Can i still succesfully make music?

[Deep Purple]

It comes to all of us. I used to be able to hear the 15kHz whistle on Day in the Life on Sgt Pepper's, but the last time I played it I couldn't hear a thing. I didn't stop making music because it just didn't occur to me that anything had changed until I noticed I couldn't hear that tone anymore.

Stop worrying about what you can't hear and focus on what you can hear.

[lfm]

It comes to all of us. I used to be able to hear the 15kHz whistle on Day in the Life on Sgt Pepper's, but the last time I played it I couldn't hear a thing.

The pickups for vinyl I had, pretty much stopped at 15 khz so why worry. And that is defined by -3dB drop meaning drop to 71% already.

This high end is overrated. Most interesting thing I read was one guy at Cockos forum that thought it was about to raise volume to any level, and still hear this high frequencies - he went to 17 khz and ran amp all the way up and burned his tweeters.

It's not about that anyway - at all be able to hear - it's about hearing withing 3 dB from other frequencies at certain level, since Fletcher&Munson curves states how ears respond differently depending of sound pressure level.

Temperature in the room is also major important. If at end of day and all equipment warmed the room a couple of degrees warmer it makes a great difference to high end in particular. Just listen to the same mix next day also.

To demonstrate this, I recall how music sound much richer in harmonics in the car a cold winter day just starting it and driving away. As heat comes and warning up - a lot of high end is reduced.

And listening to monitors you can do the Mickey Mouse ears trick, and forming hands as a cup at each ear to front - these frequencies is raised quite a bit, like 3-4 dB at least is my estimate.

So quick check how high end sounds just do that for a sec. You get more direct reflection right into ears.

If things are nice and clean up to this level you are fine. I think is what it's about, that you don't f-k up high end.

[Googly Smythe]

I am much more deaf in one ear than the other. When I am listening to the highs, I turn the "good" ear to the speakers. When I am concentrating on bass definition, I turn the other to the speakers - if I can make out the bass with that ear, I know I'm on the right track. (Pun intended!) I have to use the meters for panning.