There are several different masks with source control at the industrial end
of things, but as I already have the 3M 6200 and all the filters I am
likely to need for several years (...they were cheaper in bulk and all
three of us in the household have that mask), there wasn't much point in
trying very many of them. (I still kindof want to try the MSA one though.)
But if the first one you try is really annoying in terms of fit, then it
might well be worth passing it on to someone close to you and trying
others. I bought the GVS Elipse partly because of a YouTube video I saw
(and don't have a link to hand for at the moment) of someone wearing
different masks and speaking. Of the ones available in the UK, it seemed to
have the best sound quality.
I think it also helps that I do have a strong voice, and the ability to
speak more loudly/clearly/slowly if needed. Of course, some of that is also
practice. Even in the 6200 I can have a one-on-one conversation with a
person who has good hearing if I slow down enough -- but it's frustrating.
The Stealth Lite-Pro is not perfect but, for me, is far less frustrating.
Do I have to speak more clearly in noisy environments? Yes. Do I have to
adapt my choral conducting style to use my hands more and my face less?
Absolutely. But I can still sing well enough to teach people new music, and
that would just be entirely impossible in the 6200.
I still haven't found anything I can wear to play a brass instrument -- I
think it would have to be some kind of ridiculous whole-head filter hood
setup with a port for the French horn leadpipe -- but I already wasn't
playing regularly long before the pandemic started, so I honestly haven't
really been looking.
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Date: 2023-03-15 03:59 pm (UTC)I'm so glad you found it helpful!
There are several different masks with source control at the industrial end of things, but as I already have the 3M 6200 and all the filters I am likely to need for several years (...they were cheaper in bulk and all three of us in the household have that mask), there wasn't much point in trying very many of them. (I still kindof want to try the MSA one though.) But if the first one you try is really annoying in terms of fit, then it might well be worth passing it on to someone close to you and trying others. I bought the GVS Elipse partly because of a YouTube video I saw (and don't have a link to hand for at the moment) of someone wearing different masks and speaking. Of the ones available in the UK, it seemed to have the best sound quality.
I think it also helps that I do have a strong voice, and the ability to speak more loudly/clearly/slowly if needed. Of course, some of that is also practice. Even in the 6200 I can have a one-on-one conversation with a person who has good hearing if I slow down enough -- but it's frustrating. The Stealth Lite-Pro is not perfect but, for me, is far less frustrating. Do I have to speak more clearly in noisy environments? Yes. Do I have to adapt my choral conducting style to use my hands more and my face less? Absolutely. But I can still sing well enough to teach people new music, and that would just be entirely impossible in the 6200.
I still haven't found anything I can wear to play a brass instrument -- I think it would have to be some kind of ridiculous whole-head filter hood setup with a port for the French horn leadpipe -- but I already wasn't playing regularly long before the pandemic started, so I honestly haven't really been looking.