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Hearing aid

Wanted: a speech slow-down circuit
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I can hear you're speaking on my bad side, if I crank up the amps, though it makes you sound like Donald Duck on speed.

I can comprehend you only if you repeat your golden words, speaking slowly.

So what about a clever circuit in my earhole that blots out my feeble hearing with white noise while it records your speech, say in 5-second takes, and plays them back to me slowed down, huh?

It can't be too hard; some tape-recorders were speeding-slowing speech without distortion 25 years ago.

My other Donald Duck ear would need some chewing gum stuffed into it.

Judging by the price of other hitec aids, I couldn't afford two of my fancy aids.

rayfo, May 29 2001

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       My Pops has similar problems, rayfo. Excellent idea, and I'd like to elaborate on it, if I may. Imagine you put your new earpiece in a docking station and plug it into your PC's serial port. Software asks you to rate the clarity of a series of test phrases, thus establishing what individual pattern of sonic enhancement makes speech the most understandable to you. The information is uploaded to the aid's embedded program, and you are all set.   

       Think it's too difficult to put enough processing power into a discrete earpiece? Then put the processor and memory in a credit-card-sized pack and have it transmit the appropriately doctored signal to your earpiece via low-powered FM.   

       Hie thee to a patent attorney...
Dog Ed, May 29 2001
  

       The technology Rod's Tiger mentions is commercially available in Cakewalk Pro midi sequencing and mixing software. I'd imagine other similar software includes this capability too. I'm not sure if it uses the specific algorithm Rod's mentions, but is does allow lengthening or shortening audio recordings without pitch shifting. It also allows pitch shifting without changing duration.
beauxeault, May 29 2001
  

       The audio track on Video 8 recordings is recorded using PCM and when the tape is played at double speed every other sample is played twice and every *other* other sample (if you know what I mean) is not played at all. Thus pitch is preserved at the cost of lower fidelity.
angel, May 30 2001
  

       Don't you just love it when people yell, thinking that will help you hear better? I've been profoundly deaf since I was born, 85% loss in right ear and 87% in left. I've always worn 'The Most Powerful Hearing Aid In The World' as Dirty Harry would put it. I wear one on my right, none on my left. Have you priced these things? How many equalization bands there are in a hearing aid unit makes all the difference in the world. There are 1, 3 , 5, 7 etc. band units which escalate rapidly in price. I often have to decipher - just as rayfro indicates - for a few seconds, sometimes - hell too often - as public at large has poor diction. Some - bless them - try - but many comically overenunciate. I've received info from a Bionic implant facility, only problem for me is: I pay Child Support -have for 12 years - 4 more to go- Bye Bye 25% of Income. Otherwise I'd seriously consider going on the block.
thumbwax, May 30 2001
  

       Not such a bad idea, but what about the way communincation will proceed than? It's like making a overseas phone-call with that terrible delay, which mostly results in confusing and irritating conversations.   

       "How are "HELLO, HOW ARE YOU?" you?" silence, "Yes, I'm "WELL EVERYTHING'S JUST FINE!" doing great!"   

       GrEaT, IS'nT it?
BartJan, May 30 2001
  
      
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