Earplugs, Yay or Nay?

[JessHorner23]

I'm planning to ordered a pair of custom earplugs like this from this company called Big Ear. I just saw this brand from another thread here and I already checked their website. They are a legit brand and they have good quality products IMO. Then I suddenly had this question in my mind...

Do you guys use earplugs? I play and practice while using earplugs...not the foam ones but the ones made for musicians. Is it weird that I play music while wearing earplugs? I don't know. I just started to use them when I read it on some website about 3 years ago. Should I buy this pair that I've been searching about for the last 3 hours? Am I a compulsive buyer?

Seriously guys... Do you also use earplugs while playing or practicing?

[kehaulani]

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"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
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[mrhappy]

Those seem pretty interesting and I wouldn't hesitate to buy those or something similar. I've been wearing custom molded plugs for about 19 years or so and wouldn't want to do any type of 'band' gig without them. Hearing problems don't heal, they only get worse so protect yourself when you can!
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[LittleRusty]

It was too much work to listen to the video or filter through the information on the big ear website. But...

I use the custom musicians ear plugs. They were fitted by my audiologist. The brand is Westone with filters from Etymotic Research. They offer different db filters. The filters are designed to be flat across the sound spectrum so they don't distort the highs and lows, thus making them better for musicians.

The filters themselves are little things maybe a quarter of an inch in thickness and 3/8ths of an inch in diameter.

They run $40 for each filter, $80 for both ears, from Westone, but on Amazon a quick search shows them for $30 each.

I use them occasionally, for instance when the trombones are on the step above playing in my ear.

I needed to get used to them. The 25 db were too much for me to hear the band. I am now using 15 db I believe. I find that I slot better with them in as the sound in my head is much louder and isolated. But hearing the mix and tuning with the section and band/orchestra is harder.

[mrhappy]

[LittleRusty]

[Didymus]

[kehaulani]

I think it just depends on what kind of work you do. With pop/cover bands, I've just used conventional music ear plugs, leaving the one away from the rhythm section, loosened. None for playing in wind ensemble.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

[mrhappy]

[zaferis]

"It depends" is a good answer.

I have two sets that I use commonly: I have a custom set that I've had for years, USAF gave to me. The one where a tech fills your ear with foam to make a mold for the actual set of plugs. These also come with 3 different attenuators.

And I've recenlty picked up a pair of "Eargasm" High Fidelity plugs.

My experience is that these both work about the same, as far as what I can hear. The Eargasm sit better partially inserted - for time when I want to hear a little more acoustically.

I tend to use them when things start to get really loud. Like the end of the night at a wedding recetption/party, or when the venue is particularly loud with a cover band. Every now and then in a big band setting I'll use them, but generally volume is not so bad in the back row. And I can't remember every using them in a small ensemble, quintet or solo situations.
When I was in the USAF I played in a Salsa group for years. My spot was beside the drummer, I had a ride symbol just off my left shoulder - I quickly learned to wear an earplug on that side.

The issue is hearing yourself, above all of the internal sounds that you make to play (mouth and throat noise)

I'm more comfortable using earplugs in ensembles that I've played with before and/or rehearsed with - I feel I'm better at judging my personal volume and blend. If it's a group I'm reading with I still want to hear more to judge my imput-volume, blend, pitch, etc.
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Adjunct Professor
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Retired Air Force Bandsman

[Brad361]

[Bucaneer61]

Played a non-denominational church gig this past Sunday. 3 guitars, bass, keyboard, huge sound system, monitors on the floor, all trumpets (3 of us) supplied with clip-on mikes so we could be heard. 40 member choir had overhead mikes. A couple singers in each voice had handheld mikes so the choir parts could be heard. Used my Hear-O plugs for the gig and was able to save my hearing. Glad I had them in the car.
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Selmer Radial C XL - Jan., 1972
Getzen 580S cornet - c. 1973
Blessing Artist Flugelhorn, rose brass bell
Accent Picc by B & S
Conn 28B Concert Grand Bb - 1925
Martin Handcraft Imperial - 1937

[wehip]

[Bill_Bumps]

I don't use plugs, I use shooter's earmuffs. Much easier to lift one side when my wife is trying to talk to me.

[LittleRusty]

[mrhappy]

[Qnaza]

I have 30Db earplugs which I use for motorcycling, which do a great job of cutting sound, cut it a LOT. Now I'm not actually talking about performing, even. The fact is, most of my playing, as an amateur, is practicing in my small utility room which is big enough for two double-beds (*not that we store two double-beds in there, I say that just to explain the size...)

I am feeling 'strange' in my ears when I leave a half-hour practice session, and I've done all I can, with sound-absorbing panels on every wall. I also notice a slight buzzing (wouldn't quite call it tinnitus yet?) when I lie in bed after playing for a bit.

The thing is, I play trumpet because I like the sound of it and the glorious harmonics that all blend into that distinctive trumpet sound. If I were to play with plugs almost all of my playing time, what's the point?

So how long was people's adjustment period, and is playing with plugs as pleasurable, after the adjustment period?

[blbaumgarn]

Now, listen to the sage veterans in this topic. I never wore earplugs at any time playing in band, orchestra, lab band, small group, etc. and was ok with that. In my adult life I ended up working in printing for over 20 years on big machinery. I wore earplugs every work day for all those years and have pretty significant hearing loss. I could tell in municipal band some and that goes back many years. I do agree with Zaferis in that "it depends" If I were 20 again, vs. 70 I would wear them in certain settings or doing long rehearsals. If you love that glorious trumpet sound and I'm sure we all do find something good to wear and make use of it.
_________________
"There are two sides to a trumpeter's personality,
there is one that lives to lay waste to woodwinds and strings, leaving them lie blue and lifeless along a swath of destruction that is a
trumpeter's fury-then there is the dark side!" Irving Bush

[Qnaza]

Thanks blbaumgarn

So to be clear, are you saying that your hearing loss came not from working in a loud environment, but from trumpet playing over many years in loud groups?

[LittleRusty]

It is pretty clear that normal music volumes can damage hearing. A few years ago a viola player in the Royal Opera House won a lawsuit claiming occupational hearing damage.

There are also studies showing the risk.

Musicians must wear earplugs in orchestra to prevent hearing damage, study reveals

Symphonic Musicians and Hearing Loss