CIs, mappings and music, oh my!

[scribbler86]

Recently saw my audie and got a new map on both CIs (both Freedoms) and it solved the buzzing/humming problem (changed the rate to 750 from 900 on the left to match that of the right ear at 750, after telling her that the left ear heard speech better with the 3G at 750...).

Now, it seems that every time I solve a problem, another one arises... sooo frustrating trying to get the map down - but then, there's no one size fits all. I do have four maps on both - and two on the 3G as well.

Some things that I found interesting:

Speech sounds best with both Freedoms on - the quality "sounds" good, is comfortable, and intelligible for one-on-one conversations. But once I hit a classroom (even quiet ones where the prof is the only one speaking), the quality gives away to muffled speech - this is evident on all four maps, even the BEAM one as well.

On the other hand, when I put the 3G on, the speech problem is solved - even though the sound quality isn't as pleasing, the speech is intelligible. Weird?

Music - I've played with different combinations: LF+RF (left ear Freedom, right ear Freedom), LF+R3G, L3G+RF, etc and found interesting things:

Anything Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Cole Porter (I'm a Broadway nut, so hence the showtunes) sounds best (and is most inteligbe) on the LF+RF combination.

Anything contemporary or with a strong base in rock/pop, fits better with the L3G+RF combination - meaning Rent, Phantom of the Opera, Spring Awakening, Wicked and anything by Sondheim (heavy syncopation). This is especially weird, considering the 3G was originally mapped for my right ear (N24C) while the left ear has NEVER used the 3G, having been implanted with the Freedom.

Anything that doesn't belong in those two sections works best with the LF+R3G but not used as the right ear likes the upgrade to the freedom that it doesn't like the 3G sound...

Yet the 3G works better than the Freedom on that ear (I did notice that with the Freedom, there is a heavy vaccumn effect where sounds feel like they're being pulled from outer space while with the 3G, sounds feel grounded and "easier" to hear and not so tinny... )

I did try "Rent" on the F+F combination but for some reason it just didn't sound "rumbly" enough and that the two men singing the title song "Rent" sounded like two schoolboys... yet on the 3G+F combination, the trademark "rumble" sound was there and lyrics were EASY to pick out and sounded on-pitch... (the lyrics pratically disappeared with the F+F except for the higher notes, especially during "Seasons of Love").

For speech comprehension - still having a hard time understanding speech without signs or lipreading (visual cues) in everyday situations - even though the right ear has heard for over 18 years and the left ear for almost a year. Yet when I put on showtunes, I'm able to follow many of them (and recongize the opening chords to several before the vocals starts as well) - even the difficult ones like "La vie Boheme" from Rent, "Masquerade!" from Phantom of the Opera, - and the ones where you have multiple voices singing multiple things simultaneously. Yet I can't follow a simple table conversation - only that of the Bohemians in "Rent" - complete with music and dancing.

Care to explain this theory?

 

[LadySekhmet]

LOL - another fellow music lover. While I don't listen to a lot of Broadway tunes (I am SO behind with them. I love Phantom and Lion King), but I do listen to a lot of music. Music was the number one reason why I got CI.

To say why "you can easily follow music but not table conversation", is basically this...your brain and ears has gotten so used to hearing the same sounds over and over and over, so you can pick them out easily. I surprise myself sometimes when I just have my iPod on certain playlist at random and I hear a couple begining notes, and boom, I know the name of the song. I used to have to wait until the person singing or really struggle to figure it out.

It sounds like you have certain maps on the 3G that works well and doesn't work for certain music. I know that when I listen to certain songs, it sounds weird, but if I listen to another song it sounds wonderful. Music is very tough to map out for.

If you're really happy with a map on 3G, you can ask to see if you can have the exact map/ speed for one of the programs slot. When you reach a song that you like with that map, just change the program. Hope I explained it okay.

For my music program I have it a little bit louder than normal, autosensitivity and ADRO. Speed is the 2nd highest (i think 7200?). If I use this music program for "everyday", it sounds really loud and too much for me to handle, so instead I use Autosensitivity for everyday.

My friend who have CI, she does not use any type of added programs (no smart sounds, no nothing), and she just prefers plain.

Another thing is probably affected is the DR. I find the higher DR, the more details you can hear.

Suggestion next time you go for a Map session - bring your iPod with you with the certain songs that is perfect for 3G and not Freedom. Once you get mapped out on the Freedom to match the 3G, you should be able to notice the difference. Different songs do have different results.

 

[scribbler86]

Thanks for the input. A couple of notes:

Will try increasing the speed on one of the program slots to see if that helps.

We did try converting the 3G map to the Freedom but it just did NOT sound the same (it sounded like everything was at least 2 octaves too high).

I do bring my iPod with me - with a list of specific notes/phrases/sections in music that I wanted changed (ie Phantom's vocals are drowned out while Christine's are too high pitched... can't hear the lyrics in "Seasons of Love", the percussion in "Wicked" are too prominent, this and that song sounds flat, etc... But of course, once I solve the problems, others arises. So right now I have 1 program for everyday use and three for music.

Any suggestions on getting the vocals to pop up (that's the biggest issue with the Freedoms - the vocals blend into the background music to the point where I can't pick out the lyrics - while the 3G has two "layers" where the vocals are prominent and OVER the music, not WITH it. That's why I liked the 3G better for this... again, the conversion lost the layered sound.

Has anyone tried using the FM (Microlink and SmartLink) with music? Does that help? (Been using both shadows and the direct connection system...)

Will keep fiddling around with it.

So far my program slots:
1. Everyday - no smart sounds
2. ADRO + Whisper (works for Rodgers and Hammerstein stuff)
3. ADRO only (thinking of ditching this one - so the new program will go in this slot)
4. Beam (trying it out - had Auto sensitivity here but didn't like it).

3G had
1. Everyday
2.Music (didn't like this one - using the Everyday as the "rock music" program)

 

[LadySekhmet]

Any suggestions on getting the vocals to pop up (that's the biggest issue with the Freedoms - the vocals blend into the background music to the point where I can't pick out the lyrics - while the 3G has two "layers" where the vocals are prominent and OVER the music, not WITH it. That's why I liked the 3G better for this... again, the conversion lost the layered sound.

Has anyone tried using the FM (Microlink and SmartLink) with music? Does that help? (Been using both shadows and the direct connection system...)

Will keep fiddling around with it.

So far my program slots:
1. Everyday - no smart sounds
2. ADRO + Whisper (works for Rodgers and Hammerstein stuff)
3. ADRO only (thinking of ditching this one - so the new program will go in this slot)
4. Beam (trying it out - had Auto sensitivity here but didn't like it).

3G had
1. Everyday
2.Music (didn't like this one - using the Everyday as the "rock music" program)

Hmm...yeah, you can try to increase the speed. Mine was the second highest possible. Any higher would sound very distorted and terrible.

I noticed that you don't have Auto sensitivity AND ADRO. Try that....that's how I discovered that it brought out the Vocals a LOT better. Mind you, I listen to a lot of Reba, rock ballads, broadway, and soft tunes. That's my music program. I also have DR of 42 in my left, and 32 or 35 in my right. I had about 10 different map sessions to get the music program right. I still have to go back to do some tweaking, it's not bad, but it feels like some of the lows are too soft and my left is sounding soft in general.

I would love to have a list of your favorite Broadway music - include some that has a lot of low frequencies/bass. Send it to me PM. That way I can compare to see if I'm having the same issue as you are. :-D