Music studios are a place of creativity and expression. The noise level, however, can pose risks to your hearing. As an audio engineer or producer, you might not have the luxury of wearing ear protection at work. That doesn’t mean that you should put your hearing at risk. Here are some ways that you can protect your ears in a music studio and reduce the risk of hearing damage from prolonged exposure to loud sounds, according to New Hampshire Hearing Institute.
Install Soundproofing Materials
The most effective way to reduce noise levels in a studio is by installing soundproofing materials. If you are in a commercial space, this may be more challenging than in a residential studio. Soundproofing is also an expensive and time-consuming process. Before you commit to soundproofing, you might consider other protective measures.
If you have access to your building’s architectural plans, you might find areas of your studio that are particularly loud. For example, you might find that the roof leaks sounds into your room when it rains. You might also find that your neighbors are generating significant noise. If you don’t have access to your building’s architectural plans, you can hire a sound engineer to do a noise survey of your studio space. The engineer will use specialized instruments to measure noise levels in different parts of your studio. You can use the results to target the areas that are generating the most noise and need to be addressed.
Use Earplugs
Next to soundproofing, ear protection is the most effective way to reduce the risk of hearing damage. Earplugs are inexpensive and readily available. You can find a variety of earplugs from high-end professional models to soft foam earplugs that you can get at the drugstore.
Earplugs come in different shapes and sizes to fit any ear, but it’s important to choose the right one for your studio. Studio engineers typically have two different types of earplugs in their toolbox: Hearing protection earplugs and noise reduction earplugs.
Hearing protection earplugs are intended to keep out loud sounds that could damage your hearing. These earplugs have a noise reduction rating (NRR) of about 30 decibels. A noise reduction rating indicates how much sound an earplug can block out. The higher the decibel number, the more sound the earplug blocks out.
Noise reduction earplugs are intended to reduce the overall noise level in your studio. These earplugs have an NRR of about 25 decibels. Although both types of earplugs can reduce the noise in your studio, they don’t cancel noise out completely.
Take short breaks to rest your ears
Simply turning down your volume and wearing ear protection don’t reduce your risk of hearing damage. You need to take breaks from the noise level on a regular basis to give your ears a chance to rest. Industrial health and safety regulations recommend a break every two hours of noise exposure.
If you have been exposed to loud sounds for more than two hours, you need to take a break from the noise until your ears have rested. When you are in a noise-intensive environment, like a music studio, your ears don’t have time to recover on their own. You need to give them a break. The decibel level in a music studio can be upwards of 110 decibels. At that level, your ears are being exposed to dangerous levels of noise after two hours.
Turn Down The Volume On Your Monitors
Monitor volume is a contributing factor to hearing damage. Professional studio monitors, like the popular Yamaha HS Series models, can generate very loud sounds. The volume level that you use to mix your music can be dangerously loud.
To protect your ears, you might want to turn down the volume on your studio monitors. You can also buy a pair of monitor headphones that can help reduce the amount of sound that you are exposed to. Monitor headphones are intended to reduce the amount of sound that is coming out of your monitors. Monitor headphones won’t help to reduce the amount of sound that is coming out of your speakers.
You might also want to invest in some studio headphones. Studio headphones are meant to reduce outside noise so that you can hear what’s coming out of your speakers. Studio headphones won’t help to reduce the amount of sound that is coming out of your monitors.
Conclusion
All ears are unique, and all ears respond differently to noise. You can reduce the risk of hearing damage by wearing the best hearing protection, taking breaks, and turning down the volume on your monitors. It’s important to keep your ears healthy to avoid losing your hearing. If you work in a music studio, it’s important to protect your ears from loud noises. You can do this by installing soundproofing materials, using earplugs, taking short breaks to rest your ears, and turning down the volume on your monitors. With these tips, you can reduce the risk of hearing damage and protect the music that you love to make.
