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LaTrompeta
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 1:56 pm    Post subject: Earplugs Reply with quote

I'm trying to protect my hearing. Sometimes, in a small practice room, it gets really loud. I hate playing with earplugs though, because they alter the way it sounds. Are there any good ear plugs that protect my hearing without that underwater sound?
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trombahonker
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Etymotic Music-PRO electronic earplugs. Good investment, tax write-off too.

http://www.etymotic.com/mp915.html


Last edited by trombahonker on Sat Jan 30, 2016 8:53 pm; edited 1 time in total
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EBjazz
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

These are great! http://www.earasers.net/
Until I lost them....

Eb
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nsednew
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 8:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use Sensaphonics plugs with custom molded sleeves on loud gigs. The occlusion affect is unavoidable but you can learn to deal with it and play by feel. It actually helps prevent over-playing in loud situations.
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pedroconde236
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was at Namm show and I got a buch of cool earplugs they were cheap 40 $
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Dieter Z
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 11:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like the Etymotic Research ER20 ETY-Plugs Hearing Protection Earplugs

http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ETY-Plugs-Protection-Earplugs/dp/B0044DEESS

Very affordable and work fine for me.
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Trumpetmannj
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 12:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dieter Z wrote:
I like the Etymotic Research ER20 ETY-Plugs Hearing Protection Earplugs

http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ETY-Plugs-Protection-Earplugs/dp/B0044DEESS

Very affordable and work fine for me.



I love these plugs
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homebilly
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 12:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've got the Etymotics too and love them
but I tend to forget them at home and have the
tried and true E•A•R brand squishy yellow ones in all
of my cases with my valve oil. I get them at the hardware
store along with my lamp oil.
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StupidBrassObsession
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 2:25 am    Post subject: Re: Earplugs Reply with quote

LaTrompeta wrote:
I'm trying to protect my hearing. Sometimes, in a small practice room, it gets really loud. I hate playing with earplugs though, because they alter the way it sounds. Are there any good ear plugs that protect my hearing without that underwater sound?


You get used to it after a while. I have and use 20 or 30dB ones a lot. It doesn't affect my practicing much because I'm used to what it should feel like. I actually have come to really like playing with them. Obviously hearing your sound is nice, but sometimes, playing in very ringy or very dead rooms, using plugs can stop you from doing weird things.

Something to consider is that at 90dB+ most people get about 2 hours of sound time before damage occurs. However, in a small room, I would say no more than 1 hour of trumpet exposure to be safe.

What that means, however, is that if you want to hear yourself, and to practice for two hours, just alternate between which ear is plugged, leaving one free to monitor the sound. That way you get an hour for each ear.
And if you're playing anything particularly loud, I would plug both for that, and instead record and listen back so that you can evaluate without risking hearing damage.
That's what I do anyway...

A friend has Etymotics and they're apparently awesome. I've been meaning to buy some, but they are expensive and the foam ones are cheap and do the job in the practice room so I haven't bothered with Etys.

But getting used to playing with ordinary plugs is probably useful, because there's always going to be that one time when you *should* wear them (and fancy ones aren't avaialbe) but you don't because you're not used to playing with them, so you don't. And then regret it when you cause damage....
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Seymor B Fudd
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 4:55 am    Post subject: Re: Earplugs Reply with quote

LaTrompeta wrote:
I'm trying to protect my hearing. Sometimes, in a small practice room, it gets really loud. I hate playing with earplugs though, because they alter the way it sounds. Are there any good ear plugs that protect my hearing without that underwater sound?


The downside of regular earplugs is that they change the way it sounds, cutting certain frequencies, as you write. Having myself some hereditary tendency to hearingimpairment, since long been experiencing tinnitus, been trying to protect my ears (you know, over 90 dB for extended periods is harmful to the average ear):
I have often measured 95-100 on gigs, record 117( ) at a church concert. I finally found earplugs made by a swedish company (Bellman&Symphon) in Gothenburg. You can read about the concept on http://bellman.com/en/about-us/. Called "the muscicianplug". Bit expensive but the alternative ending up almost deaf with tinnitus...
They are made individually after a moulding of one�s ears (this must be done by a professional) whereupon an "electronic" plug is inserted; variable damping, 9, 15, 25 dB, interchangeable. They do not change the sound at all although it certainly will take some time to get used to them. I have used these many years, do not affect (my) ability to stay in tune (but I sure miss many jokes in the bands.... ).
Bellman&Symfon are represented in the US, don�t know where.
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Last edited by Seymor B Fudd on Wed Dec 25, 2019 5:00 am; edited 1 time in total
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zaferis
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 4:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.etymotic.com/erme.html
Etymotic are excellent, with a few different baffles that allow you to adjust the dB reduction. They can be a bit pricey and I believe these have to be fit by a technician/doctor. But they are fit to you so, fit perfectly.

http://earinc.com/shop/markets/music/chameleon-ears-musicians-earplugs/
These are also excellent - similar idea.


It does take time to get used to playing with earplugs in - I find I heard everything going on inside my mouth, which can be a bit distracting. Musically, IMO, the biggest challenge is balance with your fellow musicians - how loud are you playing - it becomes much more of a feel
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stanton
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 9:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dieter Z wrote:
I like the Etymotic Research ER20 ETY-Plugs Hearing Protection Earplugs

http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ETY-Plugs-Protection-Earplugs/dp/B0044DEESS


I guess ear plugs are personal. I've had a couple sets of those and always deferred to the plain foam kind. However I was recently given a set of pro ear plugs as a birthday gift.
http://www.etymotic.com/consumer/hearing-protection/erme.html

I have the -25db filters but for legit work I think it cuts too many db's. I'm going to get a set of -15 filters.
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Geodude
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 10:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Folks can complain about the cost of the custom molded ones, but stop for a second and put a price tag on your hearing. I am sure there might be exceptions but at least in many cases, once it is gone you are not getting it back. IT SUCKS! My misspent youth around 2-cycle engines, race cars, firearms and concerts (one ear blistering Hot Tuna concert in particular) have left me with high frequency loss. Protect what you have while you can.
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L.G.R44
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 11:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

costco has ear clinics now and do custom molded earplugs for $180.00 Pretty good product as far as keeping sound clarity audible.
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oxleyk
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 12:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Geodude wrote:
Folks can complain about the cost of the custom molded ones, but stop for a second and put a price tag on your hearing.


Even modestly priced hearing aids cost $3000/pair and few insurance plans cover them. My hearing loss is due primarily to heredity but I sure wish I had used earplugs while mowing grass as a kid.

Kent
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Nonsense Eliminator
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have custom ER-15s. For me, they behave pretty much as advertised for sounds around me -- it's just like somebody turned down the volume. But my own sound ends up sounding pretty strange. I've been using them in the practice room more lately, and I have mostly gotten used to it in that context, but I haven't used them on a gig. Definitely the one plug idea has merit in those situations.

I'd be inclined to suggest trying the ER-20s (linked above) as a first step before you go for the molded plugs.
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Don Herman rev2
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 10:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One comment on the one-plug idea: Shure sponsored a study years ago and found that a single plug could actually increase hearing damage. It was later verified by a second independent study. The problem is that people end up playing louder and/or turning up the "outside" stuff to compensate for the single earplug, or with active in-ears (the focus of the Shure study) would turn up the in-ear monitor to compensate for the loud sounds coming in the other ear.

Be careful...
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Nonsense Eliminator
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 10:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another halfway solution on gigs (which obviously may or may not be workable depending on what you're playing) is to put the plugs in when you're not playing, in which case the cheap foam jobs are just fine. What we're trying to do is reduce our total sound exposure, so even though this probably means your ears are wide open for the loudest moments, you're reducing the total without any effect on your playing (and little effect on your wallet).
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Bsully
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 1:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can anyone with the 15db type pugs comment on the sound? Is it similar to using regular plugs partially inserted? I get the point that these are likely safer than a foam plug not properly worn, just wondering if there is another benefit to the overall quality of the sound. My guess is that this is wishful thinking!
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trombahonker
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 9:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nonsense Eliminator wrote:
... is to put the plugs in when you're not playing...


Richard - this is what I used to do, but I have learned that this is a very dangerous practice. The short-story version is that, depending on the types of sounds (drum or cymbal shock vs FFF orchestra), you may actually induce more damage than leaving earplugs out for the duration. This is because the small muscle that tighten's the ear's sound-dampening diaphragm works very slowly (sort of like your eye's adjustment to darkness). So pulling earplugs out leaves your ears in a state of relatively low protection for those high-volume situation. It's similar to sitting in an extremely dark room, then turning on a bright light for a few seconds - we all know how uncomfortable that can be, and if it were exposure to sunlight, it can be damaging.

Those brief periods of exposure in which the stereocilia (sound-sensing hairs in your ear) receive direct, uninhibited exposure to high-decibel sound can leave them at greater risk than when the ear has had time to tighten the diaphragm on the ear drum that reduces sound entering the inner ear.


Some great general info:
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/pages/noise.aspx


So again, especially for anyone for whom this is a career, I highly recommend considering the earplugs below. I have a set of the molded earplugs (the Etymotic ones), but I prefer these electronic earplugs. They become more transparent when its quiet (ie, when the conductor is speaking), making it very feasible to leave them in place for entire rehearsals and concerts. I don't use them for all concerts because there is still an occlusive effect (of course, any time something is in your ear canal, the perception of sound will change), but choosing a well-suited tip for your ear greatly reduces this feeling. However, if we've got percussion behind us, or horns in front, or have to be in a box with trombones behind, or there's amplification, etc... these earplugs are indispensable to me:


Etymotic MusicPRO - http://www.etymotic.com/mp915.html


Regards,
Aaron
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