Hearing Protection

[Dan Schultz]

It's not like having to sit in front of the trumpet row but sitting near 'the back'... in the proximity of percussion instruments does have it's drawbacks. I'm curious how many of you use hearing protection? I'm looking to purchase something in the near future and would like to know what's available.

[Rob]

Dan-

Having worked in construction and also at the airport, I'd suggest you try some of the soft foam earplugs. You just sort of squeeze them into a slim cylindrical shape, pull up on the top of your ear and slip them in. They then expand back out and fill in the voids, creating a nice fit and cutting down the volume. I'm not sure how well they'd work in a band setting though I have thought about using them when crammed next to the timpanist. They are also fairly cheap and you can find some types at most of the home improvement stores.

Good luck,
Rob "worked well for the jet engines at least"

[lgb&dtuba]

When I use them I use Hearos.

http://www.amazon.com/Hearos-High-Fidel ... et="_blank



I've found that they cut the sound back pretty well and unlike some don't give so much of that buzzing inside my head sound.

I also have and use (when I'm miked) a Rolls PM50s personal monitor. My mike passes through it and I use Hearos StudioPhonic Gold 20 Earphones with it. The earphones provide a 20db reduction in ambient sound.

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... sku=483853


http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... sku=246500


With the monitor/earphone setup I can get a true sound from my tuba with none of that stuffy quality. I should note that the PM50s I have must be an older model. The phone jacks and controls are reversed from this picture and one is 1/4" and the other is the 3.5mm jack that takes the plug from the earphones without adapters.

The earphones are excellent with an iPod, too.

[MartyNeilan]

I always have a couple of these in my gigbags:
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx

[Roger Lewis]

Back in the IU days in "Blast Choir" I used "North Sonic II Hearing Protectors". They have a spring loaded diaphragm that kicks in on the concusive attack but opens up again right afterwards. They allowed me to hear well but avoid the loud note attacks.

In the set-up used when I was at IU, the trumpets were in the back row, trombones, tubas and euphs in the middle row and the horns were in the front row. This means that you were getting the impact from the trumpets from behind as well as from the horns in front. When you add percussion to this mess it gets even louder.

Roger

[dwerden]

I have also used the foam earplugs mentioned above and they work quite well. If there noise from behind is off-center I could often get by with using a plug in just one ear, allowing me to hear the rest of the ensemble more easily.

My favorite solution is the clear plastic shields I have seen used in the Minnesota Orchestra. We also tried them when I was in the Coast Guard Band. They attach to the backrest of your chair and should be centered behind your head. The shield is maybe a couple feet square, and the left-right edges curve toward you slightly to create a very subtle wrap-around shape. Anyway, they work surprisingly well and leave you able to hear the rest of the ensemble. If the sound from behind is too overwhelming, these shields may not be enough. Otherwise, they are the least intrusive solution I have found.

[Dylan King]

I recommend having custom earplugs made by a qualified otolaryngologist. In a pinch, crumpled tissue paper works, as do cotton balls.

And there's the old-fashioned way of doing it...

[Carroll]

I heartily recommend using something along these lines. Mine were fitted by an audiologist and work very well. In big band, with the lead trumpet screaming right behind me, I can not be in pain and still hear audibles called out by the piano player.

I have both the 15 and 25 dB filters, but only use the 25.

http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/erme-wrfy.aspx" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

[tbn.al]

Has anyone seen an outside the ear solution? I have a medical condition which precludes my wearing ear plugs for an extended period. Sure would like to kill that bass drum/cymbal sound, or the player, whichever comes first.

[lgb&dtuba]

Has anyone seen an outside the ear solution? I have a medical condition which precludes my wearing ear plugs for an extended period. Sure would like to kill that bass drum/cymbal sound, or the player, whichever comes first.

I have used something like this when conducting practices standing right in front of the trumpets. But I haven't used them in a live performance. They'd be pretty obvious. But they work quite well. You can hear normal conversations and they shut down automatically to impulse noise.

http://tinyurl.com/5pe8bk



They also work quite well for their intended purpose.

[9811matt]

Sitting in front of the trombones, behind the horns, and in varying proximity to bass, snare and field drums, I've found that a single E*A*R plug, (or "foamy") cut or torn in half, with 1/2 in each ear lets me control just how much sound I let in, and still balance with the ensemble. All the way in for FFF, all the way out for PP-MF and infinite variations in between. Works great.

I've got a pair of the Westone custom plugs with a 15db filter as well, but they're too much sometimes, and I can't balance well. (With the ensemble that is, I can stand just fine).

-Matt

[windshieldbug]

I'd carry a couple of foam throw-aways in my dent-bag for emergencies (like "cannon-aided" 1812's gigs... )

I had a couple of plugs older, but similar to Carroll's that I used double duty for in the racecar and also the symphony.

[MaryAnn]

I've had a pair of the custom-fitted westones for quite a few years. I haven't used them much lately, but do still on occasion when too near the drums or in front of trumpets. Luckily in the groups I play in, the horn section bands together (pun, ha) and refuses to sit in front of the trumpets, but that often puts us in front of the percussion. Any ear plugs do have the disadvantage of making it difficult to adjust your volume; this is because of the "ear plug head noise" but it sure beats going deaf. However if you are playing in a truly loud situation, that same head noise allows you to hear your pitch quite well. (yes I have played in a band in concert where you literally could not hear your own pitch because of the din surrounding you.)

They are not as "plugging" as the foam plugs and are very comfortable. Mine are the 15 db. My most common useage is at movies, where they seem to think that you want the sound to vibrate you in your seat.

MA

[tclements]

We MUST protect our hearing at all costs. While I, too, hate earplugs, as a 50 year old tubist, my ears always ring (tinnitus). Now, I always have plugs in my tuba case. Once I did a gig where there were 6 snare drummers right behind me in the pit. Using a dB meter, they pegged over 120 dB SUSTAINED! I used those foam things PLUS a set of gun attenuators over those. It is hard playing with those things on, but is it worth damaging your hearing? I've just learned to play with them.