You are on the Desktop website, Click here to go back to our mobile website
We use cookies to offer you the best service possible. By using our site you agree to the use of cookies.
ARTICLE
In the past, wearing earplugs in social or professional music environments has, to some extent, seemed uncool. However, times are a changin' and the next generation of music lovers and makers do seem to be more aware of the dangers of being exposed to loud music for long periods. This is largely due to the important work done to raise awareness by the World Health Organisation, the charity Help Musicians’ UK and dedicated international hearing protection manufacturers like ACS Custom.

Cutting to the chase, the outcome of too much loud music over time is that it will destroy your hearing, which for anyone who loves and plays music as their job is a disaster! Imagine not being able to hear music with all the frequencies and in hi-fidelity, not being able to mix a track properly, or struggling to hear and join in conservations when out with friends. Just think about it!

Your hearing is one of your most sensitive human senses and very important, especially if music is your life! Therefore it’s important to be aware that permanent damage can occur to your hearing if your ears are subjected to loud music or other noise for too long. When the sound level is too loud, it can flatten down the tiny sensory hair cells in the cochlea in the inner ear, which send the nerve impulses to the brain to allow you to hear. Basically, if you keep flattening these down and damage them, after time they die off and don't grow back. The sensory hair cells all respond to different frequencies. So, when you damage them, you don't go totally deaf but lose different tones across the auditory bandwidth, which is usually the mid and high frequencies due to the resonant frequency in the ear canal. This damage is called Noise (or Music) Induced Hearing Loss. Imagine turning the treble or mid tone control down on your mixer and the music becomes less clear and muffled – that's what can happen to your hearing!

More often than not, if there has been damage to the cochlea’s sensory hair cells, you will end up with Tinnitus too, which is a constant perception of a whistling, ringing or buzzing sound in your head. This, for some people, can be a major life-changing problem, both personally and professionally.

DJs and club goers alike should be aware of the two crucial impact factors that affect your risk of hearing damage, which are the sound level and your exposure time. Sound is measured in decibels (dB) and it's important to realise that it is a logarithmic measurement of sound pressure. So, a 3dB increase in sound level is twice as loud. If the volume is twice as loud then you should half your exposure time. Simple.

Here's an example: most front of house (PA) sound levels will probably running at around 97db(A) so you can feel the bass. Your safe exposure time, would you believe, at this volume is approximately 30 minutes. However, if the sound level is increased by 3dB to 100dB (A) then your safe exposure is now just 15 minutes. Many clubs will have sound levels that are even louder, which is a bit of a scary thought!

My own hearing is permanently damaged from years of gigging with no protection and I now suffer from Music Induced Hearing Loss and Tinnitus. It is sad to talk to young DJs at IMS in Ibiza and ADE who say they have problems with their hearing, and they are in their mid-20s! We've taken sound level readings at a few clubs and sometimes the volume in the DJ booth alone can be over 110 dB. This is nuts! Your safe exposure time is less than a minute!

Fortunately, hearing protection technology has changed a lot in the last 10 years or so. You can now buy earplugs that effectively turn the volume down without muffling the sound. You can still hear the music, but wearing the plugs increases your safe exposure time significantly.

There are many different earplugs on the market, and you should buy the best that you can afford. Don't forget this is your hearing you are trying to protect! Some are a universal fit but, if you are serious about sound and want guaranteed protection every time, then custom fit is the way to go. The benefit is that they fit your ears perfectly, forming a seal that will not allow any excess sound through. Don't forget that everybody's ears are different shapes and sizes so universal fit earplugs won’t always guarantee a proper fit and therefore reliable protection. Custom-moulded earplugs give you the best acoustic seal in the ear canal and you also have a choice of attenuating filters to turn the volume down by different amounts depending on your musical environment.

ACS Custom have some of the best custom hearing protection on the market and their high-fidelity earplugs have become the music industry standard. The ACS Pro 17 earplug, which turns the volume down by an average of 17 dB(A), has an almost flat frequency response and is hailed as one of the most natural sounding earplugs in the world! Great for DJs, club goers and even sound engineers alike. And if you want to be cool and a little bit different, ACS also offer a range funky colours so you can be seen, be safe and still hear tomorrow.

For more details on ACS Custom professional hearing protection for the serious Pro Mobile DJ go to www.acscustom.com or call +44 (0)1295 266665. Quote PROMOBILE10 for 10% discount.
The full review can be found in Pro Mobile Issue 99, Pages 40-42.
UPCOMING EVENTS
BPM DJ Show 2024
12 / 10 / 2024 - 13 / 10 / 2024
Photo Booth Expo London
13 / 10 / 2024 - 14 / 10 / 2024
VIEW THE FULL CALENDAR
BOOK STORE FEATURED PRODUCT
HOW TO PRICE YOUR PLATYPUS

BY DAVID ABBOTT

£5.00 (INC P&P)
More
VISIT THE BOOK STORE