Ear Protection

[blake1]

I have a phobia of lossing my hearing in a few years from playing with click tracks in the studio.
Has anyone asked Vinnie or Dave if they have had permanent damage , and what they do to prevent it? I know Vinnie is in the studio almost everyday and he must have some kind of solution to save his hearing.
I wanna prepare now so that later I can listen to my grandchildren.
blake

[XNavyDrummer]

Wow, what an important issue for drummers. Each time that I've seen Weckl for a lesson he has worn hearing protection. I know that he wears some sort of protection when he practices.

After working full-time as a musician for several years, I went back to school and became an audiologist. I currently do research and give lectures on hearing. I've tested the hearing of several musicians over the years and the worst hearing losses I've seen amongst musicians typically belong to the drummers.

Drums are loud, when we practice, warm-up, rehearse and perform. Other musicians have the luxury of being able to turn it down when they practice?drummers typically don't.

I recommend two things for anyone in this loud profession who wishes to preserve as much hearing as possible:

1) Wear well-fitting, custom molded, high-fidelity, flat-frequency attenuated ear plugs such as the ones available through Etymotic Research http://www.etymotic.com/pros/er15more.html. Be sure to see an audiologist who knows how to properly fit these and who can test your hearing with and without the earplugs to insure that the plugs are doing the job.
2) Get your hearing evaluated at least once a year. Ask for an audiogram, otoacoustic emission testing and a hearing in noise test. The audiogram is the standard hearing test. The otoacoustic emissions can give you information on the outer hair cells in the cochlea. These hair cells are the things that get damaged due to high levels of sound. The hearing in noise test shows your ability to hear in a noisy environment like a crowded restaurant (one of the early signs of hearing loss).

Also, anytime you notice a change in your hearing, go see an audiologist or ENT physician.

Best to all.

[PocketPlayer]

Thanks to XNavy for the website. The above site offers three plugs designed for musicians;

ER-9: Provides 9 dB flat sound reduction (attenuation) through the mid range, with the same high frequency attenuation as the ER-15.

ER-15: The first Musicians Earplug; the standard from which all other ER attenuators were designed. Provides uniform 15 dB sound reduction (attenuation) across frequencies.

ER-25: Provides 25 dB of relatively flat attenuation across frequencies.

If anybody has used the 15 or 25, please offer feedback if they hindered feeling the music when playing. The site recommended the 15 or 25 for percussionists.

[drumgod1]

I have been using the ER-15's since my junior year in college, back in '92. I won't go to any concert or music event without them. I have noticed that my hearing in my left ear has been greatly diminished due to my high-hats and snare drum, plus practicing with headphones that didn't provide noise reduction while I was in high school. I also have trouble zeroing in on a person talking in a noisy room. If I am out listening to music in a bar, I find it easier to have a conversation with my ear plugs in. They seem to cut out a lot of the background noise and allow me to focus in on who's talking. I purchased both the 15 and 25 decible filters, but preferred the 15's. It took me a little while to get used to playing with them in, but not having my ears ringing after a gig is worth it! Just make sure that you tune your drums without one in; they tend to change the sound a bit.

I also invested in the Shure In-Ear monitor system. It has been a Godsend in cutting the volume and being able to hear things quickly. The only problem with them though, is that you need to be very specific as to what you want in your monitor. If you aren't, they can be a real pain in the ass! I'm still messing around with trying to get a better mix everytime I use them. Plus, I had to pick up on lip reading; you won't be able to hear your bandmates talk unless they are using the mic, or you can hear them from the other stage mics. Even with the troubles I've had with them, I still love 'em. Billy Cobham also uses them and said in an email he sent me that he never has any complaints with them.

The Click: try to figure out what volume and sound will work for you. If I have the click cranked way too much in my phones, it's more of a distraction than help. You can have it softer, but make sure you can hear it within the context of your drums. I like to have it just above the sound level of my high-hat, and when I am matching up with it perfectly, I can't hear it. The key here is to do a lot of experimenting with a click at home before you get to the gig. I try now to practice with the click every time, no matter how good I think my time is. I'm just trying to internalize consistant time into my groove. Good luck!!!!

drumgod1

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ June 17, 2002 05:05 PM: Message edited by: drumgod1 ]</font>

[XNavyDrummer]

There is one cool affect from wearing properly fitted flat attenuation earplugs. Many musicians that I've talked to say they actually hear better with the plugs in. With the right plugs, I've experienced a huge improvement in the way I hear the high frequency stuff, like the attack of the stick on the ride or going around the toms on loud gigs.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[mja61]

Question for XNavyDrummer...

What do you think about the cheap, generic foam ear plugs? I'm talking about the ones that you crunch up, put in your ear, and let them expand to fit the shape of your ear (well, "sort of" fit, anyway). I find that they reduce hearing fatigue dramatically, but are do they offer "enough" noise reduction to protect your hearing?

Also, what do you think about the Shure In-Ear monitors? They claim they offer good hearing protection, but I'm not so sure (no pun intended).

Thanks for all the info on this important topic!!

[drumgod1]

Reply to mja61:

The foam earplugs are supposed to protect up to 30 decibles of sound. I had used the ER-25 filters on my custom fitted ear plugs and thought that they were too much for me. They knocked out 25 decibles straight across, but I liked the 15 decible filters better.

As to what I think about the Shure In-Ear monitors: See my post above. I also use the headphone part of the monitors with my Discman if I want to play with a cd. They block out about 30 decibles of sound (just a guess, using the foam inserts), and I have to turn down the player to be able to hear myself play. I'm thinking about getting a small mixer, hooking up a couple of mics around the drums, and plugging my cd player into that. Then, I will hook my In-Ear system into the output of the mixer so I will be able to hear both drums and music (as suggested by Bob Gatzen in the video, "Be A Drumhead", with Will Kennedy). It doesn't look like a an expensive system and should help my practicing.

Good luck!

drumgod1

[XNavyDrummer]

Answer for mja61:

The standard "cheap foam" earplugs can offer some pretty good attenuation. The secret is to squeeze and roll them into a very narrow form, pull up and back on the top of your ear, (which straightens your ear canal), insert the plug deeply and then release the plug and your ear and let the plug expand. This method really helps to create a "flat-attenuation" across the frequencies. Just be sure to leave a little hanging out of your ear so that you can grab something to pull them back out. Also, be sure to replace the plugs as they start to wear out.

As far as Shure ITE Monitors go, the best way to check the attenuation characteristics of this set-up is to have it measured while being tested by an audiologist (in a test booth with the sound playing from a speaker while you're wearing the monitors and while your tested without them). This way you'll know what you're getting. Please note: even with great attenuation you still need to be careful not to crank up the level too high. The potential exists to help protect your hearing and unfortunately the potential exists to totally thrash it if the device isn't used properly.

Don't forget even with great attenuation, you may still experience a loss in hearing if you play loud enough.

[drumgod1]

I agree w/Kubla. I enjoy playing with the 15's. I can also hear the rest of the band a lot clearer, they seem to cut out some of the white noise. Plus, if I am singing while I play, I can hear my voice even without a monitor. They are a great investment! My dad got me mine when I graduated from college. He wants me to be able to hear my grandkids (but I'll have to have kids first [img]wink.gif[/img] )! Good luck!

drumgod1

[Kubla]

I've been using the 25's for about a year. I will probably buy some 15's soon, since the 25's do take out a little too much for me on most gigs. The 15's are supposed to have an even flatter response too. I used the foam plugs for a long time, but never liked the way they muffled everything. I agree that the custom plugs actually can "improve" the sound of the cymbals ... I notice more attack and less "wash-out" ... that was the first thing I noticed when I wore them on a gig for the first time. They take some getting used to, but I've found that I can leave them in even on quiet tunes, unlike the foam plugs.