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Author Topic: Hearing Assistance issue  (Read 8316 times)

Jonathan Johnson

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Re: Hearing Assistance issue
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2011, 09:55:45 PM »

If your member does have T-coil enabled hearing aids, the neck loop that Brad Weber mentioned may be your best option. If the member doesn't know, have them ask their hearing aid provider.

Isolation headphones may not be well received -- many people are too self-conscious to be seen with big "earmuffs" over their heads, or may not appreciate the fine things they do for hairstyles.

Asking someone to sit in a location that is less likely to induce feedback can also be ill received; people have genuine and legitimate seating preferences. Few people want to be sentenced to the "hard of hearing" section. They should be able to sit anywhere in the sanctuary seating area they wish.
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Stop confusing the issue with facts and logic!

Lee Buckalew

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Re: Hearing Assistance issue
« Reply #11 on: May 01, 2011, 10:17:27 PM »

Asking someone to sit in a location that is less likely to induce feedback can also be ill received; people have genuine and legitimate seating preferences. Few people want to be sentenced to the "hard of hearing" section. They should be able to sit anywhere in the sanctuary seating area they wish.

But, they need to understand that they won't hear as well as they could if they would not allow their pride to get in the way.
This needs to be presented to the individual in the right way so that they understand that you want them to be able to hear the performance or presentation the best that they possibly can.

For a single output ALD system time delay can only be accomplished to it's best in one area.
This is not to say don't accommodate but rather that accommodation has limits.
I have spent a lot of time studying how to better help those who are hearing impaired through better applications of sound systems and the use of ALD's.  Unfortunately it comes down to each persons hearing loss being different.  The best help for partial loss is achieved through the proper application of DSP based hearing aids and nothing that we do as system designers or as mixing engineers can compensate for the deficiencies of more than one individuals specific loss at any given time. 
We can make it louder, within limits, and we can time align the signal arrival, but only within a small area.  Specific EQ, compression, etc. may help some with hearing loss but actually make it worse for others.
The best option for extreme loss is a system that will work in conjunction with the individuals well tuned hearing aid or that seals out all outside sound either by being sealed circumaural headphones or by fitting into the ear canal like an ear bud.
Individuals with cochlear implants often plug the ALD receiver directly into their implant with a cord, no acoustic transducer

Lee Buckalew
Pro Sound Advice, Inc.
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Lee Buckalew
Pro Sound Advice, Inc.

Brad Weber

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Re: Hearing Assistance issue
« Reply #12 on: May 02, 2011, 07:46:09 AM »

Yes, don't know why it tryed this, but it did stop the feedback. Yes, both the mic's and CD were routed thru the ALS and yes, both the house and ALS. I forgot to note the model of our amp, but the Pre Amp Out goes to a Electro-Voice EVT 2230 In and the Out goes back to the Amp and the ALS.
So it sounds like you are using the same signal including the same EQ for both the house and ALS signals.  While what you can do with the equipment available may be limited, these are typically best approached as separate mixes each with dedicated EQ.  A simple example is that the house mix may reflect the contribution of the direct sound from talkers and instruments, sounds that may not be part of what a person using an ALS system hears.
 
The person using ALS may also want to feel part of the service by wanting to hear the other congregation members when they sing, etc., which if only suported through any pickup from on stage microphones can lead to their turning up their receive level.  An ambient microphone or two that picks up some of the general sounds and room acoustics added into the ALS mix can often help significantly with this aspect.
 
FWIW, these same two issues can be relevant to any listeners outside the physical space in which the service is taking place, such as for Lobbies, Cry Rooms, overflow areas and so on.

Yes, it is happening with a receiver using an earphone, simular to the LA-164. We getting complants from more then just those sitting around her, but even from those in the back. She sits near the front.
That helps as the LA-164 is an ear speaker rather then what most probably envision as an earphone.  Ear speakers nice because they fit over the ear and thus don't have some of the hygienic issues associated with earphones and multiple users, however they also provide very little isolation.
 
While Lee is absolutely correct that it may need to be addresssed carefully, even if the feedback issues was resolved the fact that you get complaints from so many others seems to indicate that some other solution needs to be found.  If this person's hearing aids incorporate a T-Coil function then getting a neckloop for their receiver would seem to be the first option.
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Re: Hearing Assistance issue
« Reply #12 on: May 02, 2011, 07:46:09 AM »


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