Is it possible to get by with regular earbuds for monitoring?

[capncal]

my band practices louder than hell! my guitarist just can't tolerate turning down. we play much quieter at gigs because the sound guy is just like, turn down or go home. i wear over the ear headphones that i use when i listen to music, or practice along with tracks by myself. also helps me hit the right pitch when singing back up. i don't use them at gigs because it looks funny, and like i said, we are much quieter on stage than at practice.

[cheapbasslovin]

I experimented with the cheap bastard method of in ear technologies when I first started singing. It was a $25 pair of skull candy phones. Yes I could hear myself better than I ever did with traditional monitors (on bass and vocals). Yes it did block out some of the ambient sound. Yes it will be better than what you are running now. No it will not provide ideal isolation. It will get you by until you decide that this is something you want to pursue further or not.

I just wanted to put in my .02 to let you know that a decent solution exists when the ideal one may be out of reach financially.

[csanders]

Getting a good seal on whatever earbuds you try out is going to be vital. I've been trying to work with my church's worship band to get that through their heads for a while now. Getting good isolation (try some Comply Foam sleeves) will greatly help to reduce the volume. Additionally, don't EVER do the one ear open and one IEM thing. You're asking for trouble with that as you'll have to boost your IEM so hard to keep up with the stage/room noise that you'll likely damage your "protected" ear sooner than your open one.

I picked up some UE Triple-Fi buds a few weeks ago and have absolutely loved them. With the comply foams in place, I can sit pretty much inside the snare drum and it will still be comfortable. I can't recommend these things enough. They're fairly cheap (as far as universal fit IEMs go) online and I can hear everything I want to hear, but none of what I don't want.

[Megas3300]

If he is talking about a phase reversing noise cancellation system, then the whole ear bud thing can and should work. I built one entirely homebrew to use in impromptu jams. Obviously not as good as a studio grade unit, but It is a viable option, fight fire with reverse phased fire.

[hoketus]

Originally Posted by MakoMan

There's no venues. This is a jam band only at this point and will most likely remain so.

You're killing your hearing for no reason, then. Everyone needs to turn down, plain & simple.

[MakoMan]

Originally Posted by hoketus

You're killing your hearing for no reason, then. Everyone needs to turn down, plain & simple.

Believe me... if I thought that was an option I would do so. We'll be getting together again Saturday so I'll get to see if the earbuds help.

[PrietoBass]

It ain't worth it.

Good luck to you.

[INTP]

Originally Posted by Flashback Bass

Drums miked through the PA in a jam room???? And just how big is this jam room, and how does the drummer fit his ego in there?

+1

I don't get this at all. This is the path to hearing loss and/or tinnitus.

[hoketus]

Originally Posted by MakoMan

Believe me... if I thought that was an option I would do so. We'll be getting together again Saturday so I'll get to see if the earbuds help.

Why is this not an option? Tell them you're not plugging in until the drum mics are removed, drums muted, and amps are down. If they refuse, just walk. Hearing loss & tinnitus are permanent; I have both and it's just not worth it in the end.

[SteveC]

Lets quit beating around the bush here. Sorry, but this is stupid and there's simply no excuse for a rehearsal - or gig - to be this loud. You are playing in a band of idiots and I question your intelligence for putting up with it.

[bolophonic]

Originally Posted by hoketus

You're killing your hearing for no reason, then. Everyone needs to turn down, plain & simple.

End of thread.

[jordak]

http://www.samash.com/p/Vic%20Firth_...ones_-49989042 these seem to work for Paul Gilbert. Certainly less expensive than custom IEMs.

[MakoMan]

To the folks who say I should not put up with this and ask them to turn down or walk:

I greatly appreciate your advice, and that may be the end result, however I feel I have to give this a chance. I live in a very small town, have been playing bass for only a year and have been looking for folks - particularly a drummer - to jam with locally for all of that time with zero luck.
Currently I jam with a band about an hour's drive away. They are very reasonable with their volume, great guys and we all love the same music. It's a great fit. Two problems... we don't get together often enough and it's a long way to drive, particularly on a weeknight. It's pretty late by the time I get home.
This latest drummer is about 10 minutes away and has an amazing jam setup... You would honestly have to see it to believe it. He's also a very nice guy and we'll be jamming on weekends rather than weeknights, which is far more my preference and won't conflict with the other band at all. The negatives are he is into 'progressive rock' (Rush, Porcupine Trees etc.) which quite frankly is not my bag at all, and right now, it's way too loud. I'm more of a classic rock guy who would prefer to play at a reasonable volume.
The two times we have gotten together so far is the ONLY TIME I have had an opportunity to play with a drummer, other than once a month with the other band previously mentioned. Most of the time I am practicing by myself with a drum machine or along to my MP3. This is an opportunity to jam with a real live drummer just around the corner every weekend and get a lot more practice in than I have been able. While it was loud, I can honestly say the two jams we've had so far helped my playing significantly and we managed to mix it up between some of his progressive stuff and mostly my stuff and the guitarist's (also into Classic Rock). We're getting together again both days this weekend, otherwise I'd be stuck at home doing the usual playing with myself LOL! BTW the guitarist likes classic rock as well and he is working on getting things turned down a bit too.
I want to give it a month. I'll use the earbuds to protect my hearing, see if we can agree on music and try to get things turned down a bit. If it doesn't work out, so be it, but if I don't give it a shot I'll never know if we could reach common ground both musically and volume wise.
Yes, the drummer has a bit of an ego. However in all honesty... he is pretty darn good, a super nice guy, and he provides the location and all the gear. All I have to do is plug in.
Right now the good is outweighing the bad and some of the bad I may ultimately be able to change myself. We'll see how it goes.

[hoketus]

Originally Posted by SteveC

Lets quit beating around the bush here. Sorry, but this is stupid and there's simply no excuse for a rehearsal - or gig - to be this loud. You are playing in a band of idiots and I question your intelligence for putting up with it.

Let's not insult anyone's intelligence. Fact is, lack of awareness about the science of hearing loss is a huge problem. I played in 'too loud' situations for years & years. But the ringing in my ears (I have tinnitus in my left ear, no doubt from 10,000-odd 'too loud' snare hits) was a wake up call. Bottom line is that you can't replace those hairs and it's not worth it in the end, so it's our collective responsibility to educate.

Originally Posted by MakoMan

To the folks who say I should not put up with this and ask them to turn down or walk:

I greatly appreciate your advice, and that may be the end result, however I feel I have to give this a chance. I live in a very small town, have been playing bass for only a year and have been looking for folks - particularly a drummer - to jam with locally for all of that time with zero luck.
Currently I jam with a band about an hour's drive away. They are very reasonable with their volume, great guys and we all love the same music. It's a great fit. Two problems... we don't get together often enough and it's a long way to drive, particularly on a weeknight. It's pretty late by the time I get home.
This latest drummer is about 10 minutes away and has an amazing jam setup... You would honestly have to see it to believe it. He's also a very nice guy and we'll be jamming on weekends rather than weeknights, which is far more my preference and won't conflict with the other band at all. The negatives are he is into 'progressive rock' (Rush, Porcupine Trees etc.) which quite frankly is not my bag at all, and right now, it's way too loud. I'm more of a classic rock guy who would prefer to play at a reasonable volume.
The two times we have gotten together so far is the ONLY TIME I have had an opportunity to play with a drummer, other than once a month with the other band previously mentioned. Most of the time I am practicing by myself with a drum machine or along to my MP3. This is an opportunity to jam with a real live drummer just around the corner every weekend and get a lot more practice in than I have been able. While it was loud, I can honestly say the two jams we've had so far helped my playing significantly and we managed to mix it up between some of his progressive stuff and mostly my stuff and the guitarist's (also into Classic Rock). We're getting together again both days this weekend, otherwise I'd be stuck at home doing the usual playing with myself LOL! BTW the guitarist likes classic rock as well and he is working on getting things turned down a bit too.
I want to give it a month. I'll use the earbuds to protect my hearing, see if we can agree on music and try to get things turned down a bit. If it doesn't work out, so be it, but if I don't give it a shot I'll never know if we could reach common ground both musically and volume wise.
Yes, the drummer has a bit of an ego. However in all honesty... he is pretty darn good and he provides the location and all the gear. All I have to do is plug in.
Right now the good is outweighing the bad and some of the bad I may ultimately be able to change myself. We'll see how it goes.

You have your reasons, I'm sure. I'm just asking that you don't make the same mistakes I did when I was starting out. I have many friends with persistent tinnitus. Plain & simple: you hear a high-pitched whine. Mine comes & goes. But, it's there. For life. I'm only 23 years old and I've already lost some of my highs. And guess what - they ain't coming back. Ever. I want to see you enjoying playing & listening to music for the rest of your life without worrying about these issues. And bottom line is that these gentlemen are going to cause permanent hearing damage if they continue to rehearse this way. Don't be like them. It's just not worth it.

[MakoMan]

Originally Posted by hoketus

Let's not insult anyone's intelligence. Fact is, lack of awareness about the science of hearing loss is a huge problem. I played in 'too loud' situations for years & years. But the ringing in my ears (I have tinnitus in my left ear, no doubt from 10,000-odd 'too loud' snare hits) was a wake up call. Bottom line is that you can't replace those hairs and it's not worth it in the end, so it's our collective responsibility to educate.
You have your reasons, I'm sure. I'm just asking that you don't make the same mistakes I did when I was starting out. I have many friends with persistent tinnitus. Plain & simple: you hear a high-pitched whine. Mine comes & goes. But, it's there. For life. I'm only 23 years old and I've already lost some of my highs. And guess what - they ain't coming back. Ever. I want to see you enjoying playing & listening to music for the rest of your life without worrying about these issues. And bottom line is that these gentlemen are going to cause permanent hearing damage if they continue to rehearse this way. Don't be like them. It's just not worth it.

I appreciate the advice, and that won't happen. Believe me... I understand completely. Obviously I have a concern or I would not have posted the thread in the first place right after the first weekend of jamming with these folks. I have no intention of damaging my hearing.
The drummer is using $700 custom earbuds so his hearing is very well protected (to answer the inevitable question... no, I don't understand why he has to be so loud considering he is wearing earbuds and we'll be discussing that further). I'll be using my earbuds this weekend and bringing along a pair of shooting earmuffs with me to wear over them in case the buds are not enough protection.
I do agree with everyone that the ultimate solution is to both wear earbuds AND convince the boys to turn it down. In the long run this experience may be the best thing that could happen, as it has made me very aware of the potential for hearing damage.

[MakoMan]

Originally Posted by SteveC

Lets quit beating around the bush here. Sorry, but this is stupid and there's simply no excuse for a rehearsal - or gig - to be this loud. You are playing in a band of idiots and I question your intelligence for putting up with it.

Thanks for the kind words. I'm not sure why so many morons on TB feel the need to insult inexperienced folks who ask legitimate questions rather than simply providing advice, but it seems to happen a lot. You'd think someone who had been a member here since '04 would know better, but apparently that is not the case ...

[SteveC]

Originally Posted by MakoMan

Thanks for the kind words. I'm not sure why so many morons on TB feel the need to insult inexperienced folks who ask legitimate questions rather than simply providing advice, but it seems to happen a lot. You'd think someone who had been a member here since '04 would know better, but apparently that is not the case ...

I was simply giving a straight forward answer that many others were sugar coating. It's stupid to put your hearing/health in that situation - no matter how small the town. There are better people to play with anywhere - no matter how small.

It's the same thing I have told many guys I play with...in church, in clubs, wherever. People need to protect their hearing, and very often there is simply NO EXCUSE for being that loud. Ask almost any other experienced player.

Get a thicker skin. I have been "told off" by members of TB before about a few stupid things I have done - still do if you ask some.

[chuck norriss]

Originally Posted by MakoMan

Long story short. I auditioned for a jam band consisting of a drummer and guitarist over the weekend and they liked me.
The drummer has a custom built jam room, complete with a recording sound booth, so it is an amazing practice spot. The one issue is they both play with in-ear monitors and they play loud. My ears were ringing by the end of a 3 hour session.
The drummer says all I need is a set of earbuds and he can plug me into the system to greatly reduce my volume.
My question is, seeing as how I have no idea how long this will last are there standard earbuds which will do for this purpose? Not sure I want to get a set of Shures or Ultimate Ears right off the bat for something that may not last. I really don't have a use for in ear monitor earbuds for any other reason that when I get together this these guys (bi weekly).
Thanks in advance.
For the record, I'm 52 and have perfect hearing, mostly due to only having started to play bass a year ago. I never played music prior to the age of 50, so really never had the exposure to loud volumes that some on this board have had.

Nice music master.

[MakoMan]

Originally Posted by SteveC

I was simply giving a straight forward answer that many others were sugar coating. It's stupid to put your hearing/health in that situation - no matter how small the town. There are better people to play with anywhere - no matter how small.

It's the same thing I have told many guys I play with...in church, in clubs, wherever. People need to protect their hearing, and very often there is simply NO EXCUSE for being that loud. Ask almost any other experienced player.

Get a thicker skin. I have been "told off" by members of TB before about a few stupid things I have done - still do if you ask some.

Exactly what have I done that is stupid? I showed up at a jam and found it too loud. I told the guys it was too loud for me, got them to turn down as much as I could and wore earplugs for most of my jam, even though I had never used them before and found it very uncomfortable. I'm trying to get reasonable advice on how to handle the situation and I've clearly stated if I can't solve the problem I'll go back to practicing alone in my basement. What exactly about that made you 'question' my intelligence in the first place? When you tell the 'many guys you play with' in person the importance of protecting their hearing in person do you question their intelligence?... do you call them idiots? I bet not.
There is no justification to 'tell off' anyone on TB. Unless of course they've tried to tell you off first

[MakoMan]

Originally Posted by chuck norriss

Nice music master.

Thanks! She's a dream to play