How earplugs help tuning (a theory)

[ed440 at mindspring.com]

Conrad-

See if this makes sense:

There is a tiny muscle in the inner ear which, in response to a loud noise, changes the alignment of the tiny bones that conduct the vibrations to the cochlea.  In effect they "turn down the amplifier" to try to protect the nerve hairs in the cochlea. 

If you are near a gun when it is fired (not recommended when you can avoid it), you may hear a click in the ear right after the shot. That is the little bone jumping out of alignment.

When tuning a Baldwin Hamilton (also not recommended when you can avoid it), sitting under the "acoustic hood," I have sometimes heard a hissing sound after striking a treble note, especially if the hammers have been work hardened by years of pounding.  I think this may be caused by that same muscle tugging on the inner ear bones in response to a deadly noise.

The 13 db attenuating earplugs I wear seem to mostly block the impact noise, and perhaps by doing so, the inner ear is more relaxed to hear the sustained tone.

Just a hypothesis.

ES  aka Ed Sutton


-----Original Message-----
>From: Conrad Hoffsommer <hoffsoco at luther.edu>
>Sent: Mar 18, 2006 5:39 PM
>To: tune4u at earthlink.net, Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
>Subject: RE: MY ETD IS MADE BY SIEMENS-- IT'S CALLED A HEARING AID
>
>Alan,
>
>At 11:30 3/18/2006, you wrote:
>
>>Your Q: "How do you hear the piano when you have plugs in your ears?"
>>
>>My A: Beats me (no pun intended), but it works amazingly. I use them 
>>whenever I'm working on a bright (and/or busy, clangy, nasty) 
>>treble, especially in a lively acoustic environment. I also use them 
>>when ambient noise is a problem, i.e., yesterday while tuning 
>>aurally in a small church--they had just varnished some woodwork so 
>>they had all the ceiling fans on full throttle and all windows 
>>opened. A giant machine was working about 200 ft away on a hillside, 
>>stuffing cut trees and limbs (looked like up to about 8 inches in 
>>diameter) into a giant chipper/shredder ... oog. In go the plugs. 
>>The screeching, whirling, and wailing disappeared (both the 
>>machine's and my own) and I was able to hear the gentle roll of 
>>happily tempered fifths.
>>
>
>
>My A:
>
>1st: Some Qs:  How do you see when you have dark glasses on?  Would 
>you ask an airline pilot that question?
>- Or... for our non-sighted friends: how do you know the road is 
>bumpy if you are sitting on a padded seat in a vehicle with springs?
>
>A: Quite well, thank you.  The dark lenses and springing lessen the 
>sensations to comfortable (if not safe) levels.
>
>Extraneous noises and bumps have been blocked or attenuated to below 
>the level of the sounds you _want_ to hear/feel/see.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Conrad Hoffsommer
>You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be 
>misquoted, then used against you.
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
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