5 Ear-Saving Tips for Musicians and Audio Professionals

1. Wear hearing protection.

Forget about tissue or cotton – these homemade devices only reduce noise by about 7 dB. Foam earplugs are better, but the best are custom-fitted earplugs designed to cut decibels without muffling high frequencies.

2. Be alert to noise levels in your environment.

Buy a sound pressure level meter and measure SPL against the OSHA requirements.

3. Turn down your monitors.

Prolonged exposure to sounds in excess of 85 dBs is risky behavior — particularly if you’re using headphones.

4. Increase distance between you and the sound source.

This means standing at an angle from the source, not in front of it.

5. Take breaks during long sessions.

Give your ears a rest. Take a walk someplace quiet, if possible.

Although these tips seem like common sense, what’s even more common is musicians and engineers routinely ignoring them.

Earplugs and other hearing protection devices may not be ‘cool’ — but neither is hearing loss!

(Taken from https://www.audiolinks.com/blog/hearing-protection-tips-for-audio-engineers/)