Singers often wear earplugs during performances for several important reasons. Earplugs help protect their hearing, improve their performance, and prevent feedback. Let’s explore why earplugs have become an essential tool for many singers.
Protecting Hearing
One of the main reasons singers wear earplugs is to prevent hearing damage. Singers are exposed to frequent loud noises from amplifiers, speakers, and their own voices reverberating in monitors or in-ear systems. Prolonged exposure can lead to noise-induced hearing loss over time.
Hearing loss from noise exposure is cumulative. It builds up gradually with every loud concert, rehearsal, or other noise exposure. Once hearing damage occurs, it is permanent. Earplugs help reduce those harmful noise levels reaching the inner ear.
Singers are especially vulnerable to hearing loss since their career requires constant exposure to hazardous noise. Even with volume limits on equipment, the combination of their own voice, band members, and crowds can easily peak over 85 decibels. That is the threshold where hearing protection becomes necessary.
Examples of decibel levels singers may be exposed to:
| Source | Decibel Level |
|---|---|
| Their own voice near monitors | 100 dB |
| Band playing behind them | 110 dB |
| Screaming/cheering crowds | 120 dB |
Just 30 minutes per day at 105 decibels can begin causing permanent damage. Earplugs offering 15-30 decibels of sound reduction can help bring those exposure levels into a safer range.
Improving Performance
Another reason singers wear earplugs is to improve their performance. Earplugs help singers hear themselves and stay in tune. The earplugs protect just from the harsh intensity of the noise, while still allowing lower decibel vocals and instruments to be heard clearly.
Trying to sing over blaring monitors or crowds can be fatiguing. It makes singers strain their voices and lose vocal control. Earplugs reduce the extreme volume allowing the singer to hear nuances in their voice and pronunciation. This helps them pace their vocals and Dynamics over the course of a performance.
Earplugs also prevent distortion from loud mixes. The clarity helps singers stay in key and on pitch. Conversely, trying to sing over distorted sound can easily throw singers off tune. The earplugs create a filtered listening environment optimized for vocalists.
Preventing Feedback
Lastly, earplugs help prevent audio feedback. Feedback occurs when a microphone picks up sound from nearby speakers and creates a piercing loop. The screeching noise can hurt the singer’s ears at close range.
Feedback is caused by microphones detecting and amplifying their own signals. Earplugs essentially block this detection. They prevent the mic from picking up the nearby amplified sound to complete the loop. The foam dampening isolates the mic by lowering ambient noise levels.
For singers using in-ear monitor systems, earplugs improve the isolation even further. This prevents on-stage wedges or rear speakers from being audible and causing issues. Earplugs and in-ears together make feedback far less likely.
Types of Earplugs for Singers
There are various types of earplugs designed specifically for musicians and singers:
- Foam earplugs – Disposable foam plugs are affordable but need replacing often. They also muffle some vocal nuances.
- Filtered musician earplugs – These lower volume evenly while retaining sound quality. Highly recommended for singers.
- Custom molded earplugs – Made from impressions of the wearer’s ears for comfortable fit. Provides excellent isolation and protection.
- Hi-fi earplugs – With flat attenuation across frequencies for most natural sound. Advanced design but higher price.
Many earplugs designed for musicians have a “flat attenuation” across bass, mid, and high frequencies. This helps preserve the full tonal quality, just at lower volumes. Generic foam earplugs tend to over-attenuate high frequencies which can muffle vocals.
Choosing the Right Earplugs
With musicians earplugs, it is important to choose the right protection level or “attenuation rating” printed on the packaging. This indicates how many decibels it blocks:
- 9-15 decibels – For slight amplification reduction
- 16-19 decibels – For most practice and performance needs
- 20-25 decibels – For very loud stage environments
A 9-15 dB rating is typically best for singers. This takes the edge off loud monitors or instrument amps while still allowing vocals and instruments to be heard clearly. Heavier attenuation can make monitoring and singing more difficult.
It is also key to get earplugs that fit your ears properly. Ill-fitting plugs will not provide their full noise reduction and can fall out. Custom molded plugs are ideal for singers who perform often.
Proper Insertion Technique
Correctly inserting foam or other tip earplugs is important. Follow these steps for getting a tight seal:
- Roll and compress the foam tip into a very thin tube
- Reach over your head with the opposite hand to pull up and back on your ear
- Use your other hand to slide the earplug into the ear canal
- Hold for 20-30 seconds while the foam expands and seals the ear
With practice, musicians can learn to easily sing and perform with earplugs in place. It quickly becomes second nature.
Considerations and Alternatives
There are a few additional points singers should consider when using earplugs:
- May need to adjust in-ear monitor mix levels
- Avoid plugging both ears if possible
- Take short listening breaks if feeling disconnected
- Supplement with overhead acoustics/wedges if needed
If having trouble monitoring with two earplugs, try just using one. Or if overheads/wedges are available, use those to supplement the in-ear mix.
Some singers may benefit from specialized IEM systems with ambient microphones. These combine filtered on-stage sounds with the earphone mix for better monitoring. Advanced systems like this can make earplugs unnecessary in some cases.
Conclusion
Wearing earplugs has many benefits for vocalists who are exposed to harmful stage volume levels show after show. Protecting their hearing, improving their performance, and preventing feedback are all compelling reasons for singers to use earplugs.
With the right type and fit, earplugs allow singers to hear themselves and their band with clarity. They provide a filtered listening environment optimized for vocalists. Earplugs are an inexpensive way to gain control over stage monitoring and take a proactive step toward preserving long-term hearing ability.