SPL's and hearing loss.

[hemiram]

I'm still amazed at 50+ , I can still hear past 20K with my right ear. It does have a slight dip at about 2K though. My left ear goes to 17K, and it's flat all the way up, so I use my left ear when talking to women or higher pitched men on the phone. If I don't, the volume has to be cranked up a notch or two.

I didn't do much concert going, but ELP at the Alladin Hotel in Vagas in 1976 or 77 had my ears ringing for hours afterwards, and I was slightly deaf for a few days. I went to a lot of drag races though, and the sound levels from the fuel (Nitro) cars has to be experienced to be believed. When you can be a hundred feet away and feel the car go past from the sound alone, it's pretty loud! I had friends that have done a lot of concerts, one guy went to the tractor pulls in Bowling Green Oh every year, and he thought those are loud, but he admitted nothing compares to two 8000 HP cars launching at 8500RPM.

Somehow I got lucky because I went to 50+ races without earplugs, and I can still hear better than anyone I know of about my age, even women. But I really don't hear well at all compared to when I was 20 or so.

 

[Starmax]

psychedelic trance. typically around 140 bpm. not quiet but can be sort of soothing if it's more of the progressive as opposed to uplifting or 'full-on' type. definitely can be trance inducing though, if one is in the right frame of mind IYKWIM. infact this type of unmediated musical experience is the purest type of aethetic experience in my opinion. but it trance gets a bum rap usually because people dont understand it or know how to listen to it. at least initially, one needs help (unless one has perhaps been meditating for 40 years) in slowing discursive thought and lenthening attention spans inorder to stay involved with the music, because if one isnt completely invested in the music it doesnt really do it's thing and will turn to 'boring monotonous noise' some people take it for.

Reminicent of Bay Area "Acid Tests" staged in gyms, warehouses in the 60s, involving free form space music, played loudly and loosely by the Grateful Dead before they became famous, psychedelic light blobs shifting shapes and colors as they crawled along the floor, walls and ceiling, and a roomful of tripping hippies. They would begin at sundown and go until dawn, roughly equivalent to the length of an acid trip. The only rule was there were no rules. Are Trance Music events a cleaned-up version of the Acid Tests? Does using repetitive, rhythmic tones at certain frequencies and SPLs act as a mantra, helping you into a spiritual/meditation state of awareness? Is it really that pure or do folks show up to these things stoned? Half and half maybe? Just curious, not judgemental.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Are Trance Music events a cleaned-up version of the Acid Tests?

I wouldn't say "cleaned up". Plenty of illegal drugs involved, especially Ecstacy (a relative of acid, but less potent.)

 

[jostenmeat]

Regarding ear plugs, I use them all the time but unfortunately the typical kind. I've always wanted "musician's ear plugs". My last professional partner bought a couple of pairs from two different places, and he says that different makers are much better than others. They are custom molded to fit, and have these interchangable/removable plugs, which allow for varying degrees of protection. They are much flatter in eq. Also great for music listening while travelling by airplane.

For those who get to make it to the NAMM show in CA, there at least used to be a lady from Beverly Hills that made very good ones. Hopefully she still goes. I want to say $80, could be less.

 

[dem beats]

A few tips from a LOOOONG time trance fan. I traveled thousands of miles anualy to go to the WMC in miami. Look up winter music conference if you want more info. Along with the raves and night scene for years. I got lucky and learned early... The higher the hz the worse it is for you.. Bass will be much less detromental to your hearing. Be carefull of loud shrill tones, horn PA speakers are a nightmare on your ears. Also really crappy headphones will destroy your ear via distortion and amplification of mid-highs.

Anyway some advice for going out.... wear earplugs that are solid. the kind with the "tunable" holes in the middle... not a good idea much sound can travel through it, and to me, it all sounds like just extreme high pitch sound. Something else nice about plugs ( I actualy like cheep standard blaze orange plugs for shooting or for construction ) is you will understand people talking to you better.. i don't know why. You will have a much better experience with Bass, emotional almost if the system is equiped and as you said.. with trance, it's all about the bass creating a feeling in you. High SPL with bass in a setting built for many people and frequesntly outside( raves and goa parties etc ) open air = bad bass SPL, so they crank it up and distortion is abound. Earplugs can help filter that greatly. your ears will remain less stressed, and background noise will be minimal.

Also, a little info on that ringing and why highs and such can';t be heard... from my understanding most of this is due to a muscle in the ear from harsh sounds... It should always go back within a day, usualy less for me. I am not sure on this correct me if I am wrong, it's how I understood this phenominon.

I never have the ringing anymore and I protect my ears with everything I do. I ride my bike with my headphones in,(shues e3's at the moment) and I can hear cars and surrounings much better with no pain from the revving engine and exhaust and other road noise. I plug and muff at the range and even use headphones when i do yardwork. Mine cut almost 20 DB from the top and I can listen to music while doing lawn maintenance and not worry about the headache from the mower that I would normaly have after words.

I would highly recomend you not to use the foam peice from your earbuds without the drivers also... that small hole there will let allot of noise... maybe try it at home before you go out and crank the tunes... I find it filters out the music and lets only high pitches and distortion in... just my .02

Good luck, and I've never heard of classic mushroom, I will have to give it a listen.

Thanks.

 

[Starmax]

I wouldn't say "cleaned up". Plenty of illegal drugs involved, especially Ecstacy (a relative of acid, but less potent.)

So how does this differ from a Rave?

 

[dem beats]

So how does this differ from a Rave?

You hit the nail on the head sir.

Electronic music however has many styles. A classic rave would be more uptempo plenty of breakbeat jungle and hardcore.

Trance is a bit subdued, and goa even more so. A common term used is Ambient Trance for the more relaxed less dance oriented type of trance music... A rave is generaly extremely high energy....

Also this isn't a drug forum, but MDMA and LSD have next to nothing in common. I don't want to turn this into that kind of debate it's an audio forum, not that audio and any drug of choice haven't gone together like tea and crumpots for ever, but I don't think it's what this place was intended for... I would also be less likely to equate raves with drug use in todays parties, many many many of them are 100% clean and you get a ton of str8 edgers at these parties and I pity the poor kid messed up on a drug around those guys.

I digress