# Anyone here use ear plugs?



## 7 Strings of Hate (Sep 23, 2007)

hi fellers, i never used ear plugs for jammin, but the last time i jammed with my new band i had ringing in my ears for 2 days straight, i wore ear plugs tonight, i told them "you might think i'm a pussy, but i wont be deaf for 2 days" and of course they didnt care, but i was just curious if anyone else uses them and what decible rating works best for you?


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## Alpo (Sep 23, 2007)

Of course I use them. I don't want to destroy my hearing. I use EAR christmas tree looking things. The standard yellow foam plugs just sound terrible.


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## Jason (Sep 23, 2007)

I have _tried_ to use them and couldn't never really get into them.. I feel to disconnected.. 

Drummers seem to be able to use them easier.. Maybe cause there not playing notes


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## Regor (Sep 23, 2007)

Absolutely, every time!

I wanna be able to hear what I'm playing for the rest of my life. That ringing you're hearing is because you've "permanently" damaged your receptors in your ear. Each time you hear ringing, you've damaged your ears.

It ain't worth it.


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## Rick (Sep 23, 2007)

I use them all the time at practice.


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## BigM555 (Sep 23, 2007)

Don't use them every time I jam but I absolutely grab for them when the sound levels get too high for comfort. Honestly it's probably already too late at that point.

Even moderate levels can permanently damage your hearing with repeated exposure.

It's a good idea. Get a good pair and they won't bother you as much. I find once I get used to them things actually sound better.


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## Jason (Sep 23, 2007)

Or here is a  TURN DOWN!!! 10 times out of 10 practice sounds waaay better anyway.

I do like this have the bassist get to be able to comfortably be heard along with the drummer..then add guitars.. Your sound will be tighter too


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## OzzyC (Sep 23, 2007)

The only time I would need them would be when my 13 year old sister screams. I swear, she makes my ears resonate and creates subharmonics inside my head from being so loud.  

I play at volumes only slightly higher then an average conversation most of the time, so it's no problem for me.


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## TomAwesome (Sep 23, 2007)

Every practice, and every show whether I'm playing or watching. I like those reusable three-tier ones. We practice in the garage (which is also my room), so the high frequencies bouncing all over the place are murder on ears. I've tried explaining to my band mates that the ringing is the most obvious sign of permanent hearing loss, but they seem to have more or less the same attitude as your band mates about it.


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## BigM555 (Sep 23, 2007)

Better to be ridiculed and keep your hearing than be a deaf "cool guy"


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## OzzyC (Sep 23, 2007)

BigM555 said:


> Better to be ridiculed and keep your hearing than be a deaf "cool guy"



...And you can't even hear them ridicule you after inserting some -50db ear protection.


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Sep 23, 2007)

jason, turning it down isnt really an option sometimes when your playing with a live drummer, they are so damn loud! 
and i'v been told the ringing has something to do with little hairs in your ear that play a part in your hearing, but they grow back to an extent(this info is from some ppe videos they show to welders and metal workers, (i'm a welder))


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## TomAwesome (Sep 23, 2007)

7 Strings of Hate said:


> ...but they grow back to an extent(this info is from some ppe videos they show to welders and metal workers, (i'm a welder))



That's good news for me! I didn't exactly take the best care of my ears when I was younger. I thought over time I had just gotten used to it, but maybe a little bit of my hearing has come back. Awesome.


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## garcia3441 (Sep 23, 2007)

Alpine MusicSafe Natural Sound Professional Musician's Ear Plugs - Music & Concert Plugs


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## eaeolian (Sep 24, 2007)

I haven't tried the Alpines, but I can definitely recommend the Etymotics - I have their musician's earmold plugs that I wear at every show and rehearsal, and a set of their ETYplugs that I wear when I go to shows. Their response is almost as flat as the musician's plugs, and they're $12!


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## ogisha007 (Sep 24, 2007)

Yeah, I definitely use earplugs as much as I can when the volume level is too high. I need to get a set of those Etymotics though, the foam ones I'm using currently take off waaaay too much highs and mids.

And yes, I get 'witty remarks' sometimes 'cause of it, but I don't care. People get used to seeing them and I know it's for my own good. 
Besides, they won't be the ones laughing when they go half-deaf and get tinnitus.


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## HighGain510 (Sep 24, 2007)

7 Strings of Hate said:


> i'v been told the ringing has something to do with little hairs in your ear that play a part in your hearing, but they grow back to an extent(this info is from some ppe videos they show to welders and metal workers, (i'm a welder))



Whoever told you that didn't know what they were talking about.  That ringing in your ear is called "Tinnitus" and "hairs growing back" would not solve it. If you hear it, you're doing permanent damage to your hearing.  No two ways about it, and science hasn't developed anything (other than a hearing aid lol) to fix it later on in life so I'd wear ear plugs over being called "uncool" by your friends.  Your hearing is WAY more valuable.  

Tinnitus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Read up on it.  I never used to wear earplugs either until I realized what I was doing and now any time I'm going somewhere where I'll be subjected to music "at volume" I always bring plugs or ask someone who might have them. In Dave's case, I ask him to chop the single plug he has left in two....  Thanks again Dave!


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## SunburnedCactus (Sep 24, 2007)

Nice list of musicians on that page...

Interestingly there is a type of tinnitus (objective or pulsatile) where the ear is actually _making_ an audible sound.


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## Leon (Sep 24, 2007)

in my band, we tend to keep the stage volume pretty low. this is to keep our TWO singers from having to blast their voices over us, and to keep their mic's clean in the mix.

and, my drummer is the coolest, and doesn't beat the shit out of his kit 

but, i always wear hearing protection at work on the production floor.


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## eleven59 (Sep 24, 2007)

I almost always wear earplugs when jamming with people (unless I've misjudged how loud they'll be, or I've simply forgotten them at home  ) and most shows. I'll go without earplugs for some bigger concerts (Tool, NIN, anything where I want to feel the energy of the show properly, since it's sometimes lost for me with earplugs in) but always use them in smaller clubs because the sound is always terrible and way too loud.


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## Jan (Sep 24, 2007)

I always use high fidelity musician's earplugs such as ER- 20 by Etymotic Research or Hearos. They work perfectly for instruments, the sound is somehow clearer. The only drawback is that I always have a hard time singing when wearing them... 
Reducing the stage volume is a great but not so easy thing to do, especially when you play metal. However, earplugs plus plexi shielding (such as for drums or drums + amps) make playing much more comfortable. I can't wait when I get hold of my in-ear monitors though...


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## noodles (Sep 24, 2007)

I currently use Hearos, although I want to upgrade to the ear mold plugs at some point.







These are about the best you can do, short of the ear molds, and like Mike said, they only cost about $10-15. My hearing is definitely worth $15.


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## Drew (Sep 24, 2007)

Jason said:


> Or here is a  TURN DOWN!!! 10 times out of 10 practice sounds waaay better anyway.
> 
> I do like this have the bassist get to be able to comfortably be heard along with the drummer..then add guitars.. Your sound will be tighter too



I'm kind of a proponant of keeping stage volume down, too. It's a mixed bag because amps sound better the louder they get, but with a hot plate I can get great tone at sane volumes, and it's easier on the vocalist if they don't have to scream to be heard over the guitar/bass/drums. 

The thing I love about Mesas, of course, is not only do they have the sort of midrange character so they don't HAVE to be running at a million decibels to cut through, they also have a footswitchable solo boost so I can keep a rhythm tone that sits smoothly with the bass and drums, but also have a lead sound that really jumps out when it comes time for a solo.

That said, if I was playing with a band that did gig at uncomfortable stage levels, yeah, I'd use a good set of earplugs.


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Sep 24, 2007)

higain, i saw the hair thing in an industreal work video saying the tinnituns or whatever slightly repairs its self with the regrowth of the tiny tiny hairs in your ear that pick up vibrations, but it said that its months to years for the regrowth to take place and most of the time the reinjury occurs to make the regrowth insignificant, dont know what the truth is, but the video was recent and well done, reguardless, i'm gonna get a pair of nice plugs cuz i dont wanna have to find out what really happens


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## Groff (Sep 24, 2007)

Everyone in my band has those Vic Firth ear muff things, but Live, I wear the cheap foam earplugs because most people don't see them.

Can't play without something. I feel they're as essential as cables and picks.



noodles said:


> I currently use Hearos, although I want to upgrade to the ear mold plugs at some point.





Want to get ear molds soon.


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## eaeolian (Sep 24, 2007)

TheMissing said:


> Want to get ear molds soon.



In all honesty, the Etymotic ETYPlugs (which is the same thing as the Hearoes Dave has) are 90% of they way there, and they're $12 from the company. I just bought sets for our singer and my wife.


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## MF_Kitten (Sep 24, 2007)

Alpo said:


> Of course I use them. I don't want to destroy my hearing. I use EAR christmas tree looking things. The standard yellow foam plugs just sound terrible.



i use the same ones, i find them pretty transparent frequency wise, they kinda just lower the volume, and not as much frequency range as cheap plugs and stuff...

i have yet to use them live though, i´m wondering how things will sound then


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Sep 24, 2007)

i just grabbed a pair at walmart that look just like the hear-o's pictured above, 26 decible cut , 2 bucks, and they work great, but i definatly am going to try out the mentioned above ones, 

wont the ear molds block out too much sound if they fit super good?


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## eaeolian (Sep 24, 2007)

7 Strings of Hate said:


> wont the ear molds block out too much sound if they fit super good?



No, that's the idea - you want ALL of the sound sent through the filter.


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Sep 24, 2007)

ah, whats the decible rating for the ear molds, or do they pretty much come in any rating? i saw some ear molds there for 12 bucks but i was figureing they probably wernt the same ones you guys were talking about


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## Groff (Sep 24, 2007)

eaeolian said:


> In all honesty, the Etymotic ETYPlugs (which is the same thing as the Hearoes Dave has) are 90% of they way there, and they're $12 from the company. I just bought sets for our singer and my wife.



Nice. I'll have to check these out.

The christmas tree looking ones kinda irritate my ears, but I'm willing to try a different set.


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## eaeolian (Sep 24, 2007)

TheMissing said:


> Nice. I'll have to check these out.
> 
> The christmas tree looking ones kinda irritate my ears, but I'm willing to try a different set.



That was actually part of why I went to the earmolds - the main reason, though, is that I move my head so much that they would fall out!


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Sep 24, 2007)




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## sakeido (Sep 24, 2007)

I always wear earplugs because in high school, I had an extremely loud car stereo system. It never bothered me much, until I took a hearing test for my last industrial job and the doctor told me I was very very close to the point where he would recommend I get a hearing aid and the chart was terrible, as much as 40dB off normal at some points (especially in the upper sub bass region ahaha)


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Sep 24, 2007)

so damn it, quit lectureing us on tone you deaf bastard just kiddin

i took my industreal hearing test stuff in april and i had perfect hearing in my left, and just slightly less perfect in the right, i dont wanna fuck these babies up!


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## shadowgenesis (Sep 24, 2007)

just adding to what's prolly been said sixteen times but yeah
use earplugs. A lawnmower is loud enough to do irreparable damage to your hearing. Hell, chances are you've played your car stereo loud enough to do some hurting. Unfortunately a lot of people don't take steps to try and protect their hearing. We did some reading on this in my music class senior year and ever since then i've been super paranoid about my hearing. :-X



7 Strings of Hate said:


> i'v been told the ringing has something to do with little hairs in your ear that play a part in your hearing, but they grow back to an extent



ermm. well... From what i know, your sense of hearing works by having tons and tons of microscopic hairs in your ears that pickup different frequencies. And when you damage them (aka overload them with too loud a vibration) they are destroyed and there is no known way to regenerate them.


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## metalfiend666 (Sep 24, 2007)

I've got some very nice custom made ear plugs that were moulded to my ears. The moulding process was strange, but the end result was worth it. Mine are a 25dB cut and that gives enough to stop my ears ringing after rehearsals and at nightclubs. It's roughly a flat cut, though the bass ends up slightly more prominent as basswaves travel through your body to your inner ear too. No big deal though. The only real downside is they cost £160 a set, but my hearing's worth it. They're so good I bought a second set. I keep one in my lead case so they're always at rehearsal with me, and the other in my drawer for nightclubs and parties.

I think £320 is a small price to pay for still being able to hear in 30 or 40 years time.


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## Shikaru (Sep 24, 2007)

Who makes your ear plugs James? They're something I've been meaning to invest in for a long time, but I've never got around to it/I'm poor . It's become a huge concern since I've started studying Audio Engineering though, I'm always worrying about the volume whenever I go out now.


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## Mr. S (Sep 24, 2007)

i pretty much carry earplugs around with me all the time these days, i have a couple of spare sets in my guitar cases and my POD bag, and they're really useful, as a few people have said, when you go see bands play as i usually go to mid week gigs and have to work the next day and the last thing i need at work are ringing ears and a stonking headache!


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## 8string (Sep 24, 2007)

I've got a pair of moulded ear plugs with filters, no eq'ing of the sound just attenuates it. costs a bit but they're totally worth it...


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## zimbloth (Sep 24, 2007)

noodles said:


> I currently use Hearos, although I want to upgrade to the ear mold plugs at some point.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I use these too. 

And "turning down" is not an option at practice. Our drummers kit, even without triggers, is very loud. We need to turn our VHT/Mesa's up to near-gigging levels for it to sound balanced. I just use the earplugs at both practice or shows most of the time.

I unfortunately do have Tinnitus, but I got it at a Type O Negative show, which wasn't even remotely loud. What did me in was sustained harmonic feedback that their guitarist Kenny Hickey kept doing. That can really fuck you up, even if it's not loud.


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Sep 24, 2007)

shadowgenesis said:


> just adding to what's prolly been said sixteen times but yeah
> use earplugs. A lawnmower is loud enough to do irreparable damage to your hearing. Hell, chances are you've played your car stereo loud enough to do some hurting. Unfortunately a lot of people don't take steps to try and protect their hearing. We did some reading on this in my music class senior year and ever since then i've been super paranoid about my hearing. :-X
> 
> 
> ...



actually, i was told in the videos that the hairs do grow back but not nearly to what it was prior to the injury and that it takes about a year for what little bit that will come back to grow, and usually is reinjured inbetween that time, hence the permenant damage


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## arnoroth661 (Sep 24, 2007)

I'm wearing my $1 hearos foam set... I can't even hear myself type. It's nice... But now I listen to the high pitched ringing in my ears. I guess it's what you call hearing damage? '

I've played with a drummer before... Unfortunately he beats the shit out of his stuff. This ringing is starting to get unbearable.

I'm only 17.


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## Metal Ken (Sep 24, 2007)

Ear plugs at every concert i go to, and any time i've jammed with people or been in band practice situations.

I actually like wearing them at concerts, it makes all the instruments easier to hear, i think. its like ear protection+Mixing.


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## eleven59 (Sep 24, 2007)

I used to use these and loved them, but they don't sell them locally anymore:





Now I use these, because it's all I could find locally:


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## D-EJ915 (Sep 24, 2007)

OzzyC said:


> The only time I would need them would be when my 13 year old sister screams for me.



 I never expected that from you ozzy


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## arnoroth661 (Sep 24, 2007)

arnoroth661 said:


> I'm wearing my $1 hearos foam set... I can't even hear myself type. It's nice... But now I listen to the high pitched ringing in my ears. I guess it's what you call hearing damage?



Self bump. Any enlightenment on this situation?


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## Scarve (Sep 25, 2007)

Yeah man, your ringing is due mainly to an overload on the hair cells that are around the frequency ringing you actually hear. If it stops, then consider yourself very lucky to have a chance to do what's necessary : protect your hearing. Because it's always a sign of an upcoming permanent damage. And when those cells die definately, it may ring forever, loud or not.

Basically, permanent Tinnitus is when hair cells die and brain choose to send a permanent signal to compensate.

Again, PROTECT YOUR FUCKIN EARS! Even if you have to buy custom molded earplugs. It worth more than what you'll be paying for. I have much concern about it, trust me...

I'm a victim of a 140dB headphone/microphone feedback. I know what permanent critical Tinnitus can be, as well as hearing loss. People wo don't have that stuff don't even know how much they are lucky 

But well, life goes on and I slowy learn to somehow deal with this shit.

My 2 cents.


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## Mastodon (Sep 25, 2007)

Metal Ken said:


> Ear plugs at every concert i go to, and any time i've jammed with people or been in band practice situations.
> 
> I actually like wearing them at concerts, it makes all the instruments easier to hear, i think. its like ear protection+Mixing.



I can't agree more with this.


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## arnoroth661 (Sep 25, 2007)

Scarve said:


> Yeah man, your ringing is due mainly to an overload on the hair cells that are around the frequency ringing you actually hear. If it stops, then consider yourself very lucky to have a chance to do what's necessary : protect your hearing. Because it's always a sign of an upcoming permanent damage. And when those cells die definately, it may ring forever, loud or not.
> 
> Basically, permanent Tinnitus is when hair cells die and brain choose to send a permanent signal to compensate.
> 
> ...



Hmm. So right as I get interested in hearing protection I find my hearing has already been damaged somewhat.  I bet this has all the world to do with being around a drummer and a marching band. As far as I know, I hardly play my guitar or ipod loud enough to hurt me.  

Sigh.


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## darren (Sep 25, 2007)

Etymotic Research, Inc. - ERâ¢20 High Fidelity Earplugs

I've been using these pretty religiously since 2002.


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## BigM555 (Sep 25, 2007)

arnoroth661 said:


> As far as I know, I hardly play my guitar or ipod loud enough to hurt me.
> 
> Sigh.



It's worth doing some research. You may be surprised to find that any sound levels much above normal human conversation can eventually lead to the symptoms already mentioned in this thread. Even simple things like driving around with your window open has been shown to contribute to hearing loss on that side.

And you have to keep in mind that it's cumulative. The little hairs are kind of like a forest of trees with sound being the wind blowing on them. If the wind (aka; sound) keeps up long enough, the tree (aka; hair) eventually gives way and falls over. Once a tree (aka; hair) falls over there's no standing it back up. Research may have shown different recently but from my own learnings in the past I've been informed that the trees in this forest DON'T grow back......EVER!  

I've been extremely lucky as my hearing is still pretty good even after the onslaught I survived at an Yngwie concert in the early 90's. Loudest F'n thing I've ever been exposed to in my life!  My ears rang for 4 DAYS!! Since that time I've become much more conscious about preserving what's left (fortunately, most of it).

BigM555 recalls tearing the tags out of his shoes and peeling the paper off of tinfoil from cigarette packs to use as earplugs as there was no more TP left in the restrooms!


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## Ishan (Sep 25, 2007)

darren said:


> Etymotic Research, Inc. - ERâ¢20 High Fidelity Earplugs
> 
> I've been using these pretty religiously since 2002.



I use those too, cheap, very effective, sound great. I use them at band reharsal, every concert I go to, any noisy environement. And I can still talk with friends with those in my ears as they don't cut the treble too much.
The only thing I don't really like about them is the silicon hurt my hear canal a bit, so some talcum is really recommended but that maybe just me...


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## JJ Rodriguez (Sep 25, 2007)

I also have molded ear plugs. I got the 15 db attenuators. You can get the attenuators anywheres from like 5-40 db or something, in increments of 5. They just snap out. I'll take pics of them later, they're pretty nifty. My mother got them for me when I started drumming


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Sep 25, 2007)

drumming jj?


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## JJ Rodriguez (Sep 25, 2007)

Yeah, I've had a kit for a couple of years now. I wouldn't really call myself a drummer, more like someone who owns a drum kit


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## darren (Sep 25, 2007)

I've contemplated getting custom-molded ones, too.


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## arnoroth661 (Sep 25, 2007)

BigM555 said:


> I've been extremely lucky as my hearing is still pretty good even after the onslaught I survived at an Yngwie concert in the early 90's. Loudest F'n thing I've ever been exposed to in my life!  My ears rang for 4 DAYS!! Since that time I've become much more conscious about preserving what's left (fortunately, most of it)



Hmmm. I did play a really high pinched harmonic with a peavey 2x12 valveking at guitar center recently... And I was around a drummer in the same store. Perhaps my ringing has something to do with those occurances? 

I don't remember experiencing ringing this loud earlier.  

... And by loud, I mean it's just... there. Always noticable, regardless of the volume of things surrounding me. It seems like it's almost the volume of me typing.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Sep 25, 2007)

I've encountered too many monitor spikes not too, but in rehearsals I mostly wore one just in the left ear, as I was positioned stage right. Our drummer's ride cymbal used to just kill me, but since nothing was on my right but my keyboard, I didn't need one in my right ear that often.

On stage, I just didn't trust what many of these clubs call a sound tech, so I got used to playing many a gig by hearing the drummer, vocs in the monitor, & on muscle memory alone. I've had many gigs where the monitors are so lound that I didn't hear a note of my own playing, but since we were so rehearsed, most of the time the audience never noticed that we didn't hear everything perfect on stage.

Nowadays, since I'm playing mostly at church, we monitor through an Aviom system, and I couldn't be happier, stereo earphone monitoring is the only way to go.


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## metalfiend666 (Sep 25, 2007)

Shikaru said:


> Who makes your ear plugs James? They're something I've been meaning to invest in for a long time, but I've never got around to it/I'm poor . It's become a huge concern since I've started studying Audio Engineering though, I'm always worrying about the volume whenever I go out now.



Damned if I can remember any more, it was a few years back. I just googled "ear plugs" in the UK and checked a few places out.


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## metalfiend666 (Sep 25, 2007)

Metal Ken said:


> Ear plugs at every concert i go to, and any time i've jammed with people or been in band practice situations.
> 
> I actually like wearing them at concerts, it makes all the instruments easier to hear, i think. its like ear protection+Mixing.



Yeah, I've found that too. It's like your ears overload and loose the ability to make out the individual instruments clearly, then the ear plugs balance it out again.


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## Psychoface (Sep 25, 2007)

no doubt protect your ears!!!!!


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## Marko (Sep 25, 2007)

Do you guys use some specially-for-musicians plugs or something?

Where I live, the only ones I coud try were those that you can buy in hunting&fishing stores and I haven't had any good results with those They do reduce the noise, but what good is that if i can't hear some "nuances" in sound, like - if im playing with distortion (true story - I once forgot to switch channels after one clean part and I played the rest of the song like that)...


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## JBroll (Sep 25, 2007)

Yeah, you can get them at any local music store (can't recommend GC or the like because I haven't heard of any being in Serbia, unfortunately) - orchestral and band supply stores would actually be the first place I'd look. If not, they can be ordered online.

I have some ringing that comes mainly from illness when I was little - that's also worth looking out for if you feel like raising wee ones and having them be able to hear you properly. Of course, after 9 or 10 you'll just be ignored anyway, but still...

Jeff


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## includao (Sep 25, 2007)

shadowgenesis said:


> ermm. well... From what i know, your sense of hearing works by having tons and tons of microscopic hairs in your ears that pickup different frequencies. And when you damage them (aka overload them with too loud a vibration) they are destroyed and there is no known way to regenerate them.



they regenerated slowly, but if you damage it constantly you are fu***


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## PlanetJeff (Sep 25, 2007)

I have to wear ear plugs when I plug into a big amp or my ears will ring for awhile.


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## maccayoung (Sep 26, 2007)

yup, I use earplugs all the time. It was awkward at first but now I've gotten used to em.


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## poisonelvis (Sep 26, 2007)

everyone in my band wears em',live shows a must,or ears ring for days.


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## ogisha007 (Sep 27, 2007)

Marko said:


> Do you guys use some specially-for-musicians plugs or something?
> 
> Where I live, the only ones I coud try were those that you can buy in hunting&fishing stores and I haven't had any good results with those They do reduce the noise, but what good is that if i can't hear some "nuances" in sound, like - if im playing with distortion (true story - I once forgot to switch channels after one clean part and I played the rest of the song like that)...



ER-20 Hi-Fidelity Ety-Plugs - Music & Concert Plugs

I think they ship worldwide. 

[Serbian]
P.S. Ja sam isto iz Srbije, pa ako zelis da nesto iskombinujemo, baci poruku. I meni trebaju chepovi 
[/Serbian]


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## Metal Ken (Sep 27, 2007)

metalfiend666 said:


> Yeah, I've found that too. It's like your ears overload and loose the ability to make out the individual instruments clearly, then the ear plugs balance it out again.



Yep, another really weird thing is if you swallow, you can hear the music really loud inside your head but not your ears


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## Jongpil Yun (Sep 27, 2007)

If I ever played at very loud volumes I would, but I have a huge problem with earbuds. Namely, when I was young I had a mastoidectomy to remove a cholosteatoma. So now not only am I about 45db deaf in my right ear anyways, but my right ear's ear canal is MUCH bigger than normal. I can actually stick my index finger in my ear to just short of the second joint. Needless to say, finding a set of earplugs that fit is a pain in the ass. I also can't go swimming anymore.

Just as a side note: thanks to the University of Washington. My cholosteatoma was bad enough that normally a radical mastoidectomy would have been done (removing the ear drum, most of the middle ear, leaving only the stapes), and had already covered my right facial nerve, but the guys down at UW did it for free, AND saved my middle ear and ear drum. I have very slight facial nerve paralysis on top of the hearing loss, but it's better than meningitis, brain abcesses, and total deafness. 

One of the main reasons I'm a pre-med transferring to UW next year now.

BTW, you know the Yngwie Malmsteen Hot Licks video? How the hell can that guy still hear when he was running like 25 heads through 100 cabs? Jesus H Christ.


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## Suho (Sep 27, 2007)

I am 32 now and have been using earplugs since I was 16. I use whatever I can find in the drug store or supermarket, and they have always worked fine for me. The little foam ones are my preference, rated at 29dB reduction. 

I had been to a few concerts that made me lose my hearing for a few hours afterward (Whitesnake w/ Vai, for one), but when I was 16 I jammed with a coworker's metal band that was sans bassist. They were all twice my age (my coworker was Nick, from the meat department - I worked in a supermarket) and real heavy metal badasses. 

We jammed in a practice room that was maybe 15' X 12', or so, 2 full out guitar rigs, my bass rig, and a double bass drummer on 'roids. After about an hour, I could not hear anything they said. I could hear that guitars that were bleeding my brain, but when the music stopped and Nick shouted at me from about 4' away, I swear I couldn't hear a damn thing.  

I made a call from a pay phone for a ride home after that, just talking and repeating who I was and hoping someone had answered the phone because I had no way of knowing. 

That freaked me out, and now I am anal about ALWAYS having earplugs. Practice, gigs, clubs (dancing -when I was younger!), etc. Those feedback spikes are killers, too.

As has been said, the ears do slowly regenerate the damaged nerve tissue, but it is very slow. Any subsequent injury will negate that quickly. What no one else mentioned, is that we all gradually lose our hearing naturally. Men more than women. It is the higher frequencies that go first. 

I used to have mild tinnitus, but much of this has receded with time and proper protection.


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## dissident (Sep 29, 2007)

We had a lecture on this at uni the other day and it was pretty fucking scary. Its something like sound at 85 db can damage your hearing and some concerts get to around 130 db. The woman who was doing it seemed pretty ott about things though she said if you have to speak louder than normal to be heard the music is too loud LOL. Ear plugs all the way for me.


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## Cancer (Sep 29, 2007)

I wear these to big club shows religiously, not so much at practice though, becuase we don't play that loud anymore (once we lost our REAL drummer, we started turning way down, frankly I don't miss the volume).


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## arnoroth661 (Sep 29, 2007)

Just bought the Hearos rock and roll set... Have yet to play with a drummer yet. We'll see!


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## Vince (Sep 29, 2007)

There is an even better solution to this problem than just blocking out the sound. It's expensive, but man is it worth it. Get one of these and a cheap Behringer line mixer, and you're set, IMO. I don't use one, but my singer does, and eventually everyone in our band will be using these.

Sennheiser EW 300 IEM G2 | Sweetwater.com


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## Leon (Sep 29, 2007)

inner ear monitors are DEFINITELY the way to go, and my own band is working towards getting one. myself, i just bought a pair of those Hearos, the white ones that look like Xmas trees, and wore them at my gig last night. they worked really well


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## ChaNce (Oct 1, 2007)

Vince, how does that work for live settings? Where do you plug it in? How do you get the house mix? How do you make sure the House guy doesnt crank it and blow out your ears?

I don't get it, but I would love to go to monitors.

I just bought them


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## TomAwesome (Nov 24, 2007)

I know some of you don't like when old threads get bumped, but it didn't make sense for me to make a new one. After this recent incident with my tubes being bad for who knows how long without me even noticing because of my cheap ear plugs, I decided it was probably time to get some better ones. I'll probably end up with the Alpines, ER-20s, or the similar looking Hearos. Does anyone have experience with more than one of these? Did any one seem better than the others? Are the Alpines really that much better, or are you just paying for the multiple filters? I'm trying to get the flattest response possible, and I can probably go a bit more expensive than the Alpines if there's something else that's better.


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## Zepp88 (Nov 24, 2007)

Good you bumped this thread. My Dad told me a few days ago that he has permanent hearing damage from listening to loud music all the time (80s hair metal ) He hears an annoying low hum 24/7 now 

I'm buying earplugs.


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## WarriorOfMetal (Nov 24, 2007)

TomAwesome said:


> I know some of you don't like when old threads get bumped, but it didn't make sense for me to make a new one. After this recent incident with my tubes being bad for who knows how long without me even noticing because of my cheap ear plugs, I decided it was probably time to get some better ones. I'll probably end up with the Alpines, ER-20s, or the similar looking Hearos. Does anyone have experience with more than one of these? Did any one seem better than the others? Are the Alpines really that much better, or are you just paying for the multiple filters? I'm trying to get the flattest response possible, and I can probably go a bit more expensive than the Alpines if there's something else that's better.



the ER20s and Hearos Hi-Fi are literally the same thing. it used to even say so on the Etymotic website....not sure if it still does. basically it was in the dealer section, where Guitar Center was listed, and it said that they carried the ER20s re-labeled as Hearos Hi-Fi. that's what i use, i've been using them for about 3 years now, and they work really well.


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Nov 24, 2007)

i got the cheap christmas tree plugs from walmart for about 2 bucks and they worked fine before we found our new bassist, now that we have him, i cant hear my highs, and then i take out the plugs and they are there in spades, i guess i can just feel the bass more ontop of cheap plugs


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## ibznorange (Nov 24, 2007)

yep.
i dunno. ive got some wierd christmas tree lookin ones too. the blue ones
they take the edge off well, but you can still hear people talking at a normal volume fairly well when its quiet


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## technomancer (Nov 24, 2007)

eaeolian said:


> I haven't tried the Alpines, but I can definitely recommend the Etymotics - I have their musician's earmold plugs that I wear at every show and rehearsal, and a set of their ETYplugs that I wear when I go to shows. Their response is almost as flat as the musician's plugs, and they're $12!



BTW Thanks for this tip Mike, I've picked up a set of the ETYplugs and they're great 

Didn't want to bump the thread to say it, but since somebody else had a reason to bump it I thought I'd chime in


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## Jason (Nov 24, 2007)

HEAROS.com



I use the ones below btw.. I find if I pull them out just slightly they work perfect 

HEAROS.com


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## eaeolian (Nov 24, 2007)

technomancer said:


> BTW Thanks for this tip Mike, I've picked up a set of the ETYplugs and they're great



Glad they worked for you. I think they're a steal, especially considering the alternatives...


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## Rick Pierpont (Nov 26, 2007)

I started using them off-stage years ago (but not enough) and then once I started playing more again, I wore them faithfully to practices too. I've always used the cheapo foam ones (33db) and had decent luck with them. I think I've been using them so long that my brain has "adapted" and things sound decent with them in. I can't stand being at a show without them. I bought a $15 pair from GC last year, but found them difficult to get in my ear correctly and was afraid of doing more damage, so back to the foam ones. I do want to invest in a really good pair one of these days (as well as in-ear monitors).


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## SymmetricScars (Nov 27, 2007)

God yes i use em!

My ears are way too important to me to be taking serious damage.


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## TomAwesome (Nov 27, 2007)

So nobody has anything to say about the Alpines or any other ear plugs as compared to the ETY/Hearos? Good to know that the ER-20s and the Hearos Hi-Fi are exactly the same, though.


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## smueske (Nov 27, 2007)

I made the mistake of not using them for most of my life. Now my left ear shorts out at anything above 100 decibels. I use them now, have for about 4 years now. The only drawback I can see with earplugs is that it kind of fucks up your vocals, but like anything, it takes a little getting used to.


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## skinhead (Nov 29, 2007)

I use the standard 3M plugs, the orange ones. That are made of some type of foam.


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## yevetz (Nov 30, 2007)

I use ear plugs when I'm working stageman. It's from some kind of spoonge or something like that.


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## ibznorange (Nov 30, 2007)

i knew i should come read this when i saw vova posted...



yevetz said:


> I use ear plugs when I'm working stageman. It's from some kind of spoonge or something like that.


somehow in my mind was briefly


yevetz said:


> I use ear plugs when I'm working stageman. It's from some kind of splooge or something like that.



yeah,
having hearing ftw!


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## yevetz (Dec 1, 2007)

ibznorange said:


> i knew i should come read this when i saw vova posted...
> 
> 
> somehow in my mind was briefly
> ...


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## JBroll (Dec 1, 2007)

He changed "spoonge" to "splooge" - haha, semen joke, haha, get it? Splooge.

Haha.

[/12-year-old]

Jeff


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## Karl Hungus (Dec 1, 2007)

I always use them during a band situation.

I'll even use them at home practicing, because you know, nothing quite feels like cranking an amp. 

I do want to get a better set at some stage, as I've only got some cheap foam ones. Still, they do their job, and I've not gotten a ringing in my ears for years.


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## Zepp88 (Dec 1, 2007)

Do the earmolds have to be specially ordered and molded to my ears? Or is there some basic set you can buy?


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## Universalis (Dec 1, 2007)

The most common yellow foam earplugs work fine for me, at practice or at a gig. When I'm short of earplugs and I have to go to a club or something in which music it's played really loud I take a sigarette's filter, I split it in two pieces, I bend each half and I stick the result in my ears, It's not scientifically certified, obviously. But trust me when I say that with that trick I cut out most part of the dangerous higher frequencies.


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## robanomoly (Dec 4, 2007)

You may also want to check with a local Audiologist or hearing aid center about getting ear plugs that are molded to fit your ear canal. They are very comfortable and you can often get different filters for them. They are worth every penny!

As others have eluded, ear protection is not just for loud music. There was an episode of This Old House where an Audiologist showed that hammering can be just as, or more, damaging than a circular saw. I've gotten to the point of wearing ear plugs with noise cancelling headphones. The difference is suprising.

Protect your hearing. There aren't many things as annoying/frustrating/scary as when you can't get to sleep because of the loud ringing/whistling in your ears....and you know that will be with you for the rest of your life. I know.


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## eaeolian (Dec 4, 2007)

Zepp88 said:


> Do the earmolds have to be specially ordered and molded to my ears? Or is there some basic set you can buy?



The earmolds have to be made - most audiologists can do it - and then you buy a set (or multiple sets) of filters. Most use the Etymotic filters, I believe. (That's what I use).


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