Hearing Damage as a DJ
Hearing Damage as a DJ Posted on: 20.11.2011 by Gerard Cowin I couldn't help but notice that my sense of hearing has diminished somewhat as a result of constantly listening to loud music. It began as a young child listening to rock n roll, progressing to heavy metal in my teens, and finally techno and house as an adult. As a full time DJ and producer, how do you put up with the noise withstanding minimal damage to your ears? Do you wear earplugs at shows/gigs? I couldn't see myself wearing ear plugs at home, but at shows it is understandable due to the high decibel output. I have heard from others that it is actually the high end frequencies that damage the ears rather than the low. Is that true? Would listening to music at a moderate level while DJing damage the ears over a sustained amount of time? I am becoming worried about my hearing :\ What's your take on the issue? | |
| Dorie Scelzo 24.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by SpeshulEd
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| Faustino Stringfellow 24.11.2011 | got tinnitus years ago, you get used to it. but you do need to realise what you hear is not always the same as the audience hears. After 25 years of overly loud PA and installations, i can judge the right levels, but it can't be said for everyone I seen/heard over the years. If you have it, find a good sound engineer and make him your best friend. |
| Joselyn Supina 23.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by DJ ATX
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| DJ MENSAH 23.11.2011 | Any pointers (related to that ringing in the ears) on how much your hearing is damadged? For example, - mild ringing when you lie down - strong ringing when you lie down - ringing only the next morning - ringing trougout the entire next day Might be a stupid question but I thought it wont hurt to ask. |
| Noelia Martig 23.11.2011 | It was an ear wash. Basicly saline/aka water in the ear used with a pressure. The doctor recommened to only use quetips for the other ear portion. cause using quetips actually compacts ear wax into the ear. which added in the force of air being pushed in from headphones use will make it go down the ear canal. Just have a doctor do a ear check and see if you have compacted wax down the canal. youtube it and se how bad it can get. |
| Valentin Doong 23.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by DJWilliams
Your hearing can be permanently damaged without hearing that ringing the next morning. Its all about the extent of the DB and the amount of time exposed. Your ears can only take so much. More DB means less time you have too be exposed. |
| Teodoro Woolever 23.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by SpeshulEd
Try these out. The large should be perfect size for you. Average people are Med. and women are typically fit the small size. I personally use the large. They are very comfortable. Also do not interfere with headphones. And they have 2 way to dampen sounds. Also people can't see them unless they are really close and looking at your ear directly. |
| Shelia Salzsieder 23.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by Steeevo
I was looking at earplugs online yesterday but couldn't decide on ones to buy because my ear canals are really small - I went out last evening to the new evening club here and the music was WAY too loud, it really angers me, if they would have turned it down by 15-20db it would have been perfect, yet they feel they need to have it that loud and nobody there was wearing earplugs. Today I have tinnitus, which means my hearing was damaged last evening , no-one's arsed though are they? |
| Keli Muennink 23.11.2011 | you do not want tinitus, it keeps you up at evening
. and ironically the only way to get rid of that ringing is listening to music. its something you have to live with and its hard when no one around you can understand what its like. i hope one day SOON there will be a cure for it. I have heard stories of people getting depressed and comitting suicide over it |
| Valentin Doong 24.11.2011 | In my personal experience, hearing damage can become extensive as a DJ. Especially if you do 4 hour sets at a club, your most likely too walk away with permanent damage to your ears. That is, unless you take the proper precautions too protect your hearing. I'm sure its been mentioned in this thread before, but earplugs definitely do work. Whenever im doing a club for a long time, you'll most likely catch me with mine plugged into my ears. Dj's and Producers need their ears. |
| Joselyn Supina 23.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by DJ ATX
For the most part they were fine, although I could feel them. The headphones just kind of pushed them to the side. For the 15 minutes or so I had them in, they didn't bother me at all, however, if you were going for hours on end, it might get a little annoying. However, anything in my ears for hours on end would get annoying. Just take them out and readjust, let your ears breath for a second or two and it seems like things would be ok. I should mention my ears are larger...not really dumbo ears or anything, but not tiny either. To be honest, they're just plastic and the long ends are to get them in and out of your ear. I'm sure you could file down the ends a bit to make them work better with headphones. |
| Alla Bluemke 22.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by djfunke
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| Brunilda Kora 22.11.2011 | I've had tinnitis for a few years now. Lemme tell you - it is AWEFUL. I've got plugs that I use now, but I wish I'd taken heed 10+ years ago and bought 'em with my first set up. It's so loud sometimes, that I can hear it over the TV, or even over people speaking. Take heed, folks! Buy some ASAP.
So if you feel your hearing is going out first get a ear check up and see if an ear cleaining will help.
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| Lilliana Perris 22.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by hrtbrkd
My mate said his mum used to put a weak peroxide solution in his ear and it would liquify the nasties in there. Similar? I don't want to put just ANYTHING in my ears. Or was your a procedure? |
| Shelia Salzsieder 22.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by DJ ATX
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| Arletha Heddens 22.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by djfunke
Even when two songs are playing over the speakers, i don't know which way i should be adjusting the cueing song... |
| Noelia Martig 21.11.2011 | I am not a doctor but will give my experience. I have been a DJ for 15 years now never used ear protection. When I got out of the military I thought my hearing was going out. I went to the doctors who recomened I get an ear wash. OMG. they cleaned out my ear and saw what was impacted. They said due to the frequency of applying music on a constant basic with my headphones this was normal. Today I hear so clearly it's insane. So if you feel your hearing is going out first get a ear check up and see if an ear cleaining will help. |
| Teodoro Woolever 21.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by SpeshulEd
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| Joselyn Supina 21.11.2011 | These were already mentioned, but I'll mention them again. If you don't want to get the molded professional ones, I'd recommend these. http://www.etymotic.com/hp/er20.html They're fairly inexpensive and the quality is evening and day over the foam ones. |
| Shelia Salzsieder 21.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by jakeintox
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| Ninfa Mazariegos 21.11.2011 | I mean, I can totally tell when two beats are not lined up, but with a headphone over one ear and a tune playing over the speakers, I can't for the life of me, hear the individual tunes. With both tracks playing over the speakers, it's not a problem. Maybe it's all just in my head and I haven't yet learned to "train" my ears. Does that sound crazy? |
| Bernice Delon 21.11.2011 | I wasn't saying Put you ear next to a M80 and set it off......my point was it can be worked on. I have perfect hearing. But cause I've been doing stuff like working on and around drag cars since I was 10 (28 now) Loud Bass doesn't bother me. |
| Philip Degener 21.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by BRENNER
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| Ninfa Mazariegos 21.11.2011 | I was told by a doctor that my eardrums are scarred. I was standing in a group at the local fair a few months ago, and I couldn't be a part of the conversation because I couldn't hear anyone over the noise, while everyone seemed to not have a problem. I took a hearing test for a job at a seed mill, and surprisingly did quite well. I'm hoping the problem is that I just suck at beatmatching, so i'm wondering if anyone else with recent hearing damage has noticed that beatmatching has become more dificult. |
| Tynisha Teeman 21.11.2011 | I picked up a pair of custom fit plugs from http://www.sensaphonics.com/?p=331. They ran $200 including the custom molds and hearing test. I was able to go to their office in Chicago, but you can also see any audiologist to have the molds made. They are small enough to fit under headphones, are comfortable over extended periods of wear, and (as others have mentioned) I can actually hear people talking in the clubs more clearly. They have been worth every penny. |
| Palma Hanslip 21.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by djfunke
My advice to people is to find out as much as possible about the history of your ears. I got my parents to tell me as much as they could about mines. Pretty much know exactly why my hearing is bad down to every last detail. |
| Ethel Feigum 21.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by DJWilliams
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| Ninfa Mazariegos 21.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by BRENNER
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| Queen Sichel 21.11.2011 | I tried using those cheap earplugs, but I believe they do take out to much our of certain frequencies and everything just sounds weird. I used to have molded ones, but I lost them in the vinegar smelling mud at a festival... Kinda sucked, didn't get new ones either. What I do is whenever I play I try to turn of the monitors whenever I'm not in a mix and have them at the lowest level where I'm still comfortable with the sound, have my headphones as low as possible (and make sure they have good isolation)... This doesn't work that good though, as I always get pretty severe cases of that ear fatigue when I leave, ie. not being able to understand/hear conversation etc. Sometimes it stays 'till the morning after, which sucks. Think this means I'm probably on the road to some permanent ear damage? Should probably invest in some good earplugs again... Thanks for this thread to remind me of my poor ears... |
| Teodoro Woolever 21.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by DJWilliams
http://www.surefire.com/EP3-Sonic-Defenders |
| Bernice Delon 22.11.2011 | I don't have much Experience with Ear issues as a DJ, but from my Drag Racing days and as a Diver I have alot of Experience. The Ear Drum is a Muscle just like any other it can be worked on. When I was Racing whether it was my Supercharged B18C Honda, or a Top Fuel Dragster, I'm able to get with in a few feet of the exhaust headers (the flames that shoot out keep me away more then the noise lol). And Even Now I can stand right next to the Monitors and have Heavy Bass blasting me and not even blink, walk outside where its quite and Hear fine. As for Diving we deal water pressure acting on our Ears. What I suggest to my Student who have problems is a weeks before diving again to work on their ears by "popping" then (Hold your Nose and Blow). Now obviously that probably won't help with Sound, but that's just my point of how the Ear is a Muscle. Hope that helps alittle |
| Ninfa Mazariegos 22.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by Liambo
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| Makkins Clifton 22.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by mostapha
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| Dorie Scelzo 22.11.2011 | Didn't read any of the responses. I don't go out if I don't have something to protect my ears. If the club isn't particularly loud, there's a way to wad up bar napkins (that are bone dry, of course) that doesn't sound too bad and makes a big difference. But that's only if it was on a whim and I don't have my real plugs. I use Hearos musicians plugs in the "new, smaller size" because after about 2 minutes I forget that they're there. I can actually hear more detail in the music with them in as well as people talking next to me instead of screaming in my ear. I haven't done a gig without plugs in for several years. And I wear them at home and at my friend's house when playing guitar because we use tube amps and they don't sound right unless they're loud enough to cause damage |
| Makkins Clifton 21.11.2011 | I also lost some decibels already despite me being in the early 20s. That's why I got some moulded earplugs. They are totally worth the money. Their little bag is always attached to my keys so I (almost) never forget them. The funny thing in clubs is that you can hear people yelling at each other and understand every word. |
| Spencer Kilcoyne 21.11.2011 | I use Etymotic ER20s (they are quite long, but I have big lugs so it's not so bad) I have some other one that are lower profile and fit under my headphones better (name escapes me at the mo) I dind't buy custom moulded ones, as I occasionally lose stuff, and finding tiny earplugs on the floor in a a dark booth is tricky (and tbh I probably wouldn't want to put them back in my ears afterwards ...) |
| Verlene Geevarghese 21.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by sarasin
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| Shelia Salzsieder 21.11.2011 | Well I hope I'll be going out & gigging every week soon, so I'd need pretty good ones. I don't have that much money but ideally I'd want ones that lower the highs a bit as they are what causes tinnitus etc, but I don't want ones that lower the volume significantly. I have looked on Amazon and there are ER20s and Alpine Music Safe Pro but I don't really fancy either of them as they stick out of your ear a lot and I have small ear canals. |
| Evelyn Navarijo 21.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by DJWilliams
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| Shelia Salzsieder 21.11.2011 | Does anyone have any tips on what earplugs to get? Should I just get normal rubbish ones or pay a bit extra for professional ones? |
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