but at same time need to find some way of saving my hearing... its like i worrie that do all mixers have the function to play whats coming out of master and what your cueing up ?? like does the allen and heath have it??

HEAD BLAGGED hahaha

[Barely Human]

You could just demand a sound proofed DJ booth will a small monitor....

[DannyBlack]

danny are you saying that you do mix just in headphones or that you had advise hehe??


Yeah, I learned to do it that way cos I had a naff soundsystem when I started and at a couple of gigs so I had no choice but to mix in the head phones. I only use 1 to do it though.

If I have good monitors though that don't kill my head then I do it that way for the most part.

[JamieBall]

its like i worrie that do all mixers have the function to play whats coming out of master and what your cueing up ?? like does the allen and heath have it??

Allen & Heath = FAIL

For me anyways, what's the point of making a mixer that actively despises turtablism ? PFFFFT.

Not sure about the script wi pre/post fade tho. Probably does do it, surely they could at least get that right ?

[Mucky Beats]

yeh to be fair i lernt with ondeck crossed over into master in one headphone ...but i as time went on moved to just deck coming in in headphones.... but im bit concerned that when i go to all sound in headphnones and not having monitors its gunna be harder... but im confident i can master it and could be really in the zone way of mixing... but one issue i have is im bound to just crank volume and end up with same problems hahaha

[Mucky Beats]

Allen & Heath = FAIL

For me anyways, what's the point of making a mixer that actively despises turtablism ? PFFFFT.

Not sure about the script wi pre/post fade tho. Probably does do it, surely they could at least get that right ?


hahaha mate your so right.... allen and heath mixers are super rubbish for djing... im sorry but they aint made for turntables ... the cutting sucks...and the eqs sound good but totally kill some mixes ... i mean like you kill bass on one side and bring in other and totaly lose the tune going out sound wise.... also wtf is the point in the ones with gains in the back hahaha... was in rave for 3 hrs on decks b4 someone showed me them was like ahhhhhhhhhh!

i dont know anyone that walks in club and goes wooohooo a allen and heath 90% of djs go noooooooo

its like rig owners and clubs love them for sound .... but djs hate um !!!! dont get me wrong ive played some sick sets on them but still think wish it was diff mixer hahaha

[DannyBlack]

yeh to be fair i lernt with ondeck crossed over into master in one headphone ...but i as time went on moved to just deck coming in in headphones.... but im bit concerned that when i go to all sound in headphnones and not having monitors its gunna be harder... but im confident i can master it and could be really in the zone way of mixing... but one issue i have is im bound to just crank volume and end up with same problems hahaha

It is one of those things, just do some practice and you'll pick it right up again. 1 thing though, turn the highs down. Tis the higher freqs that kill my lugholes.

[RDR]

hahaha mate your so right.... allen and heath mixers are super rubbish for djing... im sorry but they aint made for turntables ... the cutting sucks...and the eqs sound good but totally kill some mixes ... i mean like you kill bass on one side and bring in other and totaly lose the tune going out sound wise.... also wtf is the point in the ones with gains in the back hahaha... was in rave for 3 hrs on decks b4 someone showed me them was like ahhhhhhhhhh!

i dont know anyone that walks in club and goes wooohooo a allen and heath 90% of djs go noooooooo

its like rig owners and clubs love them for sound .... but djs hate um !!!! dont get me wrong ive played some sick sets on them but still think wish it was diff mixer hahaha


Totally agree about A+H mixers, they're no cop whatsoever for turntablism. 100mm faders on a DJ equipment ? errr. why? Apart from keeping costs down whilst selling expensive anyway. no question they're great faders, but not really creative when it comes to flying around the DJ mixer...

Give me a pioneer 400 or 800 anyday.

[JamieBall]

Totally agree about A+H mixers, they're no cop whatsoever for turntablism. 100mm faders on a DJ equipment ? errr. why? Apart from keeping costs down whilst selling expensive anyway. no question they're great faders, but not really creative when it comes to flying around the DJ mixer...

Give me a pioneer 400 or 800 anyday.

Aye it's usually mostly trance folk seem to love the A&H stuff. Great for playing/mixing those 12 minute records.

Has anyone seen the one that's rack mount and each channel is just a **** off big dial (and also has it's own valve and VU meter if I remember correctly) ? They used to have that in the main room at Cream, I remember looking at it thinking how the **** can you rip shit up on that. LOL.

It's for people who think it's big and clever to completely trust the dynamics of your mix to someone elses interpretation of what sounds good. NO CONTROL.

[dan the acid man]

I had that popping sensation thing when my sinusitus was at it's worst a few years ago, drove me mad, although my inner ear balance being off was the worst side effect.

[Jay Pace]

Thought about the wax thing (i've had 'em done b4) but this ain't the same feeling, and I don't think u can get a wax landslide all of a sudden - though I remain open to convincing.

I used in ear "canal" earphones for ages, and used to get weird things going on with my ears due to wax getting pushed down my ear canal and building up.
Have also woken up deaf in one ear having squashed a wax plug against my eardrum. Was pretty alarming, but bit of olive oil sorted it and cleaned it out.

Would check in with the docs, sounds like could be a combo of a problem then maybe some waxy trauma as well. Chuck in a cold and your ears don't stand a chance....

Proper custom moulded earplugs should cost 150 maximum. Pain in the arse losing them, but better than going deaf.

[JamieBall]

I used in ear "canal" earphones for ages, and used to get weird things going on with my ears due to wax getting pushed down my ear canal and building up.
Have also woken up deaf in one ear having squashed a wax plug against my eardrum. Was pretty alarming, but bit of olive oil sorted it and cleaned it out.

Would check in with the docs, sounds like could be a combo of a problem then maybe some waxy trauma as well. Chuck in a cold and your ears don't stand a chance....

Proper custom moulded earplugs should cost 150 maximum. Pain in the arse losing them, but better than going deaf.

Like I said already, I've lost 2 pairs. Sometimes I doubt if I could find my house keys to escape if the place was in the process of burning down ;-)

[Jay Pace]

Argh. losing two pairs sucks.

I lost one at a night we did. Found the ear mould on the floor, had been stomped on and the filter had come out. Spent an hour looking for the fecker, and managed to find it amongst the club filth, washed it to death, but still felt manky putting it back in my ear....

I reckon we genetically engineer ear-lids. Much easier.

[TechMouse]

You could just demand a sound proofed DJ booth will a small monitor....
Yes, and you simply must have diamond encrusted Gucci headphones darling.

[Heroes]

could be glue ear

[DannyBlack]

glue ear



:lol: whats that? Sounds like a pirate name too "Cap'n Glue ear" :lol:

[RDR]

Yes, and you simply must have diamond encrusted Gucci headphones darling.

That reminds me, can i have my Cubic Zirconia butt plugs back please?

[davethedrummer]

Like I said already, I've lost 2 pairs. Sometimes I doubt if I could find my house keys to escape if the place was in the process of burning down ;-)


i've done that too
i'm on my third pair of posh earplugs , but to be honest i don't wear them much
i just duck out of the way of the sound
try not to turn it up too loud
and get out of the club as soon as i can.
i do spend most of my time backstage or out of the firing line of the rig most of the time.
and if i'm really feeling bothered about it , then the earplugs go in , i've always got them.

but the ear popping
well it's funny you should mention that because i get it too
i went to the docs and they just shrugged and told me it was something i'll have to learn to live with.
it's very random and often when i'm somewhere thats quiet
but it has happened in a club too.
don't think it's wax ..well i wasn't in my case cos the doc checked and i was clean
but with the scrunching sounds you're getting it may be different.

and the in ear monitors
no no no!
i would definitely not advise something like that
you're much better off learning to play with ear plugs that cut out the sound and wearing them the whole time your are in the club , than using an in ear monitor
as it's the direct sound being pumped into your ear that ****s it in the first place
with an in ear monitor you'll just be causing the same amount of damage really.


headphones in general are a no-no
look at what pete townsend from the who has to say about headphones.

http://www.virginradio.co.uk/music/artists/pete_townsend/biography/5.html

not much help for us djs
but there you go

there is also tinnitool:

http://www.audiorelief.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=57&products_id=128

maybe we should all chip in and buy one
we could share it and all be tinnitus free by
oh i don't know.......2050 something like that

[TechMouse]

That reminds me, can i have my Cubic Zirconia butt plugs back please?
If you can get them, you can have them.

Sword in the Stone stylee.

[Mucky Beats]

i've done that too
i'm on my third pair of posh earplugs , but to be honest i don't wear them much
i just duck out of the way of the sound
try not to turn it up too loud
and get out of the club as soon as i can.
i do spend most of my time backstage or out of the firing line of the rig most of the time.
and if i'm really feeling bothered about it , then the earplugs go in , i've always got them.

but the ear popping
well it's funny you should mention that because i get it too
i went to the docs and they just shrugged and told me it was something i'll have to learn to live with.
it's very random and often when i'm somewhere thats quiet
but it has happened in a club too.
don't think it's wax ..well i wasn't in my case cos the doc checked and i was clean
but with the scrunching sounds you're getting it may be different.

and the in ear monitors
no no no!
i would definitely not advise something like that
you're much better off learning to play with ear plugs that cut out the sound and wearing them the whole time your are in the club , than using an in ear monitor
as it's the direct sound being pumped into your ear that ****s it in the first place
with an in ear monitor you'll just be causing the same amount of damage really.


headphones in general are a no-no
look at what pete townsend from the who has to say about headphones.

http://www.virginradio.co.uk/music/artists/pete_townsend/biography/5.html

not much help for us djs
but there you go

there is also tinnitool:

http://www.audiorelief.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=57&products_id=128

maybe we should all chip in and buy one
we could share it and all be tinnitus free by
oh i don't know.......2050 something like that

hehe the ever wise drummer ....some great points there... and gunna get that tinitus thing !!!

now regarding the in ear monitors a no-no... i thought that that ill just turn them up and had that convo with the guy at the hearing place and like he explained because these are moulded ear plugs with built in t2 headphones they cut out all out side noise and so i can turn down the level of the headphones ... and i think this makes sence as yes is still loud direct music but i dont have a massive monitior screaming at me or worse a bloody mic feeding back thro the monitor. I am now also getting a new thing that means i can put outside noise thro the headphones via a mini mic and so that sounds good.

[BDC]

+1

[Jak]

wow ive got exactly the same thing in my left ear !!... it just kinda pops and is kinda like when you go thro a tunnel and sends one side of my head bit num ... it sends me nuts... about 3 months ago i got tinitus which dont help me either ive finally started using my ear plugs which give me a 15 db drop...but there useless to mix with for me as i need stuff to be 100% clear and loud... and so finally i have found a company that do all the major music people and racing car inear plug headphones... gunna set me back £500 but the moulded to my ears and cut out all outside sound and just send me the signal from the mixer...this means im gunna have to learn to mix just thro the mixer with the cue crossed over with the master but at least it means i control all sound going in my ears... does anyone else mix like this as its been driving me mad the damage ive done to my ears and i see this as on option ..unless anyone else has any advise ?

That much? I picked up a lovely pair of Westone custom molded "musicians earlugs" with a -15db filter for 100$ US including the fitting. They are just wonderful, I wear em when I play and I swear they make it easier to mix on a big system (less overpowering/less painful, especially when there is no monitor volume control). The best part is that my ears don't ring after playing shows or attending em and I get a kick out of showing em off and trying to get people on board with the ear protection thing.

http://www.westone.com/index.php?load=content&page=index&page_id=190

I may still go deaf someday but at least I'm slowing down the process.

[Mucky Beats]

That much? I picked up a lovely pair of Westone custom molded "musicians earlugs" with a -15db filter for 100$ US including the fitting. They are just wonderful, I wear em when I play and I swear they make it easier to mix on a big system (less overpowering/less painful, especially when there is no monitor volume control). The best part is that my ears don't ring after playing shows or attending em and I get a kick out of showing em off and trying to get people on board with the ear protection thing.

http://www.westone.com/index.php?load=content&page=index&page_id=190

I may still go deaf someday but at least I'm slowing down the process.

yeh already got pair of 15 db drop and even got 9db drop ones...but still carnt hear clear thro them... they where like £180

the £500 ones are inear monitors with upgraded bass for dj use.

[The Overfiend]

DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY
You may require an operation.

[z99]

yeh been suffering by something alike a lot for a couple of months by now, fortunately it's gradually disappearing and i'm almost back to normal (gosh, i already forgot what's normal so cant be sure ;)

my left ear just got blocked by no apparent reason, starting small but progressing quick to a complete closure, followed by the right one getting obstructed to a certainly irritating degree as well. i could barely hear at some point except my own (annoying) voice from the inside and all those hardcore noises resembling an industrial nightmare orchestra //

went to two different docs, both told me it's otitis externa and prescribed useless antibiotics despite me pointing out the unlikely symptoms -- so i took on a little research on my own and found out it must be the mystical "eustachian tube" who's at guilt.

http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/anatomy/images/Middle-Ear-Pressure.gif

tube's purpose is to equalize the internal pressure with that on the outer side of the eardrum by letting the air in when necessary and remaining closed otherwise -- however one can "open" it a little by yawning as well as few other tricks.

to cut it short: the tube may easily get locked by a common cold just like your nose does -- especially if you try hard to blow the stuff out. and if you're unfortunate enough, an infection may occur causing an ear blockage which outlives the cold by far. once the pressure in the middle ear is out of balance, the eardrum becomes somehow rigid causing a partial deafness and the "funny" noises is nothing more than a forceful equalization of the pressure -- imagine an air breaking thru your swollen liquid-filled tube ;)

looks like a pretty believable theory to me, aight!

[Elvio Neto]

headphones in general are a no-no
look at what pete townsend from the who has to say about headphones.

http://www.virginradio.co.uk/music/artists/pete_townsend/biography/5.html



+1

i used headphones for producing all my life , 90% of my tracks are made in headphones

and about 2 months ago i start to have that weird stuff...

i was working on a track (for 3 days only stop to sleep at night and for eat) then i start feeling a pressure on my left ear , that sensation become worst , sometimes i feel my ear moving...(like a radar) or a pop noise

the strange thing is in the same left side i have the problem in the ear i feel a pressure in the neck ( a vein in the neck ) when i move the head i feel the pressure in the neck and in the ear


the problem start to dissapear now... i dont feel nothing during the regular day of life , but i still get that pressure sensation in the ear when im producing more than 1 hour with my headphones


i love music im afraid to get deaf :(

[RDR]

If you can get them, you can have them.

Sword in the Stone stylee.

Your shit on me!

soz meant, your shitting me.

no... that doesnt work either.

stand the **** still so i can reach them then! And if I do manage to get them, will i be crowned the butt blug king?

[tocsin]

+1
i was working on a track (for 3 days only stop to sleep at night and for eat) then i start feeling a pressure on my left ear , that sensation become worst , sometimes i feel my ear moving...(like a radar) or a pop noise

the strange thing is in the same left side i have the problem in the ear i feel a pressure in the neck ( a vein in the neck ) when i move the head i feel the pressure in the neck and in the ear


the problem start to dissapear now... i dont feel nothing during the regular day of life , but i still get that pressure sensation in the ear when im producing more than 1 hour with my headphones

i love music im afraid to get deaf :(

Do you blast your headphones or keep them at a quieter level? If you are not cranking your headphones, they shouldn't cause a problem. But, you really can't push them even the slightest bit too far, especially for extended periods of time, as they create more pressure on the ear which makes hearing damage quite possible.

If you haven't been cranking them up, what you are describing could also be something related to ergonomics. How well to the headphones fit to your head? At one point, when a pair of good comfortable headphones had died, I started using a pair I had for DJing when I needed headphones in the studio which did not fit me comfortably at all. I wasn't cranking them but, if I left them on for too long, just based on how they sat on my head, I definitely got those same feelings of pressure you did. It pushed down on the cartiledge of my ears basically. Add on top of that to how you may be sitting, how your studio is set up, etc. and you could experience a lot of pain after the fact if it's not ergonomically correct. I've lucked out in that I no longer live around neighbors that are always bitching about the slightest noise, so I only wear headphones when people are sleeping (22:00 and onwards). But, the pair I use now doesn't touch any part of my ears and is nicely cushioned. Try picking up a new pair, obviously keep the volumes down regardless, and change the setup of your studio. For example, if you're using a computer, make sure you aren't looking down or up at your monitor. Get it level with a straight stare. Otherwise, if you spend long hours looking up or down, this could explain the neck pain. See if that helps at all. If not, see a doc.

[Elvio Neto]

thanks for your post tocsin ;)

nice points

when that appends i was using some sony dj headphones... i dont have them anymore

i buy ones from audiotechnica they are very good and confortable

i made a pause in production and i think now im backing to normal , i dont fell the strange pressure in the ear (only fell that when i play online games like counterstrike with some shit online headphoes with mic included, but now i use the volume very low and the problems are been solved i think, i hope its nothing damaged , maybe was a ear Irritation becouse of that 3 days i blast the headphones)

[tocsin]

thanks for your post tocsin ;)

nice points

when that appends i was using some sony dj headphones... i dont have them anymore


No prob. Funny that you mention they were Sony headphones. The headphones I was talking about that pushed down on my ears, rather than fitting around them, were also a pair of Sony headphones. Most likely the same model design. Absolutely not comfortable.