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Dipping my toes back in the water

#41
I use the Eargasm model. Seems to work in my situations.
But I don't go to metal or am in loud practice situations. (If I can help it).

The worst was the power trio that I auditioned for several years ago. Doing "swamp rock" as they called it. Actually, they were pretty good originals in that genre. The drag was they practiced in a 12' by 14' bedroom at coliseum levels. I actually stood outside the door in the hallway from the first song on. They never got the hint. :thumbsdown:
 
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#42
I went to many a loud concert in the 1980's when I was a teenager. Stupid volume back then, it seems. I've been wearing earplugs for nearly 40 years.

I recall seeing Judas Priest and Krokus in 1986, my ride could feel the ground vibrating 2 blocks away. :woot:

In 1990, I saw Exodus, Suicidal Tendencies, and Pantera in a small club. Pantera went first (Cowboys From Hell had just come out) and they sounded good. ST went 2nd and they sounded good. Exodus went last, and they were so damn loud, it was just a wall of noise. They sounded like garbage.
 
#44
Plain Old Barry said:
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ER20•Plugs® Earplugs

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They weren't enough for that last band I was in, hence I went the route below. Even that wasn't enough for that band.
Adjectives said:
I use earplugs AND over the ear cans for hearing protection. My drummer and guitarist are loud and not intending to turn down so I usually read 90-105 peak db during rehearsal.
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#46
JazznFunk said:
We have a room locally which hosts pretty major level bands. I've played shows in the room when it was during the week and local bands could get gigs. I saw 311 there about 15 years ago, and even with almost 40db reducing foam earplugs, it hurt to experience the concert.... and it was pure mud. It ruined the show for me, and I had waited years to hear them. As a paying customer, if a show is too loud to be enjoyed safely even with earplugs, I feel cheated out of my money. As a performer, I don't want to know that's happening out front if I am performing either. Louder isn't better. It's just wasted energy, and once your hearing is gone, it's never coming back. I've done everything possible to preserve my hearing since the day I started playing. The first jam session I ever did at 17 or 18 in a small basement room with a loud drummer and guitarist, it felt like knives being stabbed in my ears. I had to stuff toilet paper in them to get through the 'session.' After that, I never played in any situation without at least having earplugs handy. After almost 30 years of playing, recording, and performing, my hearing is still pretty much intact. Don't mess up - plug up.
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In the late'70s we didn't have to play at overly loud volume levels to get the crowd up and dancing and having a general good time at the clubs (Top 40/Disco). :)
roccobass said:
Geez. I hope you had ear plugs the brief time you were there. :oops:
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I did (see post somewhere up above).
turf3 said:
WHAT?

I keep ear plugs (the foam kind from the machine shop) in every instrument case and several pair in each car.

This, boys and girls, is one of the reasons I just walked away from rock and roll. While it is certainly POSSIBLE to play rock and roll at rational volumes, almost nobody does. The ego-macho thing gets involved, the desire to show that you're still young and vibrant gets involved, I'm not involved.

Besides that most of these old guys still trying to rock out at painfully loud volumes aren't very good.
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In the late'70s we didn't have to play at overly loud volume levels to get the crowd up and dancing and having a general good time at the clubs (Top 40/Disco). :) :smug:
 
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#47
The loudest band I've ever heard was at a concert at Schoenberg Hall at UCLA. As we walked into the building the staff was handing out bees wax and warning us about how loud the music was going to be. We didn't last more than a minute or so before bolting for the door. Even standing outside of the building was almost too much.
 
#50
Ostie said:
. I have tinnitus.
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I believe all musicians eventually have Tinnitus. I started contributing to mine when I was in high school band. Us tuba players are always stuck right in front of the drum Corp. The bass players eyes get stuck having a stand next to the drummer. Add more injury I've shot my weight in bullets, finally, probably the worst, I used to work on a drag car race team
 
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#51
I always set the bass about the same volume and cut as the snare. Anyone who can't here that is too loud and should turn down.

Vocals should be clear and unstrained. The music is supposed to a accompany the vocals.

There's 2 ways to assess live sound.
 
#52
FREE got the ultimate compliment from the critics, "great sounding band, but could have been louder".

They were playing with Deep Purple and Manfred Mann.

It's all about the "tones and the playing", "not the volume".
 
#53
Aussie Player said:
I always set the bass about the same volume and cut as the snare. Anyone who can't here that is too loud and should turn down.

Vocals should be clear and unstrained. The music is supposed to a accompany the vocals.

There's 2 ways to assess live sound.
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Should this, should that... Looks like some Bass Guitar Diva here :) Met musicians like this, never work out.
 
#57
Jeff Scott said:
The loudest band I've ever heard was at a concert at Schoenberg Hall at UCLA. As we walked into the building the staff was handing out bees wax and warning us about how loud the music was going to be. We didn't last more than a minute or so before bolting for the door. Even standing outside of the building was almost too much.
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Who was it? I experienced My Bloody Valentine at what was the Palace, circa '91, and while it was amazing, I was unprepared for the decibel level, took me a couple of days to bounce back. I was worried that the roof would vibrate down. And this was after few years of doing small hall PA work, plus Iron Butterfly really doing me in when I was in Jr. High.
 
#58
Michedelic said:
Who was it? I experienced My Bloody Valentine at what was the Palace, circa '91, and while it was amazing, I was unprepared for the decibel level, took me a couple of days to bounce back. I was worried that the roof would vibrate down. And this was after few years of doing small hall PA work, plus Iron Butterfly really doing me in when I was in Jr. High.
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No idea, but pretty sure it was just a local, no-name sludge band doing some PHD research on sound levels and the human brain. This was in the late '80s and my brain still hurts from it.
 
#59
I hate cigarette smoke, I'm mostly a rock player and most rock bands are loud. I'm typecast in my area so that's what I get. If it gets too loud for me onstage it's usually the drummer. I will go in the bathroom and roll up a piece of toilet paper just big enough to go in whichever ear is facing the drummer, works like a charm, with me it's always percussive things that bothers me, loud bass or guitar doesn't. 112 db is right in the ballpark according to the following source and that's most likely from the audience although it doesn't specify. I have been to concerts where it has just been too loud, any inklings of pain and I'm out the door. I'm 71 and still hear well after almost 50 years of playing rock through SVT's. Huh? 🤣


The following from

Noise Sources and Their Effects​


live rock music (108 - 114 dB).

 

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