Robben Ford Discussion

[Aeolian]

Daved, question for you and Robben. Someone posted a cool BlueLine TV studio recording on the Gear Page from back in the day. Robben's got a white Marshall cab and full amp rig with the No1 in a black case and the TC in one of those foam padded iso racks, and Roscoe's got a couple of cabs going. Robben's also playing sunburst Fender Ultra's (there's two of them on the stage). This was when Jeff was teching, you can see him hand Robben a guitar in the vid.

At the end of the song (The Brother), the TV host mentions that it's pretty loud. And Robben offers that "There's not much you can do about that". Then the host asks if he ever uses earplugs. To which Robben replys "no, they bug me".

Since then, I've seen Robben use the foam, roll up ear plugs on occasion. Usually only on one side, facing the drums or whatever is loudest. I've seen folks ask him at clinics and he says the same thing, usually just on one side to cut something for awhle, and then he'll take it back out later in the set on quieter numbers.

Question is: has he (or you, for that matter) ever tried the custom molded ER series earplugs? From Sensaphonics or Westone, with the Etymotic filters in 9.5, 15, or 25 dB cuts.

They do affect the sound a bit, but nothing like foam plugs. Because of my tinitus, I've worked with these for awhile. Have both Westone and Sensaphonics molded plugs, and have tried all three inserts. I typically play with the 9.5s. The least amount of cut, but it's enough to keep the tinitus from getting worse (I hope) and doesn't feel too isolated from the music. Pretty easy to get used to. Brings normal stage volume down to a resturant jazz level. The 15's are what I should be using, and I do put those inserts in for loud concerts or stage situations. But for most gigs, it has that divorced feel. Like when you're in the control room listening to yourself play though the bridge top monitors. I should probably get another set of the 25's for going to loud concerts.

They probably would be good for teching, keep that backstage level down to a reasonable level.
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[Daved]

When I first started working with Robben, about 8 years ago, he already had a set of molded earplugs (plugs, not monitors). They had a couple of different, interchangable screens for DB selection. He always used the 15db cuts.
He had lost one (his right ear) but this didn't concern him as he preferred to only use the left ear plug and that was only ocassionally, and briefly, whenever volume got too loud for him onstage.

I tried to protect and save that plug, as it was the only one he had, and was quite successful up until about a year ago when he finally managed to lose it.
Since then, until he gets some new ones made, I have kept him supplied with the foam plugs.

FYI...
We have been trying to get Gregg Allman to go with "in-ear" monitors for a couple of years now (both ABB drummers, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe, use them). He had molds of his ears made but was still resistant.
This year, out with GA&F, we finally got him to seriously give them a try, worked with him to overcome the fear of not being able to hear his equipment in real space, learning to trust that I would ensure that his gear is always properly maintained and adjusted and to signal the monitor man when he wanted adjustments made rather than making those adjustments himself on the actual gear, and getting the audio comfortably balanced in his ears.

Now he won't go without them and has been lauding their praises to other ABB bandmembers and encouraging them to give them a try.
Gregg has learned, and gotten comfortable with, the trick of pulling out one plug whenever he wants to touch bases and blend with the "real" onstage sound.

Another trick our monitor man uses to make the in-ear sound more realistic and tangible, is that he places "audience mics" on both sides of the stage so he can blend ambient sound into the band member's mix to help them feel less "isolated" by the in-ears.

As for me, I have a spare belt pack of my own which I often use with headphones now, so I will know exactly what it is that Greggory is hearing during the show. Especially since, because of the 'in-ears' we have reduced the amount of onstage monitors, which reduces the ambient volumn, which makes it harder for me to hear things like his vocals or acoustic guitar when they are overwhelmed by drums, bass, and electric guitars.
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( }:-Daved
"This boy's diseased with rhythm!" -Bing Crosby (Road To Rio, '49)

[Aeolian]

Thanks for writing back Daved. I can't recommend Sensaphonics enough. They use a much softer and more comfortable rubber than the others that I've seen, and the older Westones that I have. Up here in SF, they have an audiologist who specializes in musicians, Lisa Tannenbaum of Musician's Hearing Services. You can look them up or I can PM her number to you. She does everybody up here and travels to SoCal often to work with folks there. She is very aware of the specialized applications for musicians.

In a recent issue of Live Sound magazine, Sensaphonics announced a new IEM product which has ambience mics built into the earpiece. This helps localization of sound sources and sounds more familiar to the performer than mixing ambience mics into the monitor mix. This might also be handy for you. The belt pack has a switch that cuts the ambient mics entirely, puts them in at a stage mix level they worked out with a number of performers, or at a near natural level. You could run these off the monitor board, soloing folks, and/or listening to the stage sound at will, without yanking them in and out.

I have a little mesh bag that I keep spare single strings, a winder, small cutters, a truss rod wrench, and my slide in. It's not much larger than a few packs of strings bound together, and I keep it in the guitars gig bag pouch. It goes on top my amp when I pull out the guitar. I keep the little pouch for the ear plugs in there too. So it's always handy. I have a larger gig bag with the spare sets of strings, cables, tools and such that most folks carry, but it often gets tossed backstage somewhere. The little mesh bag (from The Container Store) is perfect for the things that I need handy in the middle of the night.

At a couple of venues, I've taken to putting the 15 dB filter on one side and the 9.5 on the other. Rather than take one out entirely. If you use these, you know that they do alter the sound a little bit, but if you put them in a few minutes before festivities commence, your brain adjusts. When you have just one in, it sounds more like one ear is plugged up. I wish they made a 3 or 6 dB filter for these situations, so folks wouldn't yank them out.
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There are no such things as wrong notes, there's only the look on your face.
My Stuff: www.stevekirbymusic.com

[frank0936]

I agree with you Steve about just using one earplug. I have a set of Hearo's (22db), and I don't like having just one in. It makes me feel off balance. I am going to check on those sensaphonics. I play with a guy who is already hard of hearing but won't admit it. He runs the monitor mix up to almost painful levels sometimes - until the rest of us complain. I need something I can use all the time. I like the idea of the 15db or maybe even the 9.5 db's. I don't want to become a member of the "What?" generation!
Frank

[Buffaloe]

I've used the Sensaphonics the past few years but usually only on the side toward the drummer. I can't stand to have them both in.
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[JavaDiva]

I saw Tommy Castro Band this week and it appears the whole band is wearing the in-ear monitors. Seems to work well for them, and it sure reduces the clutter on the stage, and allows the musicians to move around just about anywhere on stage and still be able to hear.

Don't know if they're using sensaphonics, but they are from the Bay Area.

[bluesman]

Just received some info about new earplugs: http://www.globalspec.com/featuredProducts/detail?exhibitId=45660&frmtrk=Alert&emailId=2007040530
Check them out.