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Ear plugs


Damonjames
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I'm saving up for some tasty IEM goodness but in the meantime I'm using [url="http://www.hearingprotection.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=125"]ACS ER20s[/url]
They're about £8 delivered if you buy them online, I can chat between songs without taking them out and my ears don't ring after rehearsal....

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[quote name='ChrisB' timestamp='1358968466' post='1947901']
I'm saving up for some tasty IEM goodness but in the meantime I'm using [url="http://www.hearingprotection.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=125"]ACS ER20s[/url]
They're about £8 delivered if you buy them online, I can chat between songs without taking them out and my ears don't ring after rehearsal....
[/quote]

+1 I also use the ER20s there really good especially for the price

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I use a set by a company called ACS. Got them in the drum shop after being told by the guys in a large Glasgow guitar shop that they used these and not the crap ones they sell!

They were about £12 and are made of soft plastic and have a cord attached so you don`t lose them. Work well too.

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[quote name='ChrisB' timestamp='1358968466' post='1947901']
I'm saving up for some tasty IEM goodness but in the meantime I'm using [url="http://www.hearingprotection.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=125"]ACS ER20s[/url]
They're about £8 delivered if you buy them online, I can chat between songs without taking them out and my ears don't ring after rehearsal....
[/quote]

I`ve just realised these are the ones I have :blush:

Note to self. Must remember to read the other posts before posting myself.

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[quote name='dand666' timestamp='1359027641' post='1948589']
Went to get some ACS Customs last night and my ears are too blocked with wax!! He said he couldn't take the moulds, which is understandable.

Funny thing is i only got my ears syringed/cleaned a couple of months ago!
[/quote]

Even a small amount of wax build up in the ear canal compromises the likelihood of getting an accurate mould. Well done on choosing moulded plugs. They appear costly, but once you start to use them you will realise you are taking the best step in protecting your hearing, and avoiding the risks associated with using generic plugs

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All of which is good advice except that the first rule in any H&S assessment is to eliminate the problem if psooible. In this case the problem would appear to be excessive noise. Volume [s]switches[/s] dials go down as well as up! If I go to a gig and need ear protection then it's too loud, if I'm playing and need ear protection then I'm too loud. What is the point of playing loud if all that's happening is that punters need ear plugs!

Steve

Edited by oggiesnr
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[quote name='oggiesnr' timestamp='1359034608' post='1948744']
All of which is good advice except that the first rule in any H&S assessment is to eliminate the problem if psooible. In this case the problem would appear to be excessive noise. Volume switches go down as well as up! If I go to a gig and need ear protection then it's too loud, if I'm playing and need ear protection then I'm too loud. What is the point of playing loud if all that's happening is that punters need ear plugs!

Steve
[/quote]

Theres a slight difference between you standing a metre from your amp and somebody else standing ten metres from your amp... I can't ever recall seeing a volume switch either? Would a dial this is set at 0 or 11?

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[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1359042956' post='1948920']
Theres a slight difference between you standing a metre from your amp and somebody else standing ten metres from your amp... I can't ever recall seeing a volume switch either? Would a dial this is set at 0 or 11?
[/quote]

Terminology now corrected (yet another senior moment) :)

Steve

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[quote name='oggiesnr' timestamp='1359034608' post='1948744']
All of which is good advice except that the first rule in any H&S assessment is to eliminate the problem if psooible. In this case the problem would appear to be excessive noise. Volume switches go down as well as up! If I go to a gig and need ear protection then it's too loud, if I'm playing and need ear protection then I'm too loud. What is the point of playing loud if all that's happening is that punters need ear plugs!

Steve
[/quote]

There are also time-weighted exposure levels to consider.

Punters shouldn't normally need earplugs, any damage to their hearing will be temporary. Motorhead are damn loud live, but it's doubtful you'd get permanent threshold shift from seeing them, but you'll almost certainly have some temporary hearing loss after the show. The people who work in the crew and at the venue are a different case however, and are covered by the noise at work regs, and their exposure vastly exceeds that of the punters.

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[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1359043425' post='1948927']
There are also time-weighted exposure levels to consider.

Punters shouldn't normally need earplugs, any damage to their hearing will be temporary. Motorhead are damn loud live, but it's doubtful you'd get permanent threshold shift from seeing them, but you'll almost certainly have some temporary hearing loss after the show. The people who work in the crew and at the venue are a different case however, and are covered by the noise at work regs, and their exposure vastly exceeds that of the punters.
[/quote]
+1. I like many bass players like to be in close proximity to the drums in order to allow the rhythm section to gel. The crack of the snare drum together with the loud sizzle of crash symbols would simply melt my ears if I was not to use ear protection. The punter does not have to consider these concerns

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[quote name='oggiesnr' timestamp='1359034608' post='1948744']
All of which is good advice except that the first rule in any H&S assessment is to eliminate the problem if psooible. In this case the problem would appear to be excessive noise. Volume [s]switches[/s] dials go down as well as up! If I go to a gig and need ear protection then it's too loud, if I'm playing and need ear protection then I'm too loud. What is the point of playing loud if all that's happening is that punters need ear plugs!

Steve
[/quote]

We're very loud for the venues we play, but the trouble is we can only be as quiet as the drummer (who isn't Mic'd up), and there's no chance of him using hot rods, pads, brushes or anything else because it would sound poo! If I try to play without my plugs in now though, the cymbals and snare absolutely kill me!

As an aside, I've also found that my vocals are sooo much better now, because I can hear myself much better with my plugs in.

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Another vote for ACS ER20s here. Nice and cheap, but very good! You lose a tiny bit of high end detail, and get a small low end boost, but that just protects you from cymbals that are inches from your ears, and allows you to hear yourself better! :) I went for the 'ice' ones as they are smaller, I have narrow ear canals.

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So how do we decide when they are necessary?

I appreciate the better-safe-than-sorry approach, but I reckon I often play my Hifi as loud as we usually rehearse so should that require hearing protection? Also, if I'm on my tractor all morning (doing proper high-revving work like mowing or ploughing) then my ears will ring slightly unless I wear ear defenders ( which I do). Same thing with clay shooting. But the band doesn't seem to cause the same problem.

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