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Post subject: Ear Plugs
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 12:41 pm
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Hey I was just wondering what every ones experiences were on earplugs for playing live.

I am a guitarist and I've tried using the Alpine Musicians Earplugs and the Planet Waves Pacato Earplugs at band practice and live before, but because there is a lot of improvisation in my bands set and I'm normally in charge of the mixing so I need to hear everything really clearly, I've gone back to going without earplugs.

I have read lots of reviews online about people talking about how great the Alpine and Planet Waves ear plugs are, but I just feel like I can't hear nearly as well with them in. I like to feel that I'm hearing a similar balance to those in the audience, who aren't wearing ear plugs.

I'm only 17 and am rarely in the situation where the drum kit and amps are going though a mixer so in ear monitors aren't an option.

I was looking at getting a pair of ACS Pro-17's, as I'm looking at hopefully going to music college soon and don't want to be deaf before I even get there, but i was just wondering if anyone had tried any of the ACS Pro earplugs and could compare them to Alpine or Plant Waves ones I have already tried, and if the frequency response is really as flat as they say they are on their website.

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 2:18 pm
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I use a pair of molded and vented custom fit ear plugs that I use for work sites. The vents are cast into the plug and have SPL filters which you can specify how much noise reduction you want at the time the mold of your ear is taken. You can choose 20, 22, 24 and 26 decibels of reduction. If you order them with no vents, just a solid plug, you get 28 decibels of reduction. Standard foam ear plugs provide 28, 29 or 30 decibels of reduction depending on the brand. In my view all of those numbers are far too much reduction for stage work. My plugs were ordered with 22 decibel filters and I find they are just about perfect for playing live at a loud gig. I might have chosen 20 if I had known I would use them for band work.

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 2:28 pm
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I use regular foam earplugs, it's a matter of getting used to them. There's no way in hell I would not wear earplugs if I'm less than 15 from a crash cymbal. Protect your ears folks.

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 4:08 pm
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If you need earplugs to protect your hearing, your stage volume is too high! That's the bigger issue to be dealt with, and it isn't easy to correct...takes a total effort from every band member starting with the drummer, who is often the one that drives the stage volume too high.

With today's PA/mixers and mics all the technology is there to do it and the reason it isn't done is attitude!

Save your hearing by all means. Ask Pete about tinnitis.

Rant over :?

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 4:52 pm
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What are the molded ear plugs that all the singers wear? I understand it helps them to stay on key.

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 4:58 pm
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You can get molded plugs with wireless speakers in them. Singers use them as monitors so when they walk around on stage they never get out of range of a floor monitor.

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 6:46 pm
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IM4Tone wrote:
If you need earplugs to protect your hearing, your stage volume is too high! That's the bigger issue to be dealt with, and it isn't easy to correct...takes a total effort from every band member starting with the drummer, who is often the one that drives the stage volume too high.

With today's PA/mixers and mics all the technology is there to do it and the reason it isn't done is attitude!

Save your hearing by all means. Ask Pete about tinnitis.

Rant over :?

I disagree. 10 feet or so from an analog drum kit will hit an average of 120db. A snare rim shot is easily 125+. Those are dangerous levels if you value your hearing.

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 7:10 pm
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I agree. Although my current situation is a little unique. The band I'm in now has the heaviest handed drummer I've ever played with. I keep waiting for him to break a skin or for a shard of stick to whiz past me. I wear earplugs at rehearsals because our practice space is small and I'm right beside him. Most drummers are not as loud as him but all drummers are pretty loud.

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 8:39 pm
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I was one of the very few lucky ones who came from the ultra-loud 60s and 70s gigging scene without any permanent hearing damage.It's especially lucky in my case because I was infamous for using ultra-high volumes.My last hearing test results came back with a 100% rating meaning that my hearing was abnormally sensitive for someone my age and would be considered great for a teenager.

Anyway I now use earplugs and for years have used Vater Percussion earplugs.The Vater earplugs come with 2 different pairs of baffles that provide different levels of volume reduction.The beauty of these plugs is that they don't block out some frequencies like a lot of other plugs do and you hear every note and frequency clearly but at a comfortable level. These plugs aren't exactly cheap but since they protect one of your most important senses a few bucks more shouldn't matter.They cost from $20-$25 which is a lot more than what foam plugs cost but then again they don't cancel out certain frequencies like foam plugs do.They also have a nylon string between them so you can hang them around your neck when on your breaks etc.

Bands these days are lucky in that they usually have pretty low stage volume levels if the like,whereas in the 60s and 70s we old guys had to rely on the amps behind us to get the sound of the music to the crowd and the P.A. was strictly for vocals or the ocassional acoustic guitar.Now everything is or can be mic-ed and leave the band's hearing in tact.

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 11:23 pm
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1neeto wrote:
IM4Tone wrote:
If you need earplugs to protect your hearing, your stage volume is too high! That's the bigger issue to be dealt with, and it isn't easy to correct...takes a total effort from every band member starting with the drummer, who is often the one that drives the stage volume too high.

With today's PA/mixers and mics all the technology is there to do it and the reason it isn't done is attitude!

Save your hearing by all means. Ask Pete about tinnitis.

Rant over :?

I disagree. 10 feet or so from an analog drum kit will hit an average of 120db. A snare rim shot is easily 125+. Those are dangerous levels if you value your hearing.

But they don't have to be!

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 2:12 am
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IM4Tone wrote:
1neeto wrote:
IM4Tone wrote:
If you need earplugs to protect your hearing, your stage volume is too high! That's the bigger issue to be dealt with, and it isn't easy to correct...takes a total effort from every band member starting with the drummer, who is often the one that drives the stage volume too high.

With today's PA/mixers and mics all the technology is there to do it and the reason it isn't done is attitude!

Save your hearing by all means. Ask Pete about tinnitis.

Rant over :?

I disagree. 10 feet or so from an analog drum kit will hit an average of 120db. A snare rim shot is easily 125+. Those are dangerous levels if you value your hearing.

But they don't have to be!

Yeah you go tell your drummer not to hit the drums too hard. :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 5:59 am
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1neeto wrote:
Yeah you go tell your drummer not to hit the drums too hard. :lol:

Exactly! All about attitude. Ugottawanna be about Band and not Self. As stated before, it isn't easy. Thankfully, I currently play with a drummer with a professional attitude, but in the past....not always!

Also, there are plexi enclosures to deal with this issue. The drummer can bang all he wants and w/ total drum mic'ing, just the right amount of sound is used. An expensive and somewhat cumbersome solution to correct 'attitude'.

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 7:32 am
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IM4Tone wrote:
1neeto wrote:
Yeah you go tell your drummer not to hit the drums too hard. :lol:

Exactly! All about attitude. Ugottawanna be about Band and not Self. As stated before, it isn't easy. Thankfully, I currently play with a drummer with a professional attitude, but in the past....not always!
Also, there are plexi enclosures to deal with this issue. The drummer can bang all he wants and w/ total drum mic'ing, just the right amount of sound is used. An expensive and somewhat cumbersome solution to correct 'attitude'.

My drummer is (unbelievably) polite and professional. He generally defers to others, and we defer to him when necessary. He also has a fairly "light" touch--he's not a heavy metal pounder, more of a bluesy/jazzy Charlie Watts type. When possible, he'll use those "lightning rod" sticks that look like twenty little drumsticks taped together in order to further reduce volume.

Having said that, when we are performing, rehearsing, or jamming, he's loud enough that I have to wear earplugs.

We are a poor bar band. We occasionally mic up everybody when we play, but generally for recording purposes rather than PA purposes...with our (own) cruddy PA, we can't really mic and monitor everything. When the venue has an adequate PA that allows mic-ing and monitoring, we do so, but I still wear earplugs, especially in my right ear.

As far as plexi enclosures, have you ever noticed how precious on-stage real estate is, especially on a drum riser? Not much space.

In a perfect world, you're right; however, I don't play or perform in a perfect world. So rather than try to change the ten to fifteen factors that affect drum volume (including a dang good drummer who is easy to deal with), I'll just wear earplugs.

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:29 pm
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I'm sort of in the same boat as you are. I'm 20, and I gig and practice with bands at high volumes regularly. In one band I play with people in their 50's, and the volume is actually extremely high, I'm guessing because their ears are more shot than mine are.

When I was 17, I was playing almost as much and in a very similar situation as you. I tried wearing ear plugs, but I absolutely hate them. Now the amount and volume I play at, I just really have to. In just three years I feel like my ears are worse off. I get random high pitched humming in them sometimes and I'd hate for it to get any worse more than I hate earplugs, so please start wearing them consistently now!

I haven't had the time or money to get custom earplugs yet, although I've heard that's the best option short of a good sound system with in ear monitors. I've tried hearos, planet waves, etymotics and tons of other cheap, yet better than foam ear plug solutions. Since I play guitar, wearing them would basically cut me (and the cymbals, snare, and vocals) out of the mix so I just wouldn't wear them. But a few months ago at the Dallas guitar show I came across these things called Earasers. They aren't 100% like normal hearing, but they're a heck of a lot closer than any other ear plugs I've tried. They almost sound like you aren't wearing them. You also don't look like a dork with stuff hanging out of your ears because they're so small and clear. I can't play live anymore without them, I don't know how I could take it. Check them out if you get the chance, they're well worth it!

http://www.earasers.net/

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Post subject: Re: Ear Plugs
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 5:13 pm
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texasguitarslinger wrote:
I'm sort of in the same boat as you are. I'm 20, and I gig and practice with bands at high volumes regularly. In one band I play with people in their 50's, and the volume is actually extremely high, I'm guessing because their ears are more shot than mine are.

When I was 17, I was playing almost as much and in a very similar situation as you. I tried wearing ear plugs, but I absolutely hate them. Now the amount and volume I play at, I just really have to. In just three years I feel like my ears are worse off. I get random high pitched humming in them sometimes and I'd hate for it to get any worse more than I hate earplugs, so please start wearing them consistently now!
I haven't had the time or money to get custom earplugs yet, although I've heard that's the best option short of a good sound system with in ear monitors. I've tried hearos, planet waves, etymotics and tons of other cheap, yet better than foam ear plug solutions. Since I play guitar, wearing them would basically cut me (and the cymbals, snare, and vocals) out of the mix so I just wouldn't wear them. But a few months ago at the Dallas guitar show I came across these things called Earasers. They aren't 100% like normal hearing, but they're a heck of a lot closer than any other ear plugs I've tried. They almost sound like you aren't wearing them. You also don't look like a dork with stuff hanging out of your ears because they're so small and clear. I can't play live anymore without them, I don't know how I could take it. Check them out if you get the chance, they're well worth it!

http://www.earasers.net/

By all means, if you won't correct the problem of extreme volume, do wear them.

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