Is it normal to get ear fatigue after only 10 minutes or so? Especially when mixing, I have to get up and do something else. I listen at low levels…
I’m using KRK Rokits (no jokes please!)
what do you mean by ear fatigue!
If you get any pain, ringing or other symptoms then you need to get your ears checked by a professional.
Definitely not going to make jokes about KRKs. They are just fine.
Is this normal or not? That’s a tough question. It’s definitely normal, if:
- You’re not satisfied to what you’re hearing. Maybe room acoustics, maybe something about the music itself.
- Something else is not right in your working environment.
Is it ear fatigue? No, I don’t think so.
I just mean I have to rest my ears for a little bit because I get numb to the sound if I’m looping a section, for instance. My judgement is thrown because I’ve been hearing it too long. I know this happens to people, but it seems like it happens fairly quickly.
Then I’d go with Jarno and suspect your listening environment.
How old… 
Human ears are funny things. Like eyes, they adjust to different situations and become accustomed to things.
I’ve been doing some remastering recently, and I regularly “wash my ears out” by turning the track down or off every so often, then giving it another listen - to make sure it sounds right, and I’m not just becoming accustomed to it.
I like to use other tracks as regular references too. Ones that I know sound good.
The tracks I’ve done so far are in their own folder at the moment, so I’ll go back and listen to them again at some point just as yet another check that they sound OK, before I give them the all clear.
When you listen and more important focus on a certain frequentie range for a longer time then you need to ‘wash’ it away. This means listen to preferably other frequenties and without focus. So play some radio music or whatever.
Better then sit in silence for a while cause you want to ‘reset’ your ears so to speak.
Looping a section and heavily focus on a particular sound can cause these sort of problems.
And I think also it depends on the person itself, the focus stamina of a person and such.
Try mixing on headphones and if the result is better then, it has something to do with indeed the enviroment or speakers or whatever.
I find my hearing better in the morning, (Or the judgment of my perception is a better explanation) that led me too believe that when you are tired earfatigue can also kick in earlier.
KRK are not bad speakers, so I don’t think the problem lies with them.
Greetz Dylan.
Hi, Folks!
Listener fatigue has also been noted when various types of distortion increase. Probably the most insidious is harmonic distortion, as it’s often difficult to detect, but at levels exceeding several percent can quickly lead to listener fatigue. And, recent Audio Engineering Society papers note that research has also pointed out that excessive volume compression and limited dynamics has a similar “numbing” effect on listeners across the age spectrum.
So, it’s kinda’ like seasoning food, as Bob Katz has pointed out: too much spice and there’s no real “flavor” to the food or music, it’s swamped by the condiments and effects. And too little, can leave the food (or music) bland and lifeless. I guess that’s where the “artistry” comes in, as in knowing the types and right amounts of “seasoning” to add to successfully achieve the flavor or sound you want. Most of the time, such “condiments” have to be applied carefully and sparingly to achieve the best repast.
Happy cooking!