PROTECT YOUR EARS - ear plugs, hearing loss, deafness [Archive]

NUTHA JASON

07-19-2005, 07:16 PM

modern drummer published a very good series of articles on this topic a few years ago. here is the summary. all of you should read it a nd take it seriously. as musicians your ears are as valuable as you hands.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y290/nuthajason/qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq.jpg

EAR DAMAGE IS CUMULATIVE

What you do to your ears today will BE ADDED to the damage tomorrow. When you are young you think nothing of this but the damage is accruing.

EAR DAMAGE IS PERMANENT

There is no cure. So take it very seriously.
my dad has had tinnitus in his right ear for twenty years. in the begining it always goes away after a day and so we are fooled into thinking this is going to be the case forever. not so. if you get tinnitus then you are in trouble and need to take immediate and drastic action!

EAR DAMAGE DOES NOT ALWAYS HURT

Sometimes there is pain and we vacate the noisy area but often there is no pain. The damage is just as bad either way.

EVERYONE’S EARS ARE AT RISK.

Every now and then you meet a super human who says: ‘loud sounds don’t affect me.’ You wait in twenty years time they will be saying: ‘what? Sorry? Could you please speak up?’
ear phones are just as damaging. decibles are where they are heard not made. so if it is loud in your ear then it is loud, regardless of whether the speaker is an 18 cone or a 3mm earphone diaphragm.

FOR US DRUMMERS.

The solution is obviously ear-plugs. But they are a bother. They cut out vital frequencies and they diminish our ability to hear our volume levels accurately and so control our dynamics. They get dirty or lost easily too.
i have many pairs in various locations. i don't wear them during the set at a gig but i shove them in as soon as we finish and any other time there is loud music. i also wear them during rehearsals and i avoid ridiculously loud night clubs. i force myself to play my car and room studio at reasonable levels and, where possible i practice drums on a pad rather than a kit.

j

Anduin

07-19-2005, 07:43 PM

Tinnitus: the perception of sound when there is none. Welcome to Drummerworld.

The solution is obviously ear-plugs. But they are a bother. They cut out vital frequencies and they diminish our ability to hear our volume levels accurately and so control our dynamics. They get dirty or lost easily too.

I've tried a few things over the years, but these days I iuse the cheap little foam plugs that you get in bulk at your local drug store. They're the kind you twist into a tight cylinder, insert, and wait while they expand to completely block your ear canal. They chop something like 33 dB.

Do they sound good? Not really, but they're dirt cheap and quite effective. And I accidentally discovered something: I put the plugs in, put the headphones on over top, and somehow the EQ balance is much better than with either one ('phones or plugs) alone.

Protect your hearing now!

Anduin

07-19-2005, 07:46 PM

Interesting chart, NUTHA JASON. I never quite equated jazz drumming with a drill press before. Live and learn, eh wot!?

NUTHA JASON

07-19-2005, 07:47 PM

i use those exact earplugs too. one day i'm gonna splash out on pro plugs that cut volume but not frequency. but it is not worth waiting. protect your ears now!

i mean quite loud jazz. i think the soft touch of sheepskin kits and brushes has no health risk attached.

here is a pictoral representation of how we lose our hearing. the cochler is a coiled up tube with millions of bunches of hairs gently resting on a stif bonelike membrane. as the organ vibrated the hairs brush the organ and nerves at their roots send sound impulses to the brain. the hairs are stiff and short and brittle. at high decibels they bend snap and break and the less of them their are to touch the membrane the less we can hear. they never grow back or get replaced like the hairs on your arm do ... unfortunately.

j

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y290/nuthajason/DFDF.jpg (http://photobucket.com/albums/y290/nuthajason/?)

Superlow

07-19-2005, 09:15 PM

There are clear blue plastic ones I use called ear planes. They turn down the volume and cut out less high's. I reccomend them over the regular foam ones. Also NJ I think it's really bad to not to wear plugs during a show. You have very loud montiors on top of the regular noise you generate with your band. That will catch up with you if you gig a lot.

http://www.take-care.com/hear/hhc/earplanes.html

NUTHA JASON

07-19-2005, 09:38 PM

yeah i know but i love the sound too much. still its usually just two hours a night, twice a week. as soon as the dj comes on, i'm plugged up. i make up for it by keeping my ears in the quiet all the rest of the time.

j

insane drummer

07-19-2005, 09:47 PM

I use sound reduction head phones and hardly ever practice over an hour without taking a break for at least a little while.

CyclopseSlayer

07-19-2005, 09:56 PM

the "Rock N Roll Hearos" or whatever they're called that they sell at Guitar Center are really good, they leave in a good balance of frequencies and give you a better idea of what your cymbals actually sound like. Plus they have the little carrying cylinder that is nice for leaving in your stick bag or carrying them to concerts.

Speedy

07-19-2005, 10:09 PM

I just wear headphones or earplugs. Whatever works best for you.

somedrummer

07-19-2005, 11:22 PM

Thanks for the tips. I use my Vic Firth 22db mufflephones when I'm really bashing, but usually i just go without, and dont have any ringing or anything. Should I wear plugs when I'm just playing lightly, or is this excessive? Thanks again for the warning,

Rob

Rudy McRudster

07-19-2005, 11:33 PM

I wear shooting muffs. They work quite nicely, cutting down 32 decibels, and believe it or not, they actually cut out a lot of the echo I get from my basement. Because there is no soundproofing or drywall in my basement, it can't be absorbed anywhere, but with the headphones, it eliminates them.

Kevlar

07-20-2005, 03:18 AM

Thanks for the chart NJ, I'd never seen something like that before.

Edward

07-20-2005, 05:50 AM

I use big headphones that hug my ear all over and it muffles the sound pretty well.

Barry

07-20-2005, 06:41 AM

ear phones are just as damaging. decibles are where they are heard not made. so if it is loud in your ear then it is loud, regardless of whether the speaker is an 18 cone or a 3mm earphone diaphragm.Ultrasone headphones claim to be safer than regular headphones.

http://www.ultrasoneusa.com/press_releases.php
S-Logic also reduces the risk of hearing damage by 40% as the headphone’s transducers are not aimed directly at the auditory canal. Listeners perceive the same volume with sound press levels at the eardrum reduced up to 40%...

Wegadrummer

07-20-2005, 05:24 PM

i use ear plugs when i practise alone and with my band... and sometimes during a live show, depends on the lenght on the show.. but, i played drums for 4years withour any protection.. and i have some type of ear damage, so protect you ears drummer... just a tip..

GPinney

07-20-2005, 05:36 PM

DogBreath

07-20-2005, 06:12 PM

i would say just dont worry bout the loud sound yur ears will get used to it.

I've got links to some good Sign Language websites to anyone who follows this advice.

dustpan65

07-21-2005, 01:36 AM

What i do when i play is wear earplugs and then isolation headphones on top of that. Basically it doubles up the protection i can get from the noisiness of playing in a band. It works for me.

NUTHA JASON

07-21-2005, 08:42 AM

gpinney wrote:

This is just my opion i would say just dont worry bout the loud sound yur ears will get used to it.

but the experts say ...

EVERYONE’S EARS ARE AT RISK.

Every now and then you meet a super human who says: ‘loud sounds don’t affect me.’ You wait in twenty years time they will be saying: ‘what? Sorry? Could you please speak up?’
gpinney wrote:
Although if it is herting your ears then dont take my advice take your doctors advice.

but the experts say ...

EAR DAMAGE DOES NOT ALWAYS HURT

Sometimes there is pain and we vacate the noisy area but often there is no pain. The damage is just as bad either way.
seems like everyone else on this thread takes this aspect of drumming very seriously ...
i said VERY SERIOUS gpinney! did he hear me? hello? wait....i'll spell it out with flags for him.

jokes

j

Bernhard

07-23-2005, 02:33 AM

i would say just dont worry bout the loud sound yur ears will get used to it.

GPinney - I can't believe what I'm reading here - also remembering that so many young drummers look for advice in this forum - really out of control.

jokes??? - NO

Bernhard

Lambo

07-23-2005, 05:39 AM

My ears used to get bothered when i first started polaying years ago. I tried ear muffs and head phones you name it. And i just decided that it wasnt worth it. The ear plugs and head phones just made it harder for me to ear my band. This is just my opion i would say just dont worry bout the loud sound yur ears will get used to it. Although if it is herting your ears then dont take my advice take your doctors advice.

Are you ABSOLUTELY crazy???? I'm not gonna pretend that I'm saintly about ear protection, but to say that "it's okay, you'll get used to it" is like saying "jog on concrete everyday and your knees won't get f*****, they just harden up and take the pain".....
I'll tell you one thing right now, when you come out of a gig and your ears are ringing, that is your body's way of letting you know that you have temporarily damaged it, and that it needs to heal before you do something like that again, or else.... YOU [W*I*L*L] go deaf.

P.S. - Nutha Jason, isn't your signature something that Jimi H. said to Jimmy P.??? f***** BRILLIANT quote!

Fur drummer

07-23-2005, 07:23 AM

Ok I'm dazed and confused, It sounds like you are all saying you need to wear ear plugs all the time when you're playing. I wear ear plugs at gigs but not when I'm practicing at home with just my drums and no amplification. Should I wear them when I practice as well? Will just the sound of the drums and cymbals alone result in loss of hearing? Of course If you heard my playing you would want to wear ear plugs too. LOL

Drummer_Boy

07-23-2005, 11:21 AM

Okay. My dad gave me this idea, but it's just perfect. What you do is get an effects proccessor(fx processor) that has an ear plug jack. Then get these earplugs made by Koss. What they do, is they're made out of this material that can go deep inside your ear. I forgot what the darn thing is called, but it's basically an effects processor with a microphone. If you play into the microphone, and have the koss earplugs, the only thing you can hear is yourself, and not your band playing, so you don't have to listen to those suckers! I really wish I knew the name of the fx processor...I'll try to get a link tomorrow by asking my dad. While you're waiting, here's a link to the earplugs...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00001P4XA/qid=1121165024/sr=8-2/ref=pd_bbs_ur_2/002-3081634-0340855?v=glance&s=pc&n=507846

Bernhard

07-23-2005, 11:55 AM

Just one thing to make it easier for you to decide playing with earplugs:

With earplugs you get better dynamics with the Band, because you hear better, what sounds great for the audience and not only just for you. I mean, what you don't hear with earplugs also the public will not hear, because it's not clear enough articulated. So you get a better clearer style....DC told me this and was confirmed by my bandmates..

Bernhard

NUTHA JASON

07-23-2005, 01:27 PM

i agree. i went out after this thread started and bought some more expensive earplugs (etymotic ER.20) . these ones lowered decibels evenly across the frequency range and i hear everything just the way it normally sounds only slightly quieter. i will wear these during sets and then the much stronger and cheaper foam ones when the dj comes on while i pack up.

as for wearing em while you practice, of course yes!

j

RawDrummer55

07-23-2005, 11:52 PM

When i were just earplugs, or just the sound reduction head phones, i cant heare the music clearly, and they change the sound. This may sound weird, but it works. Put in the earplugs, then put on the sound reduction headphones. together, the sound is perfect, just at a lower volume. I think its because the head phones cut out high frequency stuff, leaving more bass, and ear plugs do the opposite. Idk, it works for me. plus it makes my kit sound even better, kind off as if it were miked. idk.

Dill X

07-23-2005, 11:55 PM

I wear those huge blue Vic Firth Isolation headphones for when I play with my band and practice. I've tried playing without earplugs and after one minute of loud playing I had to put my isolation headphones back on.
People during my band's shows probably think the headphones look goofy, but at least I know my ears are protected.

drumzalicious

07-24-2005, 04:05 AM

the problem is that usually when i play with someone its with monitors which isnt the problem. the problem is the fact that they have click tracks, if i cant hear the track then im screwed....

Bernhard

07-24-2005, 11:58 AM

the problem is that usually when i play with someone its with monitors which isnt the problem. the problem is the fact that they have click tracks, if i cant hear the track then im screwed....

Hmm, don't get it....

Is it not YOU managing the clicks? Or can't you give the clicks into your mix?

Bernhard

Pedro

07-24-2005, 04:17 PM

What i do when i play is wear earplugs and then isolation headphones on top of that. Basically it doubles up the protection i can get from the noisiness of playing in a band. It works for me.

I also do that. I sometimes put my earplugs and then put above some headphones. But I don't know if it's that good. Putting headphones creates a different kinda effect. The music is softer, but the bases are louder.

I really don't know. But it sounds great if I put the two :-)

Capitaine Quebec

07-30-2005, 01:22 AM

People during my band's shows probably think the headphones look goofy, but at least I know my ears are protected.

Just decorate them so it goes with your style of music. Thats what im planning to do. I just got into drumming (a month and a half) but i plan to play black metal and related style of music, so im trying to figure out a way to decorate my isolation headphone to match my style. Or just let your hair grow over your headphone :P

As for db level... i bought those practice pad you put over the head of the snare , tom and bass drum. For the cymbal, its a foam that i put that reduce the effect of the cymbal. the sound is not great, i must admit it, but at least its safe for everyone who play music with me and the neighbors dont bother me as well.

Tyrnox

07-30-2005, 01:33 AM

I always have headphones, always, and at the same time those headphones have a built in metronome so, it always kind of "forces" me to practice more with my metronome hehe.

I've been thinking of having custom made ear plug's that reduces the sound to a certain number of decibel's, for live show's, but I'm still not sure.

pc7411

07-30-2005, 02:46 AM

I've got a set of Peltor heavy-duty earmuff things that kinda look like the Vic Firth isolators, but they're white instead. They're designed for construction workers, and made by the same people that provide the communication system in Subaru WRC cars, so they're definitely good at keeping out noise. They've also taught me to play quieter too -- when I wore them originally, all I could hear was myself drumming, and only a whisper of the guitar and bass...

pakaea

07-30-2005, 05:27 PM

Hey guys... Call me overprotective but, (personally) I find that using "Hear-o" ear plugs AND sound dampening ear phones lower my volume as a whole. Using both allows me to hear each drum individually more clearly at a much lower volume AND be able to hear my band with no problem. Call me crazy...but it works for me. I guess its just a combination of low end dampening by the "Hear-os" and the high end dampening by the ear phones.

What works for me might not work for anyone else...guess it also depends on how your drums are tuned.

O J

07-30-2005, 08:34 PM

I dont use any ear protection but i usually use an electric kit. I have an accoustic and electric kit but i use the electric so it doesnt effect my hearing. Its only at practice when i use an accoustic kit. Do i need protection then ? Me and my band play for at least an hour a week and we usually play very loud.

hotsauce3n

07-31-2005, 06:26 AM

Do i need protection then ? Me and my band play for at least an hour a week and we usually play very loud.

I would say as long as your playing on your acoustic kit it will always be at a loud enough level that you will need earplugs. You can go to your doctor and have an earmold made for your ear for special plugs that block out loud sounds and allow lower level decibels such as a person speaking, which would work well with a band practice but also more expensive. As for me, i just practice with sleeping earplugs(or shooting earplugs) that you roll and put into your ear and they expand.

There actually have been studies that drummers have lost hearing from drumming on the ride cymbal. I think the artical was on jazz drumming because of the playing on the ride would build and the drummers would usually go deaf in one ear after so much playing.

I would reccommend using earplugs, i do.

Here's something to try, plug your ears and play normally for about 10 minutes, then remove your plugs and play at the same level... and even if you had previously been playing without earplugs you will see how loud this really is!

NUTHA JASON

07-31-2005, 01:30 PM

good post hot sauce. it is true. take the plugs out and its shocking how loud things are. ears actually protect themselves by shutting down the loudness but that doesn't stop the damage.

its the boiling frog syndrome. put a frog in a pot of hot water and it will immediately jump out. put a frog in cool water and then slowly heat it up and the frog will stay and boil to death.

tinnitus i've heard is actually an amazing thing. the ear is creating its own sound to cut the frequencies of damaging sounds outside the ear. it is like the doppler effect ... a peak wave made by the ear goes some way to cancelling out a trough wave from outside. the problem is that the ear doesn't stop making this high pitched whine when the external sounbds cease and so, late at night you still 'hear' your own ears. weird.

j

Capitaine Quebec

07-31-2005, 07:52 PM

thats why you ears are still buzzing after a concert.... ! it explain everything :P

You can go to your doctor and have an earmold made for your ear for special plugs that block out loud sounds and allow lower level decibels such as a person speaking, which would work well with a band practice but also more expensive.

Do you know how much it cost? id like to do that

trippingbillie68

08-01-2005, 02:43 AM

I went to a concert about a month ago and was front row, near the speakers, and afterwards, my ears were ringing for almost 4 or 5 days straight, its gone away or has minimized A LOT, but im going in for an appointment tuesday do have them make some custom ear plugs, i go to a lot of concerts and play drums so its gonna be worth it, i think for everything it runs around 100 dollars, but after expierencing the ringing for 5 days, its really worth the money. wear ear plugs people.

lowender

08-02-2005, 03:30 PM

I bought some of those Doc's Earplugs (a pair of vented and a pair of non-vented) and some of the Ear Armour ER-20 as mentioned by NUTHA, after reading the ear protection article in a fairly recent drummer mag. I found the ER20's offer decent protection but aren't comfy for more than an hour and a half to 2 hours. The Proplugs are very comfy but for me just don't offer very good protection. I used the NON VENTED ones over about 3 practices and each time came out with ringing ears and I'm neither a hard hitter nor is my band overly loud. Needless to say after this there wasn't much point in trying the vented version which obviously offered lesser protection.
There's my two penneth anyways. Always protect your ears, once they're gone so is your drumming and nobody here wants that.

Devrim

08-02-2005, 04:20 PM

Hi.
Of course, headphones and some meterials works nice!. But (I know it's very interesting) I use a piece of "cotton". You know it doesn't absorb bass frequency but it protects my ears from rimshots, 18"China and loud hihat...

And unfortunately I can't use headphone beacuse of rimshots... If I use headphone (with metronome), I don't play rimshot!...

See you...

jamndrummer

08-02-2005, 10:49 PM

I use Studio Kans.....those are sweet headphones.....they keep sound out so good you can hardlly hear yourself playing...hehe...anyway, they have a volume control on them also....so you can put the music down really low and still hear yourself play.....this keeps you concentrating on your stick height for volume......you can also get the pair with the built in metronome but I already have a very nice metro so didnt need that added feature.....

This has helped a lot....plus if I go to concerts, I wear ear plugs....I seen Kansas a few months back and used them....they played at the House of Blues in Chicago and they were so loud......but with the plugs I could hear every little thing they were playing......good for a learning tool also....

Lars

08-03-2005, 12:59 PM

I use custome made ear-plugs when I´m playing. They are really nice cause they dim all the frequences with 15 db, and they take away all the dangerous frequences.
It´s like playing without plugs, but the sound is lower.
Really nice.

Drumkill

08-03-2005, 05:46 PM

I invested in a set of custom fitted ER25 ear plugs that reduces the entire sound spectrum by 25 Db. My audiologist recommended them instead of ER15 (15 Db reduction) because of the decibel pressure generated by my drums. I have had them now for about 8 months and I use them in both practise and live situations. It took a while getting used to having protection in during a gig but my hearing longevity is well worth it. Our bass player complained that I cannot hear him in practise but I can as I hear all of mistakes that he blames on me :-) I find that soft spoken conversation is hard to hear with them in but hey, you can take them out!

I am going to also get a set of ER15s filters (my ear plugs have interchangeable decibel filters) for going to concerts.

The belief is that hearing is like being a virgin, once you lose it, it will never come back!!!

Bonzo

08-04-2005, 04:02 PM

Hmmm...interesting chart Nutha. I am a bit confused though. Alot of those sounds don't seem to measure up to what's real. For example, I don't see how it's possible that brush playing is as loud as a motorcycle or a lawnmower. And, working in a machine shop, I've never heard a drill press that was anywhere near as loud as a lawnmower or motorcycle.

Anyway, I do know the value of ear protection. When I was younger, I took it for granted and I had noticeable hearing loss. 15 years away from drumming helped to alleviate some of the loss, but now that I'm back to drumming, I wear good sound attenuating headphones everytime I practice.

Bernhard

08-04-2005, 04:42 PM

Brushes are clearly louder than a motorcycle. Let's say you play brushes on the middle of the road and a lawnmower appears at the horizont 5 miles away, you can see him and hear him not yet. So you can take all your time, finish practice and then move to the side.

Bernhard

Jonas Bridgous

08-09-2005, 12:33 PM

I usually use full on ear muffs like the kind a person using a pnumatic drill would have
out in the street. This is just at practice though, I use regular plugs for a gig. The sound you hear through the muffs is awesome though, it's like having your kit digitally mixed. Y'all should try it out sometime.

illy

08-09-2005, 01:06 PM

i use the 30db orange ear plugs from guitar center, and they work great for practice and jam sessions. however, i ordered some of these to hopefully wear to concerts, and maybe even start using them for practice. anyone know how well these will work or if they are safe enough? http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp;jsessionid=DDUCYJC12O3I3TQSNOISCOGOCJVZII WE?id=0016203220678a&navCount=8&podId=0016203&parentId=cat20801&navAction=jump&cmCat=null&catalogCode=IF&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20801&hasJS=true&_requestid=4851

largo61

08-11-2005, 05:29 PM

This is no laughing matter. i am 15 and have irrreversible hearing damage. I have never went to a docter but I have a ringing in my ear that was been there for a little over a year. For two years I played drums for 2-3 hours a day with no ear plugs. Then I would start to get headaches after I play. I would stop playing until the ringing went away. The ring started lasting for days before going away. Now I have ringing in my right ear that doesn't go away. I started wearing earplugs and have been for about a year. I started when I realived the ringing wasn't going away. Since I started wearing earplugs the problem hasn't gotten any worse. But it hasn't gotten any better. If you are just learning, wear earplugs. Just because you are young doesn't meen you can't loose your hearing. I now have two sinces that are bad. I don't have a since of smell either. Along with my bad hearing. Wear earplugs.

largo61

08-11-2005, 05:34 PM

A Ted Nugent concert that I went to didn't help my hearing either. I was right by the drum amp. Right in front. And Ted Nugent isn't aloud to play in Ohio anymore because of the noise ordinence. That is the loudest concert I will ever hear. And I was right by the speaker. The concert went for three hours.

oShi

08-11-2005, 11:04 PM

I think ear protection is very important. I bought custom made hearing protectors from a company called elacin ( www.elacin.nl ). They make these protectors which reduces the volume but does'nt affect the frequencies. They cost about 200 euros ( I don't know how much it is in dollars ) but I think that's not so much of my hearing.

bald guy

08-17-2005, 10:57 PM

I think the thing to remember is hearing loss or damage is permanent, why take the chance? Also, you can get ear plugs in a drug or sports store for less than $5.00

trampe

08-19-2005, 01:14 AM

I use the er15 both for practice and for concerts. I have ordered er6 earplugs to go with them. Hope they sound allright.
My problem is, I find the er15s to cut a bit to much of the high frequensies. The drums sound to muffled and the cymbals dont sound bright enough. I read that other people here use plugs by etymotic. Are your experiences the same or can it be that mine came out bad? (bad moulding?)

Dyaxe

08-20-2005, 05:14 AM

when i began drumming, i never wore ear protection. especially that i used to always hit my cymbals fairly hard, it already began effecting me. Luckily i was smart enough to realise that my hearing could be damaged if i kept doing that. Now protecting my hearing has became a top priority when it comes to drumming. My family (on my dad's side) is known for hearing problems at fairly young ages (young as in mid 40's) and i dont want to make it even worst if it will happen to me as well :D by the way, seeing that chart nutha posted has made me push my ear plugs even farther (lol..jokin, but it has definetly made me take hearing protection alot more seriously)

HardRockDrummer

08-20-2005, 06:56 PM

i never thought ear protection was that necessary until i read this thread and looked at nutha's chart. now i have the soft earplugs you get when you are on a plane. seems to do the job pretty well imo. it sounds so loud when i'm playing without earplugs and im glad i have them now.

is it absolutely necessary to get medical earplugs prescribed by a doctor? i mean i think cotton or cheap earplugs do the job well.

Kapow

08-20-2005, 08:27 PM

Really, your not kidding about the change in sound. When i play with the band im in now, The keyboard gets lost. Im sittin there going, wow this sucks. Does Any one have a better suggestion besides these big ginormous head sets?

bald guy

08-20-2005, 08:27 PM

Mundo, do those headphones work good as far as sound protection? I think Vic Firth makes a similar product that I've thought about.

Loyola lax

08-23-2005, 04:15 AM

I found some great ear plugs, they're made by a company called Silent Ear. They take off 33 decibels and are reusable. Here's the link http://store.yahoo.com/earplugstore/silnatrubear.html

hotsauce3n

08-23-2005, 05:47 AM

Plook

08-23-2005, 06:19 AM

the best ear protection is the custom made by your doctor, i think ear protection is essential, once its gone its not coming back so why risk it. i myself do not have the custom fits, but i do have sleeping earplugs tha ti use when playing

The problem with just wearing plugs is that they don't protect your ears enough because you hear from just more than your ear canal. Headphones get sweaty and heavy but they're worth it down the road when you listen to your favorite song you can actually hear it.

largo61

08-23-2005, 01:25 PM

i get earplugs free. My dad works at a factory and gets handfuls of free earplugs. They work great too.

Stone Cold

08-24-2005, 02:57 PM

i have industry earplugs. and now for practicing with records I bought the vic firth sih1. I hope it isn't damaging for the ears, cuz you have to higher the volume because the drums are too loud!!??
I hope this is true :"where musicians typically crank the volume to very high and potentially damaging sound levels in order to hear the music clearly, the SIH1 reduces ambient noise from the instruments."

Drummerping

09-11-2005, 05:16 AM

i feel bad with my ear...

FatherTime

09-11-2005, 05:24 AM

Really the only way to protect them is to cover or plug them up. So, since I'm in construction and I use very loud saws and other tools I have ear plugs that rap around my head just like headphones. So they stay on really well while playing. You can get those from most hardware stores. If I don't have those on it's because I've got my headphones on playing along to music so they protect my ears from the loud and replace it with the music. :-) Hope this helps.

sly1965

09-11-2005, 05:40 AM

I use ear plugs, it is light and cut just enough decibels so you can still feel the sound of your drums. your ears will stay in good shape.

aahznightsky

09-11-2005, 07:18 AM

http://www.hearos.com/images/products/hearos-00211.jpg
thats what i use...

ak_

09-11-2005, 07:24 AM

I just use the cheap disposable yellow kind...works for me better then the expensive ones.

patcityrockers

09-11-2005, 08:27 AM

This is a good thread. Whether you are in the music business or just wast to be able to play music for a long time, YOU HAVE TO PROTECT YOUR EARS! I practice with bands in a small room with 3 Marshall half stacks. Since I'm sitting down playing the drums the 4 12" speakers in all three of the cabinets are pointed right at my ears. Not to mention the loudness of the drums themselves. Earplugs are a necessity in my practice space!

Nilis

09-11-2005, 08:32 AM

I have some nice head phones that i wear even when i dont have music coming through them. They isolate really well.

dum_drummer

09-11-2005, 08:49 AM

i just use special musicians earplugs that are moulded to the shape of your ear.
they only take out that bad sounds so you can still hear your instrument

Drummerping

09-14-2005, 06:56 AM

http://www.hearos.com/images/products/hearos-00211.jpg
thats what i use...

where can i buy one?
and, how much is it?

NaturalRaz

10-02-2005, 10:32 PM

Some might find this amusing. When I was in the Navy I was a flight deck director. We wore head protection gear called "Cranials." They protected your head as well as your ears becuase they had these huge Mickey Mouse ear muffs that only allowed you to hear someone talking to you if they were yelling directly into your ear. Try being on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier during flight operations and you will know the meaning of "ear bleeding sound." So.. we had these ear muffs. One day at home...I ran out of ear plugs and wanted to play.....so I used the Mickey Mouse ear muffs. Man....they were amazing. And the funny part about it was....when I was wearing them...they helped to take out ever buzz, ding, attack and slop that my drums were producing. Anytime I wanted to know if my drums were tuned properly...I would wear those things because it really helped. So...in the end....sometimes I would use these huge Mickey Mouse Ears for protection and man....my wife said I looked like a moron wearing those things while I played...hahahaha. I haven't thought about that for years.

hotsauce3n

11-05-2005, 02:12 PM

Man....they were amazing. And the funny part about it was....when I was wearing them...they helped to take out ever buzz, ding, attack and slop that my drums were producing. Anytime I wanted to know if my drums were tuned properly...I would wear those things because it really helped. So...in the end....sometimes I would use these huge Mickey Mouse Ears for protection and man....my wife said I looked like a moron wearing those things while I played...hahahaha. I haven't thought about that for years.

I dont have those type of headphones, but i do have over ear headphones and i did notice when i wore those they did take out a lot of sound and cut out a lot of that over tone and other 'sloppy' noises that come from playing and made my drums sound a lot cleaner

larlev

11-20-2005, 04:30 PM

My ears are not what the used to be, after years of not taking care of them.

I am not sure if anyone else has thought of this so I'll share.....I used to put on headphones and crank it up so the music would be loud enough to hear the drum patterns, without using any practice pads on the toms(can't stand the feel)

Anyway now I put in some of those walkman phones.....and I went out and bought some shooting range headphones, this allows me to hear the song without having to crank it up so much...they really isolate the drums....the cost $14

keith777

11-25-2005, 04:47 AM

Can anyone tell me if the Hearo's hi fidelity ear filters and the etymotic ER.20 are the same thing? I went searching around the web after Nutha's advice and a review in the Musicians friend said they were but I didn't know if it was true. Those etymotic ER.20 are hard to find amazon.com and the others I went to are all out of stock. Thanks

RickJames

11-25-2005, 04:51 AM

My ears have started to ring pretty badly after band practices. If I use ear plugs, I can only hear my drumming. Is there any sort of ear protection which allows me to hear what other people in the band are playing?

NUTHA JASON

11-25-2005, 07:57 AM

yes read the whole thread...loads of people have recommended various pro earplugs. the more expensive ones allow all frequencies through but at reduced decibles.

j

Dano3000

11-25-2005, 07:17 PM

NJ,
I noticed in one of you pics up on the Swarm website that you use what appears to be the Shure in-ear monitors. What kinda mix do you have coming into those?? Is it a full mix or certain instruments?? I have those as well but I have them run through a little box I have called "MyMonitor" from ART. This allows me to control the monitor volume myself and it also has a microphone pass-thru connection so I can control that as well. As an added bonus those Shure in-ear monitors pretty much reduce all noise by just plugging them in your ears.

NUTHA JASON

11-25-2005, 08:10 PM

i rarely use them now because i wasn't happy with the mix. when we get a better system that allows me to put my mix through to my ears then i will use them again.

my best fold back mix would approximately be:
rhythm guitar 25%
bass guitar 10%
vocals 10%
bass drum 25%
hihat 10%
the rest of the kit 20%

i like that little gizmo. soon we are going to upgrade our mixer and then i will beable to design my foldback as above.
j

lfdy

12-15-2005, 10:09 PM

Ear protection is really important...

A lot of beginning drummers (including myself some time ago) don't use ear protection, and don't understand the consequences.

Now i have a Vic Firth headphone, it's great :)

SimSalaBim

02-28-2006, 09:30 PM

DTportnoyDT

02-28-2006, 09:53 PM

Me and my brothers play in our basement, where it's really loud, so I use a pair of headphones when I'm playing there.

(Kinda like these ones.)

http://www.audiogear.com/Resources/~DenAHD550

I've also played outside before. We were just gigging with some friends, so the venue wasn't big, and thus the drums weren't miced. In this case, it wasn't too loud, so I just played without any protection.

Basically, my advice: if it's too loud and it's bothering you, get some protection. If it's not that bad, you don't need anything.

finnhiggins

02-28-2006, 10:11 PM

Hi

I know that Gregg Bissonette swears by ear-protection and I know Morgenstein is forced to use it (tinnitus) but are you guys using any ear protection. I tried to use it but it just sux compared to live, loud and raw playing without any protection. You really can't fell any dynamics or can't feel any energy with your plugs-in your ears. And I imagine that practicing and developing new material with your band with ear-protection is not possible at all, because you don't hear what's going on? So what are your thoughts and experiences with ear protection?

Thanks

One link:

http://www.proplugs.com

They don't feel fundementally any different from playing without plugs, but you don't go deaf. Get them at once. Your hearing is valuable to you as a musician, and even naturally it will deteriorate with age. Most people lose around 50% of their range of frequency perception by the time they hit sixty or so, and playing loud, live music on stage without protection is just going to speed that process up.

The ProPlugs aren't as good as proper moulded earplugs designed for musical use, but they're a damn sight better than those little bits of foam most people try out before saying "I hate earplugs!".

SimSalaBim

02-28-2006, 11:09 PM

Finn thanks for the link. Which size would you recommend for a 30 year old male? What size are you using?

finnhiggins

03-01-2006, 12:06 AM

Finn thanks for the link. Which size would you recommend for a 30 year old male? What size are you using?

They have (IIRC) six adult sizes, so you're going to have to get hold of the sizing pack - my ears might be totally different from yours (I'm a medium). The good news is that the sizing pack is only $3, and depending on where you are you may find that your local music store carries them and has the sizing chart to hand.

Drumlover39

03-08-2006, 04:29 AM

head phones!!!!! vic firth

Blat Blat!

03-08-2006, 05:51 AM

I use a pair of closed back senheisser HD250's as ear protection and they work wonders! i guess theyre the equivalent of ear muffs really. I definatly suggest you protect your ears. you only get one pair in a life time and you cant replace them with new ones!

Fur drummer

03-08-2006, 06:10 AM

Yes protect your ears, use earplugs.

drumslaveDave

03-08-2006, 08:18 AM

Use ear plugs now or get use to saying,"What?!" in a few years(maybe weeks depending on how hard/loud you play).

burnthehero

03-08-2006, 08:21 AM

Every drummer should use ear protection. There's no good reason not to.

Bonzo91

04-06-2006, 01:42 AM

Musicians, particularly drummers, are at rick of losing their hearing as a resutl of playing without poper ear protection. Sixty percent of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees are hearing impaired. Hearing damage can present a temporary or permanent einging in the ears, called "tinnitus," or short-or long-term loss of ablilty to hear clearly called "noise-induced hearing loss." Noise-enduced hearing loss is caused by chronic exposure to sound levels that exceed 85-90dB, particularly in the frequency range of 4,000Hz, causing sensorineural impaired hearing.
Playing drums or listening to loud amplified music without ear protection usually exposes you to 100-115dB. the risk of developing hearing loss depends on the length of time of exposure wihtout ear protection, the proximity to speakers, listening to loud music through earphones, previous hearing damage, and your physical condition. It takes only 15 minutes of noise exposure of 100-115dB without ear protection before you may begin to damage your hearing.
Often, this problem goes unnoticed for long periods of time because speech frequencies, which are 500-4,000Hz, are initially unaffected. Therfore, you may not experience difficulty with hearing during a normal conversation. At first, there is a temporary threshold shift, in wich there is a reversible elevation in the threshold for sound perception. Over time, if sound levels above 90dB persist, this threshold shift will become permanent.
The drummer who may be developing hearing loss may experience a sensation of ear fullnessor pressure. Also, if yo think you have grown used to loud noise, it has probably damaged your ears. At this point, it is vital to protect what remaining hearing you have because there is no treatment, no medicine, no surgery, not even a hearing aid that can correct your hearing once it is damaged by noise.
If you suspect that you are developing noise-induced hearing loss, ringing in your ears, difficulty hearing in the presence of background noise, conversation sounds mumbled, the need to turn the volume of your TV or MP3 player up, or hearing a telephone better eith one ear than the other, it is important to see your physician for a physical exam, a screening for hearing loss, and several hearing tests. The American Academy of Optolaryngology has developed a simple one-page test that musicians can self-administer to determine if a hearing evulation by an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat physician) is necessary. To find this test, visit nsslha.org/public/hearing/disorders.Self-test.htm.
Ear protection to continued noise exposure is the only way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. Earlplugs plugs are small inserts that fit in to the outer ear canal. To be effective, they must totally block the ear canal with an airtight seal, snugly fitting to the circumeference of the canal. Properly fitted earplugs or muffins reduce the noise 15-30dB. They are avaliable in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit individual ear canals and can be custom made. Simple foam earplugs are avaliable at very low cost at most music stores. Custom made earplugs can be obtained from audiologists.
An improperly fitted, dirty, or worn-out earplug can irrtate the ear canal and may not seal properly. Ordinary cotton balls or tissue paper wads pressed into the ear canals are very poor protectors and may only reduce noise by only 7dB. Better earplugs earplugs and muffins are approximately equal in sound reduction, although earplugs are better for low frequency noise like music produced by drummers or bass players. In-ear personal monitoring systems provide quality stereo sound, eliminating external background noise. These devices allow the musician to hear exactly what instrument produces; however, if the in-ear can monitor volume is too loud, these too can be harmful to the ear.
We know that the more we practice,the better we will play, but keep in mind that it is impossible to be a successesful musician if you cannot hear the music.

Lol, it took me forever to write this. I think im going to be seeing my physician tomorow.

matt949

04-06-2006, 06:34 AM

i got a question to go with this.
anyone know where i can get good ear things that dont change the sound?
what im sayngis the ear buds i use yes make it quieter but it makes it sound like crap.
so what are some that dont change the sound just the volume.

KLittle123

04-08-2006, 02:57 AM

Does anyone know how good the Vic Firth 22dB earphones are, I was thinking about that cause I've been playing without anything in my ears and it's been made me deaf for about an hour after, but actually lately I've been jamming cotton in my ears, it cuts down the noise, but I wasn't quite sure if this was healthy or not. When I get the money I was gonna buy the earphones but yeah. I also read something that said that playing with earphones is also better for your playing, not as in like it'll improve your playing but as in like it helps so you can hear each hit more defined and somehow cleans up your playing. Sounded kinda like bs, but does anyone know about this.

Stu_Strib

04-08-2006, 09:16 AM

I always use headphones when I practice. 1) to hear my metronome or iPod, 2) I like the sound of the drums! Bonus!

The headphones kill the overtones and ringy things that people are always trying to kill. I want my recordings and live playing to sound just like my kit does when I have the headphones on!

I also HATE earplugs or ear buds, or anything that eliminates outside sound (sound isolating?). I think just something over your ears cuts down on the sharp attack enough to protect your ears! I have these open backed Sennheiser headphones that cut down the crack and piercing sounds, but still allow enough sound in to hear yourself and your own dynamics.

Wile E. Coyote

04-08-2006, 11:09 AM

I think it's important to protect your ears, but it is also important to get a good sound from your drumset (and you can't do it with ears plugs). I think it's good to do both things: practise technical stuff with plugs, but then try to get good sound without them...
Stu... The problem is that you're the only one that has the headphones on. The others hear the drumset without them.

Chip

04-08-2006, 11:42 AM

I agree with what Stu Strib said, I wish mine sounded like they did with headphones etc. on. They sound SOOO good with them on. The bass sounds so killer, all but the floor tom, I can never get it to sound good.

Stu_Strib

04-08-2006, 01:59 PM

Stu... The problem is that you're the only one that has the headphones on. The others hear the drumset without them.

I'm just talking in my practice room. The close intimate, hear all the defects in your kit situation. Live, you don't hear any of that garbage because of big rooms and other music going on. I like the headphone muffle cuz it sounds like my drums sound when I'm playing live over the top of loud music! (at least the recordings I've heard, or sitting out front when other bands use my gear).

Joel

04-10-2006, 06:26 AM

I've been suffering from Tinnitus & Hyperacusis for the last 2 months....anyone else have any ear troubles???

I've been getting all kinds of treatments but all without luck so far.

I just woke up one morning after an intense week of gigs, rehearsals and teaching with crazy loud ringing and hyper-sensitivity...AND I almost always have worn earplugs.

Anyway, any feedback/info would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Joel

DogBreath

04-10-2006, 06:36 AM

I'd say Ear Protection (http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=625) would be a good idea.

radiofriendlyunitshifter

04-10-2006, 06:43 AM

I'd say Ear Protection (http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=625) would be a good idea.

awesome thread db. for my ear protection i use old full ear aiwa headphones with the

cord cut off. work nicely.

RudimentalDrummer

04-10-2006, 08:15 AM

Hi Joel

Welcome To DrummerWorld. I am sorry to hear that you are having these ear problem. I got this extract from the below site.....

Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is quite a common problem, affecting about 17% of the general population around the world (44 million people in the USA). It causes significant suffering in about 4% of the general population (10 million in the USA). Usually & typically patients are told "to learn to live with it." However...luckily based on a new clinical approach someone have created a totally new treatment for tinnitus that results in significant improvement for more that 80% of the patients treated at a center (Jastreboff, P.J., Gray, W.C., Gold, S.L. Neurophysiological approach to tinnitus patients. This method, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), uses a combination of low level, broad-band noise and counseling to achieve the habituation of tinnitus, that is the patient is no longer aware of their tinnitus, except when they focus their attention on it, and even then tinnitus is not annoying or bothersome.

Tinnitus is accompanied by hyperacusis in about 40% of the cases. Hyperacusis is a decreased tolerance of sound and can be a serious problem. Some patients experience hyperacusis without tinnitus.

The Good News is .....Tinnitus Retraining Therapy can restore totally or if one is not so lucky - -- partially the normal level of sensitivity to sound.

See link....
http://www.tinnitus-pjj.com/

Mediocrefunkybeat

04-10-2006, 10:54 AM

That's a new theory I haven't heard before in the treatment of tinnitus but I can see how it would work on a (literally) Cereberal level. Your cerebellum automatically learns to ignore sound. You ever remember those times you've lived next to a busy road or a motorway? Well when you first get there you're driven insane by the noise, but after about half an hour or less you just don't notice it.

I suppose this treatment is theoretically justifiable. I suggest you look into it, it just sounds like a lot of white noise being played into your ear, much like tinnitus. I used to get it now and then but it's tolerable and not serious. I hope it clears up.

thunder_sticks

04-12-2006, 09:17 PM

I use these musicians earplugs and they work fantastic. They attenuate every frequency equally. It just like turning the volume down, with no wierd coloration of highs and lows.

http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx

When I am gigging I run Shure E1's with custom molds, you just have to make sure to have a room mic mixed into your in-ear mix so you can haer the crowd and the band talking and such.

Thunderfm

04-13-2006, 07:08 PM

I use etymotic plugs with some beyerdynamic DT100 closed back headphones when I'm practising. This lets me protect my hearing but also play along to my band's recordings or whatever I fancy playing with. When I'm gigging, I use Shure E3C in ear monitors and I get the sound engineer to give me an individual monitor feed through a Samson C-Que 8 headphone amplifier. If the gig doesnt have a system that can do that I just take a feed from a link out of a monitor wedge through a DI box. This lets me do everything at a safe level. I am also a sound engineer so I take my hearing very very seriously. I think its well worth the several hundred pounds I've spent on my headphone monitor system.

Class A Drummer

04-14-2006, 01:39 AM

~tamadrummer~

04-14-2006, 01:41 AM

cdawg_2010

04-14-2006, 01:43 AM

i used to not wear ear plugs, now i constantly wear them so my ears dont go bad

Wile E. Coyote

04-14-2006, 02:46 AM

Kristian Sharpe

04-14-2006, 09:23 PM

Not necessary to protect your ears unless your playing at a live concerts with amps blasting and speakers everywhere. I have been playing for like 7 or 8 years, i play extremly hard for someone my age and size, and my ears are fine.

You're young!

I too thought my ears where made of steel....! in time your ears get tired of listening to high volumes.... the ear is not designed to hear anything louder than a clap of thunder or perhaps a volcano.... a rapid fire snare drum for two hours a day plus could be taking the *iss out of mother nature a little eh?

Speakers..... amps....etc... they're all quieter than your snare drum mate.....and you're sat with ears just a couple feet from it!

I work with sound every day.... I also work with young people / musicians every day too... and more and more of them are falling foul to tinitus...generally because the awareness is STILL not enough to influence young people... hey...don't do drink and drugs and listen to loud music!!!! try and tell that to the millions of life experience hungry young people!!!

Would you stare at the sun ALL DAY LONG????? no...you wear shades.....!

Think about it!

Kristian.

Ohh...and check out my band if you're interested.....

http://www.myspace.com/abandonhopeonline

bonham990

04-14-2006, 11:39 PM

Let it be loud!!!!!! Your a musician its meant to be LOUD!!!!!! I cant stand it not being loud when i play!!!!!!!

Wile E. Coyote

04-15-2006, 11:33 AM

Let it be loud!!!!!! Your a musician its meant to be LOUD!!!!!! I cant stand it not being loud when i play!!!!!!!
Yeah do it... Until you realize that it's not high volume that makes good music. Maybe when you have no other chance because your ears are so wasted that it just hurts.

osamasgoat5467

04-23-2006, 04:56 AM

I bought some earplugs today fater reading this. I have silencers on my drums, but I didn't think cymbals do more damage than drums. I suck at putting them in though. My local shooting range sells ear muffs that bring the dB down 39 for 40 bucks. Are those good?

Chip

04-23-2006, 05:09 AM

I don't get why people don't pay attention. It will affect you later, not now(well, maybe now for some us). If you play reasonably loud, your drums will always be louder. People can play over 1000 watt amps on full volume and still be clearly heard. For that split second, drums are louder than everything in the mix. I use Hear-o's and industrial earmuffs.

Wile E. Coyote

04-23-2006, 09:01 PM

I bought some earplugs today fater reading this. I have silencers on my drums, but I didn't think cymbals do more damage than drums. I suck at putting them in though.
Well... high frequences in the cymbals are quite dangerous. I'd dare to say that they are the most dangerous in the whole kit.

KLittle123

04-27-2006, 09:10 PM

Not necessary to protect your ears unless your playing at a live concerts with amps blasting and speakers everywhere. I have been playing for like 7 or 8 years, i play extremly hard for someone my age and size, and my ears are fine.
See what I mean Class A, another dumb post. Are you serious? It doesn't matter if theres amps and speakers blasting everywhere. Your drums produce a large amount of sound and yes you'll notice eventually from it. I've been playing for 7 years and I haven't used ear protection and I can definitly tell that I can't hear as good as I have. (if you ever talk to me I say alot of "Huhs?" and "whats?".

iamanidiot32180

05-01-2006, 06:15 PM

Your drums produce a large amount of sound and yes you'll notice eventually from it. I've been playing for 7 years and I haven't used ear protection and I can definitly tell that I can't hear as good as I have. (if you ever talk to me I say alot of "Huhs?" and "whats?".

i am the same way. i have been playing for about 5 years, ive been voted the loudest drummer in my area and i already am noticing a faint ringing in my ears all the time

Thunderfm

06-28-2006, 09:55 AM

Here's to all you loud drummers that think loud is the only way and that your quite happy to sacrifice the joy of listening to music and the world around you to acute deafness and the rest of your life listening to a high pitched tone in your head. Think about it. Its loud! Don't you ever wonder why road workers use ear defenders? Or why you see this sign everywhere?
6271

Heres some of the info that come on a pack of earplugs i bought (Which are very good by the way.) Etimotic ear plugs i think their called.

Relative Sound Levels
20 dB Ticking watch
30 dB Quiet whisper
40 dB Refrigerator hum
50 dB Rainfall
60 dB Sewing machine
70 sB Washing machine
80 dB Alarm clock at two feet
85 dB Average traffic
95 dB MRI
100 dB Blow dryer, subway train
105 dB Power mower, chainsaw
110 dB Screaming child
120 dB Rock Concert, thunderclap
130 dB Jackhammer, jet engine plane (100 ft. away)
140 dB Shotgun blast, airbag deployment, firecracker

Recommended Exposure Time
Hours Per Day Sound Level
8 90 dB
6 92 dB
3 90 d7
2 100 dB
1.5 102 dB
1 105 dB
.5 110 dB
.25 or less 115 dB

I looked up some info and I found that an average open snare drum at about 2 feet reads roughly 117dB. What does that tell you about unprotected drumming? Get some plugs and stop trying to say ur ears are fine after a metal gig. Loud is immature and unnecessary. Save your hearing. U'l be glad to have it in a few years. Thats all it's going to take.

Drum-Head

06-28-2006, 02:05 PM

I used to use those spongy yellow foam earplugs but I got fed up with those, then I used the blue Vic Firth earphones (-22db), got fed up with those too.

After that I looked for a solution which would allow me to protect my ears and be able to hear music/monitor (when on stage) at the same time. So I got the black Vic Firth iso-phones (-24db) - but having head phones tight like that on my head gave me headaches, the low frequency restitution of those phone is crap and you still have to push the volume a bit to compete with the "outside" drums. In short, that's not so good for your ears, nor for a compfortable playing situation.

Right now, I use In-Ear Shure E2Cs with custom moulds (-35db reduction whilst alowing speach audible) when I practice to play along to music or a click, and when I perform for monitoring. Actually whenever I play drums.

I think this is the way to go since you can have a very low volume level in your ears and clearly hear your drums from the "oustside world" if not monitoring. Some might say it's expensive (it cost me 99 euros just for the E2C plus 135 euros for the moulds) but health does not have a price. That being said, I'm paranoid with all this stuff and even with very low volume settings I still get scared for my ears.

To conclude; it doesn't matter what solution you choose but ALWAYS protect your ears.

So just to make is clear to anyone saying things like "I wear my iso-phones when I'm on stage but not when I practice, is this bad?" the answer is yes. You will damage your ears and if it doesn't occur now, it will later on.

averypoordrummer

06-28-2006, 05:46 PM

I always protect my ears when i play at home. i wear huge red ear defenders that are used by people in industry and they block the sound out very well

Paradiddle my snizzle

06-29-2006, 03:06 AM

I finally got through the hole thread, pfew a lot of double posting, but still there was nobody who uses toiletpaper as earplugs! well i do and even after several hours of practise i dont have the slightest ringing nor pain, but does that mean it's good enough? Or do i have to wait 10 years for the answer? When i put it in the sound is reduced drastically but i dont know if it's completely airtight - would i be able to hear if it's not airtight? i mean can it sound airtight and not be at all and thus harming my ears?

Btw i believe that this is the cheapest of all earplugs, but they are pretty hard to clean though;)

Drum-Head

06-29-2006, 04:15 PM

You need to get proper ear protection. Toilet paper may prevent you from having any pain or whatnot but it does not protect your ears.

SAINTDRUMS

06-29-2006, 07:00 PM

I can attest to what many years of playing without ear protection can do. I have tinnitus, and can only describe it as a constant ringing in my ears. There is no escaping the ringing - ever. Remember going to a loud concert and going to bed that night? Your ears were no doubt ringing (if it was a good concert!). Well, this is what it's like 24/7. It also removes frequencies that you're not aware of. As an example, in my office I have a paper shredder which has an "alarm" when it's full. A coworker was complaining of a high pitched sound that was driving him crazy, only to find out it was my shredder. I couldn't hear it, and it sits right next to me!!!!!! It apparently was in a frequency that has been eliminated or drastically diminished in my hearing.

Please take this thread seriously. BTW, I now wear protection religiously to save whatever hearing I have left....

Saint

Paradiddle my snizzle

06-30-2006, 01:15 PM

Inspired by this thread, yesterday i tried some of those foam thingies i had lying around - i didn't use to like them because i almost couldn't hear anything through them - but when i popped them in my pearl export sounded all "prokit like", great!!!! I guess it's because last time i played with those plugs was in a different room... well i' ve got a little bit of buzzing in my ears last night but i guess it might be for not fitting them properly....

Antman

06-30-2006, 03:46 PM

I remember having a practice with a local band, to see if I was interested, sort of meet and greet thing. I declined earplugs they offered me because I didn't know some of the songs and didn't want to miss anything.
The volume they played at just for a practice was astounding, It was the only time I've cracked a cymbal because of how hard I was hitting it, and I could barely hear it. After an hour I couldn't hear a conversation 7ft away, it was just ringing.

I get those yellow foam earplugs for free at work... not that we're allowed to use them at work, because it apparently interferes with us hearing horns from machinery. They're just legally obliged to provide them.
I took another 20 pairs tonight and stashed them in cymbal cases, my stick bag and hardware case.

Paradiddle my snizzle

07-02-2006, 01:07 PM

Are there any other opinions on the toiletpaper/cottonballs?

Guilherme BSB

07-02-2006, 02:30 PM

Mediocrefunkybeat

07-02-2006, 02:55 PM

I'm not sure if you would've given these a go yet, but I can highly recommend Doc's Proplugs. I've had a set since last Christmas (seven months now) and they have made a massive and noticable difference to the condition of my ears after practice. Admittedly I'm not a particularly loud player, but these ear plugs are relatively cheap and do an exceptional job in my experience.

Jeff Almeyda

07-02-2006, 05:01 PM

I suggest you go to an audiologist and go over your concerns with him

For band practice I use the foam earplugs with about a 30 dB noise reduction level. For gigs I use the "musicians" earplugs with a 22 db reduction. Flatter frequency response.

Check out this site, I buy my plugs there, best prices and info. www.earplugstore.com.

They also make these foam plugs that are designed for guys firing artillery that just cut out TONS of DB. Too much for me but might be what you want.

You're smart, I was stupid when I was younger and now my right ear has about 30% hearing loss. It SUCKS!!!

Drum-Head

07-02-2006, 08:56 PM

Hi guys,

I have been playing drums for 7 years and one of my biggest concerns in this meantime has been HOW to protect effectivelly my hearing from the excessive level of noise.

I have used the Vic Firth Isolation headphones (db22), some 3M intra-auricular plugs and recently I have bought also a Shure E2 in-ear phone... As you can see I am REALLY concerned about protecting my hearing!!

But the thing is that when playing in live situations or even in studio the decibels can easily reach 115/120, and Using a E2, or a Db22 seems not to be enough to protect our hearing from potential damge (hearing loss)...

To be honest even using the E2 in a low volume + the Db22, sometimes when I finish to practice (playing along my mp3) I feel that my hearing was a little bit damaged...

What other possible protection do you know or use???

Regards

You sound like me lol!

With the E2C's I doubt you could get any better, when fitted properly they have 30 to 35db isolation depending on which adapters you choose.

I'm surpised that you say that even the E2C's dont seem to be enough protection. My band tends to play pretty loud, and even me being a bit paranoid, I feel pretty satisfied.

I don't understant how you could have your ears damaged with that kind of gear, unless:
a) you are monitoring or you have a sound source too loud in the E2C's;
b) you have not fitted them properly or you have not chosen the right adapters.

What do you think?

Cheers,
Christopher.

Paradiddle my snizzle

07-02-2006, 11:36 PM

That's actually a great site! Although it's in the US, it's still a great place to see what avaiable on the market!!

We get the sprak plugs for free at work, but i think they're to small for me. Sometimes when i have them in if i kind of open my mouth then it can create a little airhole so the sound goes though with no reduction at all and that's pretty dangerous i think! And we all now that drummers have no control of their facial muscels while playing, right?!! ;) So i guess i need some bigger one's, or at least some that expand very rapidly so they can close the hole right away, and not like the spark plugs which are very slow. you have to wait for some 15 seconds after you put them in before you can play!!!

Are there no comments on the toiletpaper/cottonballs???

Drum-Head

07-03-2006, 11:31 AM

Are there no comments on the toiletpaper/cottonballs???

Why do you want more comments? That stuff just does not protect your ears period.

Paradiddle my snizzle

07-04-2006, 12:48 AM

MEL

07-04-2006, 06:09 AM

You of course see it as a fact that paper wont protect the ears, but i am not sure because i've only seen one guy on an internet site claiming that it's a fact. It doesn't make it a fact that more people would say the same thing, but it does make it much more likely.

So i dont mean to disrespect your opinion and i hope you understand my point :)

DRUM magazine, May 2006, page 28: "Ordinary cotton balls or tissue paper wads pressed into the ear canals are very poor ear protectors"

"cotton and tissue are useless" http://www.hearnet.com/at_risk/risk_at_risk.shtml

From the American Academy of Otolaryngology (http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/hearing/noise_hearing.cfm): "Ordinary cotton balls or tissue paper wads stuffed into the ear canals are very poor protectors; they reduce noise only by approximately 7 dB."

The consensus among the experts is clear -- ask any audiologist, MD, or aging rocker. Since it's your hearing, I think you owe it to yourself to check it out more thoroughly.

Personally, I have used the 20dB one size fits all flat attentuation earplugs (no sound distortion unlike regular plugs) that cost about $20, made by Hearos or Macks, before shelling out for some custom fitted 25dB flat attenuators. I can hear all the parts in the music better with them in -- my ears aren't so overwhelmed.

Drum-Head

07-04-2006, 10:23 AM

Paradiddle my snizzle

07-04-2006, 05:46 PM

Thank you guys for posting! On thursday i'll go to the biggest store in Denmark and see what they got.

:)

Drum-Head

07-04-2006, 07:36 PM

Thank you guys for posting! On thursday i'll go to the biggest store in Denmark and see what they got.

:)

I'm happy to read that, take care of your ears, and enjoy yourself playing!!

All the best,
Christopher.

drummerchick435

07-04-2006, 08:11 PM

What's the cheapest way I can protect my ears? I have no money.

Drum-Head

07-04-2006, 08:13 PM

What's the cheapest way I can protect my ears? I have no money.

Those yellow foam ear-plugs they cost near nothin' and in some places you can get them for free.

Nizza594

07-09-2006, 09:32 PM

Hi guys,

Last night I done a gig and forgot my ear plugs. The room was the worst for acoustics ive ever seen, all wooden floors etc and the sound was very loud and boomy, especially in the bass frequencies, to the point where things almost sounded out of tune even though they were not.

Today Ive woken up and my right ear feels very uncomfortable, its extremely sensitive, yet feels a bit muffled at the same time, my balance feels a bit off, I occasionally get a strange pulsating sensation in my ear, and finally the area around my ear, temple, and above my right eye, feels very hot and slightly numb.

I have no ringing in my ear and have certainly not gone deaf in one side, but I am really beginning to feel concerned about it now. I am gonna go see my doctor tommorow morning but I am wondering if any of you have experienced anything similar to rest my mind?

Thanks for your help as always

Neil

Nizza594

07-09-2006, 11:27 PM

Hi Guys,

Last night I did a gig and forgot to take my ear plugs. The room was horrid, the sound in there was extremely loud and very boomy, especially in the bass end frequencies.

This morning I woke up and am having some troubles with my right ear. Its very sensitive to noise, although sounds are also slightly muffled at the same. I get a 'pulsating' sensation every now and again in my ear, my balance has become slightly off and finally, the area around my ear, temple and above my right eye is fairly hot to touch, and also feels slightly numb.

I am getting concerned about this as ive never had this problem before, only ever had the usual slight ring after finishing a gig which has usually gone by time I awoke the following day, so I will be seeing my doctor ASAP.

Have any of you guys experienced this or anything similar? I dont have any ringing in the ear, nor do I have a loss of hearing, just a bit muffled. I would really appreciate anyone taking the time to rest my mind on this.

Thanks as always guys.

Neil

fullmoon

07-10-2006, 12:29 AM

wow that sounds odd but its never happened to me

Zumba_Zumba

07-10-2006, 04:32 AM

I had an eardrum rupture in the middle of the night. I could not walk to the bathroom to vomit, I had to crawl.

Sounds like you have a pretty bad ear infection that was exacerbated by the extra loud noise. Do see your doctor and share with us what he/she has determined so we can learn too....

radiofriendlyunitshifter

07-10-2006, 05:15 AM

that's no good man. do tell us what the doctor has to say. good luck.

and zumba zumba, what was the cause of your ruptured ear drum?

Fur drummer

07-10-2006, 05:26 AM

The best advice I could give you is see a doctor ASAP and don't forget your ear plugs ever again.

Zumba_Zumba

07-10-2006, 01:44 PM

that's no good man. do tell us what the doctor has to say. good luck.

and zumba zumba, what was the cause of your ruptured ear drum?

As far as I could tell it was a nasty (as opposed to good) inner ear infection.

Nizza594

07-10-2006, 06:55 PM

Hey guys,

Been the doctors today, she took a look and decided pretty quickly that there was an ear infection goin on in there. I hope she is right, the only thing that puzzles me is why this would happen after an uncomfortably loud gig, surely not just a coincidence?!

Anyway been given some anti-biotics so I hope they start to work pretty quickly because I am going to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers tommorow and then on Wednesday goin to see the one and only VINNIE COLAIUTA playing with Jeff Beck, followed by 3 gigs of my own on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Couldnt have come at a worse time! argh!!

Drumset Connect

07-25-2006, 09:31 PM

Tinnitus is a really scary thing that could happen to any drummer. A lot of the young drummers out there just go to loud concerts and play drums without ear plugs, not even knowing what the repercussions are. Tinnitus is FOREVER and if I had it, it would just drive me insane. For for info go here > Beware of Tinnitus Drum Article (http://www.drumsetconnect.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3214)

Any thoughts or experiences?

PreppieNerd

07-25-2006, 09:34 PM

I think I heard that Eric Clapton had that.

jangus

07-25-2006, 09:48 PM

My drum teacher has it so I know about it.

Mediocrefunkybeat

07-25-2006, 10:18 PM

I developed an intermittent form a few years ago when I fired a cap gun in my ear. Not big, not clever. It only ever comes up for a few minutes and it's not too often, but it is damn annoying. Always, always, for the love of God wear ear plugs. Or ear defenders. Or SOMETHING to protect your ears. I recommend Doc's Proplugs. I've been using them for seven months now and I wouldn't know where I'd be without them.

IDDrummer

07-25-2006, 10:23 PM

I have tinnitus constantly in my right ear, and a fair amount of hearing loss, as well. I wish I'd known when I was younger that i needed protection.

I find that I don't notice it too much if there is some other sound, but when things are quiet it can bug me. I also notice when it comes up in conversation, like now!

I still have trouble being comfortable with earplugs, but i try to wear some kind of hearing protection as often as possible. I don't want it to get worse.

LTNINGFan

07-25-2006, 10:25 PM

I became wise and started using protection 10 years ago or so...I even take some small plugs when I see a show.

toxegendrummer

07-26-2006, 01:54 AM

My singer goes into denial whenever i tell him that you should wear ear plugs (never listen to your singer btw) and he says that his ears can hack it and they are stronger than regular ears...we practise 1-2 a week for about 5 hours each time...that ten hours of exposure to db's of over 200 atleast (hard rock band)...anybody got any ways i can get him to use earplugs?...maybe a scare factor or something

XeroX

08-08-2006, 10:39 PM

I've been thinking recently and I really really want som kind of ear protection for drumming at practices and gigs. Docs pro plugs are what I've been looking at. But I just came across some "Alacin ER20" ear plugs that are the same price and are apparently made in a similar way to their £150 plugs (something like that anyway). So could someone who has experience with these please tell me what my best option would be? Oh, also, are docs pro plugs better vented or non vented?
Thanks :)

AllTheCoolNamesAreTaken

08-15-2006, 09:10 PM

I'm looking into ear protection, too. I'm not too fond of earplugs (sticking something into my ear is not my idea of a good time) and I was thinking of going with the Vic Firth Isolation Headphones. They claim to reduce ambient noise by 22-24dB, plus you can listen to music.

Can you give some more information on the plugs you're looking at? They seem to be UK-only. What dB rating do they have?

XeroX

08-15-2006, 09:38 PM

I honestly dont have a clue. The Docs Pro Plugs are meant to be very good and are what most poor musicians seem to use and recommend. The others I mentioned look terrible. They arent see through and basically make it pretty much as obvious as possible that you're wearing ear plugs - stupid looking ones at that.
Heres a link to the Docs Pro Plugs: http://proplugs.com/musicandnoise.shtml
Seems to be around 20dB reduction. While the Vic Firth headphones seem good, they arent very practical. I honestly cant imagine going and playing at a gig with those on... And when I play to music at home I already have some isolating sony headphones (basically cheap, less effective versions of the firths) and some isolating earbuds. Wearing both of these basically lets me hear what I'm listening to really clearly while blocking much of my drumming sound.
Still not sure if I should get vented or non... Vented ones seem kinda uneffective on that chart of theirs =\

Mediocrefunkybeat

08-15-2006, 09:46 PM

I've been using Doc's Proplugs since last Christmas, and I must say they're excellent. The reduction is more than sufficient for most musical situations and the clarity of the sound is much better than with cheaper foam plugs. They fit very well if you get the right size. Certainly no complaints.

Highly recommended.

XeroX

08-15-2006, 10:13 PM

MFB, do you have vented or non-vented? The site recommends vented for musicians, but they don't really seem to have much dB reduction.

Jay.B.

08-15-2006, 10:13 PM

I use these, they were recommended to me by our bass player who works for rolls royce testing thier jet engines or whatever it is he does http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx he uses them himself at practice and at work, they reduce the overall volume level evenly keeping things nice and clear.

The only problem I find with using ear protection, is that it doesn't matter to me how good or even the overall effect is, there's still no substitue for that flinch and twitch when you hit a killer rim on a cranked up snare hehe you just don't get the same feeling fropm playing so I usually end up playing without

Mediocrefunkybeat

08-15-2006, 10:15 PM

MFB, do you have vented or non-vented? The site recommends vented for musicians, but they don't really seem to have much dB reduction.

Mine are vented, they do have a significant dB reduction. If you're doing a serious amount of high, cracking rimshots, you may be better off with non vented, but like I said, for 90% + of applications, even the vented ones will be fine. They let through enough of the natural sound, more than non vented would at least.

Jay, I remember once doing a session for a friend in his (converted-ish) cellar. I was hitting hard and my snare was cranked right, right up. I had my proplugs in, but I remember the guitarist walking in and physically flinching and blinking every time I hit a rimshot. I was playing for a Pixies cover, so it was totally appropriate. I was laughing so hard each time I hit that backbeat.

XeroX

08-15-2006, 10:17 PM

Alright, thanks for the info. You've played wuhan and stagg splashes havent ya? I know this is completely unrelated to this thread, but what series is your stagg, and which do you think is better (if they're the same price)?

Mediocrefunkybeat

08-15-2006, 10:20 PM

The splash is a DH 8". Very thin, very trashy. I don't think you can actually go wrong with any of their series of splashes, they all share similar characteristics with the super trashiness. My SH China Splash (10") is a little dead sounding, but it's probably the way I have it mounted. Great effects cymbals.

Jay.B.

08-15-2006, 10:21 PM

Jay, I remember once doing a session for a friend in his (converted-ish) cellar. I was hitting hard and my snare was cranked right, right up. I had my proplugs in, but I remember the guitarist walking in and physically flinching and blinking every time I hit a rimshot. I was playing for a Pixies cover, so it was totally appropriate. I was laughing so hard each time I hit that backbeat.

LMAO the first time the band I'm with heard me play properly I remember laughing so hard at them for the exact same reason, I was using a 13" x 3" steel shell cranked up as far as humanly possible at the time tho haha

Mediocrefunkybeat

08-15-2006, 10:22 PM

I think the 42 Strand Wires may have added to the super loudness. It really needed a video, but alas. Try putting some 42 Strand wires on your 13x3 brass. That would be very, very loud.

EDIT: I remember my old band telling me not to hit rimshots. Proudest moment of my drumming life.

XeroX

08-15-2006, 10:27 PM

I think it's only drummers who find that funny though =]
Everytime I play a rimshot (even when it is appropriate), my whole band just turn round and stare at me. Its great fun! And to be fair, we don't get annoyed when guitarists play pinch harmonics so I guess us drummers are just more laid back.

Mediocrefunkybeat

08-15-2006, 10:29 PM

Guitarists can turn up to 11 though... apparently.

Jay.B.

08-15-2006, 10:30 PM

that's deffinately my next purchace, some new wires for my 14" x 3.5"... I put the maple back in it last night, so it's a little softer, until it gets cranked again, then the thickness & density of the wood really makes the sound project haha

Back on topic tho... I must start using my plugs again... at some point... soon... maybe

Jay.B.

08-15-2006, 10:31 PM

Guitarists can turn up to 11 though... apparently.

but only if you're a member of spinal tap though...

XeroX

08-15-2006, 10:31 PM

haha yeah... Just gives us an excuse to play that bit louder though doesnt it ;)
There is no sound that a good instrument can make that annoys me. If it was coming from some guitar that sounded cringe-worthy however, that would be a different matter...

Sesh

08-15-2006, 10:33 PM

it's funny, after a couple of years of trying to find the right earplugs I've just gone back to straight forward foam ones!

I did like the etmoyotic research ones, they're good. I wasn't impresed with Proplugs to be honest - I found them quite uncomfortable. I think at the end of the day if I'm doing quieter work I don't use any, if it's really loud I stuff foam ones in, and anything in between I just put foam ones in fairly lightly.

I'm sure this is in a different thread, but the best earplugs I've found are actually the shure ec2 isolation earphones I use with click/backing tracks. They actually work very well just as earplugs (although you look a bit silly with nothing plugged in!).

Martin

Mediocrefunkybeat

08-15-2006, 10:36 PM

Sesh, that's very interesting. You found them uncomfortable? Well I suppose everybody has different shaped ears (mine never accept bud ear phones for instance). Are you sure you were using the right size? I'm just interested, mine are ridiculously comfortable.

XeroX

08-15-2006, 10:38 PM

For playing along to a click track/music I just use some cheap Maxell imitations. Cost me £5 and they work pretty well. I just want something a little more practical and effective. Nobody I know finds my earbud headphones comfortable, but I think they're great. They don't feel like they're gonna fall out like normal headphones. For loud practices I just use cotton wool at the moment, so I'm sure pro plugs will be an improvement where comfort is concerned. To be honest it doesnt even work that well... =(

Sesh

08-15-2006, 10:42 PM

MFB,

yeah - everyone else I know loves them too. I'm pretty sure they were the right size, I think it's me - the pointy bit that sits outside just annoyed me, and one ear tende to work it's way out. I think I've one ear different to the other!

As I say though, everyone else I know loves them so I'm pretty sure it's me.

Martin

Jay.B.

08-15-2006, 10:46 PM

I'm sure this is in a different thread, but the best earplugs I've found are actually the shure ec2 isolation earphones I use with click/backing tracks. They actually work very well just as earplugs (although you look a bit silly with nothing plugged in!).

Well I'm definately looking in to getting a pair of those, just what I need for listening to pre programmed sequences (by myself) for playing back with the band, thanks for the info Sesh

Sesh

08-15-2006, 10:47 PM

XeroX,

Cheap earbuds do work pretty well - the cool thing about isolation earphones is that they cancel out most eternal noise, like an earplug, and inject the click or whatever right into ear. That basically means you can have the volume right down on the backing track and get a really nice mix without blasting your ears. I used to just use headphones, but I always found I had the volume right up = which isn't good for you, and gives a pretty difficult mix.

Anyhow, if any of you guys ever get into much backing track work or whatever I'd check out the ec2's - they're only about £60.

Martin

XeroX

08-15-2006, 10:50 PM

I meant I use cheap isolation earbuds. Imitations of the shures that you use. I hate normal earphones cos they feel really lose and you have to turn them right up to hear them - and even then the sound quality isnt as good. I had some good philips isolation headphones, but one of them cut out so i ripped it off and bought new (cheap maxell) ones. If I had £60 to spend on headphones I'd probably go for the EC2s, but as it stands I only ever have about £6 to spend on headphones and occassionally get lucky like I did with the £30 philips ones I got for £9.99.

Sesh

08-15-2006, 10:51 PM

Jay.B, glad I could help - they are fantastic - and a very good cheap alternative to the £300 molded ones shure do. They come with about 10 different alternative inserts (different sizes and materials) so they should fit and suit everyone.

I should be a shure endorsee....I hope someones listening!

Martin

Jay.B.

08-15-2006, 10:51 PM

got a couple of pairs on my ebay watch list now

Jay.B.

08-15-2006, 10:53 PM

Sesh

08-15-2006, 10:53 PM

XeroX

08-15-2006, 10:56 PM

Yeah and no problem for the misunderstanding - i sort of misphrased what i said.
They arent great headphones - the sound quality is acceptable, but they do isolate the sound pretty well. They also came with 3 different sets of rubber bits to make sure you get the right size.
I barely have enough money for £5 headphones seeing as how I don't have a job and I'm still goin to school full time. Also my band is barely gigging at the moment and when we do, its usually not payed :(

Sesh

08-15-2006, 10:56 PM

thanks again, I was either using a full monitor setup, which meant the audience could hear the click count in haha or a pair of senheiser headphones I still have from my DJing days haha so these will make a great professional looking and sounding alternative :-)

Well good luck with the auctions. At the end of the day, there's a reason why weckl, jojo mayer and pretty much everyone else uses shure. Plus, I think the ec2's look cooler than the molded anyway - I like the black finish! :-)

Martin

Melvin

09-07-2006, 08:06 AM

I bought 3M ear plugs just to experiment, beacuse I read a lot of good stuff about a Vic Firth headphones for drummers. I thought, man I can get me one of these and I'll save my ears and become a better drummer too. So I went to the store and they didn't have them so I ordered them. Then I went to the mall and saw the 3M reusable ear plugs. I said, let me try these until the headphones arrive. Man these things rock, now I can play for hours and hours and never have to worry about ear damage. The kit sounds fantastic behind these things and I can hear everything so clear and defined. Now I can't wait for the headphones to arrive!!!

defunkt

09-13-2006, 12:27 PM

I'm really angry that I didn't know that I should be using ear plugs for four years of drumming, thankfully I don't have any problems and I want to keep it that way.
This is serious protect your ears because it is permanant and for some reason people think it's funny.
I tend to wear them at large concerts too beacuse they get to be pretty loud.

dancebeats

09-13-2006, 07:20 PM

I'm trying out the Vic Firth isolation headphone and I could hear guitars and my drums, etc..My problem (or everyone's ?) is that after I wear it for about 15 minutes and take it off, everything sounds extremely loud (it's not that loud before I put on the headphone or earplug) and my drums and cymbals sound crappy. It takes another 1/2 or 1 hour with the headphone off to get my ears back to normal hearing where all the sound balance out, not extremely loud. Is this normal when one wears an earplug or an isolation headphone? None of the guys in our band wants to wear headphone or earplug. We play light rock during practices. We don't get any ringing sound after each practice. We keep the volume down. Is that OK or an earplug/headphone is still recommended at any sound level?

defunkt

09-14-2006, 10:38 AM

Yeah the exact same thing happens to me when I wear my ear plugs
When I take them off after about an hour my snare drum sounds like a thousand decibels it's really annoying but I guess that kind of shows you what you're exposing your ears to when you don't wear ear plugs.

Stitch Kaboodle

02-13-2007, 12:51 AM

Can anybody recommend a good set of ear attenuators. The noise is not comfortable.

ermghoti

02-13-2007, 03:38 AM

Etymotic Research ER20. $12USD, pretty transparent, like turning down the volume on your ears. If you're experiencing 100dB+ for more than a couple hours, I'd get the foam ones instead, they offer more protection, at the cost of killing off high frequencies very noticably.

Melvin

02-13-2007, 09:49 PM

I use these Vic Firth headphones and they work perfect and the kits sounds way better.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Vic-Firth-dB22-Isolation-Headphones?sku=443953

Melvin

02-13-2007, 09:51 PM

I use these Vic Firth headphones and they work perfect and the kit sounds way better.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Vic-Firth-dB22-Isolation-Headphones?sku=443953

Ignore this double post, My computer got crewed up.

Stitch Kaboodle

02-14-2007, 07:15 PM

I use these Vic Firth headphones and they work perfect and the kits sounds way better.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Vic-Firth-dB22-Isolation-Headphones?sku=443953

Yeah I have a pair of them but I want something I can gig with and retain some dignity. Cheers for the help guys.

A friend of mine has a set that were molded to the shape of his ear. Cost about 120 euro. Has anybody here tried this type of attenuator?

ermghoti

02-14-2007, 09:36 PM

I considered it, but I've been pleased enough with the ER-20's that I don't worry about it anymore. The molded ones simply can't be 20x better to justify the cost.

Stitch Kaboodle

02-15-2007, 07:27 PM

That's fair enough. I'm getting a pair of the molded ones soon. I'll let you know how good they are. By the way how long do those other ones last? Are they disposable yeah?

Skacatz

02-16-2007, 06:41 PM

I have been playing for about 40 years. My ears ring all the time. I wear ear plugs now, but when I was younger I never gave it a thought. All I can hope to do is keep it from getting worse. I even use ear plugs when practicing to CD's with headphones on.

I am right handed and my main ride is set up to my right. The right ear is probably the one that has gotten the brunt of it over the years. Someone mentioned a study that was done about jazz musicians and hearing loss from ride cymbals. I can attest to that fact.

Everyone should wear some sort of protection and start when you are young. Hearing loss is cumulative.

gmrakich

02-19-2007, 11:13 PM

tamadrummer132

02-19-2007, 11:47 PM

i have it about 10-15 mins after i play.. butnot other than that.

Michael G

02-19-2007, 11:54 PM

i have it about 10-15 mins after i play.. butnot other than that.

For now...............

gmrakich

02-20-2007, 12:03 AM

i have it about 10-15 mins after i play.. butnot other than that.

Do you wear ear plugs? You might want to look into that. Hell even stuffing tissue in your ears is better than nothing, and may I say a bold fashion statement. Constant ringing sucketh.

KCDrummer

02-20-2007, 12:10 AM

I've had it for about ten years. I did some damage to my ears beginning in high school, playing in garage bands, marching bands and drum corps. Any damage you do to your hearing is irreversible, so all you can do is protect what you've got. You can get a good pair of earplugs for $10 or less. You can also get a pair custom-made to fit your ears that will attenuate all frequencies equally, but they can get pretty pricey.

tamadrummer132

02-20-2007, 12:55 AM

its just such a hassel....but its probably a good idea.

wolfmoon

02-20-2007, 01:07 AM

After almost 30 years of playing and countless concerts that were way too loud, I only get the ringing once in a while. I consider myself lucky. I have never worn ear plugs but have tried them several times. These days, I don't listen or play at ear splitting levels. Concerts today don't seem as loud and abusive as they use to be in the 80's and 90's. There are still a few that push it ( Motley Crue for example) I don't go to (CLUB) shows that often. They are total hell on your ears. It doesn't have to be that way IMO. So even tho I have chilled big time with the high volume levels, I know it can still bite me after all this time. I would say if you don't like ear plugs, don't expose yourself to abusive sound levels. Loud music is cool if it's done correctly meaning (clean loud) no harsh frequencies, distortion and so on.

jonescrusher

02-20-2007, 01:07 AM

its just such a hassel....but its probably a good idea.

To get permanent tinnitus at your age would be tragic. Imagine all those years with a constant whine or ring that never, ever goes away. If you're experiencing the symptoms every time you play, i'd suggest that it's a MUST that you start protecting your ears. Take the warning.

timebandit

02-20-2007, 01:41 AM

So after 30 years of playing and even with using earplugs/ear protection, I still got tinnitus a few years ago. Its like having a small tea kettle whistling all the time in your head. Who else has it, how bad, and what, if anything are you doing about it.

Yes, I too have been diagnosed (to a degree) with tinniitus.
It just started this last summer. it actually started as an inner ear infection, once the infection was gone the "hissing" as i call it never went away. I had two hearing test since then and been told i have very little hearing loss, for a drummer, but there is nothing they say can be done about the tinnitus.

I have found, that when i play with the band, and i'm wearing my heros in my ears for a long period of time, it tends to be less noticable than an average work day on the jobsite with machines running and the sounds of construction equipment rattleing in my ears. then of course an hour or so on the drums when i get home (gun muffs on my ears) and they bother me more than after band practice.

joeybeats

02-20-2007, 02:08 AM

I have it. Diagnosed three weeks ago by an ENT. I've had an MRI of my brain, hearing tests, blood workup, and a sleep study. More tests scheduled and I feel like a pin cushion. I'll be going to Mayo if my local doc's don't have a fix within the next few months. There may not be a fix, see the link below.

FYI, ringing started the week my new kit arrived. Hearing tests show that nothing is wrong with my hearing. MRI shows that nothing wrong with hearing canal. About a month ago, I couldn't take it any more and went to a doc, first time since high school football. I wake up every couple hours. Miserable.
http://mayoclinic.com/health/tinnitus/DS00365
Joey

PS Snare ringing is good. This kind of ringing is no good.

timebandit

02-20-2007, 03:33 AM

Joey,
I know the feelin', it drives ya nuts for awhile but you'll get used to it. i'm sorry it had to happen to ya rite around the arrival of the new Dubs. don't let it discourage you. If all the proper tests where done and theres no sign of anything else...............than its just that...........tinnitus sorry!

glen thomas

02-20-2007, 04:05 AM

I've had Tinnitus for many years but the best thing I did was get musician's earplugs about ten years ago. They basically stopped things from getting worse. True, I've gotten use to Tinnitus but that's not everyone. The problem is that frequencies of Tinnitus affect everyone differently. Unfortunately the damage I received was done early on in my music career and there wasn't much info on Tinnitus, so by the time I developed it, it was too late.
My problem isn't severe like some and like I said, the ear plugs helped along with Vic Firth headphones to practice with. I can now enjoy my music career with little aggrevation.
I hope everything works out for you. ;-)

yves

02-20-2007, 04:11 AM

I've had it for a number of years.

In the last 6-7 years, I've used ear plugs about %95 of the time. I've played a few "softer" gigs where I didn't wear them.

But, I did make the mistake of not wearing them for a few gigs and jams this last year.... I can't say it's made it worse, but it certainly didn't make it any better.

I believe in wearing 'em. As I write this, I can hear it quite well.

(edit) - It meaning the ring!

indiadrummer

02-20-2007, 07:15 AM

jeffwj

02-20-2007, 08:19 AM

I dont know, Ive given my ears CONSTANT abuse, i listen to my ipod on full blast and drum along, but I am not getting any problems. However, my left ear does blow out for a few seconds a day. It sucks....I think im gonna start wearing ear plugs.

Try the Vic Firth Stereo Isolation Headphones. They are made to keep out excess noise from the drums. That way you don't have to blast the volume in the headphones.

yves

02-20-2007, 11:16 AM

Try the Vic Firth Stereo Isolation Headphones. They are made to keep out excess noise from the drums. That way you don't have to blast the volume in the headphones.

That's a great idea for playing along with music.

I basically made my own headphones with something similar to these:
http://www.wildcatcommerce.com/productimages/large/119/SIL_ELP-97.JPG

Nothing to fancy, but they've worked great even in studio.

Belgiandrummer

02-20-2007, 12:26 PM

It's really important to protect your ears!! I'm 14 years old and I have permanent tinnitus, even though I use custom made ear protectors. It's sometimes hard to fall asleep because of that...
And it's a fact (yes, it sounds a bit ridiculous) that a lot of people with tinnitus get depressive and some people do suicide because of that... I'm NOT kidding!
And if it's really bad you can lose balance, but it's hard to explain that in English for me...
PROTECT YOUR EARS!!

gusty

02-20-2007, 12:56 PM

its just such a hassel....but its probably a good idea.

its not a slight hassle...takes 10 seconds to roll up and not only do you get ear protection, but your drums sound better aswell. a lot better.

driver

02-20-2007, 01:39 PM

Imagine all those years with a constant whine or ring that never, ever goes away.

Are you talking about Tinnitus or Women? :)

Im about to buy some ear plugs for myself and all band members. No point even risking it for a little garage jamming session

Ruok

02-24-2007, 12:16 AM

The herb "ginko biloba" is known to relieve some tinnitus. I used to suffer with tinnitus and certain brands of ginko worked for me while others didn't. So, for all you sufferers out there, do a little research on ginko and see if it might help relieve some of the symptoms.

Tinnitus isn't always caused by loud music, although it is the most common cause. Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom. I've read that certain causes of tinnitus can be by grinding teeth due to stress, high doses of aspirin, carotid artery blockage, rare tumors of the hearing nerve and Meniere's disease. Straining to hear and the aggravation over the hearing loss can make the condition worse. I've read also that 50 million people in America alone have it to some degree. In 90% of those cases the tinnitus will go away after a short time. I am proof that in some cases it will go away. I had tinnitus for about 10 years and it has gone away.

enforcerdrummer

02-24-2007, 05:42 AM

Allowable exposure...15 minutes at a rock concert! And I saw RUSH twice in 2004. When I play at home I use a pair of those nice Vic Firth headphones to protect my ears. Or if I am recording, I use a pair of ear plugs that I've had for over a decade.

Sirwill

02-24-2007, 11:57 AM

I was born with hearing loss and also born with tinnitus. The high pitch hearing loss is at the level were I can not even hear cymbals on Cd's. All I can say is wear ear plugs. I have been wearing them for about 20yrs. and it helps alot.

Wegadrummer

02-24-2007, 06:49 PM

I took up earplugs three years ago, it takes some time to get used to it. but when you get used to the "damped" sound.. Its pretty good.. so guys, and girls.. Start wearing ear protection.

Mr. Pasquini

02-25-2007, 01:38 AM

I feel kinda bad for going to that Mastodon concert and standing 4" from the monitors... My hearing is precious to me, I either wear ear plugs or play very quietly at all times.

Stitch Kaboodle

03-09-2007, 05:14 AM

Listen guys and Mods (no pun intended) I think it should be a matter of importance to inform the younger generation of this condition. Hearing loss is no joke.

It would be great to at least have a STICKY for this issue.

Anyway, I'm getting my ear attenuators soon off Frank Cass and Sons in Kimmage, Dublin. I'll let you all know how they work out - and if it's worth the 200$ or not. He has told me they don't lose any clarity, which is important.

I'm banking on it being better than sponge ear plugs, i.e: muffled.

Helen

03-15-2007, 08:09 PM

yeh i agree, its really important to protect your ears.

Ive been playing for about 4 years and im only 16 and already have minor tinnitus because when i was younger i wasnt really aware of it and didnt think about it.

The ear plugs ive got now are Doc's Proplugs which are recomended, but i find that they really dont help so ive had to go back to the foam ones so everythings muffled and its really annoying.

Does anyone else find that with those Doc's Proplugs?

Ironcobra

04-01-2007, 05:30 PM

i know everyone puts on a protective pair of headphones or something, but try this.....

listen to your drumkit for a minute while your playing it

then put earplugs in, PUT THEM IN REALLY GOOD

listen to your kit again, it will sound really cool, and kinda weird, then put protective headphones on top of the earplugs......if you dont play live and you only play drums top practice, you will never need to buy a new drumset cuz the sound from this combination is AMAZING

sorry if there is another post on this

Maytridy

04-01-2007, 05:44 PM

I've noticed that wearing earplugs while practicing does eliminate some of the nastier overtones from the drums.

Drumms

04-01-2007, 05:52 PM

Ear plugs take off alot of high frequencies.

Diaz

04-01-2007, 06:15 PM

Thats a good idea but i only use certain ear plugs, and of course these, even tho most people use these

http://www.columbuspercussion.com/images/VFDB22.jpg

Deathmetalconga

04-01-2007, 06:28 PM

Thats a good idea but i only use certain ear plugs, and of course these, even tho most people use these

http://www.columbuspercussion.com/images/VFDB22.jpg

I use those shooting ear muffs - earplugs get kind of icky with earwax after a while. Also, earplugs shut out too much sound for me. Most are rated at 32 db or more and the earmuffs are 20. With 20 db of reduction, my hearing is protected but I still hear the drums and cymbals just fine. The earplugs just make all the sound a big fuzzy blob, although they are great for sleeping.

Mediocrefunkybeat

04-01-2007, 07:56 PM

I'm using Doc's Proplugs, and they're pretty good for what they are. They're designed for musicians in mind, so the high frequency loss is lessened in comparison to 'normal' foam earplugs. They're very useful and surprisingly cheap. Definitely worth the investment.

Wavelength

04-01-2007, 08:43 PM

I use individual ear plugs that are molded to fit snugly into my ear canals. The attached filters cut 25dB off across the entire frequency range giving a natural sound.

PBW

04-03-2007, 06:38 PM

These are great plugs - they cut down the sound equally across all the frequencies so they don't sound as muffled as the foam ones:

http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx

dea

04-04-2007, 07:29 PM

Vic Firth headphones. I never jam without'em.

Tubs player

04-05-2007, 09:14 PM

I wear ear plugs. Personally i think my drums sound better with them on. I also play better

snowman25

04-07-2007, 09:48 PM

yea ive had the vic firth headphones for a few months now and there great i even bring them on trips and just plug them into a cd player or something
but the thing is when i play with themi have to turn the cd up really loud or else ill hear myself playing instead of the cd and also ive started to break sticks alot more beacuse i guess i play harder while listening to a cd

its a vicious cycle

anp27

04-16-2007, 03:22 PM

I recently bought a pair of Creative Zen in-ears..they work wonderfully well when I play live, I'm still able to hear my click, and it reduces the volume of my drums and the rest of my band members (who just love to play loud), so I guess it's also a form of ear protection too. I've used the Vic Firth isophones (black) in the studio, and hated the bulkiness of them, so I got the in-ears instead, and I just LOVE them! I use those blue Vic Firth isophones when I'm practicing by myself, without a click.

massaf

04-20-2007, 01:59 AM

I use Vater earplugs... they are working alright!! They're like 20$ but they protect my ears a lot while im jamming with my friends! Nice product.

Big_Philly

04-21-2007, 10:53 PM

I have ear trouble that aren't drumming related, I'm hearing impaired on the right. I've undergone ear surgery 5 times now, and lots and lots of visits to ear specialists. When I told him I played drums he did advise to use ear protection, but when I mentioned custom made ear protection he started laughing and told me that folding and curling some toilet paper would do nearly exactly the same. He was right :D Though toilet paper is a bit of a hassle to fold and curl into your ear, and especially if you have to take them out halfway through a gig for a break and put it back in.
Now I am using Vater safe 'n sound ear plugs and I must say that they work very well, toilet paper did alter the sound characteristics a bit, and these just dampen the sound, taking away between 20 and 30 dB. They only cost 25 euros or so, and aren't nearly as much of a hassle to take out or put in, and they come with a neck cord.

Schnitzel

06-09-2007, 12:08 AM

Hello!

I use the Vic Firth SIH1 and they're cool. I plug them into my computer or the metronome and it works fine when i practice, but sometimes i wished theyd reduce the volume even more (i think they have 25db) - but playing more quiet works too :D
For gigs i use doctor made earplugs with a 15db filter ... those are very cool for concerts too ... do you think 15db is not enough? well, at least my ears dont hurt or ring.

invasion

06-12-2007, 11:26 AM

I have just taken up playing drums and I am really enjoying it so far although one thing does concern me is hearing loss!

last year I lost my hearing in one ear due to some ear infection, it totally killed my hearing in my right ear....took some getting used to not being able to tell direction of sound and listening to music wasn't the same for ages although I have now got used to it just no stereo!

So anyway as you can imagine I am very protective of my other ear and playing drums maybe not the best thing in the world I could of taken up..but I really enjoy playing and dont want to stop. I have already got some ear protection that go in your ear little rubber things i got from my local drum shop, but I have been looking at the Vic Firth Isolation Headphones DB22 the only question I have is are they any different from Industrial ones like these http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=58556&ts=40242 as you can see from the link they are far cheaper and maybe offer better protection or maybe again to much ???

any help much appreciated...oh and any one who doesnt use ear protection please do it is no fun loosing your hearing let me tell you!

Regards
AJ

latzanimal

06-12-2007, 12:22 PM

invasion

06-12-2007, 12:32 PM

Nope. They are no different. In fact if the snr number is the reduction, these are more protective than the Vic Firth's. The VF's are rated @ 22 decibel reduction, where if that snr number is the eduction, they are rated @ 32 db. Be aware that these kind of headphones will make everything sound like it has a cold. Some drummers like it, some don't, just something to get used to. I think Scott Travis (Fight, Racer X, Judas Priest) actually prefers it.

Good thinking & good luck

Thanks for the help much appreciated,,makes you wonder how they can charge so much for the Vic Firth ones £35??? taking advantage or what!

I will have to get used to the sound cant risk damage to my last working ear..!

Regards
AJ

invasion

06-13-2007, 12:27 PM

Just a quick update on what I posted yesterday....I want into a local DIY/Builders merchants called Jewsons and picked up some Ear Defenders cost me £8.00 in total They have a SNR of 23

They are much less trouble than ear plugs In my opinion, just put them on and away you go and my drums sound much better while I have them on. my last working ear is safe and sound now :)

Shame they never came in any other colour

http://www.pbase.com/invasion/image/80453952/medium.jpg

Schnitzel

06-14-2007, 11:43 PM

Hey,

okay I'm really worried about my hearing! I use those 24SNR Vic Firth Headphones and doctormade earplugs with 15SNR. When I practise I play in a small room, so if my drums make a noise of 90 DBZ that would make 66 DBZ when I practise. Will that affect my hearing, maybe when I'm older? If i practise 2 hours a day on 6 days a week?

Okay and another question: when playing with bands I use my doctor made plugs. It's so much more comfortable with the plugs, but if i compare the sound level with and without plugs there is not so much difference. But after sessions my ears don't ring, or at least not much.
Do you think I just feel save with my plugs or does 15dbz really make a difference?

Okay, thanks in advance, I might also ask a doctor but what's your experience/thoughts?

slingerland755

09-10-2007, 01:27 AM

I played on the road from 1984 to 1996. My ears have been ringing since 1994...24 hours a day/365 days a year, and I have lost a significant amount of hearing. Nothing I do will EVER change that. I became very depressed because of the stupid decisions that I had made earlier in my life regarding my ears. Don't be stupid...use cigarette butts if you have to. Put something in your ears for protection. For any of you drummers out there that suffer from tinnitus. I started taking an SSRI (anti-depressent) 3 years ago. This is not something I'm proud of, but I didn't know what else to do. The drugs don't help the tinnitus, but they help me deal with the ringing. I've read a couple of absurd posts written by a few young and ignorant drummers out there disregarding ear protection. Don't be stupid! Listen to Forrest "Stupid is as stupid does." For all you youngsters that still don't get it...It means that and intelligent person who does stupid things is still stupid. You are what you do.