Decibel Levels

[Farrell]

> "Of course, won't play ZZ
> Top without plugs again either..."

Geeeeezzzzz. That reminds me of a scary thing I recently experienced. I'm a
'60s & 70's rock & roller (or at least I was, exclusively). Have done many
(too many) concerts - Stones, Zep, Zappa, Neil Young, and George
Thoroughgood among a zillion others. None of it ever seemed really quite
loud enough! BUT that was well before I started tuning pianos three years
ago. I went to see George Thoroughgood a few months back in a small Tampa
Theatre. It was telling when the grey-headed, tattooed, lady next to me was
passing out cotton for ears rather than passing something else down the isle
(kinda miss that sweet odor!). I had to leave at about the mid-way point
because the volume was just absolutely blowing my ears out. I walked out of
that theatre with a little tear in my eye because it was so instantly clear
that an era of my life had definitively passed - likely never to be visited
again. ;-(

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ward & Probst" <wardprobst@cst.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2000 12:43 AM
Subject: RE: Decibel Levels


> 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
>
>