Rationale for electronic Musicians Earplugs™
Music is dynamic. It changes in loudness. During riffs or whole sections of a piece or concert, sound varies. There are short intense periods and sometimes loud sound is sustained for minutes. In between there are softer passages.
Music•PRO High-fidelity Electronic Musicians Earplugs were designed for musicians who want to hear soft sounds naturally, but need protection from both loud, sustained passages and sudden loud percussive sounds. Music•PRO earplugs provide hearing protection that activates only when you need it.
High-fidelity passive earplugs provide protection, but do not adapt to changes in loudness. Music•PRO high-fidelity electronic earplugs, designed for music industry professionals, automatically adjust to change. The result is hearing protection when needed and natural hearing the rest of the time.
Description
Music•PRO earplugs combine two versions of Musicians Earplugs in the same device (ER•9 and ER•15). These intelligent, high-fidelity electronic earplugs allow natural hearing for quiet and moderate-level sounds, and provide automatic protection from both, loud sustained music and sudden loud percussive sounds. The soft sounds of music and speech are amplified in the enhancement mode.
While the basic technology in Etymotic's electronic hearing protection is the same, the circuitry is modified for various applications. In the case of the Music•PRO 9-15, the lower threshold knee is higher than in other models so musicians can experience the true dynamics of moderately-loud sounds and still be protected from percussive impact or continuous loud sound.
Each electronic earplug is equipped with a microphone, a wide-dynamic-range-compression integrated circuit and a receiver (speaker or driver). The circuitry identifies progressive increases in sound level and immediately lowers the volume to a safer level up to the maximum output capability of the transducers. Natural hearing is instantaneously restored when sound levels are safe so there is no pumping or perception of being "off the air."
How Music•PRO Earplugs Work
The MP•9-15 earplugs perform different functions depending on input level. For soft and medium-loud sounds they are acoustically transparent — much like having nothing in the ears. As sounds grow louder, they gradually reduce the transmission until they become effectively similar to the passive ER•15 Musicians Earplugs, which provide 15-dB attenuation up to about 120 dB inputs. Most sounds above 120 dB are actually short transients, such as a drummer's rim shot. Peak SPLs above 120 dB are reduced instantly to safe levels by the output limitation of the receivers (speakers in the MP•9-15 units. Because these bursts are so short–on the order of a few milliseconds–the transients are completely safe. More importantly, recovery is essentially instantaneous: hearing is protected from the transient but the sound seems natural because the earplugs recover faster than the ear. The final result is intelligent, high-fidelityactive sound-reduction earplugs that allow the user to hear soft and normal conversation as if nothing is in the ears.
BACKGROUND
Establishing the Gold Standard
Musicians Earplugs™ are the world's best-selling custom high-fidelity earplugs. Over twenty-five years ago, Etymotic's founder, Dr. Mead Killion, participated in a noise study for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which was the impetus for bringing customhigh-fidelity earplugs to market. World-class artists and performers of all music genres use Musicians Earplugs, which come in three levels of protection: 9 dB, 15 dB and 25 dB sound reduction.
Electronic Hearing Protection for Warfighters
In 2009, Etymotic Research developed EB15 BlastPLG® earplugs for deployed military personnel. A high percentage of Warfighters return from theater with hearing loss and tinnitus from not using ear protection because it interferes with situational awareness. In 2011, Etymotic's BlastPLG® Electronic Earplugs received the inaugural Design and Engineering Innovations Award in the Health and Wellness category from the Consumer Electronics Association.
The BlastPLG devices had obvious applications for gun sports, industrial and construction markets. With a presumed application for music, EB15 earplugs were sold to musicians and DJs who played many different genres of music. The reviews were mixed.
Thank you, National Symphony Orchestra Members (you know who you are)
In early 2011, hearing protection was requested by members of the National Symphony Orchestra who were unable to hear accurately while playing in a small orchestra pit during performances of West Side Story at Lincoln Center.
The first thing reported was distortion overload during intense playing and the fact that for moderately loud sound their instruments "disappeared" and they could not judge their balance with the rest of the orchestra. For those reasons, a series of trials with different modifications was initiated.
In the end, the undistorted headroom was raised, the beginning of the compression (lower threshold knee LTK) was changed and the upper end of compression (upper threshold knee UTK) was changed, maintaining undistorted operation at all levels.
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