Kevin Dean Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Has anyone else stopped gigging due to this .. I've got it mildly , wearing ACS earplugs isn't doing it for me it's cutting out all the ambient sounds & the Dr says wear them or stop gigging :(. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Don’t play so loud or just get used to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 No point you saying that, he says he can't hear ambient sounds. 🙂 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Lord Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Have worn earplugs for 20 years now. Wouldn't rehearse or gig (or see a band, or spray wash the backyard) without them. I've had tinnitus for years (and most musicians I know seem to have it), and I don't want it getting any worse. Your doctor is right. Wear them or stop gigging, unless you're not bothered about it getting worse. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 I don't use them so don't know but wouldn't in ear monitors sort this problem? Just have them as loud as needed, and if ambient sound missing is a problem then set up a spare microphone somewhere and blend it into your mix. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 It is what it is. It is not going to get better, but you can stop it getting worse. You can also let it get much worse. It is time for a lifestyle change. It sucks, but it is what it is. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steantval Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 I’m seriously considering purchasing some ACS Custom earplugs, not sure which ones to go for, it would be either the 17,26 or 27. Any advice would be welcome please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Im currently using ACS PRO17's. I was using foam plugs for years but they were worse than useless, been using ACS for over 10 years. You've got tinnitus? Welcome to the club. Like a lot of people I delayed and started too late so I have "issues" with my hearing. In the past I've met several players who had ACS plugs but didn't use them, for lots of reasons, mostly based around how they didn't like the way the plugs changed the sound. These days they all have very serious problems with their hearing. Of course ACS plugs cut out ambient sound. How do you imagine they would differentiate between what you want to hear and what you don't want to hear? ACS are a hammer to crack a nut, but currently they are the best hammer we've got. If you think you need ear plugs now then you should have bought them last year. Your hearing is already damaged and unless you do protect yourself you will carry on accumulating more damage. I'm not going to lie, ear plugs do change what you hear. That's what they do when they are doing their job. For me it's manageable and I don't have a problem with that because I'm not ready to stop playing, which is what I would have to do if I didn't wear them. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Dean Posted October 23, 2018 Author Share Posted October 23, 2018 7 hours ago, chris_b said: Im currently using ACS PRO17's. I was using foam plugs for years but they were worse than useless, been using ACS for over 10 years. You've got tinnitus? Welcome to the club. Like a lot of people I delayed and started too late so I have "issues" with my hearing. In the past I've met several players who had ACS plugs but didn't use them, for lots of reasons, mostly based around how they didn't like the way the plugs changed the sound. These days they all have very serious problems with their hearing. Of course ACS plugs cut out ambient sound. How do you imagine they would differentiate between what you want to hear and what you don't want to hear? ACS are a hammer to crack a nut, but currently they are the best hammer we've got. If you think you need ear plugs now then you should have bought them last year. Your hearing is already damaged and unless you do protect yourself you will carry on accumulating more damage. I'm not going to lie, ear plugs do change what you hear. That's what they do when they are doing their job. For me it's manageable and I don't have a problem with that because I'm not ready to stop playing, which is what I would have to do if I didn't wear them. There is a make called Knops ,they allow you to control the ambient volume ...I don't gig for a living & I just don't enjoy the sound when wearing my ACS plugs So I'm going too stop .I might treat myself to a nice acoustic for home ,any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baaheeduk Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I use Eargrace with 23dB attenuation, but like most the damage was done years ago so too late in the day, I did find my tiniitus worse after a gig prior to using the earplugs. It is constant though 😩 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 (edited) I've had tinnitus in one ear for years, I tried the ACS custom ones, but didn't find them any better than the generic 'christmas tree' ones, my tinitus has not got any worse, any earplugs are going to do the job, at a recent gig I forgot to put them in after the break, it was painful without them, they take off the top end which is handy when you've got a drummer that hits the cymbals as hard as ours does. Edited October 23, 2018 by PaulWarning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I forgot my in-ears for the gig on Friday, and to make things worse it was a big pub so louder than usual. To make it worse I was having to listen to the PA top next to me to be able to hear anything I was doing. Horrible. Saturday was a blessed relief. Once you get in-ears right, especially if you have any level of tinnitus (and let's face it, as stated above, an awful lot of us do), then not having them makes you wonder how you got on without them. I also have ACS attenuators, and yes, it sounds different (but nowhere near as bad as generic earplugs) and yes, you lose some of that immediacy of sound, but it's still better than permanently ringing ears...the best advice I've read was to put them in early - like while you're setting up - so that you get used to the reduction in sound levels before you start playing. That way, it doesn't sound like the music's being neutered. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grassie Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 (edited) 22 hours ago, Kevin Dean said: Has anyone else stopped gigging due to this .. I've got it mildly , wearing ACS earplugs isn't doing it for me it's cutting out all the ambient sounds & the Dr says wear them or stop gigging :(. My tinnitus has gotten worse over the past year for no apparent reason. I only started regular gigging again in April and it's not down to that because the tinnitus peaked before April. I've had audiology tests and have been told I need hearing aids, but have yet to take them up. Hasn't stopped me gigging, started to wear earplugs just to protect what hearing I have left, but a bit like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted... PS tiny Isle of Wight venues don’t help. “Ooh, I appear to be stood on the drums again...” 😉 Edited October 23, 2018 by Grassie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 1 hour ago, Kevin Dean said: There is a make called Knops ,they allow you to control the ambient volume ...I don't gig for a living & I just don't enjoy the sound when wearing my ACS plugs So I'm going too stop .I might treat myself to a nice acoustic for home ,any suggestions? I'm talking about ACS because that is where my experience is. There are different forms of hearing protection and as long as you pick one that works then chose your brand. A glance at the Knops site makes me think they are not doing anything different, clever or special. Just controlling overall volume. They don't seem to "process" different frequencies differently, so I don't see how their results can be any different to other products on the market. I might be wrong. Buy a pair and see what they do. Let us know. I would be interested in buying some if they are effective and actually do what their marketing department is claiming. We are all playing for different reasons. My intention when I was learning was to play in bands. My ACS plugs are very effective and allow me to do that. I have no interest in giving that up and "playing at home". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Don't know about anybody else but I control the effect of the ear plugs by how far I have them shoved into my ears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 30 years of metal, and standing in front of a Marshall stack rattled by deafening guitars, coupled with a codeine addiction (which also causes tinnitus) means my ears are whining like the TV used to at the end of the days broadcast (remember that kids?) pretty much all the time. I think I'm beyond help. Wear plugs and avoid prescription pain killers, that's my advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 1 hour ago, Rayman said: I think I'm beyond help. Nooooooooo. . . . . I've had other guys tell me that, but it's not true. What you've got left is better than nothing, which is what you'll end up with if you don't protect your hearing. Even at this late stage protecting your ears is an important thing to do. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJpullchord Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I play in a sensible volumed band, it’s great! We can actually have a conversation while playing. Cant recommend this enough. Power tools, electric guitars and acid techno have ruined my left ear. how many ears does Captain Kirk have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acebassmusic Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 23 minutes ago, DJpullchord said: how many ears does Captain Kirk have? ACS customs at 17db for me every time......and the answer is 3.... Kirk has a left ear, a right ear......and a final front ear (groan...sorry!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Get yourself on inears! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattbass6 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I have mild tinnitus, worse in my right ear due to hi-hats (I've swapped sides on stage and stand further away from the drummer), and as soon as I properly noticed it, I ordered custom fit earplugs from Minerva. They take out 18db and have flat attenuation. I wear them at all rehearsals and gigs. I cannot be without them. My tinnitus has not got any worse. My guitar player doesn't wear them and I worry about him so much. At gigs I just have the "christmas tree" standard plugs which are perfect for just watching. I'm quite "militant" about it now and if I see bands or musicians not wearing them, I always have a quiet, kind word so that they look after themselves for the future. It scared me when I first realised I had it and once I started talking about it, it was amazing how many musicians didn't want to admit it because they felt silly they hadn't thought about, looking after their hearing. I have one pal, a very well known player, who's tinnitus is so bad I can't imagine how he deals with it. Scared the crap out of me, I have to be honest. Anyway, please get moulded plugs as soon as you can. You won't regret it I promise. They may cost money but, how much is your hearing worth? Here's a link to the ones I got just as a reference. Good luck ⭐🎧 http://minervahearing.co.uk/product/bassist-music-plugs/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Steve Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I was discussing this last week with a band I'm helping out. they all use some custom ear plugs, whereas I have yet to find a pair that doesn't alter the sound to the extent that it puts me off playing. I tried using them (again) but after a couple of songs they were pulled half way out, and a song or two later had been discarded completely. I do think it's a discipline, to get used to playing with them, but the band made a comment that most of them only use them in rehearsals, because their on stage volume is completely manageable and thus much lower. It helps that the guitarists both use Kempers, so can DI to the mixing desk and don't need to crank their amps to obscene volume. Mind you, they do rehearse three times a week in their own studio where there's no hiding from the drums, and only tour once a year, so the damage is far more likely to be done in practice. If gigging is the issue, can you get the band to better manage the on stage volume? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 7 minutes ago, Monkey Steve said: I was discussing this last week with a band I'm helping out. they all use some custom ear plugs, whereas I have yet to find a pair that doesn't alter the sound to the extent that it puts me off playing. As I've said before, this is my experience with custom ear plugs, horrible feeling of detachment, gone back to generic ones, I suppose if the band had a full in ear set up it might be different but we only use them for vocals (and not then if we're using the venue's PA), I've found snug fitting in ear phones do the job as well though, having said that the singer can't get on with those, depends on your ears I suppose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 If you are reading this (yes, you) and thinking "I will get earplugs when I am older" then do yourself a favour and get them now. Hearing damage happens over time. When you notice it, then it is too late. Take it from ALL of us who did not do it right. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40hz Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Like many I started using earplugs about 7-8 years too late, now aged 32, I have tinnitus in my right ear. I don't care much for filters, just pure all out protection is all that matters now, 35db cut foam earplugs. I can hear the kick, that's all I need! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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