Musician Earplugs & Monitors
As a musician, you are regularly exposed to dangerous levels of sound. Persistent exposure repeated over time could lead to any number of unwelcome auditory conditions, including tinnitus and hearing loss.
Specially designed musician earplugs and monitors allow you to get the protection you need from booming subwoofers and blaring speakers without compromising the level of hearing required to perform effectively.
How Do Musician Earplugs Work?
All noise protection ear plugs work to seal the ear canal and thus limit the amount of sound that is allowed into the ear. They are recommended for use by anyone who is exposed to noise of 80 decibels for more than 8 hours daily. As volume increases, the minimum exposure time goes down. This means that the louder the sounds you are exposed to, the less time you can afford to go without ear protection.
The problem with musicians using traditional earplugs, however, is that a musician relies upon hearing in order to perform well. How are you able to pick up the bass at just the right point if you can’t catch the lead’s cues with 100% clarity?
Rather than muffle sound, musician earplugs (also known as hi-fi earplugs) aim to reduce the intensity of the sound across all frequencies evenly. This functionality occurs thanks to the combination of components such as silicone to dampen high frequencies and a special diaphragm that serves to lessen low frequency sounds.
While universal musician earplugs do exist, maximum effect comes from getting custom-fitted earplugs. In addition to ensuring that they are molded precisely to your ear canal, custom musician earplugs can be designed specifically to the type of instruments being played and the arrangement of the band. Many models even come with changeable filters so that you can use a single plug for a variety of different performance scenes.
Musician Monitors: A More Advanced Solution
While earplugs may be suitable for many musicians, ear-in monitors provide the best of both worlds by damping dangerous noise levels while offering a clear reproduction of the music.
Effectively, monitors are both earplugs and headphones at the same time. They are inserted into the ear and block excessive external sound from entering the ear canal. At the same time, the monitor also transmits the music feed directly into the earpiece. The performer is thus provided a crystal clear experience of the stage sound without risking ear damage and hearing loss.
One potential disadvantage of in-ear monitors is that they won’t do much to recreate the sound of the audience. Because they are getting the feed from your mixer, they really only recreate stage sound. An easy workaround to this that most performers find acceptable is to install room mics to capture the ambiance of the crowd.
Get Custom Fit For Musician Earplugs or In-Ear Monitors
If you’re a performer who is regularly exposed to dangerous volumes, whether during practice or performance, you need to take your ear health seriously. Long term exposure to high decibels may lead to permanent ear damage.
Get in touch with NOLA Hearing today to find a custom solution that will protect your hearing without harming your performance.
