Hearing Protection Suggestions

[Tobin]

Old jazz players use cigarette filters.

I will admit to having done that at the gun range when I forgot my hearing protection. Not very effective, in my experience!

[mtm]

So, while attending a few days of Milwaukee's Summerfest, I was compelled to give my unused "ETY ER20" plugs a try, because by and large EVERY stage seemed pretty loud to me. So, I brought the ER20s along on the third day and first gave them a try at about 15 feet away from a Marshall stack being used by a metal band on a small side stage (no, I don't like metal, but what better way to test the plugs, right?). The dude had it turned up to the proverbial "eleven". I found the plugs cut the volume way too much ... it sounded like the band was in the next town over. I also gave them a test with a Chicago blues band (Key Saydak) at 15 rows back, dead center and again, it just seemed like all the band energy was lost. Maybe I have them in too far? Anyway, I put them away and just went with loud....

[CES]

I just received a pair of Earasers this week. Preliminary impressions in my basement are good. I'd planned to test them in the pit at Linkin Park in a couple of weeks, but, alas, RIP, Chester. Prayers for his family, friends, and band mates.

Seeing Jason Isbell in September, though the room isn't really a "crank it up" kind of venue. We'll see...

Thanks to all who have chimed in with recommendations/advice!

[pops1]

Years ago when running printing presses I decided to wear earplugs. It took about a week for my ears to adjust then I could hear things I couldn't hear when I wasn't wearing them. Not hearing the band as well with them in, maybe put them in a few hours before to let your ears adjust.

[A 4]

I've been using Alpine Musicsafe ear protection. I've used several types that don't provide as much attenuation as industrial earplugs, which I think is a good feature. Those take away too much of the sounds.

I have found the Alpines and Ear Dubs to allow music to come through while still providing protection. I generally use the Alpines because they come with different inserts that provide different levels of reduction, so you can put in the silver ones if the music is only a little loud, or the gold ones for super loud. I have not tried most of the other suggestions in the thread, though.

[mtm]

Speaking of Jason Isbell, I saw him recently at Milwaukee's Summerfest (Outlaw Festival) and he was REALLY LOUD ... he was good, but really loud (saw him indoors a year ago and that was really loud too). The whole Outlaw Fest thing was very loud ....

I brought along my new ETY ER20s that I was previously dissatisfied with (see above), but I was desperate, so I simply didn't push them in so far ... that seemed to be the trick and I don't think I could have made it through 6 hrs of LOUD music without them.

I saw 3 Phish shows in Chicago over the weekend and brought the plugs along, but the sound was most outstanding and I didn't need them... still, I have them handy now, just in case.

[Don Grieser]

I've been using my Shure In Ear monitors plugged into my Zoom H2 in record mode. They are very effective at blocking the ambient sound and I can hear the music clearly at the volume I choose.

[CES]

Don, thanks for the input.

So, I ended up having to give my Jason Isbell tickets away due to another conflict, but I saw XAmbassadors with my wife and kids at the Fillmore a few weeks ago, a standing room only venue in Charlotte that gets you really close to the stage, and tends to be very loud. While not exactly the show I might have picked for myself, they're a good band and have some fun music, which they play loudly. Wore the Earasers, which helped some, though I still had the "cotton in my ears" feeling after the show. No ringing, which is good, but not sure they're a long term solution for me. That said, I tend to have issues finding ear buds that fit my ears well, so it may be just me. I'll give them another shot or two and see. If that doesn't work I'll likely go back to the foam shooting/mowing plugs and just accept what I'm missing (pops, agree, you do get more used to them after a while).

Thanks again to all who chimed in with recommendations. If I stumble across any other successful options I'll chime back in.

[allenhopkins]

Apropos of nothing, why do we go to musical performances -- and I assume we go to listen, not to score some dope, crowd-surf, or hook up with a hottie -- where we have to wear earplugs?

The term "oxymoron" comes to mind: I went to hear Band X, but I couldn't hear because they were too loud...? I once wandered by accident into a space where a rock band was playing so loud that I could feel the air pressure from the bass speakers against my chest. I thought, "This is silly. I could go outside, cross the street, and hear the music at a 'normal' volume." But then I didn't care to.

Just an ol' grouch...

[stevedenver]

Apropos of nothing, why do we go to musical performances -- and I assume we go to listen, not to score some dope, crowd-surf, or hook up with a hottie -- where we have to wear earplugs?

The term "oxymoron" comes to mind: I went to hear Band X, but I couldn't hear because they were too loud...? I once wandered by accident into a space where a rock band was playing so loud that I could feel the air pressure from the bass speakers against my chest. I thought, "This is silly. I could go outside, cross the street, and hear the music at a 'normal' volume." But then I didn't care to.

Just an ol' grouch...

Well you're not alone.
I get that volume, tempo, et al can add energy.

I saw jeff beck, and sat next to the wall o speakers.
Had plugs, my metal playing, iron pumping , meathead buddy didn't.
Concert ended, my ears felt great. And i could clearly hear it all.
I know hes losing his hearing.

I went to a violent femmes/ echo and the bunnymen concert, very civilized, seemingly not too loud, but even after thirty minutes, i couldnt take it without plugs. I could just feel a bit of discomfort.

I use ety 20's, always, all the way in. I bought three sets, so im never without.
I still have good hearing, and im in the camp, i want to listen without pain, or, damage.

Hearing damage results from a combination of db and length of exposure.

The simple truth is that with care andnormal volume, most of us will lose some hearing by 60ish. No reason to speed this up, especially if you love to listen and to play.

[Mandoplumb]

I listen to and go to acoustic conserts only so I have never had to use earplugs, but I must play louder than those I listen to because people put in earplugs when I play.

[JeffD]

I listen to and go to acoustic conserts only so I have never had to use earplugs, but I must play louder than those I listen to because people put in earplugs when I play.

[CES]

Apropos of nothing, why do we go to musical performances -- and I assume we go to listen, not to score some dope, crowd-surf, or hook up with a hottie -- where we have to wear earplugs?

The term "oxymoron" comes to mind: I went to hear Band X, but I couldn't hear because they were too loud...? I once wandered by accident into a space where a rock band was playing so loud that I could feel the air pressure from the bass speakers against my chest. I thought, "This is silly. I could go outside, cross the street, and hear the music at a 'normal' volume." But then I didn't care to.

Just an ol' grouch...

Because I’m not quite as curmudgeonly as you...yet. Acoustic/new grass/bluegrass are my true home, but I like Five Finger Death Punch, Ghost, Bullet For My Valentine, Breaking Benjamin, Shinedown, and some others in that vein. I also like some hard thumping rap/hip-hop when it’s done well (not an oxymoron). Some of us like to feel the air pressure from the bass speakers...My wife likes alt rock with a good thumping bass she can dance to...and, she’s hot, and I enjoy going to said concerts and dancing with her. And, it was a nice night out with my almost adult kids, who had a blast, and were in front of my dancing wife and self, so didn’t have to see it . Funny thing was, there was a couple there that must have been in their mid 50s just to our left (one with and one without earplugs), who appreciated me protecting their standing room only space a bit, and several 70 pluses in the crowd, most post-Nam and not wearing ear plugs...not speculating, I asked and offered appreciation for their service. I work a long hours and high stress job, and sometimes it’s nice to cut loose a little...

I’d like to enjoy/experience what I (and my wife and kids) enjoy now, but still be able to appreciate the nuances of Thile’s Loars, and whatever nice mandolins I’m fortunate enough to acquire, when I’m your age. So, there ya go...

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing him solo in an “acoustically perfect” room, and, wow. Want that when we’re in our 70s as well, but not going to pass on seeing the Killers or Judah and the Lion in the next couple of weeks, either. Ear plugs are my friends

(Not going to apologize for wanting to hook up with my “hottie” wife of 21 years, but agree the crowd surfing gets annoying, especially for my old man shoulders. Pits are actually quite fun, but having to constantly shuttle overweight men overhead gets old in a hurry)...

[CES]

And, Mandoplumb,

[allenhopkins]

...Not going to apologize for wanting to hook up with my “hottie” wife of 21 years, but agree the crowd surfing gets annoying, especially for my old man shoulders. Pits are actually quite fun, but having to constantly shuttle overweight men overhead gets old in a hurry)...

You left out the "scoring some dope" option...?

[Cochiti Don]

The last few rock shows I've been to have been way too loud ... you guys sold me on ear protection. Went with the ETY ER20. It will be interesting to see how they work.

Concerts have been way too loud for so long that no one can remember when it was pleasurable to hear musicians without protection. i was a sound man for 9 years. I gave up trying to talk to bass players and horn players. I don’t even go to movies anymore without plugs. One qualification, I did go to a Crosby, Stills and Nash concert in early 80’s that was exceptionally mellow even close up

[allenhopkins]

This is hijack-isn, but: for the past 40 years, I've been involved in setting up public performances, for myself, bands in which I play, and for others. I have a wall of my garage devoted to my PA equipment, which includes three systems of different sizes; I also have small stand-alone amps for "intimate" settings.

It has never occurred to me, whether I was amplifying a club gig, a dance, a concert in an auditorium, or an outdoor performance, to generate the level of sound that would require listeners to use ear protection. As a very amateur "sound man," I supply and operate systems for small neighborhood festivals, town concerts, school assemblies, private functions, country dances -- a variety of musical events. Every now and then I may be asked to "turn it down," but that's when there's a level of non-musical activity, such as private conversations, commercial transactions, etc. included as part of the "scene."

Right now I'm co-managing and booking two small acoustic concert series, Tunes By the Tracks and Rochester Folkus, in "listening rooms" in my area. At one, a great majority of the performers use no amplification at all; at the other, there's one Ear Trumpet condenser mic that's allowed, no more.

Now, this is "folk music," not rock or hip-hop or electric country. I know listeners to those types of music have different expectations, and are usually many years younger than me. There are obvious qualitative differences from the acoustic music with which I'm involved, and I don't want to sound like the grouchy old neighbor ordering the kids off his lawn.

But i still have trouble dealing with the concept that it's musically better to play at such a volume that ears in the audience are endangered, whatever style one is playing or listening to. Probably I'm just showing my age (and jealously guarding what remains of my hearing), but why have music that's too loud to be heard? Ain't that an oxymoron, as I suggested above?

Oh, look, it's after 10 p.m.; time for my warm milk and Ritz crackers, then off to beddy-bye...

[gtani7]

You could look at the offerings by IEM companies like Westone, Etymotic, Alclair, including customs where an audiologist makes molds of your ears. They don't have to be expensive, I think ones like the Ety20's mentioned above are engineered pretty well for adjustable attenuation inserts, fit and hygiene.

I've read in violin/fiddlers forums that they need more attenuation in the left ear, assuming they play righty, which is a unique challenge.

[CES]

You left out the "scoring some dope" option...?

(Not my thing, but, sure! You do you ! J/K)

[CES]

Alan, I'm not disagreeing with you at all that these shows are too loud, but I'm not yet willing to just stop going to everything but small room acoustic shows just yet. Hence the need for some decent ear plugs.

I recently saw Alison Krauss, Ron Block, Barry Bales, and a couple members of the Carter family at an outdoor mega-show venue where I've also seen Linkin Park, Coldplay, and a ton of alt rock bands through the years. Massive walls of speakers everywhere, stage and several hundred seats are under a roof with a large hill seating area behind, concrete construction, so the sound is focused out to the lawn as well as being ridiculously loud at most shows. I was actually worried they would sound terrible in that venue, but, ya know what, they were awesome, and my ears didn't hurt a bit. Turns out those speakers work just fine at "lower than jet engine" decibel levels, too. Granted, that was a different crowd. No dancing, everyone sat, and everyone shut their traps and actually listened to the music, but, still. There's no reason at all that volumes have to be so painfully high.

[Charlie Bernstein]

I knew a jazz guy who favored cigarette filters.

Never asked him whether they were new or recycled.