From melvinnich@aol.com Sun Dec 28 11:51:39 2003
Subject:Re: Echo.. co.. co.. co..


In a message dated 12/28/03 1:21:57 PM, mkarl2@uswest.net writes:

<< That might be an interesting thread - what do you that gig live do to

protect your hearing? >>

To Karl, and all of us who sit in front of our own amplification:

I could never adapt to the earplugs that muffle the sound. So I SWEAR BY the
Etymotics research earplugs (www.etymoticresearch.com) because they don't
muffle the sound but give you something close to a flat frequency response. In
their product line you can choose how many db you want cut. I use the maximum
db cut option, though these actually work well for not-so-loud gigs.

You can buy expensive, customized Etymotic earplugs that fit in your ear such
that no one sees them. I am stingy so I just go with the cheap ones--I
think they are called the ER-20. With ER-20s the audience can see the little
Frankenstein sticks coming out of your ears, but they come to less than $20 a
pair. I actually have never lost them, but if I did lose them I wouldn't cry as I
would for the expensive ones.

I wish I had bought these earplugs earlier in my life: live and learn. With
these earplugs, I have been able to stay in the rock game (instead of backing
off to only jazz). Without them, I probably would have gotten out of rock
since I don't want to be an old deaf guy.