Ear protection

[saxy_jag]

Just bought myself some MusicSafe earplugs/filters. They have three sets of interchangeable filters depending on the environment you're in. Thing is, I'm not sure which ones I should be using when. I don't really understand the calculation table on the pack. At 2000Hz, for example, it gives attenuation values of 27,7; 26,6; and 24,0 for the high, medium and low filters respectively. I haven't a clue what this means. I know I should be using the medium and/or high level ones for what I do, but not sure which ones when.

I play in a 20-strong carnival drum troupe for a couple of hours a week (range of drums - bass, snare, agogo bells, for example) and I also spend about the same amount of time in a 50-piece concert band (mixed brass & woodwind with percussion), where I sit directly in front of our six trumpeters.

Can anyone advise? Oh, and please don't ask me to do lots of calculations. Scientific equations aren't something I ever got my head around.

[Buenchico]

I can't give you a great deal of advice here but (just in case you're unclear about it), the higher the attenuation figure, the greater the protection.

This might help you work out which frequencies you need protection from:
http://www.listenhear...general_acoustics.htm

Chris

[saxy_jag]

Thanks. The Hz rating there is very useful because now I can rate it to the chart.