Newb asks stupid question...

[FMTDee]

Please tell me how in GREEN HELL (unless you all live in arenas) are you able to assess the sound of an amp at high volumes without destroying your ears--much less play at high volumes on a regular basis.

I know, I know: rock 'n roll forever, metal up your ass, if it's too loud you're too old, blah blah blah. But I'm serious.

It doesn't take much, especially if you're standing in front of it twisting knobs, to fuck your hearing up royally.

Call me a puss but I'm hesitant to crank my new amp for fear of blowing my effing eardrums. Wouldn't using hearing protection block out nuances of the sound? What are you guys doing to protect your hearing?

Am I going to be running into you guys when we start going to get fitted for hearing aids, LOL...

 

[TwinACStacks]

WHAT? We can't hear you. Please speak LOUDER.


TWIN

 

[TwinACStacks]

Okay seriously now. Don't STACK Your cabs. 1/2 stacks are below ear level. Why do you think Pagey had 'em Side by side?

TWIN

 

[sccloser]

I have found that as I get older that my hearing degradation allows me to play more comfortably at higher volume levels.

I just try to stand away from the line of fire...directly in front of the speakers. Stand off to the side. keep your back to it when in front. do not turn to the side...one ear will get a blast.

 

[FMTDee]

WHAT? We can't hear you. Please speak LOUDER.


TWIN

Alright, lol... Was waiting on that one.

Now that we have that out of the way...

 

[sccloser]

Oh, I love to stack my cabs! Helps with controlled feedback. Wall of sound behind me so I can hear myself when I need to.

 

[Username2]

If you are standing off to the side of a stack the db levels are much reduced then if you are standing in front of it. Most Marshall stacks cranked up are laying out 120 -127 dba @ 3ft, painfull yes. However the same amp standing off to the side of it measures about 107dba so position is key. Just for information I have measured 100 watt plexi stacks at 134db which to date is the loudest stack. Anything over 116db for >5 minutes will do damage.

 

[Clammy]

Custom molded earplugs with Etymotic filters. The filters have flat frequency attenuation, so it just sounds like the volume is turned down.

I jam a double-headed full Marshall stack at live gig volume (read: LOUD AS FUCK!!!) regularly at rehearsal with the band. John (our guitarist) runs a 2203 topped full stack as well, and our drummer is a heavy hitter. My ears are fine with the plugs and -15dB filters.

Cheers!

 

[mike mike]

moderation is key

 

[FMTDee]

Custom molded earplugs with Etymotic filters. The filters have flat frequency attenuation, so it just sounds like the volume is turned down.

I jam a double-headed full Marshall stack at live gig volume (read: LOUD AS FUCK!!!) regularly at rehearsal with the band. John (our guitarist) runs a 2203 topped full stack as well, and our drummer is a heavy hitter. My ears are fine with the plugs and -15dB filters.

Cheers!

Talk about a wall of sound!

Thanks for the info. Kinda pricey (okay, really pricey) for earplugs but I guess it's a small price to pay to save your ears, especially if you dig music. Smart investment you made there though, given what you're pummeling your eardrums with!

Thanks for all the replies. I never would have thought that standing to the side would make that much of a difference, Nuke. Marshall loudness can really fill up a room! But who am I to argue with science.... Gonna try this and some good earplugs and see if I can't shatter some china.

thanks again

 

[thrawn86]

I play at 5-6 and stand to the side a bit. When I want a massage, I stand in front of the cab.

 

[richieG]

Custom molded earplugs with Etymotic filters. The filters have flat frequency attenuation, so it just sounds like the volume is turned down.

Where can you get these earplugs? are they like spectacles where you need a prescription or can you get them online.

Thanks for the info.

As a side note, I guess in ear monitors would act as earplugs as well.

 

[Skotosynthesis]

I don't know a/b earplugs (have never touched the things,) but I find it's a lot like listening to your car radio. Start low, gradually turn it up. You know how you'll be rocking out to some tunes w/ the radio cranked when you pull in the driveway or the parking lot, and it doesn't really seem all that loud? Well, forget to turn the volume down, get back in the car early in the morning to go to work and crank the engine w/ the radio still at max volume... and that shit will blast your head off and give you a migraine, and you'll spill your coffee all over yourself like that guy in Top Gun. When I'm jamming with the band, I find that we gradually get louder and louder as practice goes on. Besides, it's good to warm the tubes up, anyway. And yes, standing a little at an angle helps, too. It's hard to tame the feedback if you stand right up against the cabinets. It just howls and squeals. Sometimes you want that, but not all the time! And I guess wear earplugs! (?) I'm pretty sure I should, but I just honestly like those volumes. It gets me off. Kicks in the endorphins or something, I don't know.

 

[Landshark]

What I do (at shows) is get my amp up to a level that I like, adjust the EQ if necessary, let her rip for a few minutes. This is normally during soundcheck so we'll run a song for fine tuning the whole band mix. Then before we actually play our set, I put the earplugs in, that way I know what I actually sound like, yet I save my hearing also.

 

[axe arsenal]

I don't know a/b earplugs (have never touched the things,) but I find it's a lot like listening to your car radio. Start low, gradually turn it up...

Do not think that there is less damage to your ears because you gradually adapt to loud music.

 

[Skotosynthesis]

Do not think that there is less damage to your ears because you gradually adapt to loud music.

No, I hear you man. Let us not walk in deception, nor encumber ourselves with the burdens of falsehood, thus sayeth the rocknroll gods. It's kinda like my tobacco usage, though: I, as an adult, fully accept responsibility for what I'm getting myself into with my bad habits. But, the way I see it, I don't want to live to be 100 if it means 100 years without a cigarette. Same goes for loud music!
...and I do appreciate the concern, btw.

 

[Ken]

No, I hear you man. Let us not walk in deception, nor encumber ourselves with the burdens of falsehood, thus sayeth the rocknroll gods. It's kinda like my tobacco usage, though: I, as an adult, fully accept responsibility for what I'm getting myself into with my bad habits. But, the way I see it, I don't want to live to be 100 if it means 100 years without a cigarette. Same goes for loud music!
...and I do appreciate the concern, btw.

The IS less damage, but it's like damage from a car going off a 30 foot cliff vs. a 50 foot cliff. It's a busted car either way.

Sharp reports, like gunshots, do damage by their very nature. Loud music that's constant will also do damage but not as much as the gunshots at the same dB. But you'll go just as deaf over time without protection. Bottom line: use earplugs!

Ken

 

[spacerocker]

Custom molded earplugs with Etymotic filters. The filters have flat frequency attenuation, so it just sounds like the volume is turned down.

I jam a double-headed full Marshall stack at live gig volume (read: LOUD AS FUCK!!!) regularly at rehearsal with the band. John (our guitarist) runs a 2203 topped full stack as well, and our drummer is a heavy hitter. My ears are fine with the plugs and -15dB filters.

Cheers!

Me too, except that I think my filters are -25dB! It's like sitting in your lounge listening to the hi-fi, whilst in reality stripping the paint off the walls 25ft away!!!

I think the biggest risk from playing loud is tinnitus...Must be hell to live with, and once you've got it, you've got it for good!

 

[Guitargearfreak]

I also got ethymotic earplugs for live situation. It's good, but it deforms the sound a bit (a lot less than standard foam plug though) and you'll hear yourself inside your head (breathing, signing very loud).

Etymotic Research, Inc. - ETY-Plugs ER20 High Fidelity Earplugs

BUT, I totally agree that a 100watts tube head is a ridiculous choice for 99% of guitar players. People want to buy what their idols play, or what they hear on their favorite albums. But they forgot that thier idols plays stadium!!!! or that they set these amps to broiled on a recording booth and get out of the room, behind the board, where the final volume is controled...

Playing a tube amp with the master set to 0.5 defeats the whole point of having a tube amp.

I only use my DSL100 in live situation. My 4x12 stays in the car, because I don't need it at home... for practice I play a blackstar ht-5 into a 1x12 or 2x12 and it sounds 10000 times better than my Marshall at that same volume... There's so many good pratice amps that people who don't do gigs should buy, but they are brainwashed by these Marshall walls that they see at rock shows, and think that a combo would not sounds as good...

I know a lot of people will disagree and say that a full stack is the best thing on earth for every situation, but I strongly believe that a full size Marshall head is a wrong choice for many players.

here's a summary

1. You get a too big amp for home use:

1.a You keep it low and sounds awfull, waste of money

1.b You cranked it and
- become deaf
- get tinnitus
- pissed off your neighbourhood
- loose your girlfriend
- wear earplugs
- buy an attenuator
- make a isolation box for your cab that you miced up
- isolate the whole room
- remove tubes, or use low powered tube

2. You get a small amp:
You cranked it and enjoy.

HAHA! I know it's a little over the top! ahahhahaha!

 

[Ken]

I also got ethymotic earplugs for live situation. It's good, but it deforms the sound a bit (a lot less than standard foam plug though) and you'll hear yourself inside your head (breathing, signing very loud).

Etymotic Research, Inc. - ETY-Plugs ER20 High Fidelity Earplugs

BUT, I totally agree that a 100watts tube head is a ridiculous choice for 99% of guitar players. People want to buy what their idols play, or what they hear on their favorite albums. But they forgot that thier idols plays stadium!!!! or that they set these amps to broiled on a recording booth and get out of the room, behind the board, where the final volume is controled...

Playing a tube amp with the master set to 0.5 defeats the whole point of having a tube amp.

I only use my DSL100 in live situation. My 4x12 stays in the car, because I don't need it at home... for practice I play a blackstar ht-5 into a 1x12 or 2x12 and it sounds 10000 times better than my Marshall at that same volume... There's so many good pratice amps that people who don't do gigs should buy, but they are brainwashed by these Marshall walls that they see at rock shows, and think that a combo would not sounds as good...

I know a lot of people will disagree and say that a full stack is the best thing on earth for every situation, but I strongly believe that a full size Marshall head is a wrong choice for many players.

here's a summary

1. You get a too big amp for home use:

1.a You keep it low and sounds awfull, waste of money

1.b You cranked it and
- become deaf
- get tinnitus
- pissed off your neighbourhood
- loose your girlfriend
- wear earplugs
- buy an attenuator
- make a isolation box for your cab that you miced up
- isolate the whole room
- remove tubes, or use low powered tube

2. You get a small amp:
You cranked it and enjoy.

HAHA! I know it's a little over the top! ahahhahaha!

All very true! But it's such a blast to play through a full stack...I'm addicted to it.

Ken