KVR Audio

low_low · Post by **low_low** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:44 pm

Is there a VST we can put into the signal chain that does nothing but filter the output signal to protect our hearing while doing sound design, etc, and alarms with a visual indicator to let you know it has interjected itself so you can "fix" whatever the "problem" was.

I don't even know how something like that would work, but as everyone knows some of these waves are very harsh.

All I do now is work around -20db, avoid pure sines, and hope for the best.

camsr · Post by **camsr** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:48 pm

I use the 96khz samplerate and sometimes there will be really high intensity ultrasonic frequencies appearing at the outputs. To counter that, I always apply a lowpass filter to the master output. The lowpass is basically filtering out everything above 20khz.

low_low · Post by **low_low** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:53 pm

camsr wrote:I use the 96khz samplerate and sometimes there will be really high intensity ultrasonic frequencies appearing at the outputs. To counter that, I always apply a lowpass filter to the master output. The lowpass is basically filtering out everything above 20khz.

Thanks camsr, will do that too!

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:58 pm

camsr wrote:I use the 96khz samplerate and sometimes there will be really high intensity ultrasonic frequencies appearing at the outputs. To counter that, I always apply a lowpass filter to the master output. The lowpass is basically filtering out everything above 20khz.

How is it supposed to harm your hearing, when it is ultrasonic?

@ the OP: Isn't what you are asking for simply a brickwall limiter?

camsr · Post by **camsr** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:01 pm

chk071 wrote:
camsr wrote:I use the 96khz samplerate and sometimes there will be really high intensity ultrasonic frequencies appearing at the outputs. To counter that, I always apply a lowpass filter to the master output. The lowpass is basically filtering out everything above 20khz.
How is it supposed to harm your hearing, when it is ultrasonic?

It's sound energy, but it's not processed by most human brains. I guess it's comparable to radiation?

low_low · Post by **low_low** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:06 pm

chk071 wrote:
camsr wrote:I use the 96khz samplerate and sometimes there will be really high intensity ultrasonic frequencies appearing at the outputs. To counter that, I always apply a lowpass filter to the master output. The lowpass is basically filtering out everything above 20khz.
How is it supposed to harm your hearing, when it is ultrasonic?

@ the OP: Isn't what you are asking for simply a brickwall limiter?

I don't know, is it ?

I don't know what I'm asking for, really ... except not to have bad hearing.

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:09 pm

camsr wrote:
chk071 wrote:
camsr wrote:I use the 96khz samplerate and sometimes there will be really high intensity ultrasonic frequencies appearing at the outputs. To counter that, I always apply a lowpass filter to the master output. The lowpass is basically filtering out everything above 20khz.
How is it supposed to harm your hearing, when it is ultrasonic?
It's sound energy, but it's not processed by most human brains. I guess it's comparable to radiation?

Think about it. If you don't hear it, how is it supposed to stimulate, or harm your eardrum? I'm no physician or something, but, to me, that sounds not possible.

@low_low: Yeah, i think what you ask for IS a brickwall limiter.

Or something like LoudMax.

Etienne1973 · Post by **Etienne1973** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:25 pm

Cerberus Audio Ice9 Automute (Free)

Problem: Website is down!

I can send you a copy (Mac).

nordickvr · Post by **nordickvr** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:29 pm

Its free at PluginBoutique.

CrystalWizard · Post by **CrystalWizard** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:53 pm

Just because your mind does not percieve a stimulation of the hearing does not mean that it is not affecting you or that it can not harm your ears. What you hear is a subset of what your body is experiencing. Just the quickest search came up with this (and more):

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/8931 ... g%2014.pdf

It’s not that comprehensive but one thing worth noting is the concept of non linear distortion at frequencies above 20k. Also worth looking into the large study of infrasonics. I’m intrigued...

Ps. Yes, a limiter and an eq would certainly be a help.

Etienne1973 · Post by **Etienne1973** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 11:27 pm

If you need something that automatically dims only certain frequency ranges above threshold:

TDR Nova (Free Dynamic EQ)

pixel85 · Post by **pixel85** » Mon Aug 06, 2018 10:11 pm

low_low wrote:Is there a VST we can put into the signal chain that does nothing but filter the output signal to protect our hearing while doing sound design, etc, and alarms with a visual indicator to let you know it has interjected itself so you can "fix" whatever the "problem" was.

I don't even know how something like that would work, but as everyone knows some of these waves are very harsh.

All I do now is work around -20db, avoid pure sines, and hope for the best.

Such plugin will not know what's the real level output coming to your ears. Before sound reach your ear there's OS level, Audio interface level and your monitors level.
Plugin like that would need to have additional microphone measuring SPL next to your head, plugged to your audio interface and routed to plugin which would have to be chained with another plugin on your DAW output which would limit signal above set level.

Simpler soultion is to use brickwall limiter as the last insert of your daw output. It will do the job and I'm the living evidence because I can still hear

pixel85 · Post by **pixel85** » Mon Aug 06, 2018 10:18 pm

CrystalWizard wrote:Just because your mind does not percieve a stimulation of the hearing does not mean that it is not affecting you or that it can not harm your ears. What you hear is a subset of what your body is experiencing. Just the quickest search came up with this (and more):

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/8931 ... g%2014.pdf

It’s not that comprehensive but one thing worth noting is the concept of non linear distortion at frequencies above 20k. Also worth looking into the large study of infrasonics. I’m intrigued...

Ps. Yes, a limiter and an eq would certainly be a help.

I work in 96 to and I'm also recording in this sample rate. As I'm recording a lot of different sounds I had opportunity to check what's going on there where our ears can't reach. It's mostly noise at -60dB and below, fading out remnants of what is at 16kHz and 1 out of 200 times it's actually nasty sound [try to put recorder to your fridge - mine generate awful loud noise at 40kHz (louder than signal in hearing range)]

I'm not filtering anything above hearing range. Never had any issue like headache or anything. Maybe because my monitors can't even reproduce signal above 22kHz

Mushy Mushy · Post by **Mushy Mushy** » Mon Aug 06, 2018 10:19 pm

A plugin wouldn't be able to solve this issue given it comes before the amp/monitors. The only true way is to use a DB meter to identify a safe level using a white noise reference. Then place a limiter on the master output and ensure your output volume doesn't exceed the predetermined level.

Or/and... Use a hardware limiter just before the monitors.

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Mon Aug 06, 2018 10:34 pm

I think i read that most monitors nowadays have a built in limiter. Is that true? And, doesn't it make a plugin limiter kind of obsolete anyway?

Ok, maybe a stupid question anyway, as i get that the limiter in the speakers is rather a protection to trash the speakers, not the ears.

So, surely a limiter before that makes sense anyway.

Ear Protection VST ?