How earplugs help tuning (a theory)

[Alan Barnard]

Nice post (and funny, too!).  I have many of those Hamiltons in my area
because we used to have a very active Baldwin dealer here in town (before
you had to carry a kajillion dollar inventory to BE a Baldwin dealer) and
that's what he sold, mostly.

I like your theory, too! And in the hands of the right scientists, it
should be testable.

Warning! This could be taken as religious. Sticklers should stop reading
now!

I knew about that little muscle and have pondered the question: What
sudden, sharp, loud noises did early man have that were so serious that the
human race would have died out if man had not "evolved" that little muscle?
Personally, I do not believe we are accidental beings.

Now back to your regular programming.

Alan Barnard
Salem, Missouri


> [Original Message]
> From: <ed440 at mindspring.com>
> To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Date: 03/18/2006 8:36:51 PM
> Subject: How earplugs help tuning (a theory)
>
> 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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>
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