Schwab

I'm playing this broadway show, and the soundman seems to think he is running a rock concert. Since we are sitting in the pit right in front of the speakers I'm pretty worried about my hearing. I've been using those foam earplugs and they do the job, but it takes all the fun out of playing (to me it sounds like I'm playing a kazoo). Any recommendations? Are custom earplugs really that much better or will is still sound like I'm playing a kazoo inside my head? Thanks.

Bear

Custom plugs will give you the same sound you hear now (kazooish) only better! lol, if that makes any sense. I unfortunatly HAVE to wear earplus now on most of my gigs as my hearin' is completely ruined due to the gigs I play. Rock, lead jazz, marching, etc... Get plugs, save your ears! It might take some of the fun out of playing... But recentyl I've found when I just use one plug, I can hear intonation a lot better and I tend to play a lot louder without killing my chops...

bigaggietrumpet

When the Aggie Band plays in the band hall for rehearsal, Dr. Rhea forces them to wear ear plugs. I can't think of the name for them, but they have two little foamish cups on them. The reasoning behind them is that they block out the high intensity noise, and still allow you to have a conversation with the person next to you. Compared to what I used when shooting a shotgun, they are much better in that respect. There's not a lot you can do about the "kazoo" effect, though.

Bear

hey bigaggiedude, when ya gonna come up to Lubbock and jam with us? lol, tell y'all's bball team to make NCAA tourny so I can meet you, lol.

bigaggietrumpet

hmm...yeah. I'll just tell the president that he needs to excuse me for a few days so I can go jam with the Texas Tech B-ball band. Somehow I don't think that'll work. Anyway, we are planning on going to the Big XII tournament, so if ya'll can convince the powers that be to send the band to that one, we're good.

jwjazz99

I use Etymotic earplugs. They're molded to my ears and cut everything out by 15 db. I also use their 12$ version for commercial gigs because they're a little easier to get in and out quickly. They cut out the sound by 20 db and are almost as good for the price. WAY better than any of the foam plugs

MUSICandCHARACTER

Another inexpensive solution is:

Doc's ProPlugs

http://www.proplugs.com/

No, I had nothing to do with them

Jim

Tootsall

Y'know, the thought just hit me... folks wear headphones when they record; some of these are really good at killing ambient sound and only letting through what you want. Any chance of getting them to "wire" the pit so that you can control your own sound level, protecting your ears AND getting a "true" sense of the music?

Bear

That'd be a lot of money toots...

Tootsall

Ahh...but so are hearing aids! Y'know, we spend thousands of dollars on our instruments, sometimes hundreds on accessories (cases, mouthpieces, "tweaking" of the horns).... but we want to use old cigarette filters to protect our ears and save some cash? Hmm....

Not knocking what you said, Bear... but there has got to be a better way to "hear the music" and not "the noise".