We have recorded some short excerpts under different conditions to demonstrate the potential of this solution. With this fine tuning, the musician will receive clear feedback from his instrument and at the same time protection from the loud sound levels from the band. There is even the possibility during the fitting process, to optimize the balance between the hearing aid microphones and the TV-A input to -12 dB to improve the instrument-to-band ratio. The hearing aid will still provide correction for frequencies that are not perceived well for speech when the band is not playing, and at the same time provide attenuation of the surroundings with closed acoustics. The TV-A can receive the signal of interest directly from a mixing console, like any in-ear monitor, and then send the audio signal directly to the hearing aids.

Today, it is possible to stream music or an audio signal to hearing aids via a smartphone, the SoundClip-A, or the TV-A adapter. There is another solution for this situation that comes without compromise: turn your clientsвЂ™ hearing aids into in-ear monitors. But this solution might not be ideal for understanding and communicating with the other musicians. Without the possibility to have an in-ear monitor, it might be wise to replace the hearing aids with hearing protection to avoid distortion and protect the musicianвЂ™s residual hearing. In this case, hearing care professionals might be challenged when they need to recommend a solution or fit a specific live music program. The hearing aids might not really help to hear loud music and they might produce some distortions of the music due to the maximum power output and the limitation of the input dynamic range. The problem is slightly different for musicians using hearing aids and playing in a band with amplified music. Each musician can select his mix of what he wants to hear through individual feedback, and at the same time be protected from louder sound levels.

This is the reason why in-ear monitors have become more popular. The result is that the sound level may be so high that it might be wise to wear hearing protection for safety, but it does not help the musician to play better. Often each band member will have the tendency to increase the volume of his or her amplifier or play louder during a rehearsal or performance to get clearer acoustic feedback. Musicians need to have a good perception of how they are playing in order to maintain control over their instrument when they play in a band.

How to mix in ear monitors