Fine-tuning tips for Bernafon Alpha Music Experience

The Music Experience program is the new all-in-one music program for Bernafon Alpha. This program brings the new music algorithm to Hybrid Technology™, which is designed specifically for music and provides a better sound quality and improved overall music experience for musicians and music listeners alike. But the benefits of this program are not just for the users. The new all-in-one design with its greater access to features, makes it more flexible and easier to use, which helps you to better meet the individual needs of your users.

Music is very dynamic, not only in the signal itself, but also when, what and how people listen to or play music. Due to this wide variety, the initial fitting of the Music Experience program, although suitable for many users, may need further adjustments for users with more specific musical needs. Here are a few tips to help guide you in providing a more personalized fit for your clients.

Remember the changes do not always have to be complicated just because it has to do with music. Sometimes it’s ok to start simple and work your way up.

Use the EasyControl-A app for easy volume control
Yes, something as simple as the volume control can make a difference. Being able to increase or decrease the volume of music will allow the user to set it to a level that is enjoyable to them. I often recommend the users to employ the EasyControl-A app for easier and more discreet volume changes. The app is also beneficial while streaming music because the user can benefit from the equalizer feature to make minor adjustments to the sound. For musicians, the ability to separately adjust the right and left sides can help them in a performance setting as well.

Feature settings improve sound quality
You can now access and adjust various features in the Music Experience program. So, what fun would it be if you never got to adjust them, right? Here is your chance. Sometimes additional processing can affect the sound quality of music. If your client complains about distortion or poor sound quality, you can adjust these features. This includes deactivating the Wind Noise Manager, Smart Noise Reduction or Smart Directionality.

Hybrid Feedback Canceller™
Although the Hybrid Feedback Canceller™ is technically a feature, it’s special enough to have its own category. Feedback is an ever-present problem for hearing aid processing, especially for more open fittings. This can be an even greater problem with music as it is often louder, which is more likely to elicit feedback. For this reason, the feedback manager is set to the default setting. However, the feedback manager functionality can cause artifacts for some musicians or musical signals. If your client has this problem, you can deactivate the Hybrid Feedback Canceller™. If your client experiences feedback, adjust the earpiece, venting or gain accordingly to reduce the possibility of feedback.

Frequency adjustments to fit your client

The topic of frequency adjustments and music can seem like an endless list of possibilities. And why is that? This is because the adjustments that each musician or music listener may need, will depend on their individual situation. There are some basic adjustments which would apply for most situations:

• Lack of fullness – increase low frequencies
• Muffled sound – decrease low frequencies
• Lack of details – increase mid/high frequencies
• Harsh sounds – reduce high frequencies
• Poor tone quality – smooth peaks in the gain curves

However, the most important aspect of adjusting any program, and the Music Experience program is no different, is to talk to your client. Music has its own language which is not always the same from person to person. It is important to build a common language to be able to make audiological changes based on your client’s comments. The type of music, musical instrument, location, and many other aspects can impact the adjustments needed. The best way to know what to change in the fitting is to have an open dialog about it with your client.