Novel Web-Based Music Re-Engineering Software for Enhancement of Music Enjoyment Among Cochlear Implantees

Abstract

Objectives: Cochlear implant (CI) listeners experience diminished music perception and enjoyment from a variety of patient-related and implant-related factors. We investigate the hypothesis that patient-directed music re-engineering may enhance music enjoyment with CI. Study Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Academic cochlear implant center. Subjects and Methods: A multidisciplinary team of neurotologists, audiologists, and a sound/audio engineer collaborated with a web developer to create a music re-engineering application. Experienced adult CI listeners rated original excerpts from five major genres of music on enjoyment using a visual analog scale (VAS). Subjects were then allowed to re-engineer the original by adjusting treble frequencies, bass frequencies, percussion emphasis, and reverberation and again rated on enjoyment. Results: Total of 46 subjects, with a mean age of 57.6 years (SD ¼ 16; range, 18-90) participated in the study. Usermixed audio was rated higher across all measures of enjoyment than original recordings (mean difference þ0.92; p < 0.05, CI [0.22, 1.62]), an effect that was seen across all genres except for country music. Subjects preferred louder bass frequencies (mean difference þ7.1 dB; p < 0.01, CI [2.15, 24.3]) and more reverberation (mean difference þ6.6 ms; p < 0.01, CI [2.85, 10.7]). Re-engineered music increased enjoyment in 57%, and 79% reported an interest in being able to mix music of their own choosing. Conclusion: User-directed music re-engineering increases music enjoyment for CI listeners. The cochlear implantee preferred heightened bass, reverberation, and treble across musical genres. These findings support the implementation of patient-directed music re-engineering to enhance music enjoyment with technology that is readily available today.

WAM-Studio: A Web-Based Digital Audio Workstation to Empower Cochlear Implant Users

“…Given the amount of customization and complexity present in DAWs, they can be daunting applications for many users to engage with [4]. However, previous work has shown that even basic DAW controls can effectively be used to empower cochlear implant (CI) users to customize their music listening experience [7]. This is largely due to the reduced frequency resolution and speech-focused nature of CI processing.…”

Novel Web-Based Music Re-Engineering Software for Enhancement of Music Enjoyment Among Cochlear Implantees

“…Like our colleagues, our group has been investigating music engineering since 2012, with presentations beginning in 2013, and the first publication in 2015 (1). These efforts have yielded five publications within our field culminating, most recently with the published work by Hwa et al (2–5). In the literature listed by the authors, our citations are similarly sparsely cited—supporting the authors' thesis of two disparate scientific communities that could benefit by building bridges.…”