Heavy Tones and Ear Fatigue

HarrySound

HarrySound

Power User
How do you guys stop heavy tones crushing your brain?
I currently have a Friedman 2018 patch which I really like and i'm playing through some KRK RP6 G2 monitors.
I'm just using a little compression into a zen drive>amp>cab>PEQ with -3 5500hz>out
 
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I'm not sure I follow what the exact problem is - are you saying you are getting ear fatigue and this is causing a problem with you tweaking your tone?

On a side note, I have the earlier version of those monitors and they are not very accurate for when it comes to tweaking tones/presets. Maybe the G2 is a better version of the RP6, but the older ones I have are not great when it comes to dialling in a sound that needs to be compatible across different PAs. They are not the worst either but I have heard better. I think that can contribute towards ear fatigue in a big way.
 
chucma said:
I'm not sure I follow what the exact problem is - are you saying you are getting ear fatigue and this is causing a problem with you tweaking your tone?

On a side note, I have the earlier version of those monitors and they are not very accurate for when it comes to tweaking tones/presets. Maybe the G2 is a better version of the RP6, but the older ones I have are not great when it comes to dialling in a sound that needs to be compatible across different PAs. They are not the worst either but I have heard better. I think that can contribute towards ear fatigue in a big way.
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Your definately right about that. I definately need an upgrade. The bass push at 130hz and the boxy midrange and slight push on highs is a problem but they are what I have right now (bought some HS7 Yamaha’s which sounded better but have crap magnetic shielding so all I got was radio interference)

When I talk about fatigue I mean the brain melting fatigue you get from listening to an isolated guitar track. It just makes you feel a bit odd as you readjust to the outside world and it’s sounds. Clean tones are absolutely fine. Crunchy tones are fine also but heavy tones just imprint this microphone voicing on your brain after a while.
 
Long sessions. Take a break after 10 min max! I know it's hard but your ears need it. And ear fatigue is ear fatigue it don't matter what your playing through, if it's loud enough or even quiet for extended periods, you'll get ear fatigue. I always wondered how famous engineers and producers avoid this and they all said the same thing, take breaks!
 
I do take a lot of breaks, i'm really good with that. Lots of kettle action too....we are British after all right.

I tried putting a 20% mix of the Ambience Reverb on my heavy tone and it seems to have taken away some of the focus. In fact it sounds better overall, more organic.
I guess i'll take my head out of the speaker too and sit of axis.
 
I was just doing a search for ear fatigue with KRK's and came to your post. I have the same issue and know exactly what you are talking about man. I have my AxeFx II going into a pair of KRK G5's that I just got about two weeks ago. For me it is certain notes like palm muting in D flat tuning and noticed it is really bad when I hit G sharp on the A string. Have no idea why but the frequency hits my ears a certain way that makes me cringe. I'm running into the KRKs from the AxeFx with the XLR cables.
 
Certain frequencies will contribute to ear fatigue so I'd try downloading a real time analyzer app, if you don't have one, and see if you have any of the typical frequencies sticking out. Generally the upper range of the both the low mids and high mids (1.5-2.5k and 6-8k) are typically culprits here. I usually try to keep my presets on the "darker" side, keeping the treble and presence fairly low and haven't had any trouble with ear fatigue. It's not very often though that I play at "ear splitting" volume.

I will add that I've only really experienced ear when I bought a Budda Superdrive 18. I couldn't play more than about 15 minutes at the same volume I normally played my amps at without my ears actually hurting. Didn't matter how I set the eq, there was just something about that amp that tweaked my ears.
 
There are often certain resonant frequencies in the human ear. The external auditory canal is essentially a tube open at one end, thus acts like a quarter wave length resonator.

This isn’t to say a signal can’t have its own peaks, or the acoustic space can as well, but simply that someone’s not the gear, and actually an individuals unique auditory perception that can lead to reports of ear fatigue
 
Well for the last 18 month I suspect i’ve Had on and off problems with glue ear. Fluid stuck within that take days or weeks to drain. Sometimes causing slight pain or irritation and sometimes tinnitus.
I should get them cleaned out really but I just think the doctor would tell me to put up with it.

The fatigue issue is better these days because i’m Following a few rules I made.
I moved my speakers a little further apart to sit a little further back.
Stop turning the volume up and up no matter how much of a rush your getting.
Stop sitting directly in front of the monitors for hours on end, just push my chair back a bit when jamming.
Stop cranking a drive pedal and then putting it into a high gain amp.
Get violent with the cuts in the cab block. High cut anywhere from 5500-7000k seems to do the trick.
Don’t be afraid to cut the presence and treble when needed as well as the 4K in the GEQ.
Make use of the bright cap if things start getting too bright and sharp (especially when splitting coils)
.....but the main thing out of all of them I believe was the low end frequencies.
If you think it’s a reasonable volume then the KRKs have a resonance of 130hz on top of my room modes which also sit around 130hz then that build up becomes pretty massive (6+db at the very least, god knows how much with a boogie style amp and palm muting)
That build up is the thing I would hear ringing in my ear afterwards and i’d Feel a bit wierd almost disoriented sometimes plus the irritation from gunk.
So I tend to cut a lot of lows now. At the very least 80hz which is standard for an ex fs user, more likely 100hz, very often 120-130hz, and i’m Fine setting it to 140-180hz a lot of the time too.
It’s still there. The KRKs are bitter sweet with sweet highs but a boxy midrange and a shitty low end.
 
Sounds likely a Eustachian tube dysfunction. If it’s reoccurring enough a tube would probably be recommended. Doesn’t typically affect hearing thresholds much, and will prevent the build up of fluid, pain (otalgia), and balance issues. I see this all day long and it’s generally treatable.

See an ENT
 
Sonofiam said:
Generally the upper range of the both the low mids and high mids (1.5-2.5k and 6-8k) are typically culprits here.
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Those are the frequencies I lower as I increase the SPL level of my speakers, especially between 1.6k and 2.5k. I sometimes have to lower between 3.15k-4k too. I don't usually have to lower anything more than -6dB and usually only need between -1dB to -3dB.

Also, make sure you're not peaking the input or output of your speakers bc that will cause ear fatigue quickly.

I've noticed that most recorded tones that sound great at lower to mid SPL levels, kill my ears when played at full band levels, so I just adjust the frequencies mentioned above.

Another tool that's really helpful along with a spectrum analyzer is an SPL meter.
 
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