Ear Care

frans_13 · Post by **frans_13** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 7:10 am

Custom molded earplugs, because if you got good ones the sound that gets through isn't all lowmid and mud, but more natural.
Your inner ear needs to have blood in even the tiniest of cells, so have your blood thin enough by drinking enough. Then your body uses up more magnesium when it gets loud, refill: fresh fruit, bananas. I said fresh. Nope, the little pills contain non-organic minerals the body has to work on if it wants to use it. Arnica as a homeopathic medicine is for if you hurt yourself with a blunt object, etc.etc. = loud sound is the same to your ears. So after a show, rehearsal (...) take 5 of these little pills, ask your doctor about this.
For those who are too clever or educated to 'believe' that BS about homeopathy you are allowed to skip that part and label me idiot.

thechrisl · Post by **thechrisl** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 7:29 am

Occasionally I'll be in a concert environment where the noise level isn't skull crushingly loud. I find that foam plugs fully stuffed in my ears is too quiet but no protection is too loud. So I will sometimes insert the plugs part way, mainly cutting the upper freqs.

If my ears say we're OK, should I believe them or is this "goldilocks" approach a bad idea? I realize the ears become less sensitive in a loud environment (thus more prone to damage) but I try to take that into account -- in other words by not removing the plugs altogether.

Beat Poet · Post by **Beat Poet** » Sun Apr 08, 2012 7:32 am

I swear by plugs when watching gigs these days. I don't know if it's because I've done damage over the years, but at some gigs I just cannot hear any vocals or drums over the distorted shrieking of the guitars. It was like that at Smashing Pumpkins in London at the tail end of last year, they were ridiculously loud, so I whacked the Pro Plugs in and bang, I could hear the mix clearly. It seems there comes a point when the volume is so loud that the ears "redline" and distort.

young.guv · Post by **young.guv** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 6:45 am

I've had custom -10db's for 10 years, the same pair (can't believe i havent lost them). I play/tour in a band with 3 guitars turned up very loud. Worth the investment. I still can't believe other members of my band don't wear earplugs.. To have to deal with that kind of damage in their older age is not going to be pleasant. ha.

Poppatwang · Post by **Poppatwang** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 7:28 pm

Live, I use custom fit with -25db inserts and live with the high end roll off.
Helps you hear your own vocals when the monitor mix sucks.

Dietary magnesium supplements help reduce noise induced hearing loss.
(From an Israeli army study on gun ranges.)

I use a bulb syringe with warm water for flushing ear wax.

Scodiddly · Post by **Scodiddly** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 6:25 am

Beat Poet wrote:It seems there comes a point when the volume is so loud that the ears "redline" and distort.

Absolutely. And if you're lucky enough to not lose any sensitivity while getting old, you will find that threshold getting lower and lower. That's what I've been noticing the last few years, and I don't like mixing rock shows any more.

Beat Poet · Post by **Beat Poet** » Thu May 03, 2012 4:10 pm

Scodiddly wrote:
Beat Poet wrote:It seems there comes a point when the volume is so loud that the ears "redline" and distort.
Absolutely. And if you're lucky enough to not lose any sensitivity while getting old, you will find that threshold getting lower and lower. That's what I've been noticing the last few years, and I don't like mixing rock shows any more.

It's wierd when you're watching a band and think "the soundman's cranked the bejesus out of the PA", then you whack your plugs in and hear everything clear as day!

Scodiddly · Post by **Scodiddly** » Fri May 04, 2012 4:17 pm

Beat Poet wrote:
Scodiddly wrote:
Beat Poet wrote:It seems there comes a point when the volume is so loud that the ears "redline" and distort.
Absolutely. And if you're lucky enough to not lose any sensitivity while getting old, you will find that threshold getting lower and lower. That's what I've been noticing the last few years, and I don't like mixing rock shows any more.
It's wierd when you're watching a band and think "the soundman's cranked the bejesus out of the PA", then you whack your plugs in and hear everything clear as day!

Exactly!

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