[Trombone-l] earplugs

[Neil DeBoni]

Thanks for the info, Alex, that's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking
for.  Etymotic actually has a FAQ entry relating to this, and they claim
that the deep earmolds required for their custom-fit plugs eliminate the
occlusion effect -- which means a lot more to me now that I know what it is!

Thanks to others for suggestions, too -- sadly, the "plug only one ear"
suggestion won't work for me, as I'm already completely deaf in my left ear
(since birth/infancy, not from music exposure!).  Fortunately, I play bass
bone on the left edge of the band, so the problems from that are minimized.

cheers,
Neil

On 9/25/07, ALEX ILES <alexiles at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> Hey Neil,
>
> I am not a doctor, but my wife used to be an audiologist [hearing
> diagnostician] and she has dealt with this issue with musicians in
> her practice.
>
> The "strange sound" you are hearing is the "occlusion effect" [here
> is a more involved description...http://www.hearingresearch.org/
> Dr.Ross/occlusion.htm]
>
> Stick just about anything in your ear and you will experience this.
>
> Custom fit plugs minimize the effect drastically. They attenuate the
> sound more evenly.
>
> I used custom plugs for years when I was playing regularly in high
> volume settings. Today, I tend to use sponge plugs and I've gotten
> pretty used to them. If it's THAT loud on the bandstand, I feel like
> pitch and sound nuance becomes a lot less of an issue than protecting
> my hearing!!
>
> If you're playing in big bands regularly [with trumpets, amps, or
> drums blasting you from all directions] or in some other high-volume
> setting, I would put out the dough, especially if the occlusion
> effect is really bothering you. The cool thing about those custom
> plugs is that usually come with a several different filters that
> reduce the sound to a choice of decibel levels.
>
> No such thing as the "perfect ear plug", but then again, once you
> damage your hearing, it doesn't ever return to it's previous level
> again.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Alex
> ---------------------------
> On Sep 25, 2007, at 7:38 AM, Neil DeBoni wrote:
>
> > hi everyone,
> >
> > I just got some Etymotic ER20 earplugs and tried them out in
> > rehearsal.
> > They're fantastic for the rest of the band, but I'm not so
> > impressed at the
> > change in what I sound like -- I might as well be plugging my ears
> > with my
> > fingers.  Very muffled, strange sound.
> >
> > Has anyone tried the ER20 *and* custom-fit plugs?  Are the custom-
> > fit plugs
> > any different, in terms of your own sound?
> >
> > I was planning on getting some custom-fit plugs anyway if I liked the
> > ER20's, but I'm not so sure I want to spend the big bucks on custom-
> > fit if
> > they have the same "problem".
> >
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Neil
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