Karaoke Forums

Just wondering what you all like/use in the way of hearing protection.

The toll of hosting two to four nights a week is starting to 'amplify' my long-time minor tinnitus. I have tried cotton, foam plugs, and Flents brand Flite Mates- all with varying degrees of success. I am trying to strike a common sense balance between protecting myself, and letting enough natural sound through to properly perform e.q. adjustments.

Has anyone here tried custom, doctor-fit, professional plugs?

Wondered about the same thing myself. My wife says I ignore her,, maybe it's just that I can't hear her (or don't want to listen,,haha). Where I work, we have the availability to ear plugs, I have thought of using those,, or even passing them out,, but I think that is pretty tacky in my opinion. So here is my thought. Purchase a pair of head phones with the "over the ear type",,, get one that might have the "look" of being wireless,,, wear them like you are using them to hear the sound out of the board, but in reality they are for your hearing protection. You can slide in/out of them easily or even just part way... Might make you look like a DJ of sorts,,, Just a thought.. might be dumb too. Might even get the real deal.. ones that actually work like they should,, but turn the sound way down so you can still hear people outside the headphones talking.

I understand the importance of protecting your ears, but I don't see how you can make the proper adjustments to the sings and the music without your full range of hearing being available to you. There is no one ear plug or head phone I have ever used that doesn't take all the treble out of the sound you hear with them on.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

You might try the Hearos High Fidelity ear plugs and see if they'll work for you. They knock quite a bit of the sound level down without totally destroying all frequencies.

http://www.earplugstore.com/er915and25pr.html these are what I used when running sound for bands. You don't lose alot of fidelity yet don't get the pounding on your eardrums.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

This actually brings up an interesting topic. VOLUME.

When I first started, which really was not that long ago, in '09... I used to turn the volume up quite loud.

Through the years, I have found a huge part of my success has been actually at keeping the volume more medium to low.

The volume at my shows is at a level that it couldn't possible hurt my ears, even with zero protection. I have compressors on every vocal channel so that keeps the screamers from hurting anyone's ears.

At all my karaoke shows, anyone can sit in the audience and comfortably talk, make jokes, laugh, converse and enjoy themselves. Took me quite a while to figure out that lower volumes work better for my shows, but glad I did figure it out when I did.

Depending on the system, less volume IS more! I see too many underpowered systems out there, the kj's think they sound great (especially when they invite me to their shows bragging on their system) only to get there to find a standalone mixer amp that pushes maybe 150-200 watts, then they have to continually turn it up to compensate for the crowd noise, driving it to clipping - ear piercing highs, lack of lows.
More power equals more headroom, but also crisper/fuller overall sound at higher volumes so even a higher volume doesn't hurt. I run approx 3000 watts in my show, they get loud, but not ear fatiguing loud.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Our sound level is indicative of the size venue, audience, age group, etc For instance, last night we were at a very large sports bar that is full with around 125-150 people. I bring 2qsc 12's and 2 qsc 10's plus a ksub which comes in around 5000 watts total. We have enough headroom to not push the levels and the sound (imho) is fantastic.
Tonight's venue is a country club setting where the average age is about 70 years old. The space is much smaller and there is no need for subs and extra speakers. two sticks and two speakers will do the trick easily.
Honestly, our sound is not sickening loud but it's up there. Our karaoke model is for people to feel like their singing with a band. I know I can't reproduce that exact sound but we try and believe most people enjoy it.

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Sound Choice and Chartbuster Certified

This is probably my pet subject so I apologize if I over state this or annoy anybody - I don't mean to, BUT...

I figure I'm at a bar to sell drinks so I use one of those Rat Shack meters for about $40 to keep my volume reasonably moderate. I usually like to keep the music itself around 88-90 dB range on that thing and the singers voices riding on top might take the sound levels up to about 95 total but they don't sing continuously.

There's an OSHA chart below that will show you that your ears can take 95 dB continuously for 4 hours before you start to get hearing loss. If you only get that high when the singers are singing you avoid the continuous part and you are probably about as loud as you want or need to be.

On a rock tune where the singers want more volume I'll let the total volume with the singer creep up to peaks of 100 or so, but that's as high as it ever gets and then bring it right back down as soon as that song is over. (Your ears can only take 100 dB continuously for 2 hours)

I set up the night before I play so I can usually get my monitor set to where the volume is fairly close to where the sound levels are at the bar itself plus I do occasionally walk around with the meter and check to see how loud it is.

If you don't want to do all that I guess you could just walk over and try to talk to the bartender. If they can't hear you speak unless you get close to a scream then you'd probably increase the bar's drink sales by turning the system down just a bit (so the bartender doesn't miss any orders and so all your people stay longer) and a little less volume definitely wouldn't hurt your ears any.

OSHA Daily Permissible Noise Level Exposure
Hours per day Sound level
8 90dB
6 92dB
4 95dB
3 97dB
2 100dB
1.5 102dB
1 105dB
.5 110dB
.25 or less 115dB

I just had to add this...

Normal conversation at 3' 60-65dB
Telephone dial tone 80dB
City Traffic (inside car) 85dB
Train whistle at 500', Truck Traffic 90dB
Jackhammer at 50' 95dB
Subway train at 200' 95dB
Level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss 90 - 95dB
Hand Drill 98dB
Power mower at 3' 107dB
Snowmobile, Motorcycle 100dB
Power saw at 3' 110dB

I'd be willing to bet most people's loud speakers here are capable of at least 110 dB -- a half hour continuous at that level and hearing loss begins... (Mackey SRM450V2s can hit and maintain a constant 124dB )

Thanks for all the suggestions. Lots of avenues to explore.

In the way of volume: my gigs vary. One show taking place in a raucous, 'earthy' college bar (loud, though I am awkwardly, but necessarily, placed behind the mains). Another in a speakeasy-esque, though legitimate, rear section of a neighborhood watering hole, catering to a 30-something and older crowd (moderately loud, but it's a lenghty five hour show with speakers permanently mounted, facing the d.j. booth/stage about 15' away). While yet another is in a 20' X 70', tile floored wine bar, drawing an artistic (and uber-talented), theater-based crowd (loud, despite creative speaker placement).