PHOTO : PY PAI
“ I don ’ t have much tonight , but every engineer I know has some tinnitus or some hearing loss , every musician ,” Caillat tells me . “ So , in one of my ears , for some reason , the hearing is worse . But when I was a kid , and the volumes that the rockers wanted to be ; they wanted it to be loud . So , you weren ’ t a musician if you didn ’ t have it loud .”
Caillat has some additional advice in terms of a way to monitor volume levels from a mobile phone , even if it isn ’ t considered fashionable .
“ Turn it down . You know , most phones have a sound pressure level ( SPL ) app – try to keep things down … No matter how cool or uncool it may seem , try to keep levels below 100dB , and preferably 90dB .”
Caillat shares a story of an experience he had being exposed to very loud guitar while recording Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac .
“ I had one situation where Lindsey was playing guitar , and he was plugged in and I said ‘ don ’ t play for a second , because I ’ ve got to change the mic .’ I went out of the control room to where he was , and I had my head and my left ear within two feet of the guitar cabinet , and he hits the chord . It came out of nowhere !”
Caillat discussed how fellow engineers , such as the late Al Schmitt ( Henry Mancini , Steely Dan , Quincy Jones , etc .) use earplugs as often as possible , so that they can continue to have a career and work for as long as possible .
“ The best engineers I know , like Al Schmitt , wanted to be working . You don ’ t necessarily make a lot of money in the music business , especially when you get older ,” explains Caillat . “ So , he wanted to work until he was in his eighties and nineties . And so , he had earplugs for anything . He ’ d go to a concert and he ’ d put in earplugs .”
KEN CAILLAT
40 PROFESSIONAL SOUND
PHOTO : ERIC BROWN
PERSPECTIVE – RUSS LONG Equally comfortable in the recording studio and the concert venue , Russ Long has engineered and mixed albums by Wilco , David Liebman , Dolly Parton , and toured with Amy Grant , Vince Gill , Paul Rogers , and many others . Long said that no matter how much equipment you possess , your ears are the priority for gaining and maintaining work in the industry .
“ I don ’ t care how many mics you own , what kind of monitors are in your studio , or what your gear collection looks like , an engineer ’ s most important commodity is their ears ,” Long stresses .
Long explains that he saw some red flags when he heard about Pete Townshend ’ s debilitating hearing loss , and that Townshend ’ s story helped influence some of his audio engineering practices .
“ Thankfully I read an interview with Pete Townshend early in my career that made me aware of the dangers of hearing loss ,” he explains . “ So , I ’ ve always been conscious of not monitoring too loud , and taking regular breaks in the studio , and keeping the volume under control when I ’ m mixing live .”
Long says that he brings earplugs wherever he goes , and he advised that engineers and musicians need to consider this as well .
“ I always carry a pair of earplugs with me , and I use them whenever I go to a concert , or if in a situation where I ’ m exposed to loud music ,” he says . “ When talking to young engineers and musicians , I can ’ t emphasize enough the importance of getting a good pair of earplugs that protect your hearing , while still allowing you to enjoy the music .”
EASY DOES IT
There are many ways to help reduce the exposure . The obvious way is to turn it down . Looking at additional tools for prevention , there are apps , such as the NIOSH Sound Level Meter app and others , that can be used discreetly during practice , rehearsal , and live performance .
As Long noted , earplugs are also beneficial . There are a wide variety of types and styles of “ musician ’ s ” earplugs available . Some are passive , and some have electronics . Some are designed to work out-of-the-box , while others are custom molded . And some provide interchangeable or adjustable filters for controlling the amount of attenuation .
RUSS LONG
Westone , Earos , Earasers , Vibes , Decibullz , and even Fender are just some of the companies making hi-fi earplugs for musicians and audio professionals . Minuendo is another such manufacturer that makes earplugs for musicians ( Ed . Disclosure : Ian Cohen has done contract PR work for Minuendo ). Its chief product officer , Tom Trones , provided some insights related to earplugs , and some ideas on how and why to use them .
“ I think the first key is to find some kind of earplugs that work for you . They should be comfortable , practical , and not ruin your listening experience ,” Trones says . “ Also , I think it ’ s really important that people be more aware of when to protect themselves . Even moderate levels can be risky if the exposure is over a prolonged period of time .”
When asked about potential treatments on the horizon for tinnitus , Trones says that there isn ’ t much help once a musician suffers hearing damage , so being proactive is essential . “ Permanent hearing loss is so far irreversible ,” adds Trones . However , he cites a study published March 7 , 2018 , in the Journal of Experimental Medicine titled “ New drugs could help prevent hearing loss ,” which point out that there is research being done that looks at ways to treat or prevent noise-induced hearing loss .
“ There are some experimental compounds being considered by researchers that could eventually help treat noise-induced hearing loss ,” says Trones . He also reveals some information on technology Minuendo is working on related to earplugs . “ We are currently developing electronic earplugs that measure the actual exposure to the ear , and then warn if the levels over time might be dangerous .”
In terms of any other ways to increase consciousness in real-time , Trones says : “ Another way to create more awareness could be to have a SoundEar noise monitor system installed – functioning as sound level meters in studios , rehearsal spaces , and concert arenas . When they light up red , it will give you a reminder to wear protection .”
HEARING IS BELIEVING
Sensaphonics Hearing Wellness is a Chicagobased full-service hearing clinic for musicians . It also offers products , such as custom in-ear monitors and custom molded earplugs . Its president , Michael Santucci , AuD , provided some hope that opinions of earplugs have shifted into a more favourable light among musicians and concertgoers .
“ I started in 1987 , and it was laughed at to wear your earplugs . Now , I sit backstage with MusiCares at Lollapalooza and Riot Fest and we give away free earplugs , and literally there ’ s 400 people in line to get them ,” says Dr . Santucci . “ And these are people and artists , right ? So , it ’ s really changed . People are more attuned to it .”