Weird thing happened to me today. I was testing a new set of earplugs (cause protecting my hearing is no1 priority), but after I took them off and played some music, everything sounded totally out of tune. I freaked out naturally, trying changing sound sources, washing ear canal with warm water and nothing seems to have helped, but it seems to be slowly recovering. Piano still sounds a bit detuned, but complex music is fine. It's like relearning to hear.
Never had that happen. Any idea what might be the cause?

 

i would go to the doctor and ask him

 

Except now it's gone almost completely.
Also doctors care only for speech recognition, hearing tones is something 'extra' that's 'optional'. At least in my area.

 

sometimes u get wax stacking up in your ear and jamming it, was the case for me couple of months ago, but i clearly heared and noticed it, happened when i was cleaning my ears (never again lmao) i clogged the wax inside or something, had to go to a doctor to suck it out with a machine, easy process, painless as well, maybe its worth checking?
i remember that after a day or two i kinda got used to the sound (kinda but not really.. i was really missing some 6k and anything below 80hz was basically non existant lmao).
so just be sure to check that you're not getting used to the sound, but it actually going/fading away.
id recommend a hearing test, thats what i did the day after i got my ears cleaned up, just to make sure there was no permanent damage or anything

 

Ok, in our country, the doctor sends me/you to an eardoctor (a more educated doctor), which only have to do with mouth, nose, ears) if our doctor ses a problem after talking to me/you he then sends me/you to the eardoctor

Why they do that is to save money, because it COULD be earwax or something "simple"

if it was me i would go to the doctor anyway, its actually very important

sorry my english

 

It's not wax for sure, I clean regularly, maybe too often in fact, which is also not good.

The problem wasn't related to frequency response or sensitivity, those were in check (tested with a low level sine sweep). But I first noticed when my phone started ringing - like mixing L+R channels together while one of them was good 1 semitone off. No way I could get used to listening that.
What's interesting that both ears were identically affected. Now it's gone completely.
Audiometry might be useful, but it only checks for response and sensitivity, and unless it's advanced, the margin for error is 5dB. They only check in the range 100-8000Hz, it's meant for broad population, not musicians. I had my share of ear related illnesses, and as far as audiometry, over the years I trust my own results more.

But a good consult with a specialist doesn't hurt, I agree.

 

Last edited: Apr 4, 2019

Hi @Andrew obviously i don't know where you are IRL, but try searching 'performing arts medicine' on duck duck go or your preferred search engine and see what comes up for your part of the world. better to be safe than sorry .
where i am in the uk there is:
http://www.bapam.org.uk/
from whom i've had help in the past, (and the link might be of help to other members anyways).
because, as you say,

good luck

 

Last edited: Apr 4, 2019

This is an excellent article I saved like 5 years ago on this subject https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/tone-deafness

The links below are for tests mentioned on the article.
http://tonedeaftest.com/
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/tunestest/take-distorted-tunes-test

 

@Andrew Hi Andrew.
2 things:
Firstly, if you have your ears syringed, your ears will build up more wax again, but quicker, because we need it.
Eventually people need regular syringing as a result. But those Hopi ear candles are better if needed rarely.
Secondly, according to nurse friend, the most common thing to come out when syringing is done?
= fibres from q-tips. Which should never be put in your ears, even wetted. They also push wax in deeper.

Most useful thing is occasional circular/around edges of canal with one of those hair-grips, the ones that are rounded at one end like, uh, a hair-pin turning I guess! It scrapes away from the edges if you use it correctly, and is more likely to hook out wax rather than push it deeper.
But obviously the adage is 'don't put anything in your ear smaller than your elbow'!

Take care.

 

I remember something like this happening to me once, although I can't remember clearly right now. It can happen due to being tired as well your ears just get tired sometimes or your just exhausted in general so your body and mind just can't process information... I think when it did happen to me I was a little tired or worn out from probably listening to too much music and everything just started sounding off. Then the next day after resting everything sounded back to normal.

It is probably a very common thing for worn out ears. Maybe you were just a bit tired or just wasnt feeling your best but you also somehow thought it had to do with the ear plugs since it happened during the same time...

 

hehe tried the first link MUAHAHAHA got 100 pErSHENT! check my sig

NOT TONE DEAF BISH!

 

Oh my effing word! You've just reminded me of when I was halfway through a 5 week tour, and exactly this happened! AND this would have been after at least 15 years of gigging experience! It was so strange. I thought I'd been spiked with Ear Acid!
Definitely brought on by tiredness, as you say.
It was only looking at my hands that confirmed I must be playing my usual chops! Weird as fuck! Maybe tiredness along with strange acoustic anomalies, I dunno.

I think the fact that op had this experience at the same time as using earplugs is no coincidence, though. If it was the only respite during a day of soundchecking drums and backline, and tracking up at high levels, I can imagine the ears powering down during earplug usage and then going into shock again after, due to ear-fatigue. I don't know of any colleague who hasn't experienced something like this.
When it's your profession it becomes obvious when we are tired and when our ears become tired, but we just have to work through it. I suppose the more we do that, the more chance there is of this type of experience seemingly suddenly creeping up out of nowhere.
Air pressure upon insertion/taking out could dislodge wax, cause it to impair hearing.
I'm guessing it only happened in one ear, yet obvs this affects the whole perception of hearing lol!
If both ears, get an MRi scan! lol. jk
@Andrew
EDIT: Oops! Just read that you say it WAS in both ears...hmmm

Reminds me: once had Labyrinthitis, inner ear infection. Sat up in bed, but whole room carried on with inertia like whirly pit when drunk! Couldn't stand. In fact, any slight movement of head created whirly room and nausea!
Would be a bloomin' amazing bio-warfare weapon!

 

I use these noise reduction earplugs which don't muffle sound when they lower volume so you can hear clearly at a much lower db. https://www.amazon.com/Musicians-Pl...=eargasm&qid=1554446144&s=gateway&sr=8-8&th=1

I think I've had a similar occurance after using standard plugs and it took a bit for my hearing to readjust after. Not a problem with these though.

 

Pitch perception alteration are often due to pressure changes.
Are these earbuds very hermetic?

 

I got nasty situation couple of years ago my left ear first went totally deaf, and right after that shifted up about +1 semitone and it lasted a week. This happened during heavy mixing session and I was also in flu. Eventually it went off but tinnitus stayed.

 

@Olymoon "pressure changes"
Yeah, that was kind of linked to my thought/comment above, re. air pressure. Once the plugs are inserted, and you swallow, anything could happen!

 

Soo.. now you heard from all the internet-doctors, so are you cured now or any news? ;-)

 

Sorry to be off topic but most doctors follow boilerplate protocols and aren't intuitive or have the kind of care it actually takes to break through the upper crust of most cases. I've seen a lot of doctors previously but realizing I tend to trust experience and personal intuition more these days, for the mundane stuff at least

 

Yes,; the 'nurse' I quoted is one of the UK's best ear-doctors, who many industry types know.
Problem?

 

the link i gave is to BAPAM (british association for performing arts medicine) professional health care organization, and i also alluded to seeing a qualified consultant IRL.