How not to lose my Hearing!

[gibsonandmesa]

I have been messing with all this tone/volume relationship, and I realize that volume really helps with getting that sweet spot tone. I use a Dual/mesa 4x12 and it is soooo Loud!! Am I hurting my hearing...Earplugs will not help, because I'm messing with the actual tone, and need a full spectrum..not some muffled version that sounds horrible when I take them out. Anybody have any comments or ideas?

 

[vatoben]

remember that sometimes "loud" and "good" can get mixed up,
especially with guitar sounds,
then get yourself a 1 x 12 and rock out.

i've noticed while mixing that even a bad mix sounds a little better when you turn it up

or maybe i'm more deaf then i thought.

 

[Anonymous]

Post removed.

 

[Click 30 Hum BLAST]

An attenuator can make a big difference. Just search the threads to read all about it.

 

[Jaroslav]

When you take out your earplugs, your ears are adapted to a say 25 dB lower sound pressure. Therefore the sound seems horrible. After a minute or so your hearing adapts to this new level and the sound is not that horrible any more. But there is a difference, I agree.

By the way, I am getting some sweet tones from my DR with a 1x12" (custom made) at bearable volumes. While playing live, I do not use ear plugs, because usually it is a larger open space than our rehearsal room and the noise level is not that high, but I wear them during rehearsals...I prefer my hearing over nice sound, which is ruined by our loud drummer, anyway

Well I just got used to wear Earplugs. No pain or ringing anymore...

 

[Cheez]

Fewer speakers would be a first step... If you are seriously concerned about your hearing, you have to consider earplugs. I tried 3 or 4 designs before I found something that was not all muffled & muddied. They're the "hi fidelity" Hearos - I get em from MF pretty cheap. They don't attenuate as many dBs, but the response is flatter (as in, you don't lose all the highs).

If you try them & think they suck, too, then go to an audiologist. They should be able to custom-fit some plugs with a (virtually) flat frequency response... of course, you'll probably spend $150, but that's pretty cheap for saving your hearing and still being able to enjoy your tone.

 

[tiger roach]

An attenuator can make a big difference. Just search the threads to read all about it.

+1. This is exactly what attenuators are for.

 

[tele_jas]

Once I have my tone set in a live situation and play a few songs with it or maybe even an entire set to make sure it's all fine, I'll put in the ear plugs because I know as the night goes on, my band is just going to get louder and LOUDER which means I have to crank my amp up a little bit every now and then. Before I started wearing ear pluge, my ears would ring for 2 or 3 days, and now they really don't ring any more. I know I've lost some hearing over the last 13 years of playing live, but I'm not going to loose any more.

When I had my 4x12 set up, I would turn the 4x12 around backwards and mic it to get the tone I wanted. It looked weird to some, but it sounded amazing being able to crank it without it blowing off my head.

Your hearing is your most valuable piece of equipment, if you start loosing your hearing it won't matter what amp, guitar or FX you use because you wont be able to hear it. So take care of your hearing first and the rest will follow.

 

[hal9000]

These are the best non-custom earplugs you can get for playing music. The have a very even frequency response. I've been using these for 3 years now and I can hear myself loud and clear for practice and gigs. I NEVER play with my drummer without these in.

 

[oyster]

I got custom plugs, I think it was C$145 for the first set (molded plug plus a little internal piece that can come out), then $75 for another set of the internal pieces...so I can swap out and choose either 15dB or 25dB reduction and the frequency curve is really quite flat for both.

I can hear everything that goes on in the room, just quieter, not muffled at all. A strange sensation, knowing how loud it is but not feeling the pain, and from time to time I have forgotten I have them in (bizarre).

Sometimes at home I put them in and then crank my amp insanely loud and WAIL on my guitar...let those power tubes cook, and I can hear the subtle nuances of the tone. Nice.

These are one of the best gear investments I have made, I honestly wish I would have bucked up for them years ago. This is a minor amount of money to protect your hearing, guys.

 

[MetalMatt]

Well my friends and I bought all this headphone equipment. So we all mic up, slap on the headphones and rock out (well there is a little more to it). For the few times we go out and play I use the hearos, good stuff.

 

[tele_jas]

It's kind of a weird feeling at first when you start wearing ear plugs, even if they are just a 15-25 db cut... It feels like you've been taken away and you're watching everything from a-far and you can hear EVERYTHING going on!! You can hear your pick hitting the strings, you can hear people in the crowd talking, you can hear every little note you play, you can hear the bass and the drum sticks hitting the cymbols......very "dreamy" like and awkward the first few times. But after a few times, you get so used to it that if feels weird not to wear them and you freak out when you forget your ear plugs or loose one.

I will admit, I can't tell what my exact tone is but I can get a pretty good idea of how it actually sounds and i don't have to suffer. I've actually noticed that my hearing is getting better since I started wearing plugs over a year ago!! I can hear my cell phone in my left ear now where before I was a right ear only due to the drums being on my left for the last 10 years.

This would be different for a singer though, when I sing or know I'm going to do backups I do take the plugs out for that song or that part. My lead singer got some in-ear monitors for this reason too.

 

[woody777]

I got custom plugs, I think it was C$145 for the first set (molded plug plus a little internal piece that can come out), then $75 for another set of the internal pieces...so I can swap out and choose either 15dB or 25dB reduction and the frequency curve is really quite flat for both.

I can hear everything that goes on in the room, just quieter, not muffled at all. A strange sensation, knowing how loud it is but not feeling the pain, and from time to time I have forgotten I have them in (bizarre).

Sometimes at home I put them in and then crank my amp insanely loud and WAIL on my guitar...let those power tubes cook, and I can hear the subtle nuances of the tone. Nice.

These are one of the best gear investments I have made, I honestly wish I would have bucked up for them years ago. This is a minor amount of money to protect your hearing, guys.

Did you just visit an audiologist for these?

 

[brianf]

I had a set made at a hearing specialist. They cost about 125.00. They do not alter tone at all.

Another nice set that does not alter tone are the Norton Sonic II's.

Never Ever play loud without hearing protection.

Once you get that 24 hour a day buzzing going that will last the rest of your life tone won't matter. You might as well get a $50.00 guitar and a 200.00 amp at that point. It won't matter because you won't hear the difference anyway.

brianf

 

[axwielding1]

I use hearos as well.
Just to note, I didn't always wear them. Between playing out, plus my job,( loud equipment) my hearing sucked.. Last summer, I got an ear infection which is really abnormal for me.. My eardrum burst at work, right ear...
Dr. said it would heal and go back to normal... Wrong.... It's been 6 months or so, and the right ear is still somewhat muffled... No highs at all...
Sucks.. Save your ears, wear protection...
ax. 8)