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Hearing protection.

mike o

mike o

Supporting Member
Jan 3, 2009
599
1,058
Monroe, GA
#1
I hope this message resonates with some of you: protect your hearing. I can no longer perform in bands due to my deteriorating hearing. At a young 67, I am physically capable of handling late-night gigs and loading equipment, but my compromised hearing has taken away my love of performing music in bands.
I've had a wonderful time over the years, but I now realize the severe damage caused by overexposure to loud music. I've been using custom hearing protection since the late 1990s, but unfortunately, the damage was done long before that. In the '70s and '80s, we didn't have the hearing protection options that are readily available today.

Do yourself a favor: invest in custom hearing protection. I recommend Westone, which costs around $200—about the price of a decent stomp box. It can save your hearing. Just do it.

Today, I'm wearing Bi-Cross hearing aids. My right ear is unable to understand any sound; it functions purely as a microphone that transmits to my left ear. Unfortunately, my left ear also requires adjustments to hear speech clearly. So, in a way, I've traded sound protection for hearing aids.

Some pics and video of my music journey
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#5
Thanks for the reminder, and so sorry for your loss.

I've always been very protective of my hearing, ever since I got tinnitus at the ripe age of 16. I've lost some friends from telling them off after they pulled a full volume powerchord while the rest of us were still rigging up and didnt have our protection in.

Some people think it's fun to blast you during soundcheck as you walk infront of the speaker and stuff like that. Some are just careless and might start warming up while you're bent over an amp plugging something in. Some people just play full volume during breaks/band talks, not thinking they can mute themselves.. I have no patience for those kinds of guys anymore...

I've kept mine pretty much in check since 16ish, but I have noticeable difference between right and left. Right doesnt hear as well.. Guess what side our old guitarist was on....

Now my band is pushing for IEMs. I'm the last holdout. I'm legitimately scared of loud pops and volume spikes due to unforseen things, idk if theres any protection in place for that stuff.
 
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#6
That's a pretty rough chart. Most of my bilateral hearing loss is from age and a fairly wide scope of military duties, and yes, I've been wearing hearing aids for several years now. On stage, IEM are the norm, and when floor wedges are used, hearing aids become hearing protection...weird but it works
 
#9
buldog5151bass said:
I have the $20 Etymotics in my amp bag, and another in my jacket pocket. They do a decent job, and I never want to be in a music situation (playing or listening) where they aren't at the ready.
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Been using them or similar for years (mid-60's now). Have always been religious about wearing ear protection. Lucky to have no real issues except some minimal high end reduction, and have been playing pro and mixing/producing for 30+ years. Not custom, but used religiously they work and I hear detail in the music just fine. Even at what might be a moderate or low-ish volume rehearsal I start out with them on.
 
#11
I have owned custom-fitted Westone plugs for over 20 years, but I still use foam plugs most if the time. Things don't sound the best, but they offer more protection.

These are also great; what I used during rehearsal since 2023:
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You'll probably have a harder time hearing yourself with the muffs, but better now than later. They're also great to use with power tools and lawn equipment. Heck, even a Ninja blender operates at around 90-95dB. Smoothie junkies should cover their ears.
 
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#12
I'm only now realizing just how early in my life my hearing was compromised. Like many, I had several serious ear infections as an infant and it's likely that at least one of my eardrums was ruptured at some point as a result, though I never had tubes placed. I remember reading an article about tinnitus in Reader's Digest when I was 17. I already had it and was quite surprised to learn that not everyone's ears rang all the time. My father was a high school band director, so I was likely exposed to some fairly loud concerts and such early on, and large muffs on kids wasn't a thing in the early 60's. About a year or so after I began wearing hearing aids I was in for a hearing test and the audiologist had put a list of common things that can damage hearing on the inside of the door to the booth. I could check ALL of them off. Power tools (especially screaming circular saws) with no hearing protection, guns with no hearing protection and squealing baby pigs (not on the list, but they can hit 115db) in close proximity. I also rode motorcycles a lot. Of course, once the Sony Walkman became available, I'm sure I did additional damage there. Additionally I ruptured my left eardrum diving and re-ruptured it on what turned out to be some not-so-great advice from a doctor. This is all in addition to all the high stage volume gigging I did in my professional career, during which I only wore hearing protection in the final year or so.

With all of that being considered, I know that I am extremely fortunate and I am incredibly grateful that my hearing isn't much worse than it is. I can still function pretty well even without my hearing aids, though I prefer to wear them at all times.

I no longer gig with any bands and rarely go to concerts, but when I do go to concerts I'm always wearing just plain ol' foam -29db plugs, which I've worn while sleeping for more than 35 years. I might look into the Westones though. My daily driver is a Jeep and it's quite loud inside, especially at highway speeds. Cars may not be crazy loud, but many aren't exactly quiet, and duration counts too.
 
#13
McFarlin said:
I have owned custom-fitted Westone plugs for over 20 years, but I still use foam plugs most if the time. Things don't sound the best, but they offer more protection.

These are also great; what I used during rehearsal since 2023:
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You'll probably have a harder time hearing yourself, but better now than later. They're also great to use with power tools and lawn equipment. Heck. even a Ninja blender operates at around 90-95dB. Smoothie junkies should cover their ears.
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Hahaha, I have these, and I use em mostly for when I take out the glass and metal recycling at home XD Thats so much louder than should be allowed. We have deep bins and the noise is unbearable.
Also for powertools etc, but mostly for the bin, cus thats a weekly thing:p

Yes, my neighboors look at me funny.
 
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#14
Agreed, especially since much of my day gig work depends on my ears for mixing/editing/mastering audio as well. I have a touch of hyperacusis, which makes things like breaking glass and other 'sharp' sounds painful, and certain midrange frequencies do it too - especially amplified electric guitar frequencies when on-axis with an amp.

I started using hearing protection after the very first 'jam' I did in high school. Basement/bedroom with 2 guitars, loud drummer.... first downbeat felt like ice picks in my ears. I stuffed toilet paper in them just trying to tamp it down. Never practiced or played without earplugs after that. Same for attending shows, and for doing yard work with power equipment. That was when I was 17 or 18. In the years since, I switched to using Etymotic or Hearos Hi-Fi plugs on stage, depending on the situation and volume. Both sound different... Eymotics tend to enhance the upper mids in my ears and don't cut as much volume. I defer to the Hearos if its an issue, and for most live shows I attend as a concert goer, it's still foam earplugs. The volume level of most live concerts as an audience member is too loud for even 'hi fi' plugs in most cases. If playing on stage ever gets so loud that I need foam earplugs... I'm out. I'm 45 and thankful to have most all of my hearing range intact.
 
#17
pbass2 said:
That makes me nervous too when using IEMs.
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Been using IEM's for 15+ years and never had a feedback problem - because the whole band is IEM and there's no feedback loops.
When there's a mix of wedges and IEM's is where problems can occur.. all my bands are 100% IEM with their own IEM mixers, split to or from the House. Sure, we still need to EQ and "mix" each channel, but we don't rely on FOH for that. And, we can put brickwall limiting on each AUX mix to avoid potential volume issues. Each member controls their own mix.
 
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#18
So sorry you're at this stage. Take care of yourself and what you gave left. I stopped playing in bars in 2007, but still playing been wearing various earplugs even when I vacuum my house. I even cover my ears when emergency vehicles go by. Still, damage already done.

I know my tinnitus is creeping up. I've been using Eargasms for the last few years, but I think I need to up my game. These are the plugs you're talking about or us there a variant?

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I know a few on here are using the 15 filter and I see 16 available. I see now there's a 25 filter. Think I should just go for the gusto and get the Westone and the 25?
 
#19
Played rock/metal full time in my 20's - 30's. Was too cool/dumb to wear hearing protection. That's not Rock and Roll, right?

In my 50's now. The hearing loss is frustrating, but the tinnitus is worse. I struggle to play by ear any more, and have problems with communicating, paying attention, and even sleeping. But the person who really suffers from my tinnitus is my wife, and that just sucks.

Protect your hearing - it can't be repaired, and hearing loss/tinnitus diminishes everything.
 
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#20
s0c9 said:
Been using IEM's for 15+ years and never had a feedback problem - because the whole band is IEM and there's no feedback loops.
When there's a mix of wedges and IEM's is where problems can occur.. all my bands are 100% IEM with their own IEM mixers, split to or from the House. Sure, we still need to EQ and "mix" each channel, but we don't rely on FOH for that. And, we can put brickwall limiting on each AUX mix to avoid potential volume issues. Each member controls their own mix.
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I don't have that much IEM experience, and I've always just been a hired gun coming into situations, not a band that's got it all dialed like you describe. Admittedly I don't know the tech that well - if I did it consistently I expect I'd feel a lot more comfortable!
 
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