Everyone earplugged at practice: how retarded is that?

NickInMesa · #1 05-31-2009, 12:07 PM

I auditioned for a band and it did not work out. Straight rock, somewhat heavy.

The one thing I really did not get is this: I personally wear earplugs, because I damaged my ears enough in my teen years (actually managed to puncture my ear drums and am partially deaf to high frequencies in one ear), except when the volume is low, but in this case, it seriously was not.

And everyone was using earplugs...

The drummer was hitting really hard and we had to up our amps. I only brought a Crate Power Block, by the way, 150W into an 8ohm, with a Peavey 210, I was at 50%, but that thing was surprisingly loud. At first they sort of asked me if I would buy a real head if it worked out, then they asked me to lower the volume because I was covering everything

Why wouldn't they simply play at a lower volume without the earplugs?

Earplugs change the sound dramatically, you lose a lot more in the high frequencies than in the lows, and instead of looking at the drummer for cues, I had to stare at the guitarist's hands to determine what chord he was playing (this was an original song, by the way).

I understand earplugs in concert, when you're at eleven and you give the audience the decibels they came for, and since you know your songs, you're fine.

Seriously, how retarded is that?

**TheMutt** · #2 05-31-2009, 12:13 PM

I've done the practice time volume wars before. Not fun stuff. It finally escalated until I'd had enough and blasted the room with lowpass filtered gut-wrenching dub tone lows at full volume. After that, the guitard turned down and the drummer got heavier sticks to play with so that he'd be less inclined to really whack the drums (for fear of tearing the heads).

Best advice I can give you? Spring for some high quality earplugs, and possibly find another band.

infinitetoast · #3 05-31-2009, 12:13 PM

I always wear earplugs at practice, drums can be quite loud up close and personal. I can still hear everything at a comfortable listening level without the need to crank up our amps.

Conversely I've never seen our guitarist wear earplugs and have noticed our practices getting steadily louder since I started with my current band.

If you've already damaged your eardrums, why risk what remaining hearing you have left?

NickInMesa · #4 05-31-2009, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitetoast

Conversely I've never seen our guitarist wear earplugs and have noticed our practices getting steadily louder since I started with my current band.

That's because he is becoming more and more deaf and does not realize how loud he is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitetoast

If you've already damaged your eardrums, why risk what remaining hearing you have left?

That's true, and that's why I took the cue when I saw them all plugging their ears, I asked for some. They were the soft foam type, the ones you mold with the heat of your fingers.

I have better ones, reusable, and with a tube in the middle, which do not remove as much high frequencies.

And oh I already left that band, LOL, I did not fit in, either musically, or for being too much of a geek, or both. They told me I was not good enough (which may be partially true), but I was not going to stay anyway.

Also they were drinking a beer every other song, and I am a teetotaler. I don't mind guys who take a sip of their beer after every song, but beer pauses to chug one whole beer?

I'm here to play, dude.

skidrawk · #5 05-31-2009, 12:22 PM

Does everyone sing? I know I can monitor my voice better and easier if I have a plug in the ear.

NickInMesa · #6 05-31-2009, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skidrawk

Does everyone sing? I know I can monitor my voice better and easier if I have a plug in the ear.

Ah oh yeah they were all backup singing, except for me, because I did not know the song.

smeet · #7 05-31-2009, 12:27 PM

I won't go near a drum set without plugs any more. I have custom molded plugs that leave the high end intact. I would rather play without them, but it just takes one good cymbal crash to really hurt my ears and leave them ringing. My hearing is too important to me.

Steve · #8 05-31-2009, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickInMesa

Seriously, how retarded is that?

On a scale of 1-10?

I'd put it at about 9.5

IMHO

Illbay · #9 05-31-2009, 12:37 PM

I think the high-volume thing is overdone in general. Your volume should be sufficient to have the notes heard by the folks in the hall. Beyond that is just substituting wattage for talent.

My two cents, anyway.

Sound Chaser · #10 05-31-2009, 01:05 PM

Because loud=fun.

infinitetoast · #11 05-31-2009, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickInMesa

That's because he is becoming more and more deaf and does not realize how loud he is.

This much is true, I've told him but some people just won't listen..

The moral of the story is always wear earplugs even during practice, retarded or not.

NickInMesa · #12 05-31-2009, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitetoast

This much is true, I've told him but some people just won't listen..

The moral of the story is always wear earplugs even during practice, retarded or not.

Unless you play at a low level, which can work, you know.

VisualShock · #13 05-31-2009, 01:39 PM

was that some sort of "wont listen" deaf joke?

haha
ahaha
I'm funny

But on a serious note, I wear earplugs for anything louder than bedroom practice, and even then if I've got an empty house i'll wedge them in and turn it up!

Kink Rimson · #14 06-01-2009, 07:20 AM

I wear earplugs at rehearsal because our studio is on the small side, and we can't turn the drums down.

I must admit I'm struggling a little with this - In what way is it 'retarded' to wear ear protection during rehearsal? Occassionally I forget to to take my earplugs, and I suffer for the next day or two...

trailer · #15 06-01-2009, 09:25 AM

I don't get it, it's ok for you to protect your hearing but it's retarded for everyone else too? Mmmkay.
I recently joined a band as a side project, they have a guitar player who is the only one that wears earplugs, is it coincidence that he has the noisiest rig in the room? Feeding back and howling while he's not playing, very annoying.

Ric5 · #16 06-01-2009, 09:41 AM

If the drummer plays acoustic drums and hits them too hard then the volume will be too loud. I played in a band like that years ago in Michigan. We tried a drum sheild but the only time the drummer sounded good was when we went to the studio and he played the digital drums in the studio. We finally had a volume control on the guy. When we played live he would end songs with a doule bass and double cymbal crash that would literally drown out the guitarists full marshall stack. Sometimes when we ended songs I would stop playing and plug both of my ears with my fingers because you couldn't hear me anyway.

You should be able to turn down enough in practice to not need ear protection. Actually I like to always play quiet enough to never need ear protection. Because if it is too loud it just sounds bad, and with ear plugs in it sounds bad as well.

NickInMesa · #17 06-01-2009, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trailer

I don't get it, it's ok for you to protect your hearing but it's retarded for everyone else too? Mmmkay.
I recently joined a band as a side project, they have a guitar player who is the only one that wears earplugs, is it coincidence that he has the noisiest rig in the room? Feeding back and howling while he's not playing, very annoying.

I usually don't wear earplugs but when I saw they were all going to wear them, I decided to ask for some for myself, especially after I was asked to crank up my own amp, knowing what would happen next.

I never plugged my ears in the pasts, the drummer was light handed and we all our amps low enough. Still was loud, but not loud enough to force us to wear plugs.

Rick Auricchio · #18 06-01-2009, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickInMesa

Also they were drinking a beer every other song, and I am a teetotaler. I don't mind guys who take a sip of their beer after every song, but beer pauses to chug one whole beer?

Alcohol dulls the hearing. So as they drink, they need things louder. (Hearing returns after you're sober, assuming you haven't damaged the ears.)

This is one reason people get louder as they drink.

Cosmic Closet · #19 06-01-2009, 11:42 AM

To use the word 'retarded' in a thread involving hearing protection.....I think you get my drift

The impact of sound on ears is vastly underrated.

Working in TV, I could feel, after a day of wearing intercom headsets at normal speaking volume, the fatigue in my ears just from the low-level background hiss of the intercom system. Shouldn't have any effect, right? Well, it did.
I now wear plugs every time, and guess what? My ears feel fresh at the end of the day.

SPL, frequencies, and length of exposure make the 'holy trinity' when it comes to what damages and what doesn't.

Don't screw around with it. Or if you do, don't come back and complain when you have Tinnitus. Seriously.

CC.

NickInMesa · #20 06-01-2009, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cosmic Closet

To use the word 'retarded' in a thread involving hearing protection.....I think you get my drift

What I think is retarded is playing loud and then everyone wearing ear plugs, when it is absolutely not necessary to play loud, and when on top of that earplugs change the sound so much that you may have an issue hearing the lead instruments.

Don't play loud and remove the earplugs, that's my conclusion.