Hearing loss, hearing aids and music/mixing

[daveydad]

This topic came up on another discussion group. I have moderate hearing loss, mostly high frequency range, and am looking into finally, stubbornly getting hearing aids. How many of you have hearing loss and find it hard to mix your music? How many of you use hearing aids while recording/mixing? I'm wondering how well they might work with headphones.

[Len911]

I'm inclined to think maybe it is more practical to use your audiogram and use a precision eq to plot a response curve(db/freq including Q for the bandwidth) and use the plugin eq instead of a hearing aid for mixing/listening. You would only use that eq while monitoring and bypass before rendering. You could make a template for your eq curve, so it would already be set up for every new project.

The reasons I would think it might be better: because using a hearing aid the signal goes through a microphone (quality?), amplifier,loudspeaker, a computer chip programmed by the hearing professional (same thing you would do with a custom eq setting), to quote:
[quote]In all hearing aids you’ll find 5 basic components: microphones, an amplifier, a loudspeaker, a battery and a computer chip that is programmed by the hearing care professional to suit individual needs.
Although all hearing aids have a similar construction, there can be significant differences in the quality of sound capture and speech understanding between different devices. The higher the quality of the hearing aid, the more natural the listening experience will be. This is because they offer features like bandwidth, automatic volume regulation, noise management and feedback suppression...In today’s digital hearing aids, the acoustic (natural) sound from the microphone is converted into digits (0, 1), (A/D converter) processed within the hearing aid, and then reconverted into an analogue signal(D/A converter) for the listener.... [quote]
https://www.oticon.global/hearing/what- ... es-it-work

The quality of the components and the numerous conversion processes, there will be an extra emphasis on the clarity of speech frequencies, which may or may not complicate things in mixing. The "features" bandwidth, auto volume regulation, noise management and feedback suppression may adversely impact your mixing as well. Not to mention the fit of the hearing aid to the headphones.

That's just my 2 cents.

[daveydad]

Good points! Yes, I need to learn how to "view" my mixes more than hearing them. Right now, I usually do an A/B comparison... or have my wife listen to my mixes!! LOL

[hummingbird]

Do not use your hearing aids for mixing. You might use them if you play the resulting mix through your tv or stereo system or in the car. Also play a ref track that way so you can compare.

I wear headphones to mix but you do need to be aware of ear fatigue. You also need to be aware of the differences between mixing on headphones and mixing on monitors. If I had a treated room and nice neighbours I'd use monitors to mix and then check the mix in headphones.

Run off mono mixes to check for depth. Pan visually (make a chart) to ensure you have provided space.

Be aware of the frequencies you don't hear well and use reference mixes to ensure that area is properly covered in composing the piece, as well as in mixing.

Do wear your hearing aid(s) throughout your life, even when at home, so that you can feel part of life and hear what is going on around you more fully.

HTH

[andygabrys]

I agree with Vikki - especially concerning using the ref tracks.

[daveydad]

Once I get the hearing aids, I'll keep you posted on what I find. I will probably start mixing more with the monitors.

[Len911]

Once I get the hearing aids, I'll keep you posted on what I find. I will probably start mixing more with the monitors.

Can we speculate on what you will find?

[hummingbird]

Once I get the hearing aids, I'll keep you posted on what I find. I will probably start mixing more with the monitors.

Depending on the technology you get, you should be able to have up to 4 programs for the h-aid. #1 can be the standard speech enhancement, where background noise is filtered out. #2 can be your 'movie' setting, where nothing will be filtered out so you can hear everything amplified. Ask the audiologist about setting up a music program. Think about what is most important for you (perhaps hearing the upper frequencies if you have standard hearing loss, for example). There should be several appointments where you can go in and report what is happening for you and have the h-aid programs adjusted.

When you first start wearing them, plan to pay extra attention to what you are hearing, and identify any sounds that might be new (ask yourself, 'what the heck is that'), as you will be retraining your mind to observe sound information that it has not received for some time. And as mentioned, wear them everywhere, including at home (especially at home). Do not wear them with headphones.

cheers
H

[daveydad]

Thanks Vikki, sounds like you've had experience with this? I have an audiologist friend who gave me a hearing test yesterday. It had been 15+ years since my last one and I now have pretty severe hearing loss in the high frequency range (1000Hz and up) but he was amazed at how well I could understand words as he spoke them during the test.. He felt that maybe my music mixing has trained me to listen closely or something. I'm considering these in the ear aids that he says people love. They auto adjust for different environments: https://www.phonakpro.com/com/en/produc ... anium.html

I will probably keep mixing in headphones without the aids but then pop them in and check the mix in my monitors, Bose system and car, as I usually do.

[hummingbird]

Thanks Vikki, sounds like you've had experience with this? I have an audiologist friend who gave me a hearing test yesterday. It had been 15+ years since my last one and I now have pretty severe hearing loss in the high frequency range (1000Hz and up) but he was amazed at how well I could understand words as he spoke them during the test.. He felt that maybe my music mixing has trained me to listen closely or something. I'm considering these in the ear aids that he says people love. They auto adjust for different environments: https://www.phonakpro.com/com/en/produc ... anium.html

I will probably keep mixing in headphones without the aids but then pop them in and check the mix in my monitors, Bose system and car, as I usually do.

Our needs may be different from the average h-aid wearer because we want to hear all the dynamics and frequencies of sound when we are working. Make sure you have an option to set the hearing aid to a program that doesn't auto adjust, and this program you & the audiologist will set to ensure that the higher frequencies are more present, so you can hear them or notice their absence. There's usually a little remote control that you can use to switch from one setting to another as you wish.