• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Ear Damage

#21
Stumbo said:
When I got mine, I got them to make me a solid set (no opening for the filters) so I can use them for max. sound reduction for working on equipment/sleeping, etc. and still have the comfort.
Click to expand...

How do the solids work for you? I've got a set that I had made for when I ride motorcycles (helmet noise can be deafening), and also for shooting. I've worn them at concerts, and almost prefer the music with them in (cuts out all the high frequency noise), but have never tried them while I'm playing on stage, as I think they will mute things too much. We play Americana/Folk and aren't that loud (we'll most of the time). Was looking into having a set made with filters, probably still will, just curious as I may try my solids in the interim.
 
#22
fearceol said:
Cotton or paper in the ears is not a good idea. A friend used to do this, and at one stage he could not remove the paper, as it had gone in too far. It was in there for a week and his ear began to go septic. Besides, cotton or paper do not insulate the ears from loud noise.

If you are going to protect your ears (which is strongly recommended), then it is worth doing right.
Click to expand...

I make sure it's big enough so that exact thing doesn't happen.

and how does it not protect my ears from loud noise?
 
#23
I've used these for 5 years and they still work brilliantly. Great investment!

Link Removed

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

er20chart.png
 
#25
coronado3 said:
yep... mine too.

Anyone besides me have tinnitus? It sucks!
Click to expand...

Sorry, I can't hear you because of the ringing in my left ear.

Seriously, I bough a pair of Hearos. I put them in while attending a concert, thinking I waas being rude, but I got these things for a reason. It turned out to be the first time I could understand the lyrics of this band. So not only did they increase my enjoyment of the evening becakuse my head wasn't ringing, but I had a better understanding of the music.

I don't practice my drums, which are in a tight space, without them. (Response to teh post about cymbals. Snare drkums are not our friends in this area, either.)
 
#26
+1 on earplugs. I plan to go custom moulded at some point. Yes they are expensive but a) what price your hearing; and b) we don't think twice about dropping £300 on spectacles, why not spend £100 on ear protection?

At the moment I'm using Docs Pro Plugs. So far they are the better of the budget plus I've tried. The etymotic/hearos style are just not comfy enough for my ears and sound too muffled. The Docs take that harsh top end off the cymbals and guitar amps nicely yet still sound clear.

The other thing you can try (but good luck convincing the guitarist) is to get them to turn their cabs around to face the wall. A lot of them claim they need to play tube amps and 4x12"s loud to get the tone, and there's some truth in that. Short of buying a powersoak, turning the cab to face the wall can soak up a lot of the volume without sacrificing tone.

One of my guitarists has even done this at function gigs where we've had to keep volume down to a minimum.
 
#27
I carry around a set of Alpine earplugs with me all the time in a keychain pill-container. They're pretty low-profile, so people usually can't tell when I'm wearing them. Your ears are a very important and finite commodity, and you'd be surprised at how often you may be in a potentially damaging situation.

I do my best not to turn my music too loud in the car or on my iPod. I wear earplugs at band practice and in music venues. My drummer, on the other hand, refuses to practice with earplugs. But I cannot stress enough how painful it is when I take them out during band practice. If you're in any situation that requires you to raise your voice to be heard, makes it difficult to hear someone a few feet away from you, causes speech to sound muffled or dull after you leave the noisy area, or causes pain or ringing after exposure to the noise, you're at risk of doing permanent damage. Higher frequencies especially should be avoided.

Today's world is far more amplified than that of our elderly relatives. Imagine how much more prevalent hearing loss will be for our generation. I could go into statistics, but I just want to make the point: Save your ears. As a musician they are your livelihood. Do everything you can and take every opportunity to do whatever it takes to protect your ears.
 
#28
fearceol said:
If tissue paper protected your ears from loud music, do you not think that everyone would be using it and not spending hard earned money on proper ear plugs ? I am not an ear specialist, but I guarantee, if you ask any, they will tell you that tissue paper is useless. :rollno:
Click to expand...

i know lot's of people who put cotton in their ears, actually. Sure it's not ideal, but it still lessens the noise...

that's like saying plugging your ears with your fingers doesn't protect them from loud music, because hey, they aren't earplugs.
 
#30
Yes, I have been dealing with it for about 6 years now, and it really affected my sleep for the first couple of months until I got a white noise machine. It is an alarm clock that has a variety of ambient sounds like rain, babbling brooks, summer night (my fav. - the crickets sing around the same frequency as my ringing!), city noise, etc.

I went over 2 weeks without real sleep and it just about drove me mad.... Thank god for the sound machine. There are also CD's with these sounds as well.

Anyone else use one?
 
#32
A way to greatly improve the cotton/paper trick is to add water and shape it into earplugs. The water helps to seal your ears and protects a LOT better. A nice trick if you're broke or just lost your plugs. I used soft toilet paper with water for years. The only downside is the sound. It's not nice, but it protects your ears, and that's more important IMO.
I switched to in-ear monitors and will never go back.
 
#33
Erich Bruning said:
How do the solids work for you? I've got a set that I had made for when I ride motorcycles (helmet noise can be deafening), and also for shooting. I've worn them at concerts, and almost prefer the music with them in (cuts out all the high frequency noise), but have never tried them while I'm playing on stage, as I think they will mute things too much. We play Americana/Folk and aren't that loud (we'll most of the time). Was looking into having a set made with filters, probably still will, just curious as I may try my solids in the interim.
Click to expand...

Solid ear plugs cut out to much of the high end. I can't even hear the keyboards.

What I'm going to try next time is a combo: one-solid on the left side(where the guitar amp sits) and one 15db on the right side so I can hear the keys.
 
#34
http://www.abelard.org/hear/hear.php

The problem is compounded by the enviroment and it can be a one hit chance. Get it wrong and it is gone, not coming back, gone forever. How do you know you got it wrong...your deaf.

It has cumlitive effects like tinitus, hard of hearing, unable to detect sound, so that can be done over time. Ear plugs are DB and frequency inhibiters as well as letting the ear drum move. If you get the cotton wool or other tricks mentioned wrong and create a vaccum because of a blocked nose or a cough or sneeze, well that could be a one hit chance, so why take the risk?
Remember you could end up lossing or damaging an overlapping function like balance, smell, etc. never mind your hearing...think ear, nose and throat clinics........ why? Overlapping functions

There are plenty products out there to suit different budgets, so take your pick and remember they are better than nothing.:D
 
#36
THIS!
scrolldown.jpg

So Low Bass said:
Cymbals can be real killers!
Click to expand...

Your ear has very small hairs in it of different lengths. Just like when you fret the bass and change the pitch by changing the length of the part of the string that vibrates over the pickups; when you hear a sound, hairs of various legnths in your ear vibrate. That's a simple way to explain how you can hear different frequencies and pitches. So, when you hear a certain pitch too loudly, over time the hairs that receive that pitch become "worn out" so to speak. When that happens, you have hearing loss in that pitch range. Unfortunately, you also get ringing in our ears at that pitch too--which can drive you nuts!

So if you bombard your ears with bass tones, you will eventually be hard of hearing in the bass range and if you bombard your hearing with high pitch tones (like those freakin' crash cymbals) you will have hearing loss in the higher ranges. Combine the two, and you'll end up with a real hearing nightmare! You'll go from "kick a** bass god"--to--"the guy who reads the Closed Captioning on the TV". :hmm:
 
#37
TortillaChip520 said:
i know lot's of people who put cotton in their ears, actually. Sure it's not ideal, but it still lessens the noise...

that's like saying plugging your ears with your fingers doesn't protect them from loud music, because hey, they aren't earplugs.
Click to expand...
True...I guess. But fingers?...well...Your fingers should only be used as a last resort--like when your wife's nagging you to death and your about to go insane. :eyebrow:
 
#39
funkygroover694 said:
Hey guys! I was wondering about ear damage and how to prevent it. I've had some people say to turn down my amp because I might damage my ears. I usually keep it at about halfway when I don't have headphones in, and at around 1 or 2 with headphones in. So if you have any advice on how to protect my ears. Thanks!

Rock on :bassist:
Click to expand...

I'd say the idea of reducing volume is certainly the best and first which comes to mind. I would also offer up the idea of giving your hearing a break (at any volume) by taking periodic breaks from what you are doing now (volume up 1/2 without headphones, or volume 'round 1 or 2 with headphones. Ear fatigue. It is important to keep in mind as well. Just turn off the amp and take off the headphones and play minus either item, from time to time.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back