Conference mr1pst::music

    
    Effective ear protection = lawn seats :-)
    
    	I'd imagine ear plugs *should* be adequate - that's what they make
    them for, ain't it?
    
    					- Jim

    Study the chart provided with whatever you consider. Some
    ear-protectors act like low and/or high pass filters, with differing
    protection across the audio range.
    
    I use a pair designed for use at a target range when I mow my lawn.
    
    Edd

The spongy kind work great since they work better at high frequencies.  They
work like and equalizer to bring the piercing too-loud high frequencies set by
half-deaf soundmen back to normal...

Tim

I use cotton swabs. After trying lots of different earplugs, including
the spongy ones, I found cotton to have the best combination of comfort
and frequency range.

Barry

re: .5

>I use cotton swabs. After trying lots of different earplugs, including
>the spongy ones, I found cotton to have the best combination of comfort
>and frequency range.

I assume you mean cotton balls rather than cotton swabs.  You'd look
awful silly going around with Q-tips sticking out of your ears. :-)

On a more serious note, I hate the foam earplugs.  Sure, they cut down on
the sound pressure level, but they totally destroy the frequency response.
Has anyone out there used plugs that lower the volume without making the
music sound like <insert your favorite term for excrement here>?

-Hal

    Many music stores sell Norton Sound Silencers earplugs, which are a
    step up from the foam cylinders.  These are a rubbery cylinder with a
    small metal diaphragm inside.  The sound is clearer with these plugs,
    but the overall rejection isn't quite as good, so it's a tradeoff. 
    They work well enough for me...I use them when onstage in loud bands as
    well as at loud concerts.
    
    							Brian

    > Many music stores sell Norton Sound Silencers earplugs, which are a
    > step up from the foam cylinders.  These are a rubbery cylinder with a
    > small metal diaphragm inside.
    
    I use a similar product (not sure if the brand name is Norton or not)
    and consider them *much* better than the foam earplugs.  The rubber
    ones don't deaden the sound that much -- instead, the metal piece
    filters out the "ear-ringing" frequencies.  Since I started wearing
    them, I have "ringing ears" only about once or twice a year as opposed
    to once a week when not wearing them.
    
    In contrast, I find the foam plugs to make everything sound muddy. 
    They're better than nothing, but I'd rather spend the $15 and get the
    rubber ones -- and, yes, they can be washed and are usable for years.
    
    				- Paul

    Re: ears still ringing
    
    Earplugs will always be a tradeoff.  I don't see the logic behind
    spending thousands of dollars on instruments and amps to get the
    "ultimate" tone only to stuff some foam in your ears so all you hear is
    a rumble.  I wish people would just turn down.
    
    							Brian

re: .10

> I wish people would just turn down.
    
Amen to that!!!  What kills me is that most bands would sound better
if they turned it down.  You can actually hear all the parts of the
music if the volume is more reasonable.  Try convincing a guitar player
of that, though. :-)

-Hal

	They probably can't hear it themselves.

re: .11

> ...most bands would sound better
> if they turned it down.  You can actually hear all the parts of the
> music if the volume is more reasonable.

That's for sure! I heard Boston at Boston Garden a while ago. They 
were so loud that no one could make out any of the lyrics.

I taped the show and when I played it back, the lyrics were crystal
clear. Apparently, microphones can deal with higher sound pressure
levels than ears.

Barry

Gee, most bands I've been in, the Drummers are the ones
that caused most of the volume problems, not the Guitars.

Problem never gets solved until the drummer buys electric 
pads, then they HATE the feel...  Back to square one....


As a guitarist, if I'm too loud, I'm backing off all night.
I'd rahter not be loud enough, at least I can work my sound...

I've seen setups with plexiglass around the drum set like Yes did for the Union
Tour.  I figured that kept the noise down for the rest of the band.

Tim

    Re: .15
    
    Half the time it's to protect the drummer from the guitars 8^).  First
    time I saw a plexi cage was when I opened for Young Neal and the Vipers
    once.  Neal plays LOUD guitar and his drummer at the time (Tom de
    Quattro) eventually quit due to carpal tunnel problems.  The plexi was
    the only way he could manage to hear himself on stage.  
    
    Of course, Pete Townshend's done the plexi cage thing on the last Who
    tour.
    
    Anybody remember the Mission of Burma farewell tour? Guiatrist Roger
    Miller spent the whole tour wearing David Clark earmuffs to try to keep
    his tinnitus problems in check.
    
    Last two auditions I went to, the bands played way too loudly.  Both
    though I was crazy when I suggested that rehearsals in 12 by 12 rooms
    didn't require full stage volume.  8^(
    
    							Brian

    re .7 Brian - 
    
    	I tried to use the nortons (those are the expensive ones right?)
    but they didnt fit (I'm tight what can I say!!). I noticed on the
    paperwork inside the pack that they referenced three sizes, samll
    medium and large but nowhere on the package was there an indicator for
    size. Documentation might have been out of date - could be norton
    decided to distribute/mfg only one size - I'd like to try a pari that
    fits. And dont kid yourselves about the the frequency range for the
    foam. I prefer the foam and have been using them for quite a few years
    effecxtively however OSHA now has gotten after mfgrs that boasted a 29
    db sound pressure reduction; nowe the same products are showing up with
    rating like 6 db. And I think the really high freqs might be getting
    thru because i have used them religiously for ALL loud noise (goinmg to
    clubs, gigging, power tools, pistol range) and i still am starting to
    develop an extremely hi freq tinitus - so be careful.
    
    
    							--Fred