Notched Music Therapy (DIY, AudioNotch, etc.)

[Raghav Lavania]

Has anyone given audionotch.com a try ?
http://www.audionotch.com/home

tks
raghav

 

[Frederico_23]

has someone tried this app http://promedicalaudio.com ?

 

[whitelight]

Hi all -- can anyone say if it's possible to try the "notched" approach when one has noise-like tinnitus? I'd say it's between 4 and 6 hertz, but it's never really a constant tone. Thanks, I appreciate your help! Many of these therapies seem to depend on identifying a specific frequency to exclude.

 

[DebInAustralia]

what do you mean by 'noise like tinnitus'? is it tonal or white noise or other?

 

[cap217]

I am brand new here and have had T since January of this year (2015). I got it from shooting an AR at an indoor range and my ear protection fell out on the last shot. But I have been in the music industry or bands for 20 years so I was always around loud music.

Anyways... I have been driving myself crazy trying to figure out a "cure" or a "help" for my T. But I am finding that every idea I have is already being tried. This notched music is interesting because I had/have access to nice studios and music gear and understand sound. I don't think notched is the key to a cure but I do think it can help. I think some sort of reverse wave inside the head would be the actual cure or somehow getting to the nerves in the brain/ear.

I am trying this notched therapy and I don't get it. I cant pin down my frequency but I think its somewhere around 5500 and then somewhere around 11k. I also cant tell if its my left ear only or both. But what I do notice is that if I play a sine wave around those frequencies then it tricks my brain into not having T for 2 seconds when the sound is stopped. Its like my brain needs to readjust from getting that freq pounded into it. I find this VERY interesting and promising.

I am going to do more research and see where that takes me. But I joined here for support and input because I know many of you have tried everything.

 

[HalfEmpty]

I am brand new here and have had T since January of this year (2015). I got it from shooting an AR at an indoor range and my ear protection fell out on the last shot. But I have been in the music industry or bands for 20 years so I was always around loud music.

Anyways... I have been driving myself crazy trying to figure out a "cure" or a "help" for my T. But I am finding that every idea I have is already being tried. This notched music is interesting because I had/have access to nice studios and music gear and understand sound. I don't think notched is the key to a cure but I do think it can help. I think some sort of reverse wave inside the head would be the actual cure or somehow getting to the nerves in the brain/ear.

I am trying this notched therapy and I don't get it. I cant pin down my frequency but I think its somewhere around 5500 and then somewhere around 11k. I also cant tell if its my left ear only or both. But what I do notice is that if I play a sine wave around those frequencies then it tricks my brain into not having T for 2 seconds when the sound is stopped. Its like my brain needs to readjust from getting that freq pounded into it. I find this VERY interesting and promising.

I am going to do more research and see where that takes me. But I joined here for support and input because I know many of you have tried everything.

I have started trying Notch therapy as well, as it sounds promising in reducing the volume of my T. Mine is around 9100, although there is a higher pitch one around 16,000 that I don't hear all the time. I have read it can take months for the notch therapy to help, but I am trying it. Good luck to you too.

 

[drocelot]

5500hz and 11k is right as 5500 one octive up is 11k likewise with the 9100hz and 16khz is an octave u have found the pitch

 

[Joe Bananas]

Is it bad or dangerous to listen to music (under 50/60dbs) not notched???

 

[dhode]

I am glad I came across this, just using the application with white noise being generated is great to have running and really makes a great distraction. I need to do some more of this.

 

[mkmossop]

I'm having the same problem as cap217 above. I really wanna try notch therapy, but I can't find my frequency. I listen to my tinnitus intently in my head and think I have the frequency pinned down, but every single frequency I try (on the link below) all of a sudden sounds right when I play it. I'm leaning more towards 10,000 Hz now, but I'm really not sure if it's right or not.

http://www.audionotch.com/app/tune/

I'm trying notched white noise at 10,000 hz, which is a good tinnitus masker, but I don't want it to make my tinnitus worse in the long run if it's the wrong frequency. Does anyone have any tips to pin down the correct frequency?

 

[Khoo]

I am having great success with notched audio which I've created using the instructions in Audacity. I have heard music like I haven't heard in many many years without pain or discomfort! The problem is it is a tedious exercise to create the notch and save each audio file (song) separately. Is there either a notch filter that can be used in an audio player, or a batch process where I can import multiple files (or a whole collection), apply the Nyquist command and export all in one step or batch process?

 

[Khoo]

ok. I think I found the batch process for Audacity on the wiki page. Awesome! I still wish there was a notch filter plug in for MP3 players though. Anyone?

 

[Bill Thomas]

While I am sure this is quite dependent on the "T" type you have and what spawned these bells of satan. I have followed the sound notching instructions on the interweb and found this to be quite promising. I do not know what started my T. What I do know is my T started after flying to New York, while getting over a head cold and was on two steroids and two antibiotics. I was also listening to my new Christmas present, my Bluetooth Beats headphones. The doctor put me on an anti-depressant to help me sleep. I did feel more relaxed when I put my head down, but I do not like putting chemicals in my body other than a little ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Unfortunately, I do have to take meds for high blood pressure and gout. That being said, does sound notching work, I believe it may. I am currently listening to white noise that has my T tone gaped out. I started yesterday morning, ad because I work in front of a PC, I am able to listen for much of the day. I also listened to the white noise last night before going to bed. I had the first restful sleep without any of the anti-depressants in about a month and a half. I will continue to listen to this white noise to see if my symptoms decrease.

I could pretty much tune my T out during the day. What killed me was when it was trying to sleep. My T is around 8khz and the tone fluctuates ↑ and ↓. It felt as my brain was in constant activity and could not "settle down" to rest. Since I started the regiment (yesterday), I do still notice the T but it is not in front.

You will need to download the free audacity program and also load the notch filter. I can assist with high level instructions if necessary. This is the video I followed and it was pretty simple.



Side note, I am listening to this white noise on a very low level. I can still hear teammates speaking.

 

[Louise77]

Hi all.
So I finally got the Audacity application to work on my computer and figured out how to get the Band Stop filter to work. My questions are:

1. Is white noise or brown noise better? I heard that brown is better for low frequency tinnitus (my tones are 1100hz and 1550hz).

2. Should I create TWO notches to take account for both of my tones? Or do I take the 'average' ie about 1300hz?
I am 100% positive on my tones as I am fairly musical and they are pretty easy to identify.

3. What volume should I listen to it? I just tried the first file I made and I can still hear my ringing through the white noise, does this mean I have done it wrong or should I still be able to hear the tinnitus? Should it be 'cancelled' out by the notched noise?


Many thanks for any input
Louise

 

[Cheza]

1. Is white noise or brown noise better? I heard that brown is better for low frequency tinnitus (my tones are 1100hz and 1550hz).

Louise, it's been a while since you posted. Maybe you already found the answers.

I personally find white noise distressing and listen to violet noise. I have also read that brown noise is better for low frequencies. White noise includes all frequencies. So does brown noise, but with more emphasis on the low frequencies. It sounds less like static and more like running water, like a fast-moving stream.

Should I create TWO notches to take account for both of my tones? Or do I take the 'average' ie about 1300hz?

Create two notches. You want to notch out each frequency. If the frequencies are extremely close together, make the notch wide enough to encompass both and a bit to each side of the range. The Plot Spectrum will tell you if you've got them both in there and how much is encompassed on either side.

What volume should I listen to it?

To help with habituation, listen to it just below the threshold of your tinnitus volume. You should be able to hear your tinnitus. If you want it strictly for masking and therapy but not habituation, listen to it at whatever level is safe and comfortable and don't worry about whether you hear the tinnitus or not.

 

[smel]

Are there others here who have had continued success with notch therapy at higher frequencies and partial octaves? I've been listening to notched white noise and will soon start my third week. My T tone is around 10kHz, although it's hard to pinpoint that when listening to tones. Around 10070 Hz it sometimes sounds as though the tone I'm listening to when using earbuds has a higher pitch than my T, and other times it seems lower, so I'm guessing that's about the correct Hz. I had the same results when I first tried to identify it years ago.

For those of us with high-frequency T and limited hearing range (mine stops a little over 13kHz), using a full octave means going past the point at which hearing stops, so I went with a partial octave. I'm not sure why studies keep referring to "one octave." I would think my ears wouldn't care how an octave is defined.

Anyway, has anyone had success with notching at higher frequencies where you had to use a partial octave to simulate the notch?

 

[Codaz]

According to this research paper, acoustic stimulation with tuned audio does not help but worsens T

This was, however, not the case for the control or the compensation groups. In conclusion, music therapy compensating for hearing loss is not beneficial in suppressing tinnitus, and overcompensating hearing loss actually worsens tinnitus, both clinically and electrophysiologically

http://duteela.et.tudelft.nl/~wout/documents/hearing2012.pdf

 

[smel]

From that paper: "Our data indicate that applying overcompensation to the hearing loss worsens the patients' tinnitus loudness, the tinnitus annoyance and their depressive feelings"

How they define "overcompensation: "... and a third group received music overcompensated for their hearing loss, by adding notches at the lesion edge and increasing the spectral amplitudes for the hearing loss frequencies more than required to compensate (Fig. 1, lower right)."

Participants listened to actual music, which I've read has been shown to be less effective than white noise.

I've been using both notched white noise and ACRN (thanks to this thread: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acoustic-cr®-neuromodulation-do-it-yourself-guide.1469/) and have barely noticed my T since I started listening to both. Overall volume has decreased and my spikes for the most part don't seem to last as long. When I was only using notched white noise my T seemed to be louder but I can't bring myself to stop the ACRN (to see if the volume increases with just notched white noise) since the combination works well for me. Or maybe it's just the ACRN. Either way I'm just happy I don't notice it most of the time.

 

[Alessandro Rossi]

I'm trying to find the right tinnitus pitching using earplugs and headphones.With a barely udible volume I scroll the Hz meter and I discovered that around 4800 hz the sound disappear/get confused with T. Do you think this is a good way to determine the right pitch ?

I also wanted to ask if there are any DIY sound therapy for hyperacusis. Thanks in advance.

 

[erniej]

https://tinnitusnotch.com/
It's free so I have nothing to gain by suggesting it. It would mean so much to me if it helped even one person.

This one is a little complicated but it has full instructions and you can use the free software to make your own free notched music CD's. Just do what your instructed, then use the technology to make your own notched music.
http://www.notchtherapy.com/

 

[Reuben Gosfield]

Hello,

I am looking for an app that can notch out my tinnitus frequency on any track I play from Itunes on my Iphone.

It's no good editing tracks and then listening to them as I listen to a lot of music every day in the course of my work.

Does Tinnitus Pro work for this use?

Audacity?

thanks in advance,

Reuben

 

[Paul Betteridge]

From that paper: "Our data indicate that applying overcompensation to the hearing loss worsens the patients' tinnitus loudness, the tinnitus annoyance and their depressive feelings"

How they define "overcompensation: "... and a third group received music overcompensated for their hearing loss, by adding notches at the lesion edge and increasing the spectral amplitudes for the hearing loss frequencies more than required to compensate (Fig. 1, lower right)."

Participants listened to actual music, which I've read has been shown to be less effective than white noise.

I've been using both notched white noise and ACRN (thanks to this thread: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acoustic-cr®-neuromodulation-do-it-yourself-guide.1469/) and have barely noticed my T since I started listening to both. Overall volume has decreased and my spikes for the most part don't seem to last as long. When I was only using notched white noise my T seemed to be louder but I can't bring myself to stop the ACRN (to see if the volume increases with just notched white noise) since the combination works well for me. Or maybe it's just the ACRN. Either way I'm just happy I don't notice it most of the time.

This is interesting as I am struggling to decided which way to go, ACRN or Notched. How have you combined the 2 sounds please?

 

[smel]

This is interesting as I am struggling to decided which way to go, ACRN or Notched. How have you combined the 2 sounds please?

I was listening to them at different times of the day, hours apart, from what I recall. The ACRN worked very well for me.

I ended up using an ACRN file I made, plus an app called WhistTinnitus. From what I recall the WhistTinnitus app I was using was more effective than the already-effective ACRN file. I stopped listening to white noise.

However... for most of the time since the month when I did that post I haven't listened to anything as my T hasn't bothered me the way it used to. Sure it's still there and yes I can hear it if I listen for it, and sometimes I hear it even when watching a video or listening to a podcast, but knowing that I can reduce the noticeable volume significantly by listening to the ACRN file or the WhistTinnitus app has greatly reduced the stress level from my T. It rarely bothers me now since I know at any time I can get relief from it if I want. Back when I didn't know of any options whatsoever my stress level from the T was high and I was wondering if I was going to be able to go through life listening to that sound every single minute.

Is this habituation? I don't know, but having options has lessened the effect of my T on my daily life even though it's probably still at the same volume.

I do feel for those who don't have options and hope a cure is found for all varieties of T.

 

[smel]

Hello,

I am looking for an app that can notch out my tinnitus frequency on any track I play from Itunes on my Iphone.

It's no good editing tracks and then listening to them as I listen to a lot of music every day in the course of my work.

Does Tinnitus Pro work for this use?

Audacity?

thanks in advance,

Reuben

Sorry I don't have an answer for you, but what is the range of your T? And is it one tone? From what I've read notched music only works with T that has one tone and is in a range included in normal music. My T, for example, is around 10k, which is a very high pitch. I'd not be able to use music for that due to the pitch.

 

[kevinjohnston1]

I have not met a doctor who cares about the suffering of patients with tinnitus. They are taught that it can't be "cured" so they shrug and say "ignore it." I told my doctor, "That's the same exact tinnitus treatment we had in the Dark Ages." The truth is, there is a treatment for tinnitus that reduces it dramatically. It has been clinically tested and it works. Very well.

I want to let you know I do NOT have any financial interest in the company that I am going to tell you about. I don't work for them, and I don't get any money. Yet I will scream about this treatment from the mountain tops, because I know the panic, fear, depression and feelings of helplessness of being a tinnitus sufferer myself.

Go to AudioNotch.com. Read the medical studies they give you links to. Start the treatment today. VERY inexpenisive, like you can start for $39. You will also have to have a set of noise-cancelling headphones.

There is zero reason not to use this therapy. If your doctors tell you that you are on your own, take charge and get started on your own. It is working for me after two weeks. The science behind it is solid and has been tested in trials. .
I am angry that doctors are indifferent to your suffering. I know a nine year old autistic boy the doctors left to suffer with the ringing in his ears. He doesn't understand it and says, "Why is this happening to me?" His mother sits up nights crying.

You bet your backside I told her about the therapy, and he is starting on it now.

I will tell everyone about it as loudly as I can. AudioNotch.com.

Your brain will retrain. You will win.

 

[GregCA]

There's a few options when it comes to notch therapy, which is often referred to as Tailor Made Notch Music Training.

The first one is free, with notchtherapy.com where they teach you how to notch your files yourself.
The second one is AudioNotch.com as pointed out so enthusiastically by Kevin in the previous post, with a subscription model.
The third one is sound-relief.com which offers it "a la carte" for a buck a song.

If your T is tonal and under 8 kHz, then TMNMT may be a good option for you, but there are other types of notch therapy such as Windowed Sound Therapy, which involves white noise with a very specific type of notch. The former is certainly more entertaining a treatment, but the latter can cover higher frequencies and seems to be slightly more efficient (if we are to believe the studies).

 

[rrf]

Hello, I tried the above Audacity method and find that as soon as I pause the music or take off my headphones there is a ringing almost separate from my tinnitus but maybe the same, I'm not sure, but it is clear and takes several minutes to go away. The other night I left my headphones on while listening to night noises and woke up with the ringing stronger than it had been in awhile and it took hours to go away and back to normal T levels.

Is this normal?

I mean, I guess it's not what the software is meant to do.

It happens the same for me with notched white noise. After listening even for a few seconds, my T is canceled but it appears a tone in both ears during a few seconds(at different frequency that my T). If I listen to the white noise more time, more time that ring lasts, even 1-2 minutes. Any explanation to that?

 

[Erik9810]

https://pro.signiausa.com/tinnitus/signia-notch-therapy/

Has anyone got any experience from this particular method?

 

[pytajnick]

Hi there. I don't have a DIY solution for those of you who would like to listen to notched music tracks or notched white noise on mp3 player* but I think I came across an easy fix for listening music on your desktop computer or laptop. Basically what you want to do is to download a decent equalizer and notch specific frequencies in it. By doing this you basically notch frequencies in every sound that comes out of your computer and you don't need to edit every single track. Personally, I'm experimenting with this:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/equalizerapo/
and additional UI/skin:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/peace-equalizer-apo-extension/

Just install it. Configure so it would affect every output in your computer (if you're using several sound card/audio interfaces/bluetooth speakers) and use notch filters on the frequency you're interested in.

*actually if you have decent Bluetooth headphones/earphones you can listen to notched music everywhere within Bluetooth signal range
I hope that'll help someone

 

[Alan Roger]

Notch therapy for tinnitus
Did anyone experience notch therapy (NT) for tinnitus secondary to hearing loss (6,000Hz/75dB or 8,000Hz/65dB)? I recently tried a hearing aid (Silk, Siemens) operating with NT but there was no sound emission from the aid. Am I wrong or should NT be a "silent therapy"? Differently from sound generators in hearing aids? Thanks in anticipation for your attention to this message.