do u ear plug up?

[soundcreation]

the earpro people have one that is fitted. lots more expensive but higher db. or you will have to go with one of those isolation headphones. I have no idea if they sound muffled or not though. fiddler

 

 

actually I have the shure e 3's and they are phenominal compared to foam (should be for the price). I believe they are around a 25 to 30 db rating. To me they don't seem to lose much of the audio quality but just lower volume. But I've never tried any really really expensive plugs so I don't know how they compare. The one problem is I don't like to use them just as an ear plug. I'm afraid overuse will eventually wreck them. So I'm going to look into a decent pair of plugs and save those for jamming to mp3's or whatever.

[Thomas G]

I always use ear plugs-skull screws-they cut about 20 decibels. 3Days last week I couldn't hear at all from my right ear-doctor had to clean it out. hear great now and going to keep it that way.

 

 

I bought a pair of those "skull screws" one time and I had to buy new ones right away. Yes, they cancel out the sound pretty well, but it was WAAAAY too painful to put them in your ear, it wasn't worth it.

 

I just play with some construction ear-plugs that I got from Ace and they are working out just fine.

[chrisebrooks06]

thanks for all the advice so far

[BonzoMoon2002]

Always, always use earplugs. If you're feeling froggy, get in-ear monitors for gigs. I use Sensaphonics.

[ermghoti II]

Re: earplug ratings:

 

They are rated by OSHA and, presumably, other governmental agencies. They test hearing protectors at a single, fixed frequency (1kHz, IIRC), and assume the performance of any protector follows a predictable curve. Since the Hearos/ER20s, by design, have a radically different (ie flatter) effect on the full spectrum of frequencies, they test much lower than conventional protectors. I used to have "vented" protectors, which had a little valve that didn't shut until things got loud, so you could hear normally at low volumes, and had some protection when things got loud. They were officially rated as 0dB, but clearly offered at least some protection.

[Jarick]

I use Vic Firth isolation headphones because it makes the drums sound beefy, cuts out the cymbals well, and are very comfortable.

 

For gigs, I like the $5 orange reusable plugs that kill 30 dB.

[Colquhoun]

I also have tinnitus, and the ringing is loud enough to sometimes keep me up at night. I need the TV or radio on just to keep from going crazy. Way too many jam sessions and concerts without protection. I was also on a pain medication (Vicodin/oxycontin) for a couple of weeks that made the ringing bad, and it never got better. I need plugs when I play, and have found the Mack's silicone ones to be great. They do not go in the canal like the foam ones, more over the whole lower part of the ear, just outside the canal.
For some folks, they may cut TOO much of the sound, but for me, I can never get it too quiet.
Plug up!

[geeoff]

I always, always, always wear earplugs, and those who don't are well... just dumb (including my guitarist and singer ). You can get earplugs super cheap at wal-mart, and they usually cut 25-30 dB. I find the best thing about wearing earplugs is you hear more of the reso sides of your drums, less of the batter side, and your cymbals sound better cuz you don't hear the stick hitting the cymbal, just the cymbal itself.

[vogonity]

I always, always, always wear earplugs, and those who don't are well... just dumb (including my guitarist and singer ). You can get earplugs super cheap at wal-mart, and they usually cut 25-30 dB. I find the best thing about wearing earplugs is you hear more of the reso sides of your drums, less of the batter side, and your cymbals sound better cuz you don't hear the stick hitting the cymbal, just the cymbal itself.

I agree. I enjoy the sound of my drums better when I'm wearing my earplugs, but it's a shame that listeners aren't hearing it the same way.

[polarnewfie]

Well I have to thank all of you for contributing to this thread, although I didn't start the thread, I am benefitting from it. I just got through a 3 hour jam session with my band, and it is the first time in about 5 years that I could hear everything but at a lower volume. (I bought a set of those hearo's) and I have to say they are great. NO MORE DORKY AIRPORT ISOLATION HEADPHONES OR ROLL UP IN-EAR FOAM PLUGS FOR ME!!!!!!!!
This is what this forum is all about. You guys made my enjoyment of playing come back to me like when I got my first set of drums.
I always was those plugs but thought they couldn't be any better than the foam ones or my dork headset. I didn't realize that you could actually hear the whole spectrum just at a safer volume. THANK YOU ALL for giving me back my music!!!!!!!!!

[Scafeets]

Anyone who still thinks that earplugs are for wimps needs to get a hearing test. If you have been playing for any amount of time without protection, there is a measurable drop off in some frequencies.

 

Being a Geezer, I know dozens of players and former players with tinnitus and impaired hearing. Drums are insidious because your putting your face into 120db (snare) even when you do it right.

At least us guitar players can regulate volume, direct the amp away from our ears and get a few feet away from the carnage.

Ironically, the only measurable hearing loss I have is the hi freqs in my right ear -- the one that has been closest to the drummer's cymbal for 40+ years!

[mparsons]

Anytime cymbals are being played, earplugs go in. Those things are BLASTING your ears every time they get hit.

[sunspot]

Some players play at volumes that do not require ear protection:)

[turdadactyl]

Use earplugs! Preferably good ones. I spent $160 to have Westone earplugs custom made. They are lightyears better than the foam ones or the Hearos. I find that the ones from GC just make it feel like my head is being pressed in a vise and make everything sound muffled. The custom ones are awesome because they have equal attenuation across frequencies. They basically just act like a volume knob.

Westone Plugs

I went many years before I got them. I guess I usually looked off to the left of my kit, because my left ear is better than my right. I managed to escape with almost no damage, but that's just called getting lucky.

[turdadactyl]

I agree. I enjoy the sound of my drums better when I'm wearing my earplugs, but it's a shame that listeners aren't hearing it the same way.

 

 

True. I love the sound of my drums, but the kick sounds even better when I have my plugs in.

[Zeromus-X]

I didn't particularly care for earplugs at shows, so I went with a full-blown wireless IEM setup using Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5 EB earbuds. They block out almost all outside sound (I can't hear my toms and cymbals in front of me when they're in), and I get a low-level mix.

[JaysonEhm]

I wear some ear-bud monitor headphones. I got 'em about a month ago from Musician's Friend and they're really nice. The only downside to wearing ear protection is that it's hard to really keep track of how loud you're playing. If you practice with earplugs in all the time, you might have the tendency to play loud, because it doesn't affect you. This creates a big problem when you're playing any gig.

For instance, if you're playing a low key gig, where they only mic the bass drum, the rest of your kit will be louder than the rest of the band, because amps are easier to turn down than the drums. If you're playing a bigger gig, where they mic everything, the sound engineer will hate you for playing too loud, because it throws the monitor levels off on stage.

I suggest that you make sure to practice without earplugs sometimes so you can concentrate on general techniques. If you find you're hitting too hard, relax your muscles and don't squeeze the stick. On top of not playing too loud, everything else will become much easier when you relax.

[k bollox]

yes, I do.

[irnbru83]

Some players play at volumes that do not require ear protection:)

 

 

Yeah, at church I have to play with rods and they don't make enough noise to hurt my ears. They make cymbals sound horrendous, but it's not my choice, so oh well.

[irnbru83]

I wear some ear-bud monitor headphones. I got 'em about a month ago from Musician's Friend and they're really nice. The only downside to wearing ear protection is that it's hard to really keep track of how loud you're playing. If you practice with earplugs in all the time, you might have the tendency to play loud, because it doesn't affect you. This creates a big problem when you're playing any gig. For instance, if you're playing a low key gig, where they only mic the bass drum, the rest of your kit will be louder than the rest of the band, because amps are easier to turn down than the drums. If you're playing a bigger gig, where they mic everything, the sound engineer will hate you for playing too loud, because it throws the monitor levels off on stage.

 

 

I encountered this problem the only time I tried using headphones as a monitor. Sure, I could hear the mix fine, but I needed to play so quietly for the church setting that I couldn't hear the drums through the headphones. That was a bizarre experience that ended with the headphones flying off in the middle of a song.

[JaysonEhm]

Headphone monitors only work if everything has a mic. Did your church have a big hall that required the instruments to have a mic? It's been awhile since I've been to church, but I don't remember a whole lot of amplification.

[irnbru83]

Yes, everything is amplified, except for the drums.

[JaysonEhm]

Yes, everything is amplified, except for the drums.

 

 

Well that'd be why you couldn't hear the drums in your monitoring headphones. My suggestion would be one earplug in, one earplug out.

[drummandamn]

I would suggest trying some of these. This is sure to get the job done. I found this one time searching out ear plugs had to share.

[this is paul]

I would suggest trying some of these. This is sure to get the job done. I found this one time searching out ear plugs had to share.

 

 

i would like to know how those are any better than hearos....you seem to be promoting them alot.

 

Or maybe your just messin with us:thu: