1. New Fitter News Volume 2, Number 3 This Month’s Topic for the New Fitter Is… Beltone AVE. Have you taken a trip down Beltone AVE.? Beltone AVE. is a multi-media environment used to fit Beltone hearing aids. It is incorporated right into Beltone’s Solus fitting software and provides sophisticated tools to assist the practitioner in addressing patient concerns. AVE. can be used during practically every stage of the fitting process: Demonstrating the benefits of hearing aids for new patients Demonstrating the benefits of new technology for current hearing aid users Delivering new hearing aids Fine-tuning hearing aids after delivery Setting patient expectations

2. Beltone AVE. creates a connection between the hearing care practitioner and the patient. In the past, you would make adjustments to the hearing aid(s) to address what you thought was the patient’s concern. Neither you nor the patient knew for sure if the solution/changes would work until he or she left the office. With Beltone AVE., patients can hear the difference with the changes that you make, because the sounds can be played immediately to verify the effect of your adjustments. Patients can give you immediate reactions, helping you to better assess and respond to what they are experiencing. Beltone AVE. A Truly Patient-Focused Fitting System Why Use Beltone AVE.?

3. Beltone AVE. contd… AVE. uses over 200 sound files that vary from individual environmental sounds to speech alone to speech mixed with different sounds. Presentation levels of the sounds range from soft to loud, simulating levels that occur in the real world. Surround sound files were recorded in real-world locations using a special surround sound mic to ensure accuracy. AVE. is accessed via the AVE. task bar located at the bottom of each Solus screen AVE. task bar

4. The AVE. Wizard, located on the Solus Fitting Screen, is a quick way to locate the appropriate sound files and loudness levels needed to troubleshoot a patient’s loudness & sound quality concerns.

5. Beltone AVE. contd… Instructions for AVE. speaker set-up and calibration are found in the Solus Selection Screen, on the upper left hand side. Clicking on the AVE. setup icon opens the Quick Setup window which guides you through the process. Please note: You will need a sound level meter to complete the speaker calibration.

6. Beltone AVE. contd… Beltone AVE. is equipped with a state-of-the-art digital surround- sound speaker system that will play sounds with a high degree of realism and accuracy. The illustrations to the left depict two possible speaker positions and set-up. Version A Version B

7. Beltone AVE. contd… Components of the AVE. task bar… 1 2 3 1 Sound category Choose your category, choose your sound. Interactive AVE. Conduct loudness ratings, access restaurant noise with adjustable signal-to-noise ratio & more 3 Sound Shed Over 20 sound files are right at your finger tips to play instantly 2 I-AVE.

8. 45 6 Beltone AVE. contd… Quickly find specific info on a sound file and get a recommendation for similar tracks 4 Similar sound files & addt’l information 5 Play, Pause, Stop, Loop & Volume control Play, Pause, Stop and Loop all from the same location. For minor loudness adjustments without using the speaker VC, use the adjustable volume control 6 Play/pause stop loop Volume control Sound Intensity Graphic with Timing & Cue Features Cue/start your sound anywhere within the sound file with a left click of the mouse Total running time of the file is displayed at the end of the graphic & can be counted up or down Select exactly what you want to play. Simply left mouse click and drag your mouse to highlight the selection. Press Play to listen to the segment. You can even combine this with the loop feature for continuous playback while you adjust the aid(s)

9. Beltone AVE. contd… Hearing Loss Simulator The Hearing Loss Simulator is available from any Solus screen by simply clicking on the Hearing Loss Simulation Icon. The Simulator is a great tool that allows the patient’s significant others to experience their loved one’s hearing impairment & perception of everyday sounds. The hearing Loss Simulator is easy to use: Choose the selection to be played from the Select Sound File field. Select Normal to play the selection as a person with normal hearing would hear it. Select Simulated to simulate the patient’s hearing loss. Select the better ear.