Bubba Ron, Having worked my way through school at the Radio Shack and played live high decibel music for too many years, I can guarantee that the meter is conservative even in peak to peak mode. Somewhere I have a reprint of an email from this list back when it was on the BYU server. Practice room grand high end can get up to 120db and it will damage your hearing. Those that have tuned without plugs for years are blessed by heredity, providence and a light touch on the keyboard. We use the foam plugs, not only because they are cheap but because they reduce the noise to less damaging levels. If you can learn to tune, you can learn to tune with ear plugs in. That is the experience of a male and female tech for over ten years now. Don't have the headaches that used to visit regularly. Will not tune without plugs ever again. Of course, won't play ZZ Top without plugs again either...well maybe just this one time....:) Off the soapbox now....no wait!!! GOT PLUGS!!! Dale Ward & Probst, Inc. Piano & Organ Service Dale Probst & Elizabeth Ward Registered Piano Technicians Wichita Falls, TX wardprobst@cst.net -----Original Message----- From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf Of Ron Nossaman Sent: Friday, December 29, 2000 10:39 PM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Re: Decibel Levels About a month ago, I sprung a whole $35 for a decibel meter of sorts from Radio Shack. I thought it would be nice to be able to correlate decibel readings with personal pain level while tuning, as well as calibrating the FFT analyzer I'm writing to some semblance of real world sound levels. As it turns out, the FFT calibration turns out to be too relative to the sound system and microphone quality of the individual computer for the decibel correlation to be of much use, but I've been having some fun with the meter just taking readings in what seem to be relatively harmless situations. There aren't all that many ways to upset your ingrained complacency and unwarranted sense of safety and security with an investment of a mere $35. In the interest of consciousness elevation, the enhancement of creeping suspicion of discontent, and a general unsettling of your hard fought rationalizations to the effect that your immediate environment is adequately supportive of life, and the continuing function of ears, I recommend that you purchase something like this and explore a bit. These little suckers could sell a LOT of ear plugs. Ron N
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