Ear Plugs

[JC JACK]

I've noticed Ricky Skaggs and his band members using some sort of ear plugs during their performances. Maybe others are as well, but I'm wondering if anyone knows what the purpose is? Are they being used for ear protection? Or do they have something to do with the amplification on stage? If for protection it makes sense, hearing loss is a real issue around any loud noise, such as music amplification. Any insight here would be appreciated.

[mandopete]

Probably in-ear monitors.

[ronlane3]

That's it. Personal in-ear monitors.

[dunbarhamlin]

Ear defenders, available in assorted garish and flesh tones. Unfortunately, as in camera, the greater the need for rubber protective devices, the less likely their employment.

[Ray(T)]

Did they have a banjo player?

[glauber]

I've noticed Ricky Skaggs and his band members using some sort of ear plugs during their performances. Maybe others are as well, but I'm wondering if anyone knows what the purpose is? Are they being used for ear protection? Or do they have something to do with the amplification on stage? If for protection it makes sense, hearing loss is a real issue around any loud noise, such as music amplification. Any insight here would be appreciated.
Well, just because the audience wants to hear their music, it doesn't mean they have to! Yuk Yuk Yuk!
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[mikeyes]

My son uses them in his rock band. The ones he has are not only monitors, but they also filter out exterior noise (like the 3 million db of noise the band produces) and helps save his hearing. These are sophisticated earplugs that appear to work very well. I wish I could tell you the brand, but a google search should find them.

[John Craton]

Guess they could be either monitors or ear protectors. There was a recent thread (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=12;t=30257;hl=operaguy) on hearing loss among musicians. Lots of good information there.

[TonyP]

I don't know about rock, but in bluegrass, #1 your not dealing with the same sound pressure levels, unless your using floor monitors. Because if you're using good main speakers, are very directional, the sound is going out the front, away from you, so you need something to give you the "real" sound, not what's bouncing off the walls and coming back to you. That's why in-ear monitors are THE way to go. And each person can adjust to volume to what they think is comfortable and eliminates the feedback caused by floor monitors. It's an all around better way to go,that's why almost all the pro's are using them.

[Lee]

I know it sounds bizarre, but some piano tuners use protective ear devises too. These will filter out damagiong percussive sounds but still allow other sound through. Typically you make an appointment with an ear doctor to have molds made for them.

[johnhgayjr]

My group uses in-ear monitors and 2 condensor mics. #

The idea with the condensor mics is that you don't need monitors - you hear each other directly. #But... you can't hear how you sound in the mix through the PA. #Kinda defeats the purpose of the condensor mics. #The condensor mics don't work well with in a venue with lots of background noise either. #Anyway, we set the in-ear monitors with the same levels as the mains so we can tell through the in-ear monitor if the mix is appropriate.

I don't really like the sound we get through the in-ear monitors. #I just use it in one ear rather than both.

I'd rather not deal with the whole PA thang at all!!!

John Gay
Memphis
www.harddrivebluegrass.com (http://www.harddrivebluegrass.com)

[ShaneJ]

Did they have a banjo player?
I think that explains it right there. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[JC JACK]

Does anyone have info on the professional ear plugs mentioned in this post or the post back in December on this topic?

[Mark Robertson-Tessi]

Friends:

Some info on my experience with in-ears:

One of my bands has been using in-ear monitors at our weekly gigs, for about 3 months now. #Their use has been a real improvement on many fronts:

i) feedback is much reduced, since there is no on stage monitor anymore. #We can rely on the condensor mics (Neumann KM184's) exclusively if we want, whereas in the past with a stage monitor we had to pump mostly pickup sound through the monitor to keep feedback down.

ii) house sound is much improved. #First, feedback from the monitors is no longer an issue as above. #Second, there is no slapback from the monitors off the back of the stage and out into the audience. #Bottom line has been more cleanliness out front.

iii) ability to hear the group is much improved, which translates into much more dynamic interplay between us. #With a stage monitor, sometimes the monitor mix is limited by what the monitor will allow in terms of feedback, and there is usually alot of crowd noise which interferes. #With in ears, the only crowd noise is what the mics pick up (which is minimal compared to your instrument), and the mix can be anything you want. #

iv) Much less ear fatigue. #Usually at the end of some gigs my ears are getting tired, things start sounding harsh, etc. #The place we play can be noisy, so the monitors have to be loud enough to hear. #After switchng to in ears, since they block out the surrounding noise, you can set them to any level you want. #My ears feel fine after four hours now.

v) the particular system we are using has two channels, so we can route the main house mix to one channel, and a separate monitor mix to the other channel. By changing a dial on the waist pack, i can listen to the house mix, to see how that sounds, or switch to the monitor mix to get a mix of our choosing.

vi) they sound great on recorded music too. #If you listen to music from an ipod or similar, the inear monitors are great to use in those situations, so they have an extra use.

The drawbacks I have found are:
i) If someone else wants to sit in, You need to have inears for them, or setup a monitor, which returns you to the old sound issues. #But we set up with in ears, and if a guest shows up, we have a monitor speaker which we turn up only for when they get up on stage. #Since it is used only for the guest, there is much more flexibility interms of mixing it, since none of us will be using it. #So we can keep its effects to a minimum. #Not an issue if you don't have guests sit in.

ii) It's hard to hear your bandmates talking between songs. #If you need to discuss something, you need to take a monitor out or get really close. #They really act as earplugs and speakers, so outside noise is blocked out, which is an advantage for crowd noise, disadvantage for regular talking. #But that's not too bad. #You can hear whats coming through the mics, so usually I can hear what the guitar player says, because his guitar mic will pick it up some. #Also, taking out and replacing the in ear monitor is really easy, so this isn't a big deal anyways, just a minor inconvenience.

iii) Some people complain of discomfort with the inear pieces, or they fall out. #I think this is just a question of finding the right sleeve for your ear. #They have many different types, and one should work well for you. #I can wear mine for 4-5 hours straight, and have no discomfort.

iv) You may feel 'wired up', with a thin cable running from your earpieces down your back and into the reciever waistpak, but you get used to it pretty quick. #At first playing acoustic music with ear monitors seems oxymoronic, but then again, if you are using a PA at all, you already left the acoustic regime behind when you first plugged your mic in. #So why not get the best sound you can? #Despite initial concerns of feeling too wired up for acoustic instruments, once I heard the sound both in ears and out in the house, it sounded more acoustic than ever, as the reliance on EQ and instrument pickups to clean up monitor problems were much lessened, and the sound of the microphones was allowed to shine through.

We are using a shure 4-channel system. #I used the Shure ear buds E3c, and they were a little too bright for my ears (but still way better than using a monitor). #I now am using the Futuresonics EM3's, which are bit more mellow and smooth, which I like better (but that's a personal choice:)

Shure stuff can be found just about anywhere. #Futuresonics only sell direct, from futuresonics.com

No financial interest with any of this, just a field report on something I feel has made a big difference in my band's sound and performance.

Cheers,
Mark R-T

[Lee]

JC JACK, a good ear/nose/throat doctor should be able to set you up with a custom set of ear protection.