Earplugs

[jdgm]

Played a good one last night (Southampton UK)....

 

Usually I am next to the drummer and last night I finally got the message and used earplugs to attenuate the cymbal crashes.

Don't have 'proper' musicians earplugs so tried some swimming ones. Probably not the best solution but they helped quite a bit.

 

I must have tinnitus after so long, but I don't get any high-pitched noise; what I get is like the low-pitched background hum of machinery and only really notice it when I am lying in bed.

 

Earplugs for me from now on....anyone else use earplugs?

[Vinlander]

yes I do since 1989 when I attended a Metallica concert...

Since that time I never attend a concert or play live without my earplugs.

In my case it is a high pitch frying pan mostly, I learned to live with it.

It is getting more worst when I drink alcohol, when I have a flu or eat certain food.

[sparquelito]

I generally do not have to wear earplugs, but there is one stage setup that we encountered last September at an outdoor event that necessitated the use of them.

 

We were under a metal-roofed pavilion down by the Tennessee River, at an outdoor sports fest.

The sounds at the front of the stage were manageable, but if you got anywhere near the drummer (under the center or apex of the roof) it was PAINFULLY loud.

 

It looks like we are going to load-in and play the same festival again this month, on the 30th of September.

And yes, I'm going to try to convince Bob the drummer to go with his Roland digital kit, as opposed to the Gretsch maple kit.

More volume control that way!

 

 

[Notes_Norton]

I wear earplugs.

 

If the music or the gig is loud, I'll use Etymotic or Westone plugs with a custom fit mold by an audiologist. Note: Tell the audiologist the cast must be very deep and have them make sure the mold is as deep or they won't work.

 

The ER15 has a flat response, the ER25 tapers off a bit on the high, but not nearly as drastic as those foam things.

 

If the volume on stage is under 100db, I'll use active Etymotic Music Pro plugs. They don't attenuate low volumes, so I can still hear what the audience member at his/her two tables behind the dance floor is requesting.

 

Get a SPL meter (sound pressure level), set it "A" weighted and "Slow" response. Do not let anything over 85db hit your eardrums. So if it is 100, use the 15 filter, over 100 use the 25, over 110 get the hell out of there.

 

Your ears are your most important musical instrument. Protect them.

 

Insights and incite by Notes

[merciful-evans]

We dont play loud enough for earplugs, though our bass player disagrees. He wears earplugs.

 

However, I carry industrial grade earplugs on me everywhere. pura-fit

 

I normally use them in supermarkets or anywhere else shrieking children are present.

[glp2012]

Here's my advice...do not buy those cheap foam earplugs you squeeze together and then put in your ear. They are just junk and you get a bunch of finger sweat/grease on them if you have to remove and replace them during the show.

 

I'd invest in a decent pair of earplugs. They probably run about $25+, but are worth the investment.

[Rabs]

Ohh ive had tinnitus for years... Like since my late 20s....

 

I hear it when its quiet most of the time, but in writing about it I can hear it right now... It doesn't effect me badly luckily, most of the time I can just ignore it.. but I have heard that some people get it so bad it becomes painful...

 

The last few times ive been to gigs that are too loud I put my headphone buds in.. that helps :) I also do the same when im using the loud power tools while im working, some of that noise can be ridiculous (like the router)...

 

Also I realised a short while ago that my tinnitus is in the key of G

[Pinch]

Earplugs, yes.

[surfpup]

Sissies!

[merciful-evans]

Here's my advice...do not buy those cheap foam earplugs you squeeze together and then put in your ear. They are just junk and you get a bunch of finger sweat/grease on them if you have to remove and replace them during the show.

 

 

 

I'm sure you know junk when you find it, but in that case you have never used the ones I rely on.

 

The ones I provided the link for are used in tin smith workshops, machine shops and assembly areas (rivets & dollys). Ive worked in these industrial environments for 40 years and workers there are required to use such ear PPE. Foam earplugs Tested and certified to EN 352-2:2002 are proven to protect hearing in these environments, and without them hearing damage would certainly result. So they are not junk.

[cody78]

I've worn earplugs for all practises/ gigs since I was about 17 (that's 15 years ago). During my teenage years we used to rehearse very loudly in a school chapel and I got really bad tinnitus. I would hear a constant loud high pitched whistle whenever I was in a quiet place. On top of this, the first big concert I went to was to see AC/DC in Sheffield when I was 16. The noise levels actually scared me and despite putting lots of tissue paper in my ears for the gig, afterwards my ears whistled worse than ever. From that day forth I took ear protection very seriously. I used Doc's earplugs for many years as they don't affect the sound as much as some of the others do and protect your hearing pretty well, but now I use ones like the ones in the link merciful-evans posted.

 

Over the years my tinnitus has subsided luckily and I don't get that awful high pitched whistling sound anymore.

[glp2012]

We dont play loud enough for earplugs, though our bass player disagrees. He wears earplugs.

 

However, I carry industrial grade earplugs on me everywhere. pura-fit

 

I normally use them in supermarkets or anywhere else shrieking children are present.

 

Sorry, I hadn't seen your post. I was in no way implying what you wrote was not accurate.

 

I've used those foam earplugs in a variety of situations. Yes, they work. However, I have noticed that they get dirty if you have to touch them more than a couple of times and I don't like putting the extra oil and dirt in my ears (this is the junk part). Further, I don't want to carry around a case of them so I bought a more permanent pair.

 

I'm a bass player. I use them because it helps me to hear the bass better. That's probably why your bass player uses them.

[rct]

No.

 

rct

[Digger]

It's wise to look after your ears!

 

I have bad tinnitus and currently have 3 quite different noises in my head!

 

Mine stems from ear damage in Vietnam so I haven't even had the pleasure of playing loud music to cause the problem.

 

Believe me, you don't want this!

[Dennis G]

I've used those foam earplugs in a variety of situations. Yes, they work. However, I have noticed that they get dirty if you have to touch them more than a couple of times and I don't like putting the extra oil and dirt in my ears (this is the junk part). Further, I don't want to carry around a case of them so I bought a more permanent pair..

I go to the Long Beach Grand Prix every year. I've worn the "foam" earplugs there while cars were on track, and can't understand people that don't use some type of ear protection.

If I gigged, I'd certainly invest a few bucks in some "tailor made" ear plugs. For home use, nah. No worse than listening to the radio or your stereo.

[StRanger7032]

Investing in hearing protection is one of the most important things you can do. Do whatever you need to stop the process of hearing loss as soon as you think you are at risk. I got a wake up call in my late 20s when I discovered that I already had minor hearing loss. Playing in a band and hanging out in loud bars in college started the problem. Going into a career involving constant exposure to screaming small boat engines worsened it. I use hearing protection religiously now, which has helped me prevent my hearing loss from getting any worse. I never had tinnitus, thankfully. I am missing some high frequencies, though. A trainee at work this year kept telling me that the brakes were making noise on the truck. I heard nothing at all until they started grinding the rotors and almost failed! I keep the volume on my amp reasonably low when I practice now. My exposure to noise at work has lessened somewhat since I moved and traded boats for fire engines.

[Retired]

1472998436[/url]' post='1796969']

I wear earplugs.

 

If the music or the gig is loud, I'll use Etymotic or Westone plugs with a custom fit mold by an audiologist. Note: Tell the audiologist the cast must be very deep and have them make sure the mold is as deep or they won't work.

 

The ER15 has a flat response, the ER25 tapers off a bit on the high, but not nearly as drastic as those foam things.

 

If the volume on stage is under 100db, I'll use active Etymotic Music Pro plugs. They don't attenuate low volumes, so I can still hear what the audience member at his/her two tables behind the dance floor is requesting.

 

Get a SPL meter (sound pressure level), set it "A" weighted and "Slow" response. Do not let anything over 85db hit your eardrums. So if it is 100, use the 15 filter, over 100 use the 25, over 110 get the hell out of there.

 

Your ears are your most important musical instrument. Protect them.

 

Insights and incite by Notes

 

Just wanted to add, 60db is a normal conversation if your wondering. 90-106db is a lawn mower. 65db is a acoustic guitar not plugged in to a amp or speaker on average. A 100 watt amp can hit 140db and easy for a professional PA system to achieve 160db with good sound quality. It can get louder. The "WHO" is said to hold the record for the loudest rock concert at a sustained 180db. (By the way, I recently whent in and was tested again and have 40% hearing left in the left ear and 60% hearing left in the right ear. And I have to wear ear plugs with ear muffs while mowing now the doctor told me to prevent anymore loss of hearing. Also I'm not supposed to go to any more theater movies as they are too darn loud, No more rock in roll concerts and no target practicing which I seldom did and always used protection for that. I can't hear those high pitches at all and the radio sounds odd to me like things are missing. Music doesn't sound the same as it did like I hear only half the sounds I once knew were there.) Take good care of you hearing guys, it's not fun without them.

[jdgm]

......I can't hear those high pitches at all and the radio sounds odd to me like things are missing. Music doesn't sound the same as it did like I hear only half the sounds I once knew were there.) Take good care of you hearing guys, it's not fun without them.

 

Many thanks for your input. Wow. I am going to remember this one.

[Notes_Norton]

The only way to know if the music is too loud or not, is a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) meter. They aren't expensive and you can find them on-line.

 

Set it to A weighting and Slow response, and if the level is above 85db, you are slowly damaging your ears.

 

Of course, if you don't mind damaging them, I can't tell you what to do, but if you are concerned about hearing when you are older, don't let anything louder than 85db enter your ears.

 

And that goes for movies, television, motorcycles, stadiums, aerobics rooms, night clubs, concerts and so on.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[EVOL!]

I started wearing ear plugs in the nineties after I got tired of the ear fatigue after loud shows. Once you could get higher fidelity plugs I ditched the foam ones. They aren't meant for music and make everything sound muffled. Save those for the firing range or around heavy machinery. Stop being cheap and get yourself a pair of musician's plugs; they won't run you anymore than $20 at the most.

 

Me? Some time around 13 years ago or so I spent the $$$ and got a pair of custom fit plugs from http://www.sensaphonics.com/ . They're right here in Chicago so it was an easy trip. I still have them and wear them religiously; even bring them to environments I know will be loud like sporting events. The filters are top quality and attenuate all frequencies evenly so it is like turning down the volume on your stereo.

[deeman]

I never once wore ear plugs playing a gig. I started wearing ear plugs at practice when I was in college in the early 2000's because I was staring to get tinnitus. I got a $10 pair at Walgreens and I think I am on my second pair. I insert them just far enough to block a small amount of noise. I don't like wearing headphones, I didn't join a rock band to play quiet! Our drummer now uses the sound protection headphones he wears at the gun range. They have a battery so you can still hear but it is much more quiet. They work well, but it just isn't rock n roll to me wearing those...

[G Mac]

I have tried to use earplugs many times but, the music never sounds right and I find that it negatively affects my playing. I have constant tinnitus but, fortunately, am able to live with the sound. Having said that, I would reccomend trying to use earplugs if your hearing is not already damaged. Perhaps one would get used to the sound eventually and save his/her hearing.

[Retired]

Ear plugs are better then the alternative believe me. But noise levels over 100db they don't help much if your playing that loud all the time for long periods. We had a guy from Fort Worth Texas come to Havelock and he did sound noise tests and told us if were subjected to 100db noise levels like what he found in the study for long periods of time we're all going to be deaf. Well, he was right. So before I retired from the BNSF I put in a lawsuit and proved it was from work as I kept all my information since I hired on their. They tested our hearing every year. And I wore the best hearing protection they offered on the market every day for all my railroad career.

[flyingarmadillo]

The only way to know if the music is too loud or not, is a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) meter. They aren't expensive and you can find them on-line.

 

Set it to A weighting and Slow response, and if the level is above 85db, you are slowly damaging your ears.

 

Of course, if you don't mind damaging them, I can't tell you what to do, but if you are concerned about hearing when you are older, don't let anything louder than 85db enter your ears.

 

And that goes for movies, television, motorcycles, stadiums, aerobics rooms, night clubs, concerts and so on.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

 

I found an IOS app that will do it for $0.99. Based on known sources it appears to be fairly accurate although I haven't tested it against a calibrated meter yet. My hearing is not great after several years of theater/stage work and then industrial stuff after that. About an 80% loss on the left, (with constant tinnitus), 20% loss on the right. Protect your ears.

[4Hayden]

Huh what did you say

 

 

4H