formant filtering

[REDDY SIVAPRASAD <rsivaprasad@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Mr. Blumschein and colleagues,
      The idea of formant filtering studies is that the formant amplitude
(peak to trough) will be more in case of 'clear speech'. So, the filtering
or restricting the formant band width will serve the same purpose. Studies
in this area have been started with this idea. No doubt its really
interesting to see possible physiological mechanisms at the level of VIII
nerve and above. Good review of effects this method and other methods to
simulate clear speech is available in:

Revoile, S. G., & Holden-Pitt, L. D. (1993). Some acoustic enhancements of
speech and their effect on consonant identification by the hearing impaired
in Studebaker and Hockberg (Eds). Acoustical factors affecting hearing aid
performance. Allyn and Bacon : London.

I would also like to mention to the list that one major hearing aid
manufacturer has introduced this algorithm in his latest and flagship
products. I have some personal experience that some hearing impaired
experienced listeners have definitely felt the difference. I would like to
listen your opinions on this. Thanking you,

M. Reddy Sivaprasad
Junior Research Fellow,
Dept. of Audiology,
AIISH, MYSORE-6
Karnataka      India
Ph: +91-821-514449
Fax: +91-821-510515

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