Classic Hearing, Modern Hearing Loss

[Frosty_47]

Good Day,

I noticed a weird phenomena about my hearing, when ever I listen to classical music such as Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, my ears never give me any problems even at high decibel levels. However, when I listen to modern garbage such as rock and techno my ears screech even at moderate decibel levels. Could it be that human (or perhaps my) hearing is based on fundamental sine wave frequency + harmonics? I mean I enjoy live classical concerts but I can't go to clubs because my ears screech so much that I cannot stand the pain. Does any one else have similar symptoms ?

 

[dknguyen]

You answered your own question...because it's modern garbage.

 

[tcmtech]

I can't go to clubs because my ears screech so much that I cannot stand the pain

Thats because your officially too old!

Country music in general just irritates the 'stuff' right out of me.
Hearing or personal taste, either way most country songs just get down right on my nerves. Especially the new manufactured country bands.
With that I can relate to your sensitivity issues.

Now toss in some ICP, most 80's and 90's hair band stuff, any AC/DC, and many of the new alternative rock/metal artists work and and I mellow right out again.

Go figure.

 

[Frosty_47]

Haha country does suck!
It took me a while to realize why classical music is so "fundamental" in it's nature. It's embarrassing that I have been present to so many great concerts blindly. Although I am not that old (22) I wish I could understand classical music many years back.

 

[Frosty_47]

You answered your own question...because it's modern garbage.

So perhaps my ears are telling me "stop listening to this garbage, it is not worth your nerve impulses"

 

[tcmtech]

Its all a matter of how you choose to perceive it really.

I have many times cranked up the classical stuff way too loud and just focused on the details that lie underneath the main musical notes.
For me any music that has an artistically and well constructed arrangement will make me want to turn it up.

Peter Gabriel, pink Floyd, Mannheim Steamroller, many of the 60's and 70's bands, the classical masters, and many of the garbage noise bands you normally hear on the radio all have their one or two songs that have so much depth and layering I still find myself playing them over and over again.
Not every one of their songs is good by any means of course but still each artist and group does have one or two songs that peak my interest.

I could probably list over 1000 songs from over 50+ modern artists and groups that I find to be just a pleasure to listen to simply because I find them well done and to have meaning or depth in their arrangement.
And yes many of those songs have bad lyrics and offensive language but still I can appreciate the mix of acoustical guitar and outlandish hard rock mixed with rap sampling of even some of the most off the wall groups too! Like ICP's song '50 bucks'. Yea the lyrics are messed up and bad but man they did some fine guitar work for a goofy hard rock song by my book!

The problem is what most artists do have that is musical artistry does not get played on mainstream venues. Instead the tone deaf loud to just be loud garbage that most people associate with much of the hard rock and alternative music these days gets put on the radio and played in bars and clubs.

 

[Frosty_47]

The problem is what most artists do have that is musical artistry does not get played on mainstream venues. Instead the tone deaf loud to just be loud garbage that most people associate with much of the hard rock and alternative music these days gets put on the radio and played in bars and clubs.

Yeah I hate bar music, especially karaoke

I had to leave the bar on multiple occasions because some drunk idiots think they can sing. Nonetheless, I like some modern songs too. I prefer music without lyrics such as composed by Jesper Kyd.

 

[tcmtech]

I worked as a DJ for a couple of summers some years ago and I loved picking out good music and had a great time doing it too.
I could easily play an entire wedding dance and rarely use a song that was common on the radio but yet still pack the dance floor all night! Many times I was even paid for an extra hour or two after the contracted time was up.
I just used a simple approach of shut up and play good music.

I really wish more DJ's would figure that part out. For me a good dance was about 10 minutes or less of total talk time in a three - four hour contract time period.

I've been at a few wedding dances where I felt like beating the DJ with his microphone and shoving it up his butt so he would shut up and play some music. Only to have him play the same ten songs that where popular on the radio over and over for the rest of the night.

 

[Sceadwian]

It's not garbage, there's a lot of modern music that has a lot of music value, you just have to look for it really hard and go into listening to the music with no preconceptions =) Distortion is however very popular now days in a great number of ways, especially harmonic components and pitch shifting. Bars etc... aren't designed for high fideltiy, they're designed for ear splitting power. Why? Cause apprently they think it increase their enjoyment of the music to have their ears bleeding aftewards. I won't go to a live bar concert or anything of the like now days without earplugs. The subtle art of of high fidelity audio is nearly lost in public venues.

If you listen to enough music you will find some stuff that ist still really good. But it's a lot of hard work to filter through all the noise. Personally I believe the only way to listen to modern bands is on CD with a set of REALLY good headphones.

 

[Speakerguy]

I think you will find that modern music is very compressed in dynamic range and wears on the ears a lot faster than classical music that is recorded with more dynamic range.

 

[tcmtech]

I definitely agree with that statement!

As I have heard back in the days of old a good recording had a dynamic range of at times around 50 dB or more! Thats range of subtleness is what makes me turn it up and listen to the fine details that are not normally even audible at low listening volumes.

I believe Metaluica cut their last album with dynamic range of around 3 - 4 dB just to make all of the songs sound loud even when they are not being played loud. Its why I find their last album rather tiring and rather unappealing to listen to at any level. That alone basically ruined it for me.

Yet the opening to Pink Floyd's 'Keep Talking' has so much range I still keep finding new back ground effects and subtleties when ever I listen to it loud! Thats what a good song means to me!

But you do need some power to balance out the bass without distorting the back ground stuff. I still get a bit of a tickle when I run it through a ten band EQ and then into the surround sound system. Wow does that ever produce an awesome sound field then!

I am rather glad I live way out in the country too!

 

[Sceadwian]

There's nothing like listening to music when the bass makes your hair resonate in the air =)
I'm sure if you hunted through enough modern music content you could find some really good music. I think the problem lays more towards there being so much more music as just about any schmo can get a CD published on any number of minor records, especially the digitally based ones as their overhead is so much less than relying on physical media.

 

[Frosty_47]

I think the problem lays more towards there being so much more music as just about any schmo can get a CD published on any number of minor records, especially the digitally based ones as their overhead is so much less than relying on physical media.

Right On

 

[Ross Craney]

Now toss in some ICP, most 80's and 90's hair band stuff, any AC/DC, and many of the new alternative rock/metal artists work and and I mellow right out again.

Go figure.

Please .... don't use AC/DC , quality , classical , subtle , artistic , arrangement in the same thread. AC/DC music is basic & mindless. Yes its fun to listen to & when I was an active muso , it was fun to play. BUT it is basic & mindless. 3 chords & you can play 90% of AC/DC music. Now Pink Floyd , Moody Blues , Eagles then you are talking quality composing , arrangement & musical intelligence.
Just my opinion !

 

[birdman0_o]

Nobody can objectively criticize music, however a good indicator of quality is the popularity. Looking back AD/DC my be just three chords, but they hit the right ones. Likewise with many other bands. There are bands who can produce masterpiece songs that never die such as the bands you listed. I listen to Screamo, probably one of the few on this website You can hate it as much as you want, but nothing helps me concentrate better while doing homework.

 

[Mikebits]

If you are into New Age music, I suggest Mister Potts. I have his Dreaming for Real CD and listen to it all the time.

Mister Potts-Dreaming For Real MP3

 

[Ross Craney]

Looking back AD/DC my be just three chords, but they hit the right ones. .

No , they are not the right ones they are E , A & D. Three very basic chords. The popularity comes from the rhythmic , repititious tribal beat. Its mindless & can be enjoyed without too much concentration

 

[birdman0_o]

If you are into New Age music, I suggest Mister Potts. I have his Dreaming for Real CD and listen to it all the time.

Mister Potts-Dreaming For Real MP3

Not bad

 

[tcmtech]

Everybody's got their favorites and least favorites as well. Nothing wrong with saying it!

I admit I like what I like for my reasons. Sure some deep complex and moving songs are great but still some basic tribal boom boom and guitar still works for me too!

 

[Sceadwian]

You ought to try some Nine Inch Nails tcmtech =)
It's a bit angst driven style lyrics, but the music is really good=)
Downward Spiral, Fixed, and Pretty Hate Machine are good ones. Fixed is still my favorite.
As downbeat as the lyrics and is in that angsty sort of teen way it's actually very high energy, and tends to cheer me up other than you'd might expect.