An unmissable event. The Fête de la Musique returns on June 21 with, as every year, exceptional events and open-air concerts planned throughout France. Inevitably, this gathering exposes its participants to compressed sounds during their wanderings.
Quite unknown to the general public, compressed or super-compressed sounds are nonetheless ubiquitous in everyday life. In the music offered in concert and in streaming platformsIn the movies, in video games, on the radio, or even during a phone call, it’s hard to escape this sound format.
Absence of “micro-silences”
This process reduces the gaps between high and low sounds “while maintaining a fairly high average sound level” so that everything is homogeneous, explains Paul Avan. Sounds, even the quietest ones, are amplified and the result seems louder when listening. Thanks to him, a whispered word can be heard with as much intensity as if it were spoken out loud. According to Christophe Hugonnet, acoustic engineer and president of sound week in alliance with unesco, Compressed sounds were developed in the 1960s by the music industry.
“We had to find a solution to be able to mix sounds of different sound levels: for example, a guitar and drums playing at the same time. So we started grinding the sounds with a compressor,” he told Tech&Co. Also, compressed sounds, which have a high sound level, can drown out ambient noise. A boost for television advertising that democratized the process in the 90s, before spreading to other areas, giving rise to spots with greater volume.
In short, the sounds we hear daily through these media systematically reach a high sound level. This permanently. A development that is not without risk. Because the ear tends to get tired from prolonged exposure to this type of format which, unlike natural or moderately compressed sounds, erases “the brief rest periods, the small intervals where the sound is weaker, the ‘microsilences’ during which the hearing system could rest”, explains Christian Hugonnet.
prolonged hearing fatigue
However, these breaths are important for good hearing health according to the study carried out in 2022 by the team of researchers from the Clermont-Ferrand Faculty of Medicine led by Paul Avan and researchers from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). The latter made 90 guinea pigs whose auditory system is close to that of humans listen to compressed and natural music for several hours.
The aim was to measure the contractions of the muscles of the middle ear of the rodents to assess the protective reflexes of their brain and therefore the fatigue of the neurons. Result: those subjected to compressed music saw the protective muscles located inside their esgourdes weaken.
More prevention than cure
Therefore, being subjected to compressed sound for some time could create significant listening fatigue. However, while the latter has been demonstrated in animals, it remains to be demonstrated in humans. A project in progress.
In the meantime, Christophe Hugonnet suggests taking care to avoid listening to compressed sounds for a long time. The sound engineer, in collaboration with UNESCO and the Institute for Acoustic/Music Research and Coordination (IRCAM), is also working on the creation of an international seal that guarantees “that the sound you are listening to will not hurt your ears”. . he says.
Source: BFM TV
