"pounding" and ear-plugs

[BobDavis88@AOL.COM]

Unfortunately, hearing damage can come without warning or pain, and TUNING 
DEFINITELY PRODUCES SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS HIGH ENOUGH TO CAUSE IT. 

Hearing is the function of tiny hair-like sensors in the cochlea. There is a 
superabundance of these at birth; some extra ones, so to speak. The ear can 
sustain considerable damage with no apparent loss. However, once the "extras" 
have been blown out, damage can occur very rapidly and irreversibly. Just 
because your hearing doesn't appear to be getting worse doesn't mean you 
aren't sustaining damage. It does not make sense to give up any more of the 
cushion than necessary, or to engage in an activity known to cause damage 
without taking relatively inexpensive steps to protect our senses, our 
comfort and our livelihood.

Undesirable scenario: "Well, the audiologist says that the reason I'm having 
trouble understanding speech is that I've lost thirty decibels of response 
around 1000 Hz, but I'm SO glad I saved the hundred and fifty bucks on those 
expensive earplugs." Sorry for the sarcasm, but I BELIEEEEEVE in these things.

Brian Henselman writes:
> Occasionally, I get a loud clicking (kinda like an aftershock) going in my
>  right ear during test blows.....a thumping or clicking sensation that 
"echoes"....
> ....my ears tend to "shut down" after being subjected to
>  this much sound....harder to hear soft notes for the next hour or so.
>   
>  I really should investigate professional ear-plugs.  

*Brian, I think you should re-read your own mail. It would impel me to action.

>  But, just like my
>  current desire to avoid ETDs until they are much less cumbersome, I'm
>  holding out until someone can assure me that the plugs won't interfere with
>  my ability to hear ALL of the partials, but without the impact on the ears.

*I think this is backwards. I wouldn't wait another day. Try them out, and if 
you DON'T like them as much as most of us do, you're out a relatively small 
amount. Even if you wear them only for the pitch raises and rough tunings, 
you will save considerable "mileage" on your ears. Most people find that they 
do adapt and can even do much concert-level work with them in.

The 35 dB fitted ones are useless for tuning; they're good only for routers 
and lawnmowers. The 12 dB ones from Pianotek are very useful, and like Susan 
I use them for lots of noisy things like driving and flying. They have the 
secondary benefit of reducing fatigue. They do tend to roll off a little in 
the highs, however, so are a little mushy in the high treble. The "expensive" 
fitted ones allow better hearing, and good grief, do a couple extra tunings 
one Saturday and they're paid for. They last for years.

Bob Davis