Nigel Donovan
Hearing Protectors
PTA News, June 2004
Having followed closely the recent series of articles on tuners and their hearing in the PTA News, I wanted to find out more about the special deal on hearing protectors for PTA Members.
As I am approaching middle age (!) and naturally keen on extending my tuning ears for as long as possible (it being a well known fact that tuners don’t retire, they just cut down a little), I phoned that number and I did find out more. Just to recap, ACS is offering to supply and fit Elacin ER15 earplugs for £140 rather than the normal fee of £189.50. Sounds expensive, even if it is a bargain but these plugs come well recommended and are used by the more savvy rock musician as well as classical musos sitting next to the horn section. They promise to reduce the volume by 15 decibels with no distortion or loss of frequency range. But would they be suitable for a professional piano tuner? Could it end up as an expensive mistake or would I not know how I managed without them?
The nice lady on the phone confirmed the discounted price and gave me the phone number of my local Hearing Healthcare Centre where I made an appointment for a fitting. There was just enough time to fit in a quick visit to the Nurse at my local surgery to check my ears were clear of wax, something I am prone to. With some trepidation (after all, this bloke was going to fiddle around with my livelihood) I went and committed myself to these plugs. Actually the fitting process isn’t that bad. A wad of foam is pushed into the ear (deeper than I care to think) followed by a squirt of a very cold rubbery solution which took about ten minutes to set and renders one completely and utterly deaf. I opted to have both ears done simultaneously rather than one at a time – now I know why some might avoid this. Ten minutes of deafness was quite enough to reassure myself I was doing the Right Thing. Having now taken a mould of my ear canals I had a two week wait while the plugs were made then another visit to the audiologist for collection and simple instructions on fitting them and I was ready to try them out! They come with a neat leather pouch with fitting for a keyring, a cleaning tool and a little tube of lubricating grease, which I’ve never used. After a little practice, taking them in and out is a doddle and I soon lost the strange feeling of being full in the face with huge ears.
As luck would have it, my first tuning the next day was a large
There are huge advantages with these plugs – background noises, people talking right behind me, even someone hoovering nearby no longer bother me. Concert tunings are so much easier when you can be in an aural bubble, untroubled by lighting riggers and roadies. School halls with terrible acoustics are not a problem, with the plugs in I can hear the piano without the reverb. Best of all is that it doesn’t hurt anymore. I hadn’t realised just how much my head was reacting to being assaulted by loud piano bashing all day. I’m convinced that my hearing will last longer through wearing earplugs. The disadvantage of earplugs is eating a ginger nut biscuit with them in – such a loud crunch! Talking to Madam is best with at least one plug removed so you can judge the volume of your voice and explain why you appear to have a hearing aid.
I’ve been using the ER15s for three months now and I can certainly recommend them to you if you value your hearing and want an easier tuning life. It seems to me that £140 is not such a high price after all. Earplugs are the best accessory, next to a gold tuning fork, for the executive piano tuner. Oh, and I really don’t know how I managed without them.
