Klarinet Archive - Posting 000172.txt from 2007/10

From: Blake Arrington <klarinetteman@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Hearing Protection?
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:50:37 -0400


If you have custom molded ear plugs...you might need to check to see which =
level of filter you were given. I have found that the 15 db reduction work=
s best and doesn't distort sound...however if you use the 25...you get some=
distortion on the low end.

J. Blake Arrington
Clarinetist, The United States Air Force Band -----------------------------=
-----------> Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 21:48:51 -0600> From: jason@-----.org> =
To: klarinet@-----.org> Subject: Re: [kl] Hearing Protection?>> Hi, All,=
:)>> On Wed, 26 Sep 2007, Jason Tiller wrote:>>> I'll try [some earplugs] =
out tonight and report back tomorrow.>> Well, it's not exactly *tomorrow*, =
but I did try a couple of brands of> foam earplugs that night. Unfortunatel=
y, I didn't have any luck. I> ended up going through three different "round=
s" of trials of various> reducers before I settled on something I like.>> (=
Quick summary: I have mild tinnitus, and I found that extended> clarinet pr=
actice left my ears ringing. My custom molded earplugs> didn't work well be=
cause the bottom register became very "fuzzy" and> "buzzy." My original mes=
sage to klarinet detailed this and the kind> responses inspired me to try o=
ut other strategies.)>> Round 1: Soft foam earplugs> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D> The brands I =
tried: Hearos "Ultimate Softness Series" 32dB reducing ear> plugs, and Mack=
"Original SafeSound Soft Foam" 29dB reducing ear> plugs.>> Neither of thes=
e did much for me. I don't like soft foam earplugs all> that much, because =
I feel that I have to insert them *deeply* into my> ear canal to get any be=
nefit. Shape of my ear, or whatever. That> makes them uncomfortable.>> I st=
ill experienced the buzziness in the low register, although they> both did =
an adequate job of limiting the high frequencies.>> I kind of gave up and w=
ent on to round 2.>> Round 2: Headphones> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D> I own a *big* set of headphones called "DirectSou=
nd Extreme> Isolation." They were developed by a studio drummer to use as> =
monitors because he was losing his hearing. They look like gun-range> ear p=
rotection but have speakers integrated into them.>> Unfortunately, they wer=
e *really* buzzy. I'm not quite sure why, but> while they're great for knoc=
king out ambient noise, they didn't like> the low range of the clarinet.>> =
Next, I tried my wife's Bose noise cancelling ("QuietComfort 2")> headphone=
s. They did pretty well. Without the noise cancellation,> they didn't buy m=
e much at all. As buzzy as the "extreme isolation"> 'phones, although defin=
itely more comfortable.>> With the noise cancellation activated, though, th=
ey were fairly> helpful. The cancellation seemed to help the low-register b=
uzz - that> didn't make a lot of sense to me, but it did help.>> I wasn't y=
et satisfied, and at my local music store (Allegro, in> Fremont, CA), I hap=
pened to see another product by Hearos that I> wanted to try. On to round 3=
.>> Round 3: Hearos, take 2> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D> I picked up another Hearos product, called "Hearo=
s Jam Session Series> with Cord." They're rated at 22dB, significantly less=
than the foam> earplugs. These are foam, too, but shaped more like a ball>=
(spherical) and less like a tube. For some reason, they fit my ear> well.>=
> I found them to be comfortable and, (::drum roll::) not buzzy in the> low=
register! Yay! They weren't as effective as the standard foam> plugs at cu=
tting out the high register, but they did a good enough> job, and I'm using=
them now for all of my practicing. They survive> the high F's and G's (wel=
l, I can *barely* play the latter...),> without totally fuzzifying the low =
notes.>> I'm satisfied. :) I hope this might be of use to someone,>> ---Jas=
on> Sonos Handbell Ensemble> http://www.sonos.org/>>> --> No virus found in=
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irus Database: 269.14.11/1071 - Release Date: 10/15/2007 6:48 AM>>> -------=
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lp@-----.org>

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