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Hearing Loss and Ear Plugs

#401
I had a painful landing in an airplane. Then I think my hearing is not as good as before. I learned that you're not supposed to go on a plane if you have cold (stuffy nose, etc.).
I also find it uncomfortable to do harmonies with plugs, so I just take them half way out.
I'm definitely gonna see an audiologist and get the custom thing, also have it checked.
Btw, gross question but does anyone know how you're supposed to keep your ear clean. Since I wear plugs, if I don't clean my ears, it'll be nasty on the plugs. But I just heard I'm not supposed to stick those Q-tips in my ears. Well then how?
I wear plugs everyday in the subway. Would using them too often be a problem?
 
#403
Any UK users have recommendations on where to get the custom earplugs done in the UK for a reasonable price? Most places seem to do the Elatics for 160 quid.
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You could try www.bioacoustics.com Tel: 01582 431000
I couldn't find earplugs on their site to be honest, but I met this guy on holiday and he was telling me they import ER 15s I think, so give them a call - tell them Barb from the Isle of Wight put you onto them ;) they're based in Luton.

Also, I have a number for someone in Southampton. Tel: 02392 286727 I got this number from our local hospital when I had a hearing check. (I do have a bit of a notch at 150Hz - the frequency it just so happens I boost on my amp!). They'll sort out acoustic filters as required I believe.

As yet I haven't got round to doing anything about it, but I always wear my silicone Proplugs when we play. They may not be perfect, but I'm sure they help protect to some degree for the time being!
 
#404
This is really the best thread here. My ears hurt right now, after listening to some music not very loud through computer speakers 20 minutes ago. I'm only 15, I love music (and live music), so I want to invest in my future. I can't spend 125 dollars on custom earplugs. My parents probably wouldn't let me (I don't know why...). I saw these Hearos HiFi Ear Filters, but a lot of people don't like them because they only attenuate 12db. Is there any ear filter available with more of an attenuation that won't break the bank?
 
#405
I know that custom ear plugs are expensive, BUT, they offer the best protection, by far, for protecting your hearing. Also, most custom molds come with changeable filters. Mine have 15db and 25 db reduction filters. $125 ain't cheap but it's not much more than the price of a couple of stomp boxes. If you're a bass player, that's about 5 sets of strings. I know guys with the absolute best gear money can buy and don't think twice about dropping 2-3 grand on a bass, yet they cheese out on hearing protection. Doesn't make sense to me!
 
#406
Rush said:
This is really the best thread here. My ears hurt right now, after listening to some music not very loud through computer speakers 20 minutes ago. I'm only 15, I love music (and live music), so I want to invest in my future. I can't spend 125 dollars on custom earplugs. My parents probably wouldn't let me (I don't know why...). I saw these Hearos HiFi Ear Filters, but a lot of people don't like them because they only attenuate 12db. Is there any ear filter available with more of an attenuation that won't break the bank?
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They're actually rated more like 20 dB. 12dB is the absolute lowest attenuation they could find across the spectrum, and so that's the rating that they have to post. Across the board, though, it averages 20, reducing the volume to 1/4 its original strength.

However, the custom earplugs are totally worth doing, once you can get the money together. Just explain to your parents that this is you taking your music very seriously, and it's no different than when you bought your instrument or amp or whatever.

FWIW, though, the HiFis have been working well for me for years. My current philosophy is simply to keep stage volume down around 70-80 dB as much as possible and not NEED ear protection.
 
#407
That is definitly a good philosophy, Dkerwood. But we all know the case. Loud drummer, guitarists have to turn it up, bassists have to turn it up, vocalists turn the PA up... it's a mess!

I think for now I'm going to use the HiFi filters... for now. After I get a steady income from a job, custom filters will be my first item on my list. Now to find an audiologist...

Thanks everybody. This thread is really gonna save my life someday!
 
#408
I have a good case of Tinnitus - constant ringing to the point that it actually can keep me from falling asleep.

I never 'liked' ear-plugs because I would try them and feel like I was 'missing' something - not 'feeling' the full power of the band. So I would pull out the plugs and continue unprotected. Ok... Now my ears ring constantly...

Lately I have been using OTC plugs - "Hearos" - the rubber things that look like a string of inverted plungers (I did modify them by cutting down the stem - it looked ridiculous to have these two blue sticks sticking out of my ears...) - it was odd at first, but now I do not play a single set without them and I am completely used to it. I actually prefer the sound even though it still feels less 'powerful' - Now if I accidently forget to pop 'em in the band sounds 'overblown'.

I plan to get fitted, professional plugs soon - when I can affort the $150 - but until then it's "Hearos" to the rescue!

WEAR EAR PROTECTION!
 
#409
Rush said:
That is definitly a good philosophy, Dkerwood. But we all know the case. Loud drummer, guitarists have to turn it up, bassists have to turn it up, vocalists turn the PA up... it's a mess!
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Comes down to discipline. Drummers don't have to play so loud... heck, I have a quiet drumset for church and a louder set for other occasions.

Guitarists don't need loud amps. One of the few things I hate about my 2x12 combo sometimes is that it pushes too much volume too quickly. I usually turn it up to 1 and mic it. That way, we can push it through monitors for everyone else, and I'll have a little more volume from the amp itself.

If you can keep the stage volume down (and assuming that your bass amp doesn't have to push to the back wall), your bass and vocals don't have to creep up either.

Now, granted, when you've got a small stage and a large room, you're a little more apt to need the plugs. But if you've got a stage of any size, you should be able to keep stage volume down to a safe volume.

Last summer I played a benefit concert. The "soundman" (read, the idiot behind the sound board) kept cranking everything up. The room had terrible acoustics, and it hurt my ears right through the 20 dB buffer that my earplugs provided. I wouldn't be surprised if it was 120-130 dB up there. NO REASON FOR IT.

Since then, I've been devoted to keeping stage volume as much as possible. I'm pretty sure that the stage in our church gets louder than the stage at our rock shows.

Of course, there will be occasional situations where louder stage volume is unavoidable. House PA systems that can't support more than vocals, lousy soundmen, no monitors, etc... I figure when we go on tour at the end of the month, we'll inevitably have to deal with it and do a few gigs with earplugs in.

FWIW, the best solution, IMHO, is a custom molded IEM system. It's like listening to a CD, and on your own terms. Plus, it holds the added benefit of blocking out outside noise.
 
#410
tZer said:
I actually prefer the sound even though it still feels less 'powerful' - Now if I accidently forget to pop 'em in the band sounds 'overblown'.
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This is exactly why I hate going to a concert without earplugs anymore. I like to be close enough to the stage that I can see what's going on, but the band sounds far too loud at that close proximity to the PA.

So I pop the plugs, and suddenly, I can clearly hear all the details that I'm seeing.
 
#412
Force said:
I'm looking into getting new ear plugs, because I'm worrying my current ones aren't good enough. Does anyone know if these ones are good? http://www.musicianswarehouse.com.au/default.aspx?Pg=21&ProductCode=HS211
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That's what I use. They work very well, but if you're going to be subjected to loud music over several hours (like a 5 band show that goes from 7 till midnight), your ears might still feel a great deal of fatigue (mine do, but it's better than the feeling of not wearing plugs at all).

These are only technically rated for 12dB, so that's something to be aware of. If you play very loud music, you'll want something a little stronger. However, for most general cases, these are great.
 
#413
Hmmm. My band plays heavy metal music which is obviously loud, but we don't have huge amps or anything. My bass amp is like 60 watts our guitarist's amp is a bit louder maybe. Our drummer smashes the drums as hard as he can though, and it's not a very big room either. We practice for about 5 hours too. Would those ear plugs be suitable for what we do than?

Also these ones: http://musicianswarehouse.com.au/default.aspx?Pg=21&ProductCode=HS2210 have a high noise reduction of 32 DB's and they're cheaper. Why is that?
 
#414
The hi fis are more expensive because they provide a more even attenuation across all frequencies. The cheaper ones cause a severe dropoff of high freq's. Some on this forum actually like that, because they say it's easier to hear their bass.

Personally, I'll take the hi fis any day. If you are going to be serious about the ear plug situation, find yourself a dB meter and see how loud you're practicing. If 12-20 dB can keep you under about 85 dB, then you're probably fine. If you're peaking at 120 dB, you'll need something with a little more stopping power.
 
#418
I've said this before, and I'll say it many more times.

Play under control. Let the PA push to the back wall. Use monitors to fill the stage, not your amps. After all, if you have one amp on the left side of the stage, the guy on the right needs it pretty loud to hear, so you're deafened. Keep your stage volume down low enough that you don't NEED plugs. If that's not possible (like if it's a small stage placing you 3" away from the drummer's crash cymbal), have the plugs with you and DON'T BE AFRAID TO POP THEM.

Remember also that it doesn't have to be painful to do damage. Anything above 85 dB can do damage over time. That means a 3 hour rehearsal at 90 dB, while fairly comfortable, can do as much damage as louder sound for a shorter duration...

Protect your ears. They're the only equipment that you have that you can't repair or replace.
 
#419
Hey CS,

Don't want to scare you, but your comment :

" However by a freak of coincidence I suffered from tinnitus and complete deafness in just my left ear from Thursday until this evening."

I had this same thing and when I went to the audiologist, he sent me to an MRI. That is one of the signs of a brain tumor and a condition that becomes a type of inability to determine balance, or vertigo and Meniere's disease.
Meniere's disease is a chronic condition that causes vertigo associated with ringing or roaring and progressive hearing loss in the affected ear

Scared the sh*t out of me. But better to know about it sooner than later. Turns out is was probably just from the main source of sound coming from my left side. Hope that the case for you also but get it checked out soon.

Do some google searches on veritgo and Meniere's disease and see if it fits you.

Best of luck man and please don't freak out reading this. This is the worst case and chances are very high that you don't have it, but check it out.
 
#420
what scars me is not being able to get them out lol.

i was on vacation last month and i just got out of the shower and needed some Q-tips but the only ones we brought where the ones my mom uses for her make up and they had this fat ball of cotten at the end and when i used it, the cotten slipped off the stick and jammed inside my year so back and tight that i had to use plyers to get them out. lol


how would i be able to get those cutom tiny ear plugs out? so they have like a handle or string or something lol


right now im 20, and not too often i get a ringing in my ear, im pretty much a metal head and my headphones are on blast at least 5 hours a day. the main reasen is because i dont like hearing anything else when listening to my music, i like being taken away and lost inside the sounds. i guess i could eventually get noise cancelation headphones, but its just too damned hot right now for those.

oh the irony of it all.

'ever hear that saying "you always hurt the ones you love"? well it works both ways' - tyler durden. i think it fits here. lol
 

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