Double Bass Orchestras Liable for Hearing Damage

[Ben B]

I'm curious, how did they come up with the 137db figure?

It may have been measured by an attorney.

I agree. The figure sounds far fetched. I think there would have been other issues in addition to the violist's hearing. Check this out: Loudest band - Wikipedia

The loudest record listed is 137 db. I'm not sure of the distance from the source.

 

[wathaet]

It may have been measured by an attorney.

I agree. The figure sounds far fetched. I think there would have been other issues in addition to the violist's hearing. Check this out: Loudest band - Wikipedia

The loudest record listed is 137 db. I'm not sure of the distance from the source.

Just spoke to a friend in a UK Orchestra and managements everywhere are pooping themselves trying to protect themselves. Hearing protection is all of a sudden a topic, which is good
My wife said she has seen measurements of 110 peak out in the hall so who knows, in a pit with concentrated brass, a moron holding the baton and the wrong players behind the mouthpieces it is not such a stretch as a short peak.

 

[neilG]

No way a brass section can sustain that volume for a significant amount of time.
.....I have a tough time believing a single exposure while wearing earplugs could cause permanent damage.

Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by what the experts call weighted average cumulative noise exposure. Lower volumes that are more constant can cause damage. The problem is, that the OSHA inspector who comes to observe can't find enough exposure in a 2.5 hour rehearsal. See post #18 from "wathaet".
I blame Rudy the drummer for my hearing loss. Nobody told me better back when.

 

[matthewbrown]

Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by what the experts call weighted average cumulative noise exposure. Lower volumes that are more constant can cause damage. The problem is, that the OSHA inspector who comes to observe can't find enough exposure in a 2.5 hour rehearsal. See post #18 from "wathaet".
I blame Rudy the drummer for my hearing loss. Nobody told me better back when.

Good points. Drummers and guitarists deafened me. I have given up playing loud music thanks to the accumulated effects of the volumes I've been exposed to. I didn't realize I needed protection until far too late.

 

[LouisF]

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[IamGroot]

I hope there will be an appeal.

Big Band also has volume issues. But its the drool that really has me worried.

 

[IamGroot]

Uh, saliva dripped from musico plumbing devices.

 

[LouisF]

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[robobass]

I don't have noticeable hearing loss, but I do have fairly severe tinnitus, and exposure to loud amplified music causes me severe pain which can last for days afterwards. I can no longer go to bars or any venues which play loud music. I put it down to sitting in front of trumpets for thirty years of my life. Backing up this theory is the fact that the problem is mostly in my right ear. I wore earplugs sometimes, but like Wathaet, I didn't want to sacrifice intonation.

 

[CaseyVancouver]

What do pro string players use for ear protection when the brass section show up full force? We have a tuba player that likes to cosy up to the bass section. He has hurt my right ear. Next to him are three trombones and two trumpets. What do y’all do???

 

[LouisF]

Ear plugs and a word to the conductor/orchestra manager

 

[bengreen]

What do pro string players use for ear protection when the brass section show up full force? We have a tuba player that likes to cosy up to the bass section. He has hurt my right ear. Next to him are three trombones and two trumpets. What do y’all do???

If the orchestra has them, you can ask the stage manager for a sound shield. They do help. I've tried a 10db or so plug in the right ear which also helps some, but it's awkward to use plugs in orchestra because there's such a huge variety of dynamics and timbres (or at least there's supposed to be). I find myself putting them in and out and then usually end up just skipping them.

 

[Cory Palmer]

I got a pair of Etymotic earplugs that I’ve been very happy with. They reduce the sound but don’t affect the timbre much. I usually forget that I have earplugs in.

If you are setup directly in front of the brass use a sound shield if they’re available.

 

[Wasnex]

I am a retired military bandsman. Here is how we dealt with this issue.

1. The entrance to our rehearsal halls were all labeled with a large banner that warned about the noise exposure hazard.
2. All members of the band were fitted and issued custom ER15 ear plugs. A box a foam ear plugs was also mounted inside each rehearsal room.
3. Each member was sent to occupational health once a year for an annual hearing evaluation. This was compared to a baseline that was established when the member first joined to the band program.

I wore my ER15s pretty religiously when I was playing bass or percussion. The only exception was pretty much when we were playing jazz combo and the drummer was using brushes to keep the volume down. Sometimes I would still wear the ER15s.

During the later part of my career, I cross trained as an audio tech. Most of the time I mixed at volume where I didn't need to use hearing protection. There were a few gigs where I used the ER15 though.

It's not easy or enjoyable to mix or play with ER15s, as they distort the frequency spectrum and considerably reduce dynamic range IMHO. But I think I would have pretty major hearing loss if I had not worn the plugs regularly.

When I was working with cover bands, I also tended to put my ER15s in during setup. Usually everyone likes to crank up as soon as they get their amp or drum working.

I have pretty noticeable tinnitus. I think this comes primarily from a few accidents where I was exposed to feedback at an extremely high SPL when I was not wearing my ear plugs. Also I have ridden motorcycles since 1991 and the helmet noise is pretty loud even with ear plugs. I have bought a bunch of different types of ear plugs trying to reduce the helmet noise.

I was in the band program for about 24 years. I had a really hard time passing my annual hearing tests for the last 5-6 years and eventually had to go to an audiologist. The audiologist did thorough exam, and shifted my baseline.

When I retired, the VA evaluated my hearing and the loss was not sufficient to justify in disability. Something to keep in mind, is these hearing tests are based on OHSA guidelines and do not test the full 20-20khz spectrum. They are primarily concerned with hearing in the voice range, and if you have hearing loss at a frequency above 6khz it's not tested or noted. The test tones for the audiograms are 500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, and 6,000 Hz. I seems really hard for me to hear cymbals and high hat in recordings anymore, and I like the TV way too loud.