anyone use ear protection whilst playing

[ANIMALBEATS]

i use a lovley white set of ear defenders

[jordanz]

Not normally. But, does anyone else experience this... I find the throne behind the drum set to be the quietest place on stage. All the sounds of the drums (especially the cymbals) are going away from me and the monitors, etc. (except mine of course) are usually in front of me.

[caddywumpus]

Yep...little squishy foam ear inserts while playing live, and big earmuffs while rehearsing with a group or practicing solo.

Protect your hearing, drummers! Do you want to still be able to enjoy music when you're older?

[Nytak]

Yup, I always wear my plugs when I play. Made the mistake once of playing my half stack cranked with no plugs, and have a nice permanant ring in one ear. No need to make it worse.

[Chazz]

You really should use something! Foam types, headphones
at least some sort of protection!
Like 'Caddy' said;
Do you want to still be able to enjoy music when you're older?
I agree, before it's too late & 1/2 your hearing is gone :(

[Dom Daviault]

Yes, and I'm proud of it!
I use custom-made earplugs, the finest and best tool that every musicians should have in their pockets, at any time during the day.
These earplugs are custom-made by hearing-aid specialists and sent at a company to assemble them. And it normally comes with a small case to protect them.
Personally, I don't like little squishy foams, because they simply do not protect your ears. You hear less of noise, but it destroys your audition as same as not wearing ear protections (it's the low frequencies that cause the worse ear damages).

[mrchattr]

Not normally. But, does anyone else experience this... I find the throne behind the drum set to be the quietest place on stage. All the sounds of the drums (especially the cymbals) are going away from me and the monitors, etc. (except mine of course) are usually in front of me.

This is not true. The drums and cymbals project their sound equally in all directions. When you are sitting behind a drum set, even though we often think of the sound as moving away from us, it is moving in a circle from each drum and cymbal, meaning that it is coming at you at the same volume as it will on the way out to the audience...only you are only sitting a few inches away from it!

Hearing protection is essential to keeping your ears functioning well...which is pretty darn important for being a musician. It's a pain in the butt sometimes, and can be a bit of a bummer, but it's better than going deaf and not being able to drum any more.

[sticksnstonesrus]

Drums are loud. Plain and simple. Wedge monitors (obviously, this is dependent on what type of music) are usually louder. Personally, I've been wearing plugs and or my in-ears for so long now, I am finding it hard to stand my drums at full playing volume without wearing some kind of hearing protection.

Nevertheless, as stated, your hearing is what it is, protecting it should be of the highest priority. Once it's degraded, it does not get better. Only subsides from getting any worse (from where you choose to start saving).

[jordanz]

This is not true. The drums and cymbals project their sound equally in all directions. When you are sitting behind a drum set, even though we often think of the sound as moving away from us, it is moving in a circle from each drum and cymbal,

It's probably a trick of the mind then. I can't stand being in front of a set (volume-wise) when some else is playing. But, I'm not bothered when I'm playing.

[Mighty_Joker]

Yes always. Always, always, always. If you damage your hearing, you won't ever get it back. Wear ear protection always!

[mrchattr]

It's probably a trick of the mind then. I can't stand being in front of a set (volume-wise) when some else is playing. But, I'm not bothered when I'm playing.

Probably is...I think it has something to do with the "shock" of it...like being tickled. You can't tickle yourself, because you know it's coming. When you are playing something, your body and mind prepare for it, so you know it's coming. That's my guess, anyway.

Also, depending on if you are a controlled player...I tend to play with a lot of control, and when people go off on a kit, slamming away, etc, it makes my ears want to cry.

[masonni]

ALWAYS!

I use the foam ear plugs when out at concerts and clubs, and while practicing with bands.
When I practice alone or playing gigs I use In-ear monitors. If a particular band plays with a click I'll use these at practice too.

[crazyjake19]

If I'm practicing (loudly), jamming, or playing live, I always use those foam ear plugs.

If I'm practicing at night with the mutes on, I use my sound isolation headphones through which I have whatever songs I'm playing to.

[DrumEatDrum]

Always.

Either headphones or just some tissue.

[denisri]

Always!!!!!!!! Why won't you???? Denis

[eddiehimself]

Probably is...I think it has something to do with the "shock" of it...like being tickled. You can't tickle yourself, because you know it's coming. When you are playing something, your body and mind prepare for it, so you know it's coming. That's my guess, anyway.

Also, depending on if you are a controlled player...I tend to play with a lot of control, and when people go off on a kit, slamming away, etc, it makes my ears want to cry.

The thing about tickling i think is more to do with the fact that you can feel your own hand, whereas you can't feel someone elses hand. The idea does work for other things though, like why the driver of a car doesn't get motion sickness even if they do when being a passenger.

I do play quite loud but i use plenty of hearing protection, what someone else was saying about not blocking out the low end was affecting me when i was just wearing the vic firth ear defender headphones, so i also got some cheap foam inserts which i think do a pretty good job of getting rid of that low end and some more of the treble too. Now i can hardly hear much when i'm playing apart from the drums and the other advantage is it really isolates my singing so i can hear just how terrible i am!
For me the question of "do you use hearing protection whilst playing?" is like asking "do you use sticks whilst playing?" Of course. Always. And the only time i wouldn't is if i was playing with my hands!

[drumbandit]

ER-20s are the way forward

[ANIMALBEATS]

what are er-20's...................?

[Muckster]

I've used the foam earplugs for years at gigs and while i practice.

[JT1]

I tend not to play without them now unless i have no choice. Docs pro plugs all the way!

[BigSteve]

Yes..always! Head phones when I practice and custom ear plugs when I play. I already have tinnitus and I don't want any further hearing loss. I never wore any ear protection when I was younger.....now I know better.

[CBPEAVEY]

I use ear plugs and big ear protectors on top of them aswell. I can still hear the drums and everything/everyone else fine, it is just a lot quieter and a lot more comfortable using both of them at the same time.

[Fiery]

Personally, I don't like little squishy foams, because they simply do not protect your ears. You hear less of noise, but it destroys your audition as same as not wearing ear protections (it's the low frequencies that cause the worse ear damages).
Interesting and not true on several levels.

First of all, properly inserted foam plugs are pretty much the best passive protection you can get. Using earmuffs over them can decrease noise level by a few more dB, but not much.

Second, they attenuate all frequencies. Yes, the low frequencies are attenuated less then the high, but they still remove at least 15-20 dB in lows (again, if properly inserted).

And third, it's not the low frequencies that cause the worst ear damage in musicians. Tinnitus comes from high frequencies. Stereocilia that detect the high frequencies are the thinest and the most fragile, so they get damaged first. You don't hear low -pitched noise when you have tinnitus, right?

For me the question of "do you use hearing protection whilst playing?" is like asking "do you use sticks whilst playing?" Of course. Always. And the only time i wouldn't is if i was playing with my hands!
Very well put, I agree on all counts.

[PQleyR]

Always. ER-20s for me, or ear defenders with earbud headphones for practise.

[Chonson]

Westone ES-49 custom molded; usually the -15dB filters but sometimes -9 and on rare (LOUD) occasion -25.

[PreppieNerd]

on the non-molded side:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Hearos-High-Fidelity-Ear-Filters-101338945-i1134130.gc

http://images.guitarcenter.com/products/optionlarge/Hearos/565181.jpg


They do a great job of cutting frequencies equally across the spectrum.

[Pollyanna]

For me the question of "do you use hearing protection whilst playing?" is like asking "do you use sticks whilst playing?" Of course. Always. And the only time i wouldn't is if i was playing with my hands!

Umm, never for me. When I was playing loud music in the 70s through to the mid 90s I didn't know anyone who used hearing protection. I can't remember even discussing it with any of the musicians I knew who played the Sydney bar scene, although there's probably quite a lot that I don't remember from that time.

I once tried out ear plugs bought from a chemist but I found they killed the highs and made the music lose its sparkle.

In 2000 I started a job where each new staff member was required to have a hearing test. I knew I had issues because I can't hear people speak when there's a lot of ambient noise. I was surprised to find that my hearing was still within normal range, although my left ear only just so. The testers did pick up that i had tinnitus, though.

On the plus side, one thing I've almost never done is listened to music at high volume through headphones or ear buds because that's apparently worse than anything else for your hearing.

The worst ear ringing I ever experienced was as an audience member in the front row at a Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow concert in the 70s. Someone had brought along ear protection wax, which I used. We were sitting a bit to the right of the stage, diectly in front of the stacks. Partway through the show I took out the left plug (not facing the speakers) to find out what the music sounded like without protection. It seemed ok so I didn't put it back. When I went to bed at night my left ear rang insanely. I had a lesson about the way sound travels that night :)

Current band is laid back so I still don't use ear protection. We're quiet enough that sometimes we can hear the bands in the studio next door thundering away through the walls while we play our songs (and the studios are better soundproofed than others I've been to). I hope those guys are using protection.

[ermghoti]

^Different people have different levels of susceptibility to hearing damage. It seems you are unusually resistant to hearing loss, as one would generally expect serious damage in your position.

I have used hearing protection all the time since I noticed tinnitus developing in my late teens. Lately, I've gone back to the foamies or shooting muffs over ER20s for their superior attenuation, unless critical listening is required. Very rarely, I will take a dose unprotected, but only for a few seconds.

[Pollyanna]

^Different people have different levels of susceptibility to hearing damage. It seems you are unusually resistant to hearing loss, as one would generally expect serious damage in your position.

Fortunately I've never been a really hard hitter and my old bands weren't metal or thrash. The guitarists I played with weren't "Marshall stack types" ... they were more Fender Twin reverb types.

Also, having a left ear only just within normal range PLUS tinnitus is not ideal. I didn't know any musos in the bar scene at that time who used hearing protection. We were young and bulletproof.

[RhythmDrums]

Im using headphones, although im thinking about getting earplugs because sometimes when i stop playing i hear a soft ring for a few minutes.

[sufc.loyal]

I never played with ear protection, untill one day my right ear would not stop ringing.

Went to the the doctors and he said i had "Tits in my ear" or titenus, or what ever it is called.

For 4 weeks it rang. during the day it was alright, at night it was not nice.

Always said if i was given anther chance i would always wear that ear protection.

Well, by some sort of fate, i was given that second chance, and from now on i will not play without them, used them last week, pulled them out half way through a set, and could not beleave how loud it was out there, it was like opening the door into a night club.

Never again. so so glad i was given that second chance.

Always wear ear protection. i use, as descibed eairler, the soft buds that go into your ear, nice to use and comfortable.

And they do work.

[Gretsch09]

I have a student who visited his audiologist and got himself a pair of custom ear plugs. He says they are super comfortable and he sometimes forgets that they are in. They have different inserts for different Db Protection. I think he said they were a little more than $100.

[Vipercussionist]

Yes, and I'm proud of it!
Personally, I don't like little squishy foams, because they simply do not protect your ears. You hear less of noise, but it destroys your audition as same as not wearing ear protections (it's the low frequencies that cause the worse ear damages).

Sorry dude, that's just INCORRECT. If USED PROPERLY they protect JUST fine.

If you have IRREFUTABLE PROOF (link, book, article??) I will entertain the thought, but I've been wearing 29db foam inserts for about 20-25 years, and though there was ALREADY quite the amount of damage to my hearing there has been no further damage since wearing "little squishy foams".

Though they are not designed to hear the music in all of it's frequency glory they ARE designed to protect your hearing, low frequencies and all.

It was probably a nice sales pitch from your "hearing-aid specialists" that brought you to this conclusion, but without PROOF it is FALSE nonetheless.

A person in the business of SELLING a product in direct competition with the "little squishy foams" would NOT be the only source of information I would use to make such an important determination.

TL;DR
The "little squishy foams" are every bit as good at PROTECTING your hearing, though the music will SOUND BETTER with the plugs provided by "hearing-aid specialists".

[Big_Philly]

Always! Well, there's a few exceptions but that's only when I play for about 5-10 minutes. 5-10 minutes won't do harm yet if you don't play at max volume.

[Vipercussionist]

Sorry dude, that's just INCORRECT. If USED PROPERLY they protect JUST fine.

If you have IRREFUTABLE PROOF (link, book, article??) I will entertain the thought, but I've been wearing 29db foam inserts for about 20-25 years, and though there was ALREADY quite the amount of damage to my hearing there has been no further damage since wearing "little squishy foams".

Though they are not designed to hear the music in all of it's frequency glory they ARE designed to protect your hearing, low frequencies and all.

It was probably a nice sales pitch from your "hearing-aid specialists" that brought you to this conclusion, but without PROOF it is FALSE nonetheless.

A person in the business of SELLING a product in direct competition with the "little squishy foams" would NOT be the only source of information I would use to make such an important determination.

TL;DR
The "little squishy foams" are every bit as good at PROTECTING your hearing, though the music will SOUND BETTER with the plugs provided by "hearing-aid specialists".

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No rebuttal???

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[volvoguy]

According to UPS, my set of Hearo's just arrived on my front porch this afternoon. I hope they fit OK.

After years of playing without protection, I have trouble hearing conversations over background noise in crowded places. I'm lucky that I don't have any permanent ringing in my ears.

In the garage, I always use the big muffs when I play with air tools.

-Ryan

[volvoguy]

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No rebuttal???




I think the fact that folks using loud tools haven't gone deaf, and OSHA has approved them is proof that you are correct. :-)

-Ryan

[ANIMALBEATS]

has anyone any experience of using electroninc ear defenders...?

[curiousnomad]

Always.

After my freshman year in college (long ago and far away) I took a gig with a hard rock band to pay the rent (I was determined to not move home). We played Deep Purple, Foghat, Stones, etc. It was REALLY LOUD!!! I was determined not to blow my hearing on a gig I was only doing to survive, so I wore earplugs with headphones OVER those earplugs. My body shook all night from the vibrations, but I saved my hearing. I left at the end of summer to join a Stevie Wonder/ Beatles type of band with a higher level of musicianship, and still protected my ears.

I tell young people starting out-protect your hearing, you can't get it back.

[Tropellor]

I have been using custom fit plugs for the last 8 years now, and I take them everywhere. I've got two sets, with different attenuations, one for the quieter stuff I play, and the other for the louder stuff and concerts.
The custom plugs are fantastic, they took a while to get comfortable, but the frequency range is still there, it's just not harsh. It kind of feels like someone has just turned the volume down, instead of foam plugs where you lose all of the high end.

[rjvsmb]

WHAT!?

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