Hearing protection?

Actually, those have a decent NRR. When practicing, don't they block out certain frequencies and muffle the tones?

In a live music or full band situation, yes they do somewhat. It is a slight adjustment. You have to pay attention a little more. However, they really offer a great amount of protection and are really comfortable.


What have you guys found that has a high NRR (at least 25??) and still gives clarity of your frequencies? (without muffling them)

I went to an audiologist and I had custom hearing protection made for myself. It was more expensive, but high frequencies get through better, and the NRR protection cannot be compared to something off the shelf other than over the ear muffs such as these

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-H10...UTF8&colid=FQIZ5PSBSWVT&coliid=I1BP3SINW1SKNE

I love those when practicing by myself.

Here's a photo of the custom ear protection I had made.
mqfp.jpg


These are the same as a custom in ear monitor set up, minus the drivers of course. The doctor puts a camera in your ear on a big screen and checks your hearing and the condition of your inner ear etc. Then you get the molds done and pick your colors and options.

These are not as comfortable as the foam ones, but they offer excellent protection.
 
Where/when will you be using the head phones? At your music event?

If you have ever been to a drum day (go to http://drumdaytulsa.com/) there is a lot of down time between evens so EACH drummer plays his/her own thing. It is too loud to do this without ear protection (sounds like sitting under a fully revved jet engine) but I want to play along with some recordings I plan on taking. Can I use the noise canceling headphones WITH the ear plugs or do I take the ear plugs out when I use the head phones? I know this is a stupid question but I am a stupid guy who has never done this before.
 
If you have ever been to a drum day (go to http://drumdaytulsa.com/) there is a lot of down time between evens so EACH drummer plays his/her own thing. It is too loud to do this without ear protection (sounds like sitting under a fully revved jet engine) but I want to play along with some recordings I plan on taking. Can I use the noise canceling headphones WITH the ear plugs or do I take the ear plugs out when I use the head phones? I know this is a stupid question but I am a stupid guy who has never done this before.

If your headphones cancel out enough exterior sound where you don't have to turn them up too loud to play along, then you should be able to take out the earplugs.

It depends on how effective your headphones are to the background noise. Just make sure you don't turn the volume up too loud if they are not that effective.

I do almost the same thing when I play along or record a cover. I use in ear monitors (ear plug type) and then cover those with shooting range ear muffs. In your case, if you're nothing is mic'd, you'll want to hear your drumming as well.
 
Great to see that some of you guys are taking your hearing seriously. Those that aren't need to take care. I'm 50 and played drums in rock bands in the 70s, 80's and 90's without any hearing protection. My hearing is badly damaged now and those of you that take comfort that the ringing in your ears goes away after a gig will find that over time, it won't go way - EVER. It'll be with you morning, noon and night. The kind of noise levels generated behind an average kit will permanently bend and thus destroy the little hairs in your inner ear (cochlea) creating the endless ringing I hear now as well as wiping out your upper frequencies. My advice to you is take care of your precious ears and enjoy your music for many more years.
 
If your headphones cancel out enough exterior sound where you don't have to turn them up too loud to play along, then you should be able to take out the earplugs.

It depends on how effective your headphones are to the background noise. Just make sure you don't turn the volume up too loud if they are not that effective.

I do almost the same thing when I play along or record a cover. I use in ear monitors (ear plug type) and then cover those with shooting range ear muffs. In your case, if you're nothing is mic'd, you'll want to hear your drumming as well.

Noise-cancelling headphones are not very good at handling transient noises, like drums. They are best at eliminating more constant background noises, like a running lawnmower, jet engines, road noise, etc. They just don't react quickly enough to cancel out quick, loud noises.
 
For practicing (which is all i do) i got a pair of epanda hooligan headphones and was surprised.. the noise reduction was perfect for me and they sound very good...
 
Well, fool that I am, too little too late I finally got hearing protection. Started playing in 1965 when I was ten-I don't remember much mention of hearing protection. Then years of banging, loud concerts, shooting shotguns and rifles, and then a benign tumor in my left ear about 20 years ago now has left me with major hearing loss. My right ear has been my good ear but finally it got where i needed a hearing aid-I guess about ten years ago. The audiologist said a hearing aid might also help my left ear but I really need a cochlear implant-they don't do unilateral ones in the US-so I got this souped big one for it which does help me hear. This Summer I two sudden incidents where my hearing got worse-freaked me out-had an MRI, etc and couldn't figure it out. Anyways I got my hearing aids tuned up and bought these musician ear plugs that has various filters for various instruments and needs. Seems to be working great although I wish I had done this about thirty years ago. Fool that I am.
Here is a pic-you can see one ear canal is size of a large tunnel-you can stick a Q-tip way up there. Not complaining though I can still hear certain frequencies are worse than others. So this April it will be 50 years banging and the moral of my tale-buy some good hearing protection before you're a deaf ole fool like I am.
 

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I have been using these, much better sound quality than the foam ones. Peace and goodwill.
 
I had my Westones made by an audiologist many years ago. I use the 15dB inserts. They have performed perfectly for all these years. The only "problem" I've had with them may be specific to me, but it seems that I have trouble finding pitches when I do background vocals. Have others had this problem?

GeeDeeEmm
 
Noise-cancelling headphones are not very good at handling transient noises, like drums. They are best at eliminating more constant background noises, like a running lawnmower, jet engines, road noise, etc. They just don't react quickly enough to cancel out quick, loud noises.

I know this is a very old thread, but this is incorrect. Noise canceling headphones are plenty fast enough for drums or even guns. I use them all the time at the gun club.


—I also use Westones from the audiologist.
 
I had my Westones made by an audiologist many years ago. I use the 15dB inserts. They have performed perfectly for all these years. The only "problem" I've had with them may be specific to me, but it seems that I have trouble finding pitches when I do background vocals. Have others had this problem?

GeeDeeEmm

I use a personal monitor that allows me to put my vocals through it before it goes to the board. I then take the monitor feed in so I personally have two channels and can turn my vocal up as needed. It's a rolls personal monitor with a limiter.
 
http://www.getdubs.com/

I was wearing hear-o's for a while because audio was more clear than regular foam plugs. I discovered these a few weeks ago via an amazon recommendation. They're perfect. The audio is muffled by 12db but is much more clear. I can finally hear the singer.
 
Just the old faithful Vic Firth headphones or my trusted Shure in ear monitors for me. I don't get as much bass from the Shure in ears as I would like but the dual driver version is all that I could afford. :)
 
Folks I'm getting on a bit with my 50th birthday recently and I have tinnitus from rock drumming in a band and motorbiking.
I want to continue drumming but with the best protection for my ears.
I play along to music from my iPhone through headphones, but to date I have not found a pair of headphones which block out the drums enough to have the music volume at a reasonable level. It's way too loud.

I bought some Bose noise cancelling headphones for a recent long haul flight (which worked remarkably well) and with the intention of using them while drumming, and they work ok there except with the snare, which snaps through very loudly.
I understand that noise cancelling headphones may be too slow for drums.
Is this always the case?

What is the generally accepted best pair of headphones for protecting the ears and also feeding music through?
Thanks
 
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