Kniferide wrote: Fri Mar 06, 2026 6:40 pm seems like a lot of IR based hardware is made for that too, but I don't personally know a single person that sits around trying to make their guitars sound just like some other guitar players. I know they are out there but sheesh... what a boring thing to do. that in utero guitar guy tone is mentally ill imo. I mean once he perfects Cobain's mediocre tone what's he gonna do with it? start a cover band?

Oh man, I started thinking about (I think) that same guy before I got to that part of your post. This is the guy who has spent hours researching some guitar Cobain played in one session and destroyed a month later at some show? The guy who went to Pachyderm and tried to recreate "Heart Shaped Box" standing where it happened.

That stuff gets so weird.

If I had a dollar for every random, circumstantial piece of gear that popped up in some classic album's session only for musicians to completely lose the plot and try to recreate all at the cost of pursuing their own artistic identity.... yeah. Weird.

losthighway wrote: Sat Mar 07, 2026 4:33 pm
If I had a dollar for every random, circumstantial piece of gear that popped up in some classic album's session only for musicians to completely lose the plot and try to recreate all at the cost of pursuing their own artistic identity.... yeah. Weird.

There’s this picture book of all the gear used on Led Zeppelin albums. While the early stuff was all the classic gear we all know about it, as the 70s wore on you could totally tell that Jimmy Page was ordering every halfcocked sustainer and Japanese gadget that was appearing in the guitar magazines of the day. Of course it was mixed in with the exact model of Scotty Moore or whoever’s big box Gibson or custom color 50s Strat, but he’d use anything he could get his hands on. So while that Telecaster might have sold a million Les Pauls, there’s no telling what else was used sometimes.

That being said I have played priceless amps loud next to similarly powered amps that were just whatever and it wasn’t hard to tell what was the better amp. I’ve played every Telecaster on the wall of a guitar store and there wasn’t any question that 1 or 2 were heads and tails above the others, no matter what the price. Some stuff just fucking kicks ass, but no telling how many Les Pauls whoever had to play to get to their #1.

Also, when we listen to early prog players play through long abandoned Hiwatt and Marshall stacks vs the digital stuff they invariably pickup later in their career, there’s no question that something is lost there.

So anyways, I hate to take the middle road, but there is some stuff out there that is just magic for certain people and depending on where they’re going, they can’t always just get there with a JC120 and a graphic eq. That would take them somewhere else.

I mean, y’all haven’t been in a band with people that had a certain guitar or amp that they were forever trying to swap out for something else? And every time they did it kind of sucked? Like, what happened to your other bass?

Gear can totally get in the way, but when things click its best to just roll with it.

When I was 17 I listened through a window to DOA play in a 19+ bar and it blew my face off. Years later I opened for them and Joey Shithead was playing a Line6 Spider and it SUCKED (this was pre-FM benadrian of course). Years later I played with them again and Joey had an old Marshall plexi, Randy Rampage was back with them and playing a Traynor Monoblock, I think Dimwit was on drums? Anyway, it was perfect. It sounded like when I was 17 - never shouldve changed.

cakes wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 4:40 pm (This might have gotten lost, just wanted to ask again:)

Is there an isolating earplug with a background mic to bring sound back in? I'm looking for something that could replace my sensophonics earplugs that will reduce sound by isolating, and bring sound back in via a mic. Kind of like hearing aides, but for lowering sound and controlling the volume that comes back in. Does something like this exist? Are there earbuds out there that are good at doing this?

I have a pair of Shure AONICS and Anker Soundcores. They kind of do this, but I'm not sure they lower the db enough. My ear condition requires good isolation. Sensaphonics are great, but mine are getting long in the tooth and before I drop $$$ on custom ear plugs, I wonder if there's a more modern solution.

Did you ever get an answer to this? Asking because I’m looking for hearing protection for a lead singer. Not sure what’s best for singing with earplugs in (I generally never wore them for shows where I’d sing))

The earos and alpine look good, and etymotics seem better. What did you end up using?

jirbling rake wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2026 10:42 pm

cakes wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 4:40 pm (This might have gotten lost, just wanted to ask again:)

Is there an isolating earplug with a background mic to bring sound back in? I'm looking for something that could replace my sensophonics earplugs that will reduce sound by isolating, and bring sound back in via a mic. Kind of like hearing aides, but for lowering sound and controlling the volume that comes back in. Does something like this exist? Are there earbuds out there that are good at doing this?

I have a pair of Shure AONICS and Anker Soundcores. They kind of do this, but I'm not sure they lower the db enough. My ear condition requires good isolation. Sensaphonics are great, but mine are getting long in the tooth and before I drop $$$ on custom ear plugs, I wonder if there's a more modern solution.

Did you ever get an answer to this? Asking because I’m looking for hearing protection for a lead singer. Not sure what’s best for singing with earplugs in (I generally never wore them for shows where I’d sing))

The earos and alpine look good, and etymotics seem better. What did you end up using?

Ah, the funny thing is I have two pairs of in-ears that work well, Anchor A40 and Shure Aionic, and didn't think they would work well. I went to a show on Saturday and decided instead of bringing my earplugs, I'd bring my A40s. I put it on Normal Mode with manual adjustment and it worked amazing. I could hear everything very clearly, but lowered volume. It was very weird at first, because everything sounded normal, but at a reasonable volume, but my body could feel the vibrations. It took about 30 seconds for my body to adjust. I loved it so much, I went to band practice last night and used them and had a great experience.

My only comment on the Anchor's is that the intake EQ has a lot of midrange boost, which makes sounds like crunching in the snow or cracking floorboards really stand out. But your ears adjust. It's still better than being totally muffled. There's also a transparency mode that is a little more natural, but there's no control for it.

I think any in-ear that has these features that have a complete seal in the ear would work, so it's really a personal preference. I think if I needed another pair, I might research a little. Considering that a pair of custom Sensophonic earplugs are $300 + a hearing test, I think you could get a high-end in-ear and still spend less money. I don't see the point of using earplugs anymore, unless to want to completely muffle sound. The other affect that I really like is that the sound of your voice in your head isn't as pronounced as using earplugs, which is extremely useful and a much more pleasant experience.