Hearing Loss and Ear Plugs

[carlthegroover]

Just another thing. How do custom earplugs and earplugs out of a shelf compare? Is it really that much a difference?

[cheapimitation]

There should laws (and strict enforcement) prohibiting clubs and concert venues from having sound pressure levels above the threshold of hearing damage (80 db?) in any area of the premises at any time. Severe, and would totally change the culture, but kids at shows just don't wear plugs, even if they are given free at the door, and they need to be protected. Adults too, of course. I often play outdoor shows and see parents dancing a few feet from the mains with a toddler in their arms. Insanity.

Originally Posted by totallyfrozen

Speaking of loud, did you go to the Daughtry concert on Wednesday night?
Like an idiot, I forgot to bring earplugs with me. The sound in the Sullivan Area is ultra shrill at EVERY concert I've gone to there! My ears were ringing for 2 days (literally).

[Esquillama]

Originally Posted by carlthegroover

Just another thing. How do custom earplugs and earplugs out of a shelf compare? Is it really that much a difference?

The custom plugs are a much better fit(obviously), and give an even cut across frequency range. The ones off the shelf will cut db, but you tend to get that "muffled" sound. I've noticed with my custom plugs that I can hear things more clearly because some of the ambient "white noise" is removed.
I'm no expert, these are just my personal observations.

[carlthegroover]

Originally Posted by Esquillama

The custom plugs are a much better fit(obviously), and give an even cut across frequency range. The ones off the shelf will cut db, but you tend to get that "muffled" sound. I've noticed with my custom plugs that I can hear things more clearly because some of the ambient "white noise" is removed.
I'm no expert, these are just my personal observations.

It makes sense. I've bought some earplugs supposedly designed for musicians and give it a try, but as soon as I get some proper health insurance I will get an appointment with a physician and get custom earplugs.

For now, the shelf ones will have to do.

Certainly this thread is an eye opener. Maybe I did think about loudness before, but not until being in a band did I realize just how loud it can get. And with the stories here... that's enough to wham some sense into me. I certainly don't want to lose my hearing or be tortured by endless noise in my eardrums.

[invader3k]

Just got a pair of custom Westone ear plugs a couple weeks ago. They cost $150, but are well worth it. I got tired of how the generic "mushroom cap" ones I had been using would fall out all the time. The Westones really stay in well without being uncomfortable.

[saxnbass]

Just thought I'd link this in this thread.

Foam Ear Plug Trial Pack: Try 'Em All! (34 Assorted Pairs) - Ear Plug Assortment Packs

I ordered the set yesterday for motorcycling. I'm not happy with the ones from the local Wallgreens and CVS stores. If you have a hard time finding plugs that fit and work well for you, try out that pack, I'm sure something in there will work for you.

[sickest beast]

Originally Posted by cheapimitation

There should laws (and strict enforcement) prohibiting clubs and concert venues from having sound pressure levels above the threshold of hearing damage (80 db?) in any area of the premises at any time. Severe, and would totally change the culture, but kids at shows just don't wear plugs, even if they are given free at the door, and they need to be protected. Adults too, of course. I often play outdoor shows and see parents dancing a few feet from the mains with a toddler in their arms. Insanity.

where do we draw the line though? why should tax money (our money) go to policing ignorant people? we're talking about a huge strain on resources in order to protect people from themselves. it just doesn't work.

instead of enforcing laws prohibiting loud music (im sorry, the idea even sounds rediculous) they could take the same money and spend it on education campaigns targeted at young kids in schools to explain to them how important taking care of your hearing is.

I don't mean to sound critical, but we can't keep asking the government to look out for us.

[klejst]

I should really start using some sort of ear plugs. My band uses a in-ear metronome, but I should at least plug my other ear because I play in a really loud rock band.

[ksandvik]

As for the difference between musician/custom fit earplugs and good earplugs from the shelf that do not filter out high end (like ER-15s). Basically the custom ones fit your ear really well so you don't even notice they are there. They also have various filters so you could switch between 15dB (normal clubs) to 25db (metal rock shows.).

Anyway, any hearing protection is better than no at all -- that's plain stupid. Like slowly carving your fingers off.

[Esquillama]

So we're playing 4 nights at this casino.
The first night goes just fine, then the second night we start and I'm thinking,"Holy crap is this loud!"
Then I realize I forgot to put my earplugs in.
I had to play the whole first set without them. It wasn't earsplittingly loud, we don't even use amps onstage, but it was louder than I was used to, and I really noticed not having the plugs in.

So now I will be sure to put them in before we begin. I guess a little reminder is good once in a while.

[JamiePalm3r]

Originally Posted by Esquillama

The custom plugs are a much better fit(obviously), and give an even cut across frequency range. The ones off the shelf will cut db, but you tend to get that "muffled" sound. I've noticed with my custom plugs that I can hear things more clearly because some of the ambient "white noise" is removed.
I'm no expert, these are just my personal observations.

I've always hated wearing plugs because one, I find them really uncomfortable and two, muffling effect drives me crazy. Why has it never occurred to me to look into customization!?

Now I know where my next paycheck is going.

[Precision Pete]

I haven't read all the posts here because i haven' got that much time but, can anyone tell me if they have tried Comply ear plugs ? They look ok for the money. are there any other cheap brands that do an ok job and allow you to hear ?? I thought wearing something would be better than nothing until i get a chance to have better ones made.

[Rumblestiltskin]

I have medium tinnitus and I attribute it to all that loud playing back in the day. I tried earplugs back then ...but just the industrial ones, and they cut all the wrong frequencies and I couldn't function...especially being lead vox as well.....
Well ...now I'm paying...and to top it all off I have awoken from a slumber of many years (see screen name) and am at it again...now I'm really interested in ear protection!
Thing is, down here in the antipodes as far as I know we dont have people who understand 'custom fitted' music oriented earplugs. Luckily, the sort of stuff I'm envolved in now is a little more ambient Whew!

[JazznFunk]

I posted this originally about 3 years ago, but wanted to re-post for the benefit of those who are new to the thread. Don't screw around with your ears, folks... wear earplugs, even in relatively 'quiet' settings. Maintain your ears the way you (should) maintain all your other equipment.
------------------
I've shared my story before, but this thread brought it out of the coffers of my mind again. When I first started playing music over 15 years ago, I did my first jam session in a drummer friend's basement. The guitarist brought a small combo in and proceeded to crank it... this one of the first formal jam session experiences I'd ever been a part of so I had no idea what to expect. My ears hurt from the first few notes we played, and I spent half the session tapping my notes on the fingerboard so I could keep one hand over one ear, and my other ear buried in my shoulder. No one would turn down, no one had any earplugs. Each cymbal crash and guitar line felt like a knife going into my eardrum. I stuffed some toilet paper in my ears to help calm things down, but it did little to help. The session ended soon after. BUT, I learned my lesson.

After that ONE session I vowed never to practice or gig in any situation without ear protection, or without having it readily available. A drummer I work with regularly wears custom plugs and our rule of thumb is that if the volume gets uncomfortable for us wearing 'hi-fi' filters, it's *past* time to turn down. That rarely happens, though. Also, never forget to bring your earplugs to concerts that you are attending either... I can't go hear 99% of live gigs without needing my plugs. What's 'comfortable' or 'normal' for other folks is painful and damaging to those who regularly use hearing protection.

So, fast-forward to 15 years later and after using hearing protection on tons of gigs in various genres (even 'quiet' jazz gigs), my hearing is nearly as good now as it was then. I used foam earplugs for the longest time but finally got some proper 'musician's earplugs', the Hearos Hi-Fi plugs. I always suggest these to my musician friends. If you can't afford custom plugs, I say go with these. They are usually around $12-15 for a set and last a good while. I've gone through 4 pairs in 4 years... not bad for the money. Plus, you can disassemble and clean them.

In short, if you are a musician, you need earplugs. Wear them even when you don't think you need them... and especially wear them during sound check when mics are moving and levels are getting tweaked. You never know when that blast of banshee feedback will happen.

All the ego-centric guys out there who think plugs are 'un cool' or think they take away from the music are missing one very important point... if you can't HEAR, you can't make music!

[SoCalBassman]

New to this thread.

I messed up my ears just recently (a couple of years ago) by using the ear plug monitors and not knowing how to adjust the sound and volume correctly. I now have what I believe is mild tinnitus that I trace back to the time I started using the ear monitors. I'm not sure if the ringing is 24-7 because I don't always hear it but do notice it when there is no background noise. All my playing time now is with low to medium volume and I don't need to worry about the ear protection but, like others have said, take care of your ears because without them you'll be relying on your sense of feel to carry a beat.

[kdjord]

This is a fantastic thread. I recently came down with mild/moderate tinnitus after testing out a new 100watt electric guitar amp [on 2/10] for about an hour. But the worst part is the hyperacusis that I have been dealing with for the past 6 months. Hyperacusis is essentially a collapsed tolerance to sound. Essentially, sounds that don't bother most people cause pain, sensations of fullness, thumping, etc. in the ears. A lot of people in this thread have described prototypical hyperacusis symptoms when referring to their own issues. It goes hand in hand with tinnitus.

Fortunately, there is a treatment called tinnitus retraining therapy [TRT] that can essentially retrain your auditory system and reduce tinnitus and hyperacusis. I am probably going to try it since my hyperacusis has left me with difficulty listening to music/etc. even at 70-75dB. It is an expensive therapy, but if you get to my level of problems you'll be looking for help, especially if you are a music fanatic like me.

Just a note... I only have very mild high frequency loss in my left ear as of my last audiogram. No typical noise-induced notches at 2-6 kHz. My neuro-otologist says that this could have resulted from a virus or ear infection in the past [both ear drums have scarring], but it's hard to say. I did have a nasty ear infection in my left ear in 2009 that required a week of antibiotics to clear up.

My recent issues with hyperacusis have scared the pants off me, though. I just received my custom ear plugs in addition to my in-ear monitors.

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by SoCalBassman

I messed up my ears just recently (a couple of years ago) by using the ear plug monitors and not knowing how to adjust the sound and volume correctly.

Originally Posted by kdjord

I just received ...my in-ear monitors.

Be careful with your new in-ear monitors.

[kurosawa]

My band was getting fitted for those custom plugs where they squeeze something into your ears and make plugs from the patterns. There are little baffles that attenuate the sound musically, that is, evenly across the frequency spectrum.

But after my sound man researched plugs in general, I wore foamy plugs instead. They cut WAY more dBs, and compared to the possibility of hearing loss, I don't give a rat's about having a hi-fi experience. That's for the paying customers. I could hear enough to do my job.

[duff beer]

Originally Posted by carlthegroover

How much would a pair of custom earplugs cost, ballpark?

Once you have tinnitus, you would gladly pay 10 or 20 times what custom earplugs cost to get rid of it...unfortunately, you can't.

[bass151]

This looks like a long thread which I really don't have time to read but just any FYI. I've been playing bass for 35 years and usually gig or got out to see local bands once a week. I have never worn ear protection and fortunately my hearing is still quite good so far. Have stood inf front of as many as 12 15's in my younger days and the old ears still work. So I wake up about a week ago and can't hear anything out of my right ear. Talk about getting scared straight. Was pretty sure it was just wax build up in my ear and after using drops and rinses for 5 days I finally got it opened. Not fun and can't imagine anything like that permantly. So without spending a lot of money I thing I want to try some ear protection. Any ideas for a dumb ass?