Protecting your ears while having a good time

As I had announced in my last blog, I had shot the band "Back Pocket Memory" and their friends "Corvo Radio". The Photographs turned out really well, despite having to deal with very bad lighting conditions.


"Back Pocket Memory" performing @ Aura Nightclub in Studio City, CA
(Ian Felchlin - Guitar / Vocals, Jason Montgomery - Drums, Chris Pennington - Lead Vocals, Rob Gallagher - Bass / Vocals, Eddie Rosales - Guitar)


Ian Felchlin, Guitarist of Back Pocket Memory and my buddy Jason Montgomery playing drums in the background.


"Corvo Radio" Performing @ Aura Nightclub in Studio City, CA
(Jeff Lusby - Guitar / Lead Vocals, Kieran Smiley - Bass / Vocals, Ethan Rea - Drums)


Kieran Smiley of "Corvo Radio" singing their new catchy song "Alien"


Hearing Protection

I wanted to talk about something that is important to me that I think everybody should take into account before they decide to shoot an event like this or even attend live concerts. I don't mean to go to your local hardware store and pick up a couple of foam ear plugs. Those will work to save your hearing but they will make the sound quality so undesirable you will not enjoy the music.

There is a company here in the states called Etymotic Research, Inc. who is Illinois based that specialize in developing some of the most advanced hearing technology. They have products ranging from ear phones, noise reduction technology, very advanced ear plugs, and even hearing aids. I definitely recommend a browse around their site.

The product I ordered was the ER-20 High Fidelity Hearing Protection which are supposed to attenuate the sound levels to a safe listening level while maintaining the sound quality. Normal voices should be audible and understandable, although with a little more difficulty than normal hearing.

I had heard about this type of protection before while I was involved in music programs for years, but had never considered it before now. Let me tell you a little story of how one moment is all it takes. I have a fond memory of going to The Whiskey A Go Go about 6 years ago to see some local bands play (there was probably a good 7 bands on that night) I remember it being loud, but after awhile I got used to it and stayed up in the balcony area with some friends. On leaving the club that night I remember shouting to my friends and turning the stereo on in my car and going "Where's the music at?" I then realized I could hardly hear anything. Let's just say my hearing recovered, but it was never the same again. I've heard a couple of stories of people going to see "The Smashing Pumpkins" and having permanent ringing in the ears for the rest of their lives. So as hard as it is to believe, our hearing is a precious thing and we should try and protect it as much as possible.

Back to the Ear Plugs!
What is great about these ear plugs is that you can still hear the music, feel the music, and enjoy the music without it sounding all muffled and bass. This is because it attenuates evenly with a 12-20 db decrease, where foam ear plugs only take out the dangerous high frequencies leaving the low bass frequencies at their levels.

Reviewing the plugs
Simple answer to this. They do what they are designed to do and they work great at it for a pretty low price. If I were a professional musician or start doing shows all the time I probably will order the custom molded ear protection that Epytomic Research, Inc offers. They are supposed to be a lot more comfortable (as the ER-20's are not the most comfortable after wearing for awhile) and they offer more or less Db attenuation depending on model.
But for less than $13 you can not go wrong with the ER-20's. It feels great when I can stand 2 feet from an Amplifier screaming sound out that would make anybody step back about 6 or 7 feet and I am not even affected. This allowed me to definitely get some amazing shots and I still had my hearing at the end of the night, the next day, and the rest of my life.

Moral of This?
The Moral of this blog is "Don't take your hearing for granted" you will not miss it until it's gone, and technology has not advanced enough to really give it back.

What is it and where can I get them?
I ordered the
ER-20 High Fidelity Ear Protection
$12 from Etymotic Research, Inc and Amazon.com
They come in 6 Assorted Colors and have smaller version for narrow ear canals.
They also come in a cool plastic case that I have strapped right on my camera strap for easy access.

In Europe the leading ear protection is Alpine MusicSafe Natural Sound Ear Plugs which cost around $30 and come with interchangeable filters for difference sound level attenuation.
They can be picked up, along with the ER-20's, at The Ear Plug Superstore

Disclaimer
The ER-20 can only protect your hearing for so long given the situation. With continued exposure to loud noises your hearing will be affected.

There is a really useful chart in the Instruction guide that let's you know how long you can use them for each situation depending on the Db levels.