In Reply to: Re: Agree wholeheartedly... posted by Gary Jacobson on August 17, 1999 at 20:42:17:
Hi Folks,Hearing Damage is an interesting issue. As someone who has spend between the ages of 15 and 27 in Pro-Audio (live and Studio) and who still attends a lot of live music (mostly Blues, Jazz, Reggae and Rock) i am regulary exposed to very high SPL Levels. And i was before even more regulary.
Some notes, high peak-loudness does little damage. High SPL at low Frequencies does little damage.
High SPL in the upper midrange and lower treble does a lot of damage. If a PA System is mixed down very "fierce" (as most seem to be these Day's) I move further back. With a warm, but clean Mix (as I personally preferred) I like higher SPL's....
Now a friend of mine who allways had this "bright and fierce" Mix on the PA and who allways had people percieving very high Loudness Levels with the same PA System (we both drove for every bit of SPL it was worth) that I only ever managed high but not extreme precieved Volume Levels....
He now has severe hearing damage and i can still hear 20kHz in my mid 30's and have a hearing that is as good as it was 10 years ago.... Just goes to show, high SPL's AS SUCH don't damage hearing, it's the spectrum that counts....
Ciao Thorsten
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