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Re: Hearing protection

Author: kdk
Date: 2022-03-06 19:01

Hotboy wrote:

> I did not have the same problems that kdk had. I found that my
> fitted ear plugs from an audiologist attenuated the decibel
> level significantly.
>
> I could hear the orchestral balance very well, even though the
> occlusion from the plugs did make it seem like my sound was
> more pronounced. However, I found that easy to get used to...

Yes, the audiologist's earplugs work well in damping the ambient sound of the orchestra around me without blocking it. But the change in relative balance of my own sound in my own ears ("my sound was more pronounced," as you say) was, I guess, less easy to get used to for me, and I found that it changed my perception of my own pitch, I suppose because of some difference in conductivity between bone/internal soft tissue and air. That I only use earplugs when the sound level around me is intolerable means, I guess, that I don't get enough chance to get used to the differences. Blocking or damping one ear results, for me, in hearing dueling pitch levels coming from my own instrument.

Far better is a conductor who won't let brass players blast and doesn't let amplified instruments crank up their levels to completely dominate the hall. Then, the only time I'd need earplugs would be for occasional performances of 1812 Overture that use real cannonfire.