So the other day we were recording in Studio B ( God, I love that room) and the players were all top notch, aggressive studio pros, which really excited us. These guys play and record forty to sixty hours in a given week, and could concentrate on their sound to an amazing extent.

Something dawned on me as we got into the session, however. These guys were playing at a dynamic level which exceded the acoustic saturation point of the room. The phones were screaming, and so were the players. Chris and I looked at each other in the safety of the control room and agreed that the music was incredible, but that we were witnessing permanent ear damage occurring in those great players. I know that at this point I sound like your great aunt Sarah, the one who thinks Sinatra is vulgar, but consider this:

Let's say you're a downhill acrobatic snowboarder: loops, jumps, turns, endorsements, the works. One day you come off the course with a headache, and somebody tells you to buy some sunglasses. You think only sissies wear 'em, so forget it. Two months later you have partial blindness, miss the jumps, and find out you'll be lucky to find the car, much less the lift.

Well I guess I feel the same way about a guitarist's ears. Loud is fine, and it's totally true that the human ear has it's own natural compression which kicks in at loud levels. This is what you hear when music "fills your head." Realize, though, that if the music is louder still, continual exposure will warp the tiny follicles of the ear, and gang, they don't bend back. Spend some time getting to know this saturation level, and simply try not to excede it very much.

What I do when I play those loud sessions or gigs is use closed, tight fitting phones and turn them down, or use commercial ear plugs. I'm not gonna recommend a specific brand--you can find that on the web or in a music store. Just remember that if you pick for a living, there ain't no living if you can't protect your ears.

I heard that.

Fred Bogert is the proprietor of Studio C Productions, which also manages the historic RCA Studio B.