We know Roger from MoB, Bob Mould and possibly many others already suffer from this awful tinnitus...and maybe my hearing at this tender age is already starting to dissipate...what?

This question, open to anyone, is what do you do when playing live, to protect the ears?

Nothing. I need to hear what's actually going on. My drums sound all wrong with earplugs in and I can't tell what my dynamics are like. When I'm mixing a record I usually wear earplugs however.

Just kidding.

Charles

I was a stupid youngster (as many of us were) and didn't start wearing earplugs at shows, practice, hunting, or whatever until a few years ago.

The damage is done: I got tinnitus pretty bad in my left ear and only mildly in my right.

I wear shooters muffs (those big, industrial strength headphone looking things) and they work great for when I play drums. No problem hearing anything except high-end squealy shit. Regular earplugs when I play anything else or at shows.

I tell ya, ya gotta wear something. The constant buzz is a total bitch.

Hindsightly yours,

Ike

i have mild tinnitus, which i only notice when it's very quiet and i'm not doing anything, such as when i am trying to go to sleep. it's not enough to keep me awake right now. luckily, i have real good hearing otherwise.

i just got my second pair of custom earplugs, and they are GREAT. they are sensaphonics w/the 15dB attenuators.

http://sensaphonics.com/er91525.html

they can make 'em off any old impressions, so if you don't live in chicago, you can still get them

they kick ass on my old westones. the westones are hard plastic. the sensaphonics are very soft. comfortable, and they sound better. i really, really like them. they're not cheap but they are worth it.

i'm pretty sure i'll be able to wear them onstage, which i've never been able to do--i'd only ever been able to deal with earplugs as a spectator or at practice. lately i have used an in-ear monitor for vocals, which i like enough to take the fashion hit.

[quote="tmidgett"]i just got my second pair of custom earplugs, and they are GREAT. they are sensaphonics w/the 15dB attenuators.

http://sensaphonics.com/er91525.html
[/quote]


i have some of these, and happily second the recommendation. getting them fitted and made cost me £150 in the uk, and i was a bit reluctant to shell out at first, but it's the best £150 i ever spent.

you don't look like a freak wearing them, music still sounds great with them in, and since i've started wearing them to other people's gigs and at rehearsals i no longer writhe in agony if my girlfriend speaks too near my ear. which helps.

don't tend to wear them if i'm actually playing a gig, but they sure as hell go in when the other bands are playing ...

For all those suffering from tinnitus, I recommend the following site:

http://www.tinnitus.org

"... all the accounts of tinnitus in textbooks said it was all due to ear damage which couldn't be fixed. That is what many people and professionals still believe. It just happens not to be true."

It gives a good introduction how hearing is connected to emotional states, and thus how tinnitus stays with you when seen as a problem. If you stop seeing it as a problem, "subcortical filters" will filter out the noise generated by your brain.

Everyone experiences tinnitus after spending some time in a totally dead room. It's the auditory system's way of reacting to an abnormal situation. The same phenomenon occurs after being subjected to extreme SPLs. If you develop an emotional reaction to these sounds they stick with you -- but they were there even before traumatic experiences made you start hearing them.

things sound ridiculous when you first start wearing earplugs on stage. its just an issue of forcing yourself and getting use to it. its worth it if you hearing is your livelihood.

i haven't played a show or gone to see a band without wearing earplugs for at least 8 or 9 years. if i lose an earplug on stage or something its like being attacked by bees. years before i couldn't imagine wearing them, now thats just what i have grown used to.

I've been wearing earplugs at all loud music events/practices for a long time. It's painful for me if I don't, so I must. You really do get used to it if you just decide you have to wear them no matter what. I can get by ok with foam crappy earplugs, but I'm gonna get some of those fancy ones recommended by tmidgett. So far no tinnitus, but my right ear is unduly sensitive to loudness.

You know what works better than foam plugs? Roll up about 1/2 a square of toilet paper for each ear. It seems to be a flatter response curve than foam plugs. After wearing them for a minute or two the only perceivable difference is what sounds like a bass boost and a bit of a hi-cut. Not good if you're setting up your amp knobs, but once you're ready to go and start playing you get used to them fine.

Most custom designed ear plugs are designed to lower all frequencies equally, approximately 20 - 25 dB. So technically everything should sound the same just softer.

In the studio I never turn my mix up past 95dB except on occation to check for odd noises which i won't go past 110 db and not for too long.

Chris