Hearing Loss and Ear Plugs

[LowFactor]

Well yes it looks like they do have ear plugs attenuators built in. Not super familiar with the brand. Have seen them a few times on the road... looks interesting. Would worry about low frequency loss though they say that doesn’t happen. If you need IEMs give them a try.
I personally always carry earplugs in my pocket just in case. Using those for earplugs would be a little bulky to carry around.

 

[Auspuff]

Too bad this information was not out when I was in a band, went to that, one, certain Metallica Concert, and worked on jet aircraft.

 

[cableguy]

After much prodding by my wife, I went to an audiologist to have my hearing checked. Confirming my suspicions, I have permanent damage in my right ear. (I blame not only myself, but the damn drummers who are always to my right) Thankfully my left ear is OK. The damage is enough that the Dr. recommended a hearing aid for my right ear.

I've played 40 years, the 1st 20 without hearing protection. So, now it looks like I will look into the world a in-ear monitors as a way to help control the volume I subject me ears to. A little about me. I now play everything from loud original hard to lower volume worship. I'm hoping in-ears will allow me to hear things that my ear plugs blocked out, only at a much lower volume. As has been mentioned 1000 times on this forum, use hearing protection. I won't tell anyone to turn down as I love the feeling of loud music, just protect your ears and keep rocking.

 

[juggahnaught]

I'm in the same boat. I went to an audiologist this morning and it seems that the motorcycles and music have definitely done their damage - I have severe attenuation above 3khz.

I've had tinnitus for a long while (plus sinus and allergy issues for most of my life) and I just live with it - it doesn't annoy me, it's just a thing I have. The issue is when I need to hear soft sounds and I can't.

I've been wearing earplugs recently (Eargasms) during practice because it's been necessary - poopie's just loud between a guitarist and a drummer, unforunately - but I'm honestly thinking about all of the concerts and practices I've had in the past where I could have utilized them and didn't. Kind of sucks, but at least it's not affecting my life negatively.

Due to playing with loud drummers and guitar players, though, I'm definitely hopping aboard the IEM train. I'm tired of having to turn up to get a good mix, and I'm definitely tired of being next to a snare drum. Snares cut like crazy (so do cymbals, but I barely notice that anymore - that's probably the hearing loss, heh) and so I have to wear earplugs when I play, but then I have to be loud enough to hear myself through earplugs, which is too loud anyway.

I got my molds made this morning and I'm probably going to grab a set of Westone custom molded IEMs at some point in the near future. I'm honestly glad that I did the test this morning - I knew I had loss, but I figured it was above 10k, not 3k! I'm lucky that it's not worse than it is and I'm lucky that it doesn't really have an effect on my everyday life. But I want to keep playing music, and I don't want my hearing to get worse. So yup - it's custom plugs and IEMs.

 

[adudenamedruby]

I went to the audiologist yesterday morning and got a hearing test and was pleasantly surprised, actually. Despite having worked in a bar for just under a decade and being exposed to loud music quite frequently, I've suffered no real hearing loss, with 11db as my biggest hearing loss dip, while I'm still at about 0db to -7db loss well up into the 18.5k range. The audiologist, when I came out of the booth, said to me, "You sure you're 35?" haha. So that was good news which I definitely did not expect.

Anyway, I also got ear molds done, got them approved by 64Audio, and sent them in. I'll be picking up a pair of custom earplugs later this month (with both -15 and -20db filters to see what works better for me). And maybe in a few years, when I can "realistically" justify them, a pair of IEMs (though I do sort of have GAS for a good pair of IEMs now, when I don't actually really need them, as I'm just learning bass).

Good to hear that everyone's on board the ear protection train.
And thanks for this really amazing and informative thread, everyone!

 

[juggahnaught]

I went to the audiologist yesterday morning and got a hearing test and was pleasantly surprised, actually. Despite having worked in a bar for just under a decade and being exposed to loud music quite frequently, I've suffered no real hearing loss, with 11db as my biggest hearing loss dip, while I'm still at about 0db to -7db loss well up into the 18.5k range. The audiologist, when I came out of the booth, said to me, "You sure you're 35?" haha. So that was good news which I definitely did not expect.

Anyway, I also got ear molds done, got them approved by 64Audio, and sent them in. I'll be picking up a pair of custom earplugs later this month (with both -15 and -20db filters to see what works better for me). And maybe in a few years, when I can "realistically" justify them, a pair of IEMs (though I do sort of have GAS for a good pair of IEMs now, when I don't actually really need them, as I'm just learning bass).

Good to hear that everyone's on board the ear protection train.
And thanks for this really amazing and informative thread, everyone!

Man, I'm jealous. I think I have the hearing of someone much older, unfortunately. It means that I can't really trust anything that I mix, which is really actually very bad. I guess the good news is that I'm definitely more tuned in to bass frequencies, though.

How much are the 64Audio plugs running you? I'm considering Westones for IEMs, but I figured I might just get plugs from the audiologist using the molds. But if the 64Audios are cheaper, well...

 

[adudenamedruby]

@juggahnaught The 64Audio plugs are 199US. If I'd gotten the plugs from my audiologist, it would have been $400-450 plus tax CAD. So, I'll probably come out about the same for the earplugs (the molds cost $160, plus 270CAD for the plugs, plus import fees), but... I figured I'd come out cheaper in the long run this way because 64Audio will have my molds already and I can pick up IEMs in a year or so and not have to redo the molds and save some money that way. If you're going the Westone route, you might be able to do the same as they also do custom earplugs so def look into that.

 

[ButtloadofBass]

At the suggestion of Will C., I am pulling this topic from another thread. Will and I both feel it might benefit some musicians here who do not use ear plugs.

I have done irreparable damage to my ears and I DID use ear plugs. But I'd probably be stone deaf if I hadn't used them. As it is, I have permanent tinnitis. What is that? I'll tell you...it is a permanent high frequency ringing in my ears twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It never stops. What I have to do is try to "cover" it up by running an electric fan or always having a TV or CD-player on.

How did it come about? Well I was in a heavy metal band that rehearsed at full volume and played at full volume, so hours and hours of aural assalt added up unrelentingly and insidiously. I'm talking about two Marshall stacks at full tilt and my bass stack at full tilt, plus the drums being pounded at max to compete with all our sonic blasting.

I wore earplugs. I had to or my head would ache. I used Sonic II plugs, the ones that come in the nifty plastic carrying case. Anyway, the others in the band, refused to use plugs. They believed that the plugs were "so NOT cool." Not cool looking. Not cool for blocking out damaging frequencies of sound.

Here's the deal though. High frequencies ( two distorted guitars) damage in the short run, but damage worse if the high levels are sustained over hours. And the damage is permanent. Once you have tinnitis, there is no road back.

In short, if you must play in that kind of environment, use the BEST earplugs you can afford. Cotton just doesn't do the trick. And seriously question the need to rehearse at "eleven" on the Marshalls all the time. Turn that equipment down, for crying out loud! If one musician turns up, then the others have to turn up to be heard. What you get is each one playing at max. For what? So you can be heard a block away?

Take care of your ears. They are a musician's best friends. Jason Oldsted

Absolutely agree! I wish I had begun using sonic plugs years ago. The ringing in my ears is kinda like an old friend now, it’ll never leave me

 

[bass62]

This is a great topic. As an “older musician” now I look back to my early twenties when I played with a drummer whose cymbals were right at my left ear and many times my ear would be ringing after a gig (that ain’t good), so I know I’ve got some loss in that ear. Over recent years I never play at high volumes and I couldn’t say the last time my ears rang, but I work with a guitar player who has the lifelong problem of playing too loud. Now he uses plugs when no one else in the group needs to cause we can talk to each other without yelling while playing. Many times a night he will yell across the stage “Am I too loud?” If you have to ask, assume you are. He’s protecting his ears but not protecting those around him. I play differently with plugs cause I miss some subtleties in the music. I prefer to play at a level where I don’t need them. I have convinced him to sound check without and get his bearings, then put them in and don’t touch anything. Live concerts I go to I always where them, no matter who’s the artist. No ringing...

 

[TOOL460002]

Personal PSA: Never wore ear plugs. I'm 36. Bad tinnitus. Got really bad really quick and now it's kind of strange watching people speak on TV etc. I can hear/understand it fine, but I can also tell there are noises missing, as in the mouth moves but I'm unable to pick up on certain parts. Spent my life tuning my ears and now they're pretty screwed. It's all air pressure so don't play loud unless you have to.

 

[tvbop]

Spare a thght too for Debbie Harry. Clem Bourke has done her ears in real bad. Anyway. The worse thing u can do if ur hearing is going is to go to IEM';s....Squirting noise straight into the ear cannot be a good thing and imagine if there was an electrical or frequency spike, ouch! I cant bear to think about it.
The only way around this is to either give up live playing or use industrial ear plugs. I use industrial and its fine.

 

[2saddleslab]

Had been protecting my hearing w/ custom ER15's for decades only to lose half the hearing in my left ear during SCUBA diving incident.

 

[Samatza]

I think this is such an important subject for musicians so I made two videos, one on IEM and the other on hearing protection.

Very few people watch them which tells me they are not actively searching on this subject.

We always used plugs and for about the last 15 years IEM. At 60 my hearing is intact (adjusted for age).

Sadly last year I had a friend guitarist tell me the PA was muddy, I could hear it loud and clear. We worked out that he had lost so much high end he couldn’t hear any highs, very sad indeed. I couldn’t imagine hearing everything like a blanket was thrown over the speaker.

Gear can be replaced but hearing is a lifetime deal, look after it please and enjoy listening to music for many years to come.

 

[wraub]

For those with hearing loss who do recording- How do you manage?

 

[saltydude]

Not all ear plugs are created equal. They help but there is delicate bones in the ear that really need full muffs for proper protection.
Plugs are a false sense of security.

 

[TomB]

Not all ear plugs are created equal. They help but there is delicate bones in the ear that really need full muffs for proper protection.
Plugs are a false sense of security.

What kind of live music ear protection do you recommend?

 

[saltydude]

What kind of live music ear protection do you recommend?

I don’t. I wear no protection on game day. Hearing yourself live especially is paramount. Unfortunately even rehearsing you’re “putting your time in” and it counts.
My comment mostly is an awareness post that pertains to firearms reports. Loud engines. Etc.
We have to make sacrifices for music.

 

[TomB]

It sounds like by "it counts" you already realize that hearing loss is cumulative. I suspect that a 30-06 took away more of my hearing than playing bass ever did . Still, I wear a pair of "false sense of security" custom-made ear mold 15db reduction ear plugs when I play. Once I adjusted to it, it became the "new normal".

 

[saltydude]

It sounds like by "it counts" you already realize that hearing loss is cumulative. I suspect that a 30-06 took away more of my hearing than playing bass ever did . Still, I wear a pair of "false sense of security" custom-made ear mold 15db reduction ear plugs when I play. Once I adjusted to it, it became the "new normal".

I wear plugs too. (For attending music not performing it) It helps. I’m sure the more expensive fancy ones that aren’t the regular foam ones might offer more protection but unless those bones near the back of the ear I referred to are protected from the vibrations most ear plugs only go so far.

 

[Griendrr]

Not just with the band. Lawn mower weed whacked bowling alley, most clubs (you'd be surprised what you hear with plugs in there) on the motorcycle helmet or not from wind, sometimes my wife gets home from work and guess she's excited she won't tone it down. At around 40 I noticed my ears ringing when I was going to bed from the day's events. I've worn plugs ever since. It can be quite calming too.