Notched Music Therapy (DIY, AudioNotch, etc.)

[Gabriel]

Hello everyone.

This thread has been going for quite some time.

What are the results so far for the ones using notched music therapy?

 

[Mister Muso]

I tried it for white noise but didn't find any difference. Maybe I didn't use it for long enough.

I can't listen to white noise any more because it aggravates my hyperacusis, so I'd be interested to hear about people's results using notching with regular music or ACRN.

 

[Pink Noise]

I'm an audio engineer and I have just created a pink noise masker which mask some of the tones.

I used iZotope RX to generate a 30s loop of white noise and then used a Eq with a high Q factor to notch out my tinnitus frequencies. It successfully hides the tones.

I'm not sure if this would delay habituation but it gives me a little relief for a minute.

I thought I share.

I'm going to synthesise my full array of tinnitus tones before my ENT appointment so that the Audiologist can get an idea of my situation.

 

[mikki_]

^ I plan to do the same with Audacity. I cannot figure out my tinnitus frequency. However, by running a pure tone sound through all frequencies I found I am half deaf in left ear between frequencies 7100-7300 Hz. It is very strange when the pure tone sound completely disappears in that range only to reappear when moving past the frequency range. I never realized hearing loss can be in so narrow area.

 

[morgothaod]

I just got done making an hour's worth of notched music for 8000 Hz tinnitus.

 

[Eric N]

What's the long-term subscription for AudioNotch.com for? It's mainly for the counselling? Does anyone know if they allow you to upload some sound clips and just download the notched version?

Also has anyone here been able to notch a sound clip for 1150 Hz tinnitus? I have a terrible spike at that frequency and am at my wits' end.

 

[PearlEarRing]

Hello! I'm new here and searching for solutions... anyway I'm trying to make a notched music file to listen to, but I can't seem to find any audio files that have frequencies as high as the tone of my tinnitus (I used a website to figure out what frequency it seems to be) - 177.39.69Hz. I've tried two different files, an hour of harp music and an hour of crickets, but neither have frequencies that high so notching doesn't seem like it would do anything. How do you find appropriate audio to notch? Thank you for any advice!!

 

[DebInAustralia]

What are the studies telling us about the effectiveness of notched sound therapy for non tonal tinnitus?

 

[Frédéric]

A Three-arm, Single-blind, Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the Effects of Notched Music Therapy, Conventional Music Therapy, and Counseling on Tinnitus

Objective:
To compare the efficacy of three common interventions for tinnitus patients: notched music therapy, conventional music therapy, and counseling.

Study Design:
Randomized, single-blinded, controlled, three-arm trial.

Method:
This study was conducted from January 2018 to January 2019. Eligible subjects were randomized into three groups. The first group received notched music therapy (n = 25), the second received conventional music therapy (n = 24), and the third received counseling only (n = 26). The three groups did not differ in terms of demographic data including age, sex, tinnitus duration, affected side, hearing level, side of tinnitus, and frequency of tinnitus. The patients were followed up on at month 1, 2, and 3 after initiation of therapy.

Results:
Tinnitus Handicap Inventory scores gradually decreased in all groups. The mean differences in Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score from baseline for patients who received notched music therapy, conventional music therapy, and counseling only were 20.49, 27.83, and 17.79 points, respectively (p < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference among the groups (p = 0.246).

Conclusion:
There was no difference between the treatments. The selection of these therapies for tinnitus treatment may depend on the unique needs and proclivities of patients.

 

[ryand]

• Use an app (Noise Gen is free) on your phone to determine your tinnitus frequency. Mine's 7220 Hz.
• Use Adobe Audition and import your music track.
• Select Effect > Filter and EQ > Scientific Filter.
• Select Butter Worth and Band Stop.
• For Low Pass, choose your tinnitus frequency/1.41 = LP, and for High Pass = LP x 2.
• Choose 20 for Order.
• Click Apply and Sync to your phone somehow.

I do 20 songs together. Jazz track, classical track, workout track, etc.

Hope this helps.

 

[PeterPan]

Results:
Tinnitus Handicap Inventory scores gradually decreased in all groups. The mean differences in Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score from baseline for patients who received notched music therapy, conventional music therapy, and counseling only were 20.49, 27.83, and 17.79 points, respectively (p < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference among the groups (p = 0.246).

Conclusion:
There was no difference between the treatments. The selection of these therapies for tinnitus treatment may depend on the unique needs and proclivities of patients.

These types of results seem to be extremely common for tinnitus treatment trials. Usually there is a large highly significant drop in THI, but normally for both the control arm and the treatment arm. Which means there is no evidence the treatment works and the results we are seeing are likely due to placebo effects.

The other thing which seems to be common for tinnitus trials is the extremely small sample sizes!

 

[Christiaan]

Broadband Sound Equalized by The Hearing Loss Curves as an Improved Stimulus for Tinnitus Retraining Therapy-A Pilot, Non-Controlled Observational Study (Cuesta & Cobo, 2020)

OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to assess if a short tinnitus treatment, combining counseling with broadband noise filtered by the hearing loss curves, provided significant relief in tinnitus patients.

MATERIALS and METHODS
25 tinnitus subjects of heterogeneous etiology were subjected to sound therapy, 1 hour per day, for 4 months. All of them underwent a unique initial counseling session aimed at undoing previous negative perceptions of tinnitus and highlighting the real expectations from tinnitus therapies. Customized stereo sound stimuli were designed by filtering broadband noise using the hearing loss curves of each ear. A monthly follow-up was carried out by assessing the severity of tinnitus through a validated Spanish version of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI).

RESULTS
88% (22 of 25) of the patients completing the treatment obtained significant relief after 4 months. After 4 months of treatment, the average decrease in THI from its initial value for the 22 successful participants was 29.

CONCLUSION
The average THI score reduction after 4 months of treatment can be considered to be an excellent improvement when compared with other similar studies. The proposed customized sound therapy was effective in reducing tinnitus in patients of heterogeneous etiology.

Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7419093/

 

[Christiaan]

Successful Aplication of Sound Therapy to a Patient with Severe Tinnitus: Case Study (Cobo, 2021)

Abstract

Tinnitus is an auditory disorder difficult to treat due to its heterogeneity. Therefore, there is not a unique treatment being effective for 100% of patients. Nevertheless, practical guideline for tinnitus treatment recommends the combined use of sound therapy and counselling. The tinnitus relief provided for this treatment depends greatly on the specific sound and the time of treatment. The present report describes a case of successful application of sound therapy combined with counselling to a 63-year-old with severe tinnitus primarily resistant to treatment. A sudden increase of his Tinnitus Handicap Inventory after the third month of treatment, due to a traumatizing sound exposure, caused his distress became catastrophic. However, a careful design of a new sound stimulus, combined with subsequent counselling sessions, was crucial to achieve the adherence of the patient to the treatment. After 24 months, his tinnitus handicap became quite light. Therefore, the persistent combination of directive counselling and customized sound therapy provided a very relevant relief to the primarily resistant patient after 24 month of treatment.

Link: https://www.heraldopenaccess.us/ope...-to-a-patient-with-severe-tinnitus-case-study

 

[td48]

I developed a 9450 Hz tone in my left ear early in February at the onset of a sinus infection.

Doctors haven't been much help (sum total results of visits: GP = "go see an ENT". ENT = "learn to live with it").

I am curious about notch therapy.

I have an app that can generate sounds / noise with the appropriate notch.

That being said, does anyone have advice on how/what I should be listening to?

White noise seems to be more even across the spectrum on both sides of the notch.

Should I listen in both ears or just the left?

What volume should I use? Obviously not "loud" but should I be using just enough so that the tinnitus fills in or should it be louder?

I realize there are no hard and fast answers with this. I'm asking more to see if others in similar situations have had success.

Thanks.

 

[Christiaan]

I developed a 9450 Hz tone in my left ear early in February at the onset of a sinus infection.

Doctors haven't been much help (sum total results of visits: GP = "go see an ENT". ENT = "learn to live with it").

I am curious about notch therapy.

I have an app that can generate sounds / noise with the appropriate notch.

That being said, does anyone have advice on how/what I should be listening to?

White noise seems to be more even across the spectrum on both sides of the notch.

Should I listen in both ears or just the left?

What volume should I use? Obviously not "loud" but should I be using just enough so that the tinnitus fills in or should it be louder?

I realize there are no hard and fast answers with this. I'm asking more to see if others in similar situations have had success.

Thanks.

Hi there @td48. What kind of app do you use? Does it allow you to remove the frequency range in which your tinnitus resides?

I personally use Adobe Audition to adjust the frequency spectrum of my Spotify playlists and it's a project that I've recently started, so it's too early to tell if it does something for my tinnitus. Anyway, it's one way to apply a kind of DIY notch therapy at home.

If I'm not mistaken, listening to broadband sound (e.g., white noise) seems to be considered as the most effective treatment for addressing tinnitus. Here's one paper in which broadband music is mentioned as an effective intervention:

Broadband Sound Equalized by The Hearing Loss Curves as an Improved Stimulus for Tinnitus Retraining Therapy-A Pilot, Non-Controlled Observational Study

The exposure to the main intervention is by the way stereo + it's adjusted to the volume just under the level of one's tinnitus, so it seems to help even those who have unilateral tinnitus. More specifics about how they applied the method is mentioned in the paper.

I hope I have informed you well enough. Please let me or anyone here on Tinnitus Talk know if you have any questions.

 

[td48]

Hi there @td48. What kind of app do you use? Does it allow you to remove the frequency range in which your tinnitus resides?

Thank you for the info.

The app I use is called TinnitusPlay. It is a free app. It removes approximately a 1 kHz notch centered on the frequency entered from a bank a sound options (white/pink/brown noise, static, rain, etc).

 

[Christiaan]

The app I use is called TinnitusPlay. It is a free app. It removes approximately a 1 kHz notch centered on the frequency entered from a bank a sound options (white/pink/brown noise, static, rain, etc).

No problemo. I've read some things about TinnitusPlay on this forum, but I have not used it. Seems interesting though. Please let us know how things are going with your notched therapy

 

[Fields]

I've been trying notched therapy since December. I haven't noticed any difference, to be frank.

 

[Christiaan]

I've been trying notched therapy since December. I haven't noticed any difference, to be frank.

@Fields I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work for you so far. Did you use an app or is it a program that is offered to you by a university?

 

[Mehmet]

Hi everyone,

Recently I spoke with a researcher who says he can embed the tinnitus voice into songs in order for treatment. Do you know of such a treatment method?

If yes, is there a Google Play application or a computer program or an online website to precisely measure the frequency and the amplitude of our tinnitus?

If yes, how can we embed this tinnitus equivalent voice into a song. Can you please help with this issue?

This question is for everyone.

Many thanks for now.

 

[CDNThailand]

What's the long-term subscription for AudioNotch.com for? It's mainly for the counselling? Does anyone know if they allow you to upload some sound clips and just download the notched version?

Also has anyone here been able to notch a sound clip for 1150 Hz tinnitus? I have a terrible spike at that frequency and am at my wits' end.

I also have a similar spike, 1340 Hz.

I'm from Ottawa. Has yours gone down?

 

[Henry1492]

HOW EVERYONE CAN CREATE THEIR OWN NOTCHED MUSIC FOR FREE

In 2010, Okamoto et al reported that there was decrease in the volume of tinnitus sufferers after 12 months of therapy with notched music. (Music where an octave centered around the frequency of tinnitus was cut (notched) with the help of modern technology). Some subsequent studies confirmed the above claims and some did not.

Listening to tailor-made notched music reduces tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related auditory cortex activity

I have had tonal tinnitus for 15 years and I found the way to create my own notched music for free. Please do not ask me if I got any relief since I started only one month ago. So far, it has not made my tinnitus worse. I promise I will come back in about a year and give you the follow up.

The frequency of my tinnitus is 8000 Hz. In my case the bottom of octave is 5674 Hz (8000 divided by 1.41), and the top of octave is at 11.347 (5674 x 2).

1: I went to YouTube, found the song I liked, and converted it into MP3 format by using the below link which I have been using for years and have never had problems with viruses. The link allows you to download up to 30 songs per day from YouTube for free. The length of the song is not limited.

https://www.4kdownload.com/products/youtubetomp3/6

2: I downloaded the free sound program Audacity here:

https://www.audacityteam.org

3: I opened Audacity and chose the song from library:

FILE → OPEN → DESKTOP → LIBRARY → 4K YOUTUBE TO MP3:

PRESS OPEN - THE HIGHLIGHTED SONG WILL DOWNLOAD INTO AUDACITY:

SELECT → ALL:

EFFECT → FILTER CURVE:

NOTCH THE FREQUENCIES BETWEEN BOTTOM AND TOP OF AN OCTAVE CENTERED AROUND FREQUENCY OF YOUR TINNITUS (in my case 5674 to 11347 Hz):

PRESS OK:

EXPORT AS MP3:

CHOOSE BEST QUALITY (INSANE 320 kbps):

PRESS SAVE:

PRESS OK:

YOUR NOTCHED SONG WILL BE STORED IN YOUR AUDACITY FILE:

COPY AND PASTE IT INTO YOUR MP3 PLAYER.

LET US KNOW IN ABOUT 12 MONTHS IF YOU GOT ANY RELIEF. GOOD LUCK!

 

[Xys87]

Hello and thank you very much.

Is the calculation always the same (/1.41 and x2) whatever the frequency of our tinnitus?

Thank you.

 

[Henry1492]

Is the calculation always the same (/1.41 and x2) whatever the frequency of our tinnitus?

Yes, CALCULATION IS ALWAYS THE SAME (/1.41 and x2), regardless of the frequency of tinnitus.

 

[Henry1492]

Today, one year since I began Notched Music Therapy, I feel no difference in my tinnitus. It did not make it worse, it did not make it better.

I will still be using it for a few more months. I will keep you posted.

 

[Henry1492]

Today is exactly a year and a half (18 months) since I have been using Notched Music for at least few hours every single day.

I feel no difference in my tinnitus: it did not make it worse, it did not make it better.

Has anyone had better results?

 

[AbbaZaba]

Today is exactly a year and a half (18 months) since I have been using Notched Music for at least few hours every single day.

I feel no difference in my tinnitus: it did not make it worse, it did not make it better.

Has anyone had better results?

Thanks so much for following up to let us know. I'm just beginning with this today. My sounds are very high pitched, over 8000 Hz, so three hours a day at one hour intervals is what I'm trying.

 

[MrChips13]

I am going to pursue Notch Music therapy. Do I have to use headphones? Can I just play from good stereo speakers in my home office while I work?

 

[GregCA]

I am going to pursue Notch Music therapy. Do I have to use headphones? Can I just play from good stereo speakers in my home office while I work?

I can't think of a reason why it would make a difference. The sound waves hitting your eardrum aren't that different if they come from a headphone vs. stereo speakers. Using speakers will let more environmental sound in since there is no insulation as provided by headphones on your ears, but I'd be surprised if it made any difference, unless you have a very noisy environment.

 

[_Dutchy_]

I've been using notched music therapy for some time now, and I find it very exhausting. It severely triggers my tinnitus while I'm listening, and the music doesn't mask it sufficiently. However, it has been effective for me in the past.

I was wondering if others have had the same experience?