Pianotech

David Love mentions using earplugs in the thread on Baldwin tuning problems. He has a custom fit pair.

My problem is every set of earplugs I put in, falls out after about 5 minutes. My brother has the same problem. The shape of the ear canal, mine is very small, and the jaw movements, the earplug gets pushed out. 

Anybody else have this problem? 

I would like recommendations as to where to get a custom fit. 

Or,,, Ear muffs. I'm not on stage,, I don't care what it looks like. 

It would be easiest to buy ear muffs that are attenuated but with the proper foam, I could fashion a set. Where might I get foam like that? 

Thanks for your input,

Keith

EArasers is what I've been using for quite some time.  I've used hearing protection for about 35 years. They don't have the issues you mention because they are made of soft silicone.  Cleaning them regularly with rubbing alcohol helps retain the "grip" in the ear canal.  I've used form fitted noise reduction ear plugs from an audiologist, many different commercial types that hurt my ears after prolonged use, but these are the most comfortable/useful I've found.  I remove them for really fine tuning of unisons and use only the left for the bass section. 

https://www.amazon.com/EARasers-Noise-Cancelling-Earplugs-Reduction/dp/B00E2D9FHA/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=earasers&qid=1690652924&sr=8-5

David Love mentions using earplugs in the thread on Baldwin tuning problems. He has a custom fit pair.

My problem is every set of earplugs I put in, falls out after about 5 minutes. My brother has the same problem. The shape of the ear canal, mine is very small, and the jaw movements, the earplug gets pushed out. 

Anybody else have this problem? 

I would like recommendations as to where to get a custom fit. 

Or,,, Ear muffs. I'm not on stage,, I don't care what it looks like. 

It would be easiest to buy ear muffs that are attenuated but with the proper foam, I could fashion a set. Where might I get foam like that? 

Thanks for your input,

Keith

EArasers is what I've been using for quite some time.  I've used hearing protection for about 35 years. They don't have the issues you mention because they are made of soft silicone.  Cleaning them regularly with rubbing alcohol helps retain the "grip" in the ear canal.  I've used form fitted noise reduction ear plugs from an audiologist, many different commercial types that hurt my ears after prolonged use, but these are the most comfortable/useful I've found.  I remove them for really fine tuning of unisons and use only the left for the bass section. 

https://www.amazon.com/EARasers-Noise-Cancelling-Earplugs-Reduction/dp/B00E2D9FHA/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=earasers&qid=1690652924&sr=8-5

David Love mentions using earplugs in the thread on Baldwin tuning problems. He has a custom fit pair.

My problem is every set of earplugs I put in, falls out after about 5 minutes. My brother has the same problem. The shape of the ear canal, mine is very small, and the jaw movements, the earplug gets pushed out. 

Anybody else have this problem? 

I would like recommendations as to where to get a custom fit. 

Or,,, Ear muffs. I'm not on stage,, I don't care what it looks like. 

It would be easiest to buy ear muffs that are attenuated but with the proper foam, I could fashion a set. Where might I get foam like that? 

Thanks for your input,

Keith

David Love mentions using earplugs in the thread on Baldwin tuning problems. He has a custom fit pair.

My problem is every set of earplugs I put in, falls out after about 5 minutes. My brother has the same problem. The shape of the ear canal, mine is very small, and the jaw movements, the earplug gets pushed out. 

Anybody else have this problem? 

I would like recommendations as to where to get a custom fit. 

Or,,, Ear muffs. I'm not on stage,, I don't care what it looks like. 

It would be easiest to buy ear muffs that are attenuated but with the proper foam, I could fashion a set. Where might I get foam like that? 

Thanks for your input,

Keith

I've been using Eargasm High Fidelity ear plugs for three or four years. They're rated at 16db reduction. I used to use Hearos foam ear plugs but even though they're rated at something like 22db reduction I felt they weren't doing enough to limit the strong attack when you first play a note. One of the advantages I have found in using the Eargasm ear plugs is that they appear to reduce the loudness of the fundamental, or lower partials, quite significantly. What that does is to get rid of lower frequency noise and allows me to hear the higher partials much more clearly. Because I'm hearing the higher partials more clearly, notes that appear to be resisting clear unisons in the higher partials when wearing the Eargasm plugs actually sound incredibly tight and clean when I take out the ear plugs to check the tuning/unisons when I'm done. If I have achieved a good unison at very high partial I know that everything below that is going to be good. Once I take out the ear plugs and the lower frequencies become louder, those way high partials are a bit masked anyway. The result has been, for me, a unison that was giving me problems with the high partials suddenly sounds great when those high partials are now reduced, or masked, by the lower partials. 

David Love mentions using earplugs in the thread on Baldwin tuning problems. He has a custom fit pair.

My problem is every set of earplugs I put in, falls out after about 5 minutes. My brother has the same problem. The shape of the ear canal, mine is very small, and the jaw movements, the earplug gets pushed out. 

Anybody else have this problem? 

I would like recommendations as to where to get a custom fit. 

Or,,, Ear muffs. I'm not on stage,, I don't care what it looks like. 

It would be easiest to buy ear muffs that are attenuated but with the proper foam, I could fashion a set. Where might I get foam like that? 

Thanks for your input,

Keith

I've been using Eargasm High Fidelity ear plugs for three or four years. They're rated at 16db reduction. I used to use Hearos foam ear plugs but even though they're rated at something like 22db reduction I felt they weren't doing enough to limit the strong attack when you first play a note. One of the advantages I have found in using the Eargasm ear plugs is that they appear to reduce the loudness of the fundamental, or lower partials, quite significantly. What that does is to get rid of lower frequency noise and allows me to hear the higher partials much more clearly. Because I'm hearing the higher partials more clearly, notes that appear to be resisting clear unisons in the higher partials when wearing the Eargasm plugs actually sound incredibly tight and clean when I take out the ear plugs to check the tuning/unisons when I'm done. If I have achieved a good unison at very high partial I know that everything below that is going to be good. Once I take out the ear plugs and the lower frequencies become louder, those way high partials are a bit masked anyway. The result has been, for me, a unison that was giving me problems with the high partials suddenly sounds great when those high partials are now reduced, or masked, by the lower partials. 

David Love mentions using earplugs in the thread on Baldwin tuning problems. He has a custom fit pair.

My problem is every set of earplugs I put in, falls out after about 5 minutes. My brother has the same problem. The shape of the ear canal, mine is very small, and the jaw movements, the earplug gets pushed out. 

Anybody else have this problem? 

I would like recommendations as to where to get a custom fit. 

Or,,, Ear muffs. I'm not on stage,, I don't care what it looks like. 

It would be easiest to buy ear muffs that are attenuated but with the proper foam, I could fashion a set. Where might I get foam like that? 

Thanks for your input,

Keith

David Love mentions using earplugs in the thread on Baldwin tuning problems. He has a custom fit pair.

My problem is every set of earplugs I put in, falls out after about 5 minutes. My brother has the same problem. The shape of the ear canal, mine is very small, and the jaw movements, the earplug gets pushed out. 

Anybody else have this problem? 

I would like recommendations as to where to get a custom fit. 

Or,,, Ear muffs. I'm not on stage,, I don't care what it looks like. 

It would be easiest to buy ear muffs that are attenuated but with the proper foam, I could fashion a set. Where might I get foam like that? 

Thanks for your input,

Keith

David Love mentions using earplugs in the thread on Baldwin tuning problems. He has a custom fit pair.

My problem is every set of earplugs I put in, falls out after about 5 minutes. My brother has the same problem. The shape of the ear canal, mine is very small, and the jaw movements, the earplug gets pushed out. 

Anybody else have this problem? 

I would like recommendations as to where to get a custom fit. 

Or,,, Ear muffs. I'm not on stage,, I don't care what it looks like. 

It would be easiest to buy ear muffs that are attenuated but with the proper foam, I could fashion a set. Where might I get foam like that? 

Thanks for your input,

Keith

------------------------------
Keith Roberts
owner
Hathaway Pines CA
(209) 770-4312
------------------------------

David Love mentions using earplugs in the thread on Baldwin tuning problems. He has a custom fit pair.

My problem is every set of earplugs I put in, falls out after about 5 minutes. My brother has the same problem. The shape of the ear canal, mine is very small, and the jaw movements, the earplug gets pushed out. 

Anybody else have this problem? 

I would like recommendations as to where to get a custom fit. 

Or,,, Ear muffs. I'm not on stage,, I don't care what it looks like. 

It would be easiest to buy ear muffs that are attenuated but with the proper foam, I could fashion a set. Where might I get foam like that? 

Thanks for your input,

Keith

------------------------------
Keith Roberts
owner
Hathaway Pines CA
(209) 770-4312
------------------------------

I've posted this here once before, so forgive me.  This is a blogpost where I've collected information about hearing loss for piano tuners.

https://robinwhitehouse.com/2022/11/21/piano-tuners-are-losing-their-hearing/

While it can be as simple as just putting in some earplugs, there are also a lot of layers of consideration to make in preserving one's hearing for their lifetime.

In short, to maintain our hearing we need to have it tested by an audiologist every [how often should I tune my piano?] to definitively measure its deterioration.   This is ongoing maintenance, just like regular piano tunings, and it is the only way to gauge if we are sufficiently protecting our ears. This applies to not only our professional work, but to everyday life as well.  As much as I advocate for this, I've only been tested every 1.5-2 years.  My second-to-most-recent audiogram is below.  Notice that there is a separate chart measuring from 8kHz-18kHz. I understand that most clinics do not test this range as they are calibrated to support speech and communication, not professional listening.

Original Message:
Sent: 07-29-2023 11:24
From: Keith Roberts
Subject: Ear protection

David Love mentions using earplugs in the thread on Baldwin tuning problems. He has a custom fit pair.

My problem is every set of earplugs I put in, falls out after about 5 minutes. My brother has the same problem. The shape of the ear canal, mine is very small, and the jaw movements, the earplug gets pushed out. 

Anybody else have this problem? 

I would like recommendations as to where to get a custom fit. 

Or,,, Ear muffs. I'm not on stage,, I don't care what it looks like. 

It would be easiest to buy ear muffs that are attenuated but with the proper foam, I could fashion a set. Where might I get foam like that? 

Thanks for your input,

Keith

------------------------------
Keith Roberts
owner
Hathaway Pines CA
(209) 770-4312
------------------------------

Good information.  However, I had molded ear protectors in the past and they were definitely not the most comfortable.  The soft rubber and ribbed design of the others molds quite well to one's ear canals.  When I had the hard molded ones, they itched after a while. All of the others were much more comfortable.

I've posted this here once before, so forgive me.  This is a blogpost where I've collected information about hearing loss for piano tuners.

https://robinwhitehouse.com/2022/11/21/piano-tuners-are-losing-their-hearing/

While it can be as simple as just putting in some earplugs, there are also a lot of layers of consideration to make in preserving one's hearing for their lifetime.

In short, to maintain our hearing we need to have it tested by an audiologist every [how often should I tune my piano?] to definitively measure its deterioration.   This is ongoing maintenance, just like regular piano tunings, and it is the only way to gauge if we are sufficiently protecting our ears. This applies to not only our professional work, but to everyday life as well.  As much as I advocate for this, I've only been tested every 1.5-2 years.  My second-to-most-recent audiogram is below.  Notice that there is a separate chart measuring from 8kHz-18kHz. I understand that most clinics do not test this range as they are calibrated to support speech and communication, not professional listening.

Original Message:
Sent: 07-29-2023 11:24
From: Keith Roberts
Subject: Ear protection

David Love mentions using earplugs in the thread on Baldwin tuning problems. He has a custom fit pair.

My problem is every set of earplugs I put in, falls out after about 5 minutes. My brother has the same problem. The shape of the ear canal, mine is very small, and the jaw movements, the earplug gets pushed out. 

Anybody else have this problem? 

I would like recommendations as to where to get a custom fit. 

Or,,, Ear muffs. I'm not on stage,, I don't care what it looks like. 

It would be easiest to buy ear muffs that are attenuated but with the proper foam, I could fashion a set. Where might I get foam like that? 

Thanks for your input,

Keith

------------------------------
Keith Roberts
owner
Hathaway Pines CA
(209) 770-4312
------------------------------

I believe that the earlier versions of molded musicians ear plugs (which employed the current Etymotic filters) used a material other than the now-ubiquitous soft silicone for the molds, which could possibly have caused the discomfort.  Also, errors can be made in the impression process which will cause annoying pressure on the canal.  Sensaphonics accepts molds from other clinics, and they say to let them know if the fit is uncomfortable so they can fix it.

The mold should be superior to the universal fit because it, among other things: 

1. contacts more continuous surface area of the ear canal, thus creating more isolation than the universal buds.
2. conforms to the exact shape of the ear canal, thus creating equal & lower pressure across the contact surface.

I hope that your bad experience with the molded filters came from one of the above problems. But perhaps there are just certain situations where they don't perform well.  This is the first time I've heard of universal fit working better - thanks for sharing your experience, I'll be adding this to my stockpile of info.

Good information.  However, I had molded ear protectors in the past and they were definitely not the most comfortable.  The soft rubber and ribbed design of the others molds quite well to one's ear canals.  When I had the hard molded ones, they itched after a while. All of the others were much more comfortable.

I've posted this here once before, so forgive me.  This is a blogpost where I've collected information about hearing loss for piano tuners.

https://robinwhitehouse.com/2022/11/21/piano-tuners-are-losing-their-hearing/

While it can be as simple as just putting in some earplugs, there are also a lot of layers of consideration to make in preserving one's hearing for their lifetime.

In short, to maintain our hearing we need to have it tested by an audiologist every [how often should I tune my piano?] to definitively measure its deterioration.   This is ongoing maintenance, just like regular piano tunings, and it is the only way to gauge if we are sufficiently protecting our ears. This applies to not only our professional work, but to everyday life as well.  As much as I advocate for this, I've only been tested every 1.5-2 years.  My second-to-most-recent audiogram is below.  Notice that there is a separate chart measuring from 8kHz-18kHz. I understand that most clinics do not test this range as they are calibrated to support speech and communication, not professional listening.

Original Message:
Sent: 07-29-2023 11:24
From: Keith Roberts
Subject: Ear protection

David Love mentions using earplugs in the thread on Baldwin tuning problems. He has a custom fit pair.

My problem is every set of earplugs I put in, falls out after about 5 minutes. My brother has the same problem. The shape of the ear canal, mine is very small, and the jaw movements, the earplug gets pushed out. 

Anybody else have this problem? 

I would like recommendations as to where to get a custom fit. 

Or,,, Ear muffs. I'm not on stage,, I don't care what it looks like. 

It would be easiest to buy ear muffs that are attenuated but with the proper foam, I could fashion a set. Where might I get foam like that? 

Thanks for your input,

Keith

------------------------------
Keith Roberts
owner
Hathaway Pines CA
(209) 770-4312
------------------------------

I believe that the earlier versions of molded musicians ear plugs (which employed the current Etymotic filters) used a material other than the now-ubiquitous soft silicone for the molds, which could possibly have caused the discomfort.  Also, errors can be made in the impression process which will cause annoying pressure on the canal.  Sensaphonics accepts molds from other clinics, and they say to let them know if the fit is uncomfortable so they can fix it.

The mold should be superior to the universal fit because it, among other things: 

1. contacts more continuous surface area of the ear canal, thus creating more isolation than the universal buds.
2. conforms to the exact shape of the ear canal, thus creating equal & lower pressure across the contact surface.

I hope that your bad experience with the molded filters came from one of the above problems. But perhaps there are just certain situations where they don't perform well.  This is the first time I've heard of universal fit working better - thanks for sharing your experience, I'll be adding this to my stockpile of info.

Good information.  However, I had molded ear protectors in the past and they were definitely not the most comfortable.  The soft rubber and ribbed design of the others molds quite well to one's ear canals.  When I had the hard molded ones, they itched after a while. All of the others were much more comfortable.

I've posted this here once before, so forgive me.  This is a blogpost where I've collected information about hearing loss for piano tuners.

https://robinwhitehouse.com/2022/11/21/piano-tuners-are-losing-their-hearing/

While it can be as simple as just putting in some earplugs, there are also a lot of layers of consideration to make in preserving one's hearing for their lifetime.

In short, to maintain our hearing we need to have it tested by an audiologist every [how often should I tune my piano?] to definitively measure its deterioration.   This is ongoing maintenance, just like regular piano tunings, and it is the only way to gauge if we are sufficiently protecting our ears. This applies to not only our professional work, but to everyday life as well.  As much as I advocate for this, I've only been tested every 1.5-2 years.  My second-to-most-recent audiogram is below.  Notice that there is a separate chart measuring from 8kHz-18kHz. I understand that most clinics do not test this range as they are calibrated to support speech and communication, not professional listening.

Original Message:
Sent: 07-29-2023 11:24
From: Keith Roberts
Subject: Ear protection

David Love mentions using earplugs in the thread on Baldwin tuning problems. He has a custom fit pair.

My problem is every set of earplugs I put in, falls out after about 5 minutes. My brother has the same problem. The shape of the ear canal, mine is very small, and the jaw movements, the earplug gets pushed out. 

Anybody else have this problem? 

I would like recommendations as to where to get a custom fit. 

Or,,, Ear muffs. I'm not on stage,, I don't care what it looks like. 

It would be easiest to buy ear muffs that are attenuated but with the proper foam, I could fashion a set. Where might I get foam like that? 

Thanks for your input,

Keith

------------------------------
Keith Roberts
owner
Hathaway Pines CA
(209) 770-4312
------------------------------