I just wanted to add an ammendum to my last post. I'm double-posting because I don't feel like messing with the table again, and I'm the Maestro and I can do whatever I want.

Sound	Decibel Level
softest audible sound	0 dB
normal breathing	10 dB
rustling leaves	20 dB
whispering	25 dB
clothes dryer	60 dB
normal conversation	60 dB
dishwasher	65 dB
car	70 dB
busy traffic	75 dB
alarm clock	80 dB
noisy restaurant	80 dB
average factory	85 dB
screaming child	90 dB
subway train	100 dB
diesel truck	100 dB
jackhammer	100 dB
helicopter	105 dB
power mower	105 dB
shouting in ear	110 dB
live rock music	90-130 dB
football stadium	117 dB
band concert	120 dB
thunder	120 dB
car horn	120 dB
jackhammer	130 dB
air raid siren	130 dB
noisy squeeze toys	135 dB
PAIN STARTS	140 dB
gunshot	140 dB
jet engine	140 dB
rocket launching	180 dB
loudest sound	194 dB

Notice the level for a football stadium. Of course, this is for the NFL or a very large university. Add drumming to that. Yeah, it starts to hurt come half-time. And yes, I notice the table seems to be a bit confused about a jackhammer, but I didn't make the table.

For personal use, I'd recommend isolation headphones for practicing with your drumline, your band or just playing home alone. Plus, I would play with those headphones regardless since to me my drumset sounds nicer with them and with the line you can really be able to listen to the line without having any pain.

In performing situations, of course, I go for Hearos. They seem to diminish enough noise for me to feel comfortable when doing a fff rimshot.

On a little side note, I noticed the other day that a set of bells and multiple vibraphones can REALLY do some damage. Watching my Cavies Drumline DVD alone hurt to watch. I was watching the front ensemble do warmups at my normal TV volume and I had to turn it down a lot. Any pit guys ever have problems with the volume of the section like that?

I can handle drumline noise much better than having to listen to the pit. The bells and xylophones really really get to my ears.

When I marched at Dartmouth, no one wore plugs and they weren't enforced. I now have lost almost all of the hearing in my right ear (from some hacker next to me no doubt), and 27% in my left ear. I have tennitus. Some of the guys I marched with are younger than me (24) and require hearing aids. I have encouraged all my students since I started teaching 6 years ago to wear earplugs (and not the wet toil;et paper trick either. That helps for sound but does not block the damaging waves). If my students don't have them at every rehearsal...they don't play.

I've been reading a lot about this stuff online since this thread was started. And... I've looked at a lot of charts like the one DL inserted. I'm confused about one thing though. A gunshot is 140dB, which is in the "red zone" or hearing damage area right? Are we supposed to assume that the gunshot is happening right by our ear? If not, how close do we have to be for hearing damage to occur? It seems to me that distance should play an important part in these figures. Hmmm...

OK. Lets go off of that. Now any snare drummer knows, when a rimshot takes place on the drum to the left and/or right, assuming that the actual drums have Kevlar heads and the rimshot is played at a stick height of 9 in., it sounds similar to a gunshot (if done correctly). Measure the distance from the other player's drum head to you're own ear. Thats how close the gun is. Now think of how many times it occurs during a show. Now think of Indoor Shows.

Also, it is the high range dBs that we need to look out for. The high register of the vibes and xylo, all cymbals, concert bells are the worst, krytales, and the snare. Hearing loss will usually start with our high end registar. If we slow that down, we have a better chance to keep our hearing fairly normal for a longer period of time.

If the gunshot is coming from where a snaredrum would be, then yes, that would be damaging. But what I'm saying is, how far away do you have to be before there is no damage? What if you're 2 people away? 3-4? 20 yards? It just seems vague to me for a figure to say "a gunshot produces 140 dB and that is harmful." Well...from precisely what distance is that harmful? It's raining today, so I have a lot of extra time to think about things like this while I'm trying to keep dry under this leaf here.

OK now we're getting into physics. 15-20 yds would be a safe distance if not projected directly at you. But then we have a ton of variables. As you northerners know, when it's colder outside, sound travels farther. So 15-20 yds. may be damaging on a cold day. Wind speed also has to do with it. Gusts of wind are able to redirect the sound weakening it before it reaches your ear. Elevation as well. If one is significantly higher than the source then it will be weakened. So I guess there's to morals here: Wear the plugs(better safe than sorry), and don't play with guns.

also, if you think you're losing hearing, go get checked out by an ear, nose and throat doctor. I have had ear problems since I was 2. About a year after graduating from high school, I started to lose hearing, so I thought that maybe drumline had to do something with it. I checked with my doctor and it wasnt hearing loss, just some painful blockage right on the ear drum. It was painful to be taken out, but when I was cleared up, I could hear things so crisply. No doubt this helped me save my hearing. That's right folks, some ear wax blockage saved my hearing! I'd say it did atleast.

Anyways folks, if you ever get the feeling that everything is soft and quiet after you've played 8's for a while, you've lost some hearing. WHenever you get that feeling, where everything sounds quiet after you've been around some prolonged noise, you've damaged your ears. You'll regain your hearing, but you'll never be back at 100% ever again.
Do what you wish, but you'll be sorry if you dont wear ear plugs.