With ear plugs in I really don't have to worry about that. And since I can hear those low notes from inside my body, I play them with the same ease as I do at home, practicing. Summary Ear plugs are a necessary evil. In my own little dream world, all the bands I work with would make balance a main concern and I would never have to wear ear plugs and life would be great. But life is not a dream.
Drummers play too loud without considering what it does to the balance.
So do piano players and bass players. As long as that happens, I must be willing to compromise my musicianship for the sake of saving what little I have left of my hearing. If you happen to be one of the leaders of the bands I currently work with, please don't take offense to what I've written above. I am not singling out any one band. What I've described is a generalization based on my career in its entirety.