nacoran
548 posts
Dec 16, 2009
12:53 PM
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One of the problems is a lot of venues just don't have a good sound system. If you have to project sound to the back of a large room from the stage, over the background noise. That takes volume. If you have speakers spread out then you have to make sure they aren't interfering with each other, creating echos and dead spots. Some new high end systems can analyze the sound in the room and correct it, but usually you need a sound tech.
As for marking speakers with a warning as to when the sound enters the range where it can damage hearing, that can depend on a lot of factors, like how close you are to the source, how loud people are playing into it, how many other sources of sound are around...
What might work better is a little warning device, a necklace or something, that could detect the sound levels and blink at you when things get too loud. (Maybe you could put it on a necklace with one of those little earplug carrying cases. It could buzz like a cellphone to let you know it's time to put them in.)
edit- and maybe if they can get noise cancellation headphones down to size they could be useful. If they put an EQ on it maybe you could make it seem hip. Don't market it as hearing protection, market it as hearing optimization. You control the bass, the trebble, etc. If you put wifi on it maybe you could even get a direct feed from any house wireless system to get crisper sound, all the way in the bathroom.
Last Edited by on Dec 16, 2009 12:57 PM
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djm3801
277 posts
Dec 16, 2009
4:30 PM
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One real problem is the fact that the more hearing you lose, the more loud noise is painful. Went to a Dylan concert in a small baseball stadium and Mellencamp played as one of the opening acts and was so loud I had to get up and go find some tissue, wet it down and plug up the ears - aside from the fact that Mellencamp is not worth paying to see, my opinion. I want average, I can hear it in garages for free. Never had ear pain years ago no matter how loud. People had little kids down on the field in front of the band. I felt bad.
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Buzadero
221 posts
Dec 16, 2009
5:37 PM
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Adam is right. This is a depressing thread.
Add me to this merry band.
In addition to marked similarities with many of the stories included here involving growing up listening to loud music. I grew up surfing virtaully every day from about age 8 or 9 until I graduated highschool. Never made any effort to keep cold water out of my ears.
I've now been a working diver for over 30 years. I've locked out of a bell at over 700 feet and spent many days working up and down, up and down letting my ears take the beating.
The only plus to this is that when I get my annual physical, as a diver the doc gives me the full hearing battery....so I get to track the deterioration. This also allows me the airtight excuse when my wife accuses me of not listening.
"Listen, dear. Your lifestyle for the past 25 years has been maintained by my trading my hearing for it. To me, for you this was well worth it. What did you say?"
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~Buzadero
Underwater Janitor, Patriot
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Delta Dirt
66 posts
Dec 17, 2009
12:10 PM
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Hell, i thought i was the only one. Pretty scary stuff.
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Rick Davis
17 posts
Dec 17, 2009
12:49 PM
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What I hate is this: Occasionally a fan will come to the stage and motion to me that she wants to tell me something while we are playing. In other words, she wants to shout in my ear at the top of her lungs in front of a loud blues band. I try hard to not be rude, but now I always wave her off.
After a couple of those painful episodes I found that deafness could be a real possibility. That hurts and my ears rang for a couple of days. Never again...
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-Rick Davis
Blues Harp Amps Blog
Roadhouse Joe Blues Band
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Buzadero
224 posts
Dec 17, 2009
1:18 PM
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Airdale,
Thanks. I'm well updated on exostosis. I got it.
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~Buzadero
Underwater Janitor, Patriot
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bdr
45 posts
Dec 18, 2009
3:27 AM
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Rick, motion for her to 'write it down' cos..
1. no shouting
2. avoid being rude
3. by the time she ges pen & paper she'll have forgot what she wanted
4. might get her phone number
and then everyones a winner!
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My granddad gave me some sound advice on his deathbed.
"It's worth spending money on good speakers," he told me.
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KC69
121 posts
Jan 05, 2010
7:57 PM
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Wow! Its like a million birds in my head. Mostly hear it worse when things get quiet or I start thinking about it. Then I can't wait for something else to take my mind off it! My Dr. says Valium may help. My Dr. also knows better than to prescribe me Valium! Just my luck. You know, if I were a Buffalo. Who would i run into but--- Buffalo Bill. Thats the kind of luck I have! I don't normally notice it when playing. On small stages with a trio, I usually have to stand in front of main speakers. Again, my luck....
Trying to sleep is also bad. I sleep with a fan running 365 days a year. Tonight it will be close to 0 degrees in central Ohio. I will be running the fan.
Last Edited by on Jan 05, 2010 8:01 PM
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djm3801
298 posts
Jan 06, 2010
3:02 AM
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There is stuff on the radio called Quietis or Quietude. No clue if it works - would be surprised if it did. I have had it for so long it is just "always there". Yes, it is most annoying in quiet environments or when you are trying to sleep. Best bet for coping is to just tune it out like the sound of an air conditioner. Easier said than done but I did. I know for example when flying how nice it is when they land and the engines turn off. YOu got me wondering how it would be if the ringing stopped after 20 years..
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BreezeCC
1 post
Oct 31, 2013
5:25 PM
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For my first post on MBH, I made the ego driven mistake of searching the forum for my name. I found a few colorful posts by my old friend Joe Lee Bush and the above old post by Adam.
Adam, as a long time fan of yours and more recently a friend, I'm sorry your memory of sitting in with us is tied to your tinnitus discovery. I actually take pride in the fact that our band is known for not being too loud - we get a lot of extra work because of it.
Sadly, when we choose the life we have (I'm in my 18th year of gigging) it's somewhat an inevitability. My ears hiss and ring on occassion too.
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kudzurunner
4342 posts
Oct 31, 2013
6:58 PM
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What can I say? I wish the report that I offered weren't true. Your drummer that night got excited by the stuff I was playing! He whapped the shit out of that snare--but, as I say, I've stood next to loud drummers many times over the past twenty years and never had a problem. This time I did have a problem. But I still had fun on that gig! You've got a great band and a great gig.
The good news is, I have a fairly mild case of tinnitus. It varies. Right now, actually, it's almost gone--first time in a while that I can say that. It's never overpowering. And 99% of the time, I don't even notice it--until I notice it, at which point it's obvious but not overpowering.
My point is, a quantum change happened, and it freaked me out. Then, bit by bit, I began to relax--at which point I stopped noticing the hiss. That took a few months.
Now, as I say, I don't really notice it 99% of the time. It doesn't steal any of my attention or get in the way of anything I do.
I'm much more conscious, though, of being careful about my hearing when I get onstage with loud bands, especially if the drummer is a hard hitter.
No hard feelings! And please don't worry about it. Heck, I'd like to sit in with your band again--or open for you guys at the Northside with my duo, The Blues Doctors. No big deal.
Welcome to the forum. Hiss on, my brother.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Nov 01, 2013 4:50 AM
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Chris L
23 posts
Oct 31, 2013
7:49 PM
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Looks like I am in good company with tinnitus and mild hearing loss. I finally wised up and picked up some $20 Hearos hi fidelity plugs. I used them at a Rush concert last summer and haven't enjoyed a rock concert so much in years! The Hearos are not as sophisticated as the higher end musicians plugs, but being able to hear both the concert and the conversation afterwards is well worth it!
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wolfkristiansen
222 posts
Oct 31, 2013
9:44 PM
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My hearing isn't what it was. The blues band I played in during the '70s was loud. Like many, I'd often go to bed with ringing ears. My amp was a Fender Concert, usually turned up to 6 or 7. Ouch.
I jumped in to tell another story. When I was 22, I was living with my parents between university semesters. One day I woke up and found the hearing in my right ear was totally gone. I mean totally.
I told my father. He said, "I knew that rock and roll was going to destroy your hearing". I went to the doctor. He shone a light in my ear. His nurse put a kidney shaped dish on my shoulder. The doctor stuck what looked to be a big turkey baster in my ear and squirted warm water into it. A huge plug of something came out and fell with a plop into the dish on my shoulder. It was ear wax.
It was a miracle. I could hear! Better than I had for years. My hearing was so good I remember turning my head and hearing the sound of my neck rubbing against my collar. I also remember walking outside on the sidewalk and jumping when I heard a car about to run me over. It was across the street but sounded inches away.
My experience doesn't help anyone with tinnitus, but it might help those who have ear wax deafness without knowing it.
Cheers,
wolf kristiansen
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TheoBurke
498 posts
Oct 31, 2013
9:47 PM
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I have been hard of hearing all my life, a thirty percent loss in each ear. I wore a hearing aid for years, but now I do without. I read lips. I suppose that's why I have such a wierd tone when I play.
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Ted Burke
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheoBurke?feature=mhee
http://ted-burke.com
tburke4@san.rr.co,
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Jehosaphat
583 posts
Oct 31, 2013
10:05 PM
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I have BAD Tinny Titus......
After 3 or 4 beers it subsides.
I know what you're thinking ,but it is not that i'm am drunk or something after a few beers..
Alcohol itself relaxes blood vessels so in my case(and everybodys TT is different) it obviously has something to do with said vessels.
If i could be 20ish again I'd wear ear protection
anywhere near excessive noise..believe me,
you do not want to live your life with the sound of a 1000 randy locusts in your ears all day and night.
I like Heinneken ;-)
Last Edited by Jehosaphat on Oct 31, 2013 10:07 PM
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2plankr
49 posts
Oct 31, 2013
11:03 PM
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At the risk of being thought of as a wingnut I would like to pass on what has worked for me. I have tinnitus due to playing in bands that thought more volume equaled better music. I went to a local hearing specialist who suggested I try this:
http://www.hearinghealthsupplement.ca/
It is a supplement developed by the US Medical Center in San Diego to aid troops coming back from war zones with tinnitus caused by firearms and loud explosions. It is not a total cure but has diminished the volume of the ringing in my right ear which in my case sounds like a jet engine. Some may think this is nothing more than a placebo but as long as it`s working for me I sticking with it. If this stuff can help just one person then it`s been worth it.
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arnenym
229 posts
Nov 01, 2013
4:46 AM
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I have tinnitus since 1986 when a moronn shot a toy gun one feet from my ear. I have done a test an it emands about 90 db to reach the same level on volume as my beep in my head.
I have not so much problem since i begin mental training 20 years ago. I do deep relaxing and visualising the sound down to my backbone. I know it sounds weird but it really helps.
Yoga can help you.
Avoid all good in life can help you too. But i prefer the deep relax training and visualizing and keep drinking coffe, beer and take a painkiller if it hurts somewhere.
the most important is to accept the noise and say to yourself you don't accept the noice gonna ruin your daily life.
And you have to say to your fellow musicians that they ruin your life if they continue to play over 100db: ( They don't but you give thenm a good reason to play at descent volumes ;)
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jbone
1396 posts
Nov 01, 2013
6:31 AM
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Concerts at arenas and factory floors with huge turret lathes and mills going, and back then hearing protection was not required. And we were immortal and indestructible at the time. Later on it was playing with way-too-loud bands. 70's hot rod cars with glass packs or straight pipes added to the mix as well.
I don't have tinnitus yet and hope to avoid it, but I do have loss in certain ranges. I hate being the one who says "What??" every other time my wife speaks from across the room or dock.
She and I play lower volume and even when we vet rhythm guys it will stay that way. Otherwise we keep doing tryouts until we get guys who don't need hypersonic nukes to feel right.
I have a different problem developed which is closely related. I recently gigged and worked with a guy who was afraid my vocals would be too loud so he kept me turned down. Naturally I sang louder to compensate. Now I find my mid range is all but gone and I stress my vocal cords out quickly even in lower register. I'm scheduled for a visit to a specialist next week. I'm hoping there is a way back at least partly. If I'm honest I must admit that I have had this sort of issue- around loud music- for a couple of decades. My first band experiences were post- SRV, in Texas near where he grew up, so every guitarist and drummer and bassist on the planet it seemed, was trying to be him and get his volume and tone. It was hell for a budding harpman. My first real amp was a Fender Hotrod Delux. Even that wasn't working. I've seen all the tricks like a guitarist bringing a small amp that will totally scream even with a single 10" speaker. One guy I tried out with 10 years ago had a 40 watt amp on a bass cabinet at ear level, cranked way up- and he had his earplugs in all night. Then he wanted to bitch that my little 12 watt harp amp fed back a couple times as I tried to keep up with his sonic nuke. Needless to say I didn't stick with his project.
It has gotten worse as I have aged. The real concern for me now is, do I have enough left to play and sing acoustic on the street or at a farmers market? We have a small p.a. but i prefer no amplification when we can go that route. Much more intimate with your audience.
At this point my new commitment is to sing and play harp with reasonable volume folks only. (Our current project we're working on will be electric, rhythm guys, guest guitars and horns etc.) If it's too loud any place I'm invited in, I will just say thanks and exit. Jolene often has had to hang out in front of the club at jams when the hot dogs invade and crank everything up way past reason. Even at gigs I've played with other outfits she has had to flee the sonic wave. My mantra now is NO MORE.
Phogi, I relate to your comments. If I see earplugs coming out these days I run. Away.
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa7La7yYYeE
Last Edited by jbone on Nov 01, 2013 6:44 AM
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mr_so&so
752 posts
Nov 01, 2013
10:52 AM
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This thread deserves a more regular bump up. I just read through it all again and it will help me be more consistent in practising what I preach. Hearing damage is the "inconvenient truth" of the music business.
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RyanMortos
1464 posts
Nov 01, 2013
4:11 PM
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In the last year or year and a half I started noticing increasing problems. I've also been going to jams & attending live shows more frequently. I swear my tinnitus was horrid for like a month last year after going to some show (which I can't remember what it was), & not having protection. I thought I had totally screwed my hearing for life.
Luckily I seem to have only gotten minor tinnitus as long as I keep the earplugs in. But still somedays I hear a tiny ringing even when I didn't go to any show or jam in the last few days :( . I made the mistake of going to the blow off at SPAH this year without earplugs and had the same issue. I didn't expect the band to be turned up so loud (I left my earplugs in the room where they weren't any help to anybody, doh!) but I think they overestimated the size of the room or crowd or something. At least this is one of my guessing why bands/sound guys would turn it up to the point of damaging human ears in the vicinity. I mean, we ain't coming back to see your show ever again if we go deaf, believe it, lol.
It seems the luck of the draw to me. Well, maybe not totally luck as some bands or jams are predictably too loud and I always wear plugs where others seem safe to me and I go home without ringing.
I now always bring earplugs with me when going to jams, concerts, and sit in with other bands. I can usually tell when a band is going to be so loud that I'll hear them loud and clear through the plugs. I've been doing it for months and some people at the jam I most frequent started doing the same after seeing me do it. Luckily I don't seem to have done permanent damage and intend to keep it that way.
side note:
...Dear Captcha, I hate you. Also, why this site doesn't hold onto what I type when it makes me re-enter a new Captcha is beyond me but I didn't code it, lol.
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~Ryan
See My Profile for contact info, etc.
Last Edited by RyanMortos on Nov 01, 2013 4:13 PM
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2chops
180 posts
Nov 02, 2013
3:42 PM
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My ears are ringing as I post. 15 years of factory work and 10 years of tree work have taken their time. Even though I always wore ear plugs, I know it still affected me. Especially the 7 year stint making mail trucks. Being around all that rivet gun noise for 10 hours a day was like being in a major fire fight, day after day.
Worst single event was a Ted Nugent concert in the mid 80s. My ears rang do bad, I couldn't hear a thing for a week & a half afterward.
Now at 48 years old, I have a hard time hearing stuff in the lower frequencies. Higher frequencies make me cringe. My wife has a very soft, soothing voice, and I'm always saying "Huh?". Just my breathing practically draws her out. I find my self trying to read lips more and more. Oy.
Ron
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You Tube = goshinjk
I'm workin on it. I'm workin on it.
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