I'm an ear and hearing specialist and wrote an article about this topic a few years ago that you might find helpful:
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Hearing Loss and Ear Plugs
- Thread starter Boplicity
- Start date
Good thing I found this thread now before it's too late. Although I have no clue how much damage I've done for the past 6 years or so. Below is a link to these earplugs, Anyone know if these are the ones a lot of people say are the best?
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Several years ago, the John Entwistle Band did a gig at a local club here in New York. Not only did I attend, but like an idiot, I insisted upon standing right in front of the bass cabs - so I could see & hear everything perfectly. (I had thought beforehand to bring a pair of ear plugs, but forgot 'em... 
)
"Loud" doesn't even begin to describe the experience. It was an aural onslaught, the likes of which I'd never heard before - or since. Not only that, but Entwistle's gear - a set of Ashdown horns - generated some of the most piercing highs I've ever heard from a bass rig.
For two and a half hours, I subjected myself to that. As soon as the show was over, I knew I'd hurt myself. For three days afterward, my ears were ringing - non-stop. I was scared. I thought I might have developed permanent tinnitus.
Fortunately, the ringing ultimately did subside. But I learned my lesson: Never again. Even more fortunately, it seems that my hearing is still quite good - I passed a hearing test three months ago with flying colors. But I won't take chances with it ever again - for any reason.
Whew!
MM
)"Loud" doesn't even begin to describe the experience. It was an aural onslaught, the likes of which I'd never heard before - or since. Not only that, but Entwistle's gear - a set of Ashdown horns - generated some of the most piercing highs I've ever heard from a bass rig.
For two and a half hours, I subjected myself to that. As soon as the show was over, I knew I'd hurt myself. For three days afterward, my ears were ringing - non-stop. I was scared. I thought I might have developed permanent tinnitus.
Fortunately, the ringing ultimately did subside. But I learned my lesson: Never again. Even more fortunately, it seems that my hearing is still quite good - I passed a hearing test three months ago with flying colors. But I won't take chances with it ever again - for any reason.
Whew!
MM
it's been said over and over again in this thread, but just for those hard hearing amongst you: get earplugs.
Custom made, they're the only one (I've got mine for 100).
Since a Motorpsycho concert 6 years ago, I have permanent ear damage: tinnitus and a minor dip at 6khz. I work in the radio business (so I listen to music and audio practically all the time, mostly through headphones) so I really need my ears, and they are under stress everyday. I also play a bit as a hobby musician.
I've got my custom made earplugs and they are great. -25cb, flat attenuation. You hear practically the same as without them, just a lot quieter (which in some loud surroundings even allows you to hear the detail of the mix better). I never leave my home without earplugs on me, mostly I have my custom made ones and some foam ones as a backup. I never walk into a pub or club without putting them in. According to my audiologist (I have my ears checked once a year now), being so careful is what keeps my ears in shape, and keeps my tinnitus at a controlable level.
Apart from that: get good headphones!!!! If you need them to listen to your music, or to mix something, you can't be satisfied with anything but the best. Get a closed one, so you don't have to crank up the volume. Sennheiser, AKG and Beyer-Dynamic's top end. (and no, I don't work for an audio company), those are the ones you want. A good headphone allows you to hear the mix better at a much lower level, and puts less presurre on your ears)
Anyway, just my two cents, but I feel it can't be stressed enough
Custom made, they're the only one (I've got mine for 100).
Since a Motorpsycho concert 6 years ago, I have permanent ear damage: tinnitus and a minor dip at 6khz. I work in the radio business (so I listen to music and audio practically all the time, mostly through headphones) so I really need my ears, and they are under stress everyday. I also play a bit as a hobby musician.
I've got my custom made earplugs and they are great. -25cb, flat attenuation. You hear practically the same as without them, just a lot quieter (which in some loud surroundings even allows you to hear the detail of the mix better). I never leave my home without earplugs on me, mostly I have my custom made ones and some foam ones as a backup. I never walk into a pub or club without putting them in. According to my audiologist (I have my ears checked once a year now), being so careful is what keeps my ears in shape, and keeps my tinnitus at a controlable level.
Apart from that: get good headphones!!!! If you need them to listen to your music, or to mix something, you can't be satisfied with anything but the best. Get a closed one, so you don't have to crank up the volume. Sennheiser, AKG and Beyer-Dynamic's top end. (and no, I don't work for an audio company), those are the ones you want. A good headphone allows you to hear the mix better at a much lower level, and puts less presurre on your ears)
Anyway, just my two cents, but I feel it can't be stressed enough
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Yes these are the best off the shelf and cheap. They are soft and comfy. Cut 20 decibles accross the board. And acutally help you hear the music much better at a loud show. the crap that gets cut is the noise and level that is too loud to be distinguisable. They work great. I have several pairs so I always have some avialable. Really good and necessary for amplified music!!! I have said it many times before.
Yes these are the best off the shelf and cheap. They are soft and comfy. Cut 20 decibles accross the board. And acutally help you hear the music much better at a loud show. the crap that gets cut is the noise and level that is too loud to be distinguisable. They work great. I have several pairs so I always have some avialable. Really good and necessary for amplified music!!! I have said it many times before.
Always wear ear plugs.
Just 2 weeks back, got a hearing test and reults from the doctor. Ive lost quite a substancial amount in the upper frequencies.
Been sticking to ear plugs for almost 9 months now.
Dont question it, just do it!
Just 2 weeks back, got a hearing test and reults from the doctor. Ive lost quite a substancial amount in the upper frequencies.
Been sticking to ear plugs for almost 9 months now.
Dont question it, just do it!
As soon as the show was over, I knew I'd hurt myself. For three days afterward, my ears were ringing - non-stop. I was scared. I thought I might have developed permanent tinnitus.
Fortunately, the ringing ultimately did subside. But I learned my lesson: Never again. Even more fortunately, it seems that my hearing is still quite good - I passed a hearing test three months ago with flying colors. But I won't take chances with it ever again - for any reason.
Whew!
MM
That's relieving to know that the ringing stopped for you. I just got back from Power Chord Academy, where we jammed for a week in these small, non-dampened dorm rooms around 7-8 hours a day. The drums were ear piercing loud and even with plugs in, by the end of the jam the ringing in my ears was just horrible.
I've been home for almost 3 days now and every morning I wake up and can here a constant droning in my ears, it's not terrible, but it's definitely there and was making it a bit difficult to fall back asleep.
This is just from a week's exposure to very loud noise, so I'm really hoping it will subside. It's quite unnerving to think that I might be subject to this for the rest of my life from just a week of music.
I'll never play in a loud band again, one of the bands I was in was so loud that I would feel ill and dizzy during rehersals, I couldn't stand it and left after several months.
I just experienced the same thing on a gig this past weekend. Thought I was going to pass out! I've been playing 30 years and have never experienced anything like it. Next gig I'm wearing plugs!
I have not read this entire thread, in fact just the opening post which prompted me post this. If anyone is using Sonic earplugs STOP USING THEM NOW!! They are not protecting you ears. When I was accepted to join the Navy Band I had to go through a pre-entry medical exam. During that exam it was discovered that I had significant high frequency hearing loss in my left ear. I was sent to a speciailist for further examination. Going in I immediatly assumed that my loss was from the years of playing music, but one of the first things the doctor asked me if I had ever been around guns. I answered yes because as a kid and for many years I was a competitive skeet shooter. Of course I always used the proper eye and ear protection and told him so. He asked what kind of ear plugs I used I told him Sonic upon which he responded that they were the reason I had so much hearing loss. Those ear plugs are CRAP and anyone using these needs to look for something else.
I am having earplugs made for me right now. Went to the hearing specialists last week.
He also gave me a free hearing test, and says it was perfect.
But I do hear much ringing in the right ear. I have no clue why to that is, but protection is a must.
If anyone can share any knowledge of why the ringing is there, please tell me, as it does sometimes make me quite scared that my hearing will go bust in the right.
And as I am a younger guy, I can see no reason to why that is.
He also gave me a free hearing test, and says it was perfect.
But I do hear much ringing in the right ear. I have no clue why to that is, but protection is a must.
If anyone can share any knowledge of why the ringing is there, please tell me, as it does sometimes make me quite scared that my hearing will go bust in the right.
And as I am a younger guy, I can see no reason to why that is.
after ten years of excessive volumes i ought to finally heed this good advice
it is annoying having to keep saying 'what?'
it is annoying having to keep saying 'what?'
http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cach...article.htm+tinnitus&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us
Mark, here is one link. Tinnitis.
I'm sure I've posted before, but I'll post anew for people like me with ADD 
I just turned 40. been a music fan since just out of high school. Been to maybe a dozen concerts UNPROTECTED. And I've been playing bass for about 8 years.
about 15 years ago I became a devoted Hi-Fi Audiophile ( a guy crazy about having a great stereo system). Not that I'm a cranker, I've actually mellowed in the last 10 years, but about 5 years ago I would occasionally hear a "thumping" noise in my left ear. some nervous twitch in my inner ear or ear drum I guess.
Anyway at that point I decided to do SOMETHING to protect myself from further damage.
Let me back up a little. when I started to play bass I had the means to buy new gear every 6 months or so. of course I would upgrade to a, sometimes, bigger, but usually louder bass rig. I didn't play very often in a band for years, but I'd have my own "volume tests". being a geek I'd measure how loud my new rig was compared to the old rig. I quickly put together a rig capable of a clean and loud 120 db!!! Good for the band, but not good for the naked ear!!! according to OSHA the recommended maximum daily exposure to 115 dBa is 15 min!!! Ironically 115 is about the volume of a circular saw cutting pine inside a two car garage WITHOUT covering your ears. THATS LOUD!!!
Sometimes I think OSHA is too generous with their guidelines. I work at a large discount wholesale club as a cleaning/maintenance person and I run a floor scrubber that produces between 87 and 90 dBc or noise readings (did I mention I was a geek?) anyway I had noticed that after about 2 hours of 'scrubbing' my hearing was significantly decreased. Almost to the point that cell phone conversations were sometimes tough.
Now I try to wear plugs when I'm scrubbing and ESPECIALLY during band practice and performance!!! Ironically my new church gig is a bit quieter than my old one (larger room for current) but I still try to wear my custom molded 15db ear plugs just to make sure I'm not hurting myself more. sometimes I play without ear plugs and the "thumps" come back. And I'm not talking during my performance, but It could be the next day or a couple days later and last for several minutes or come and go for HOURS!!! VERY DISTURBING if you realize its related to hearing damage!!!
SOLUTION: Turn down the band, or more practical get some nice ear plugs for yourself and to H*** with the guys who scoff at you. ETYMOTIC ER-20 are a cheap solution compared to foam ear plugs. foam cuts out TOO much highs and mids. but the etymotics are more flat than foam meaning frequencies are cut more evenly across the board. With foam I tendend to play my bass volume too soft because almost all I could hear was the bass, but with the etymotics I could hear more mids/highs and could turn my bass up more and still hear the other stuff.
sorry, I'm starting to ramble and forgetting what I want to say. currently I have molded "musician earplugs" from an AUDIOLOGIST that cost about $150 (even flatter response than etymotics) and I try to use them when I'm playing bass.
remember you're not superman and this is not fantasy land and your ears WILL degrade if you pummel them with high decibels of volume!!!
AT LEAST USE THE ETYMOTIC ER20'S!!!!!!!
PLEASE!!!!!
I just turned 40. been a music fan since just out of high school. Been to maybe a dozen concerts UNPROTECTED. And I've been playing bass for about 8 years.about 15 years ago I became a devoted Hi-Fi Audiophile ( a guy crazy about having a great stereo system). Not that I'm a cranker, I've actually mellowed in the last 10 years, but about 5 years ago I would occasionally hear a "thumping" noise in my left ear. some nervous twitch in my inner ear or ear drum I guess.
Anyway at that point I decided to do SOMETHING to protect myself from further damage.
Let me back up a little. when I started to play bass I had the means to buy new gear every 6 months or so. of course I would upgrade to a, sometimes, bigger, but usually louder bass rig. I didn't play very often in a band for years, but I'd have my own "volume tests". being a geek I'd measure how loud my new rig was compared to the old rig. I quickly put together a rig capable of a clean and loud 120 db!!! Good for the band, but not good for the naked ear!!! according to OSHA the recommended maximum daily exposure to 115 dBa is 15 min!!! Ironically 115 is about the volume of a circular saw cutting pine inside a two car garage WITHOUT covering your ears. THATS LOUD!!!
Sometimes I think OSHA is too generous with their guidelines. I work at a large discount wholesale club as a cleaning/maintenance person and I run a floor scrubber that produces between 87 and 90 dBc or noise readings (did I mention I was a geek?) anyway I had noticed that after about 2 hours of 'scrubbing' my hearing was significantly decreased. Almost to the point that cell phone conversations were sometimes tough.
Now I try to wear plugs when I'm scrubbing and ESPECIALLY during band practice and performance!!! Ironically my new church gig is a bit quieter than my old one (larger room for current) but I still try to wear my custom molded 15db ear plugs just to make sure I'm not hurting myself more. sometimes I play without ear plugs and the "thumps" come back. And I'm not talking during my performance, but It could be the next day or a couple days later and last for several minutes or come and go for HOURS!!! VERY DISTURBING if you realize its related to hearing damage!!!
SOLUTION: Turn down the band, or more practical get some nice ear plugs for yourself and to H*** with the guys who scoff at you. ETYMOTIC ER-20 are a cheap solution compared to foam ear plugs. foam cuts out TOO much highs and mids. but the etymotics are more flat than foam meaning frequencies are cut more evenly across the board. With foam I tendend to play my bass volume too soft because almost all I could hear was the bass, but with the etymotics I could hear more mids/highs and could turn my bass up more and still hear the other stuff.
sorry, I'm starting to ramble and forgetting what I want to say. currently I have molded "musician earplugs" from an AUDIOLOGIST that cost about $150 (even flatter response than etymotics) and I try to use them when I'm playing bass.
remember you're not superman and this is not fantasy land and your ears WILL degrade if you pummel them with high decibels of volume!!!
AT LEAST USE THE ETYMOTIC ER20'S!!!!!!!
PLEASE!!!!!
+1 Million to all of these customer ear-plug posts.
My wife got me custom musician plugs (ER-25s) for my birthday recently, and the two times I've really had a chance to use them (once in rehearsal and once live, a couple of nights ago) they earned the $173 (CDN) she paid for them. In all seriousness, these earplugs are just plain awesome. The band never sounded so good to me or to the audience, especially the bass parts!
Instead of my ears fuzzing out and losing fidelity because of all the volume, I was able to hear everything crisply and clearly, with very little, if any frequency loss. Everything just sounded great, it was like listening to a CD at a good volume. It was same for the headliners' set as well - instead of getting that earache from the all the noise, and not REALLY hearing the band as they were meant to sound, it all sounded clear. It is literally as if someone just took the master volume and turned it down.
Another benefit I found, is that I was able to hear my own backup vocal parts quite clearly, which I wasn't able to before, and this allowed me to make sure I was in key, where before, in live situations, I found myself having difficulties with harmonies because I just couldn't hear myself in the monitor mix.
If you don't have a pair - GO TO AN AUDIOLOGIST and get some!
My wife got me custom musician plugs (ER-25s) for my birthday recently, and the two times I've really had a chance to use them (once in rehearsal and once live, a couple of nights ago) they earned the $173 (CDN) she paid for them. In all seriousness, these earplugs are just plain awesome. The band never sounded so good to me or to the audience, especially the bass parts!
Instead of my ears fuzzing out and losing fidelity because of all the volume, I was able to hear everything crisply and clearly, with very little, if any frequency loss. Everything just sounded great, it was like listening to a CD at a good volume. It was same for the headliners' set as well - instead of getting that earache from the all the noise, and not REALLY hearing the band as they were meant to sound, it all sounded clear. It is literally as if someone just took the master volume and turned it down.
Another benefit I found, is that I was able to hear my own backup vocal parts quite clearly, which I wasn't able to before, and this allowed me to make sure I was in key, where before, in live situations, I found myself having difficulties with harmonies because I just couldn't hear myself in the monitor mix.
If you don't have a pair - GO TO AN AUDIOLOGIST and get some!
I'm sorry i didn't have time to go through all 27 pages, but I just wanted to say, I refuse to let band practice continue unless everyone is wearing ear plugs...which is why I bought some for the whole band.
has anyone used Sonic II plugs? I'm really distraught because now, for some reason, I can't hear out of my right ear T_T
has anyone used Sonic II plugs? I'm really distraught because now, for some reason, I can't hear out of my right ear T_T
Just picked up my custom earplugs today. They take 25 decibels off the sound, which is 10 decibels less than if you stick your finger in your ear to block out all sound. So pretty good.
Can't wait to practice tomorrow to see how they do.
Can't wait to practice tomorrow to see how they do.
I used to be in a 3 peice punk band with a LOUD guitar player. Every practice his amp was an icepick in my ear. Finally the band ended and I was left with only partial loss of hearing(from the 3 year period.) What is so ironic, is that now I play in an 5 peice extreme metal band, and we play about 1/3 as loud:0
