[CAUT] using as ETD, was Re: Too tall!!??

[Fred Sturm]

On Apr 11, 2010, at 9:50 PM, Elwood Doss wrote:

> Hi Susan,
> I'm with you all the way.  It amazes me how many technicians who use  
> the
> ETDs try to convince us aural tuners how wonderful they are.  I tune
> aurally because I want to.


	It's very interesting how the "politics" of this ongoing discussion/ 
controversy/dispute has changed over the past 5 - 10 years. Ten years  
ago, almost nobody who used an ETD would "admit" to it without apology  
(as, for instance, "Well, I really believe in my heart that aural is  
better, and I always check my tuning aurally"). Now the shoe is on the  
other foot, with those who "admit" to tuning aurally almost needing to  
apologize, while being bombarded with people trying to convert them.
	In many ways, this is refreshing, because it means that the ETD is  
now seen as what it always was, a tool to be used in any number of  
ways. It seems that ETDs are used in almost as many ways as there are  
people using them, similar to the many ways aural tuners work.
	I have to agree with Susan and Elwood on the "quality of life"  
argument. Aesthetically I definitely prefer to be there with just my  
ears. But then there are other quality of life factors, including time  
available, wear and tear on the ears and brain (I could never tune  
aurally well enough to suit me using ear protection, and using it  
definitely leaves me much fresher after the tuning(s)).
	In any case, to each his/her own. Me, I ride my bike to work, thereby  
disposing of the time and energy I save by using an ETD. Doesn't make  
much sense, I suppose. But so what?
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu