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Re: Inexpensive hearing aids



Subjective preference is a whole new can of worms if you will.  We have (by the
very fact of the need for a hearing aid) an auditory system not functioning
correctly and we fit it according to the preference of the system?

Tom


Tom Brennan  KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP, R/D - AU
web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html

On Sat, 27 Mar 2004, Barbara Reynolds wrote:

> Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 19:47:15 -0600
> From: Barbara Reynolds <br_auditory@HOTMAIL.COM>
> To: AUDITORY@LISTS.MCGILL.CA
> Subject: Re: Inexpensive hearing aids
> 
> 
> I probably wouldn't tune them to piano harmonics. I would try to adjust
> the response of the hearing aids to you're subjective preference, which
> is ultimately my point.  Using your musical history as a guide instead of
> ignoring would give me a better idea where to start not necessarily where
> we would finish.  What the ultimate fitting would be after a year would
> still be to your subjective preference regardless of whether you played
> harp or tuba or nothing at all.
> 
> >From: susan allen <susie@SHOKO.CALARTS.EDU>
> >Reply-To: susan allen <susie@SHOKO.CALARTS.EDU>
> >To: AUDITORY@LISTS.MCGILL.CA
> >Subject: Inexpensive hearing aids
> >Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 11:50:03 -0800
> >
> >As a professional harpist, I would be very confused if my hearing
> >aid
> >was tuned to piano harmonics.
> >Susan Allen
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >I see your point but it does clinically concern me to "not be hung
> >up on the
> >specifics" when dealing with clients as we're dealing with specific
> >problems.
> >I've seen you state a lot of opinions and you are obviously working
> >for the good
> >of your clients.  Others on the list have asked you for specific
> >data and you
> >have yet to provide that and now when I have asked you specifically
> >about what
> >you have stated on the list using specific numbers to justify what
> >you do you
> >say the specifics do not matter.  Certainly when we treat clients
> >there is a
> >clinical apsect to things just as there is a scientific aspect.  
> >When I tune a
> >piano for someine who is an advanced musician I may not tune a
> >purely equally
> >tempered scale because of what they prefer or the instruments they
> >will play or
> >the music they use.  However, when I do deviate from  the accepted
> >norm I always
> >have a reason for doing so and can demonstrate that reason to any
> >other
> >professional who asks.  That duplication of knowledge is the reason
> >I have
> >questioned you and attempted to learn something of your methods only
> >to have you
> >tell me that I should not deal in specifics.  I apologize if you
> >have been
> >offended by my questions but I thought they were quite basic rather
> >than
> >specific.
> >
> >Tom
> >
> >
> >Tom Brennan  KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP, R/D - AU
> >web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html
> >
> >On Sat, 27 Mar 2004, Barbara Reynolds wrote:
> >
> >>  Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 13:06:30 -0600
> >>  From: Barbara Reynolds <br_auditory@hotmail.com>
> >>  To: g_brennantg@TITAN.SFASU.EDU, AUDITORY@LISTS.MCGILL.CA
> >>  Subject: Re: Inexpensive hearing aids - Consideration of Piano
> >>harmonics
> >>
> >>
> >>  I don't have the equipment to be that exact.  I fit on a general
> >>  principle that keeps in mind that I am working with a musician
> >>with an
> >>  expanded representation for sound that is different than
> >>non-musician's.
> >>  They may not like the sound of an aid precisely because I haven't
> >>matched
> >>  a certain band of frequencies as well as I could if I tried to
> >>shift the
> >>  response of the aid off the more traditional "pure tone"
> >>  recommendations.  Pure tones don't occur in nature, so why should
> >>we be
> >>  married to the idea that people hear the best when we match the
> >>  prescription formulas or the audiogram to a psychological,
> >>subjective
> >>  system.
> >>
> >>  I've noticed that some people are spend too much time on the
> >>specifics
> >>  rather than the general priniciple.  I'm not concerned with exact
> >>  measurements, but I am concern with the difference in programming
> >>that
> >>  may be necessary because of vastly different auditory systems
> >>based on
> >>  environmental or genetic influences.
> >>
> >>  Please don't get hung up on the specifics, see the point for what
> >>it was.
> >>
> >>  >From: g_brennantg@TITAN.SFASU.EDU
> >>  >To: Barbara Reynolds <br_auditory@HOTMAIL.COM>
> >>  >CC: AUDITORY@LISTS.MCGILL.CA
> >>  >Subject: Re: Inexpensive hearing aids - Consideration of Piano
> >>harmonics
> >>  >Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 19:39:09 -0600 (CST)
> >>  >
> >>  >Barb, I'm inpressed if you have instrumentation to fit to exact
> >>tones
> >>  such as
> >>  >"2048" which is, by the way, a C of 512 which is not a temered C
> >>so
> >>  would
> >>  >usually be inappropriate to fit as a tempered C is at
> >>  523.25.  Interestingly,
> >>  >this makes your C at 2048 come out at 2093 which is only three
> >>cycles
> >>  less than
> >>  >being out by the same amount your 2048 would be from the 2000 of
> >>the
> >>  audiometer.
> >>  >
> >>  >As an aside, if we multiply the A which is the more commonly
> >>used not
> >>  for
> >>  >tempering scales, that has your A at 1600.  In Europe rather
> >>than using
> >>  440
> >>  >currently many people now use 442 which brings the 1600 to 1608.
> >>  Of
> >>  course, all
> >>  >of this becomes of questionable value either in a porrly
> >>tempered scale,
> >>  with a
> >>  >piano either flat or sharp in pitch (this applies to other
> >>instruments
> >>  as well)
> >>  >or with instruments which are not tempered or which are not
> >>equal
> >>  temered.
> >>  >Since the band spreads on audiometers are standardized to neural
> >>  response etc.
> >>  >al be it sometimes after the fact, I am still left with the
> >>question of
> >>  how much
> >>  >good this actually does for a client.  I also wonder about these
> >>single
> >>  cycle
> >>  >frequency adjustments to aids.
> >>  >
> >>  >Thanks.
> >>  >
> >>  >Tom
> >>  >
> >>  >
> >>  >
> >>  >Tom Brennan  KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP, R/D - AU
> >>  >web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html
> >>  >
> >>  >
> >>
> >>
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