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# openMHA

[Open Master Hearing Aid (openMHA)](https://www.openmha.org)

DOI:[10.5281/zenodo.4569575](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4569575)

Current release: 4.18.1 (2026-06-06)

## Content of the openMHA

The software contains the source code of the openMHA Toolbox library, of the
openMHA framework and command line application, several tools to operate openMHA and of a selection of algorithm
plugins forming a basic hearing aid processing chain featuring

* calibration
* bilateral adaptive differential microphones for noise suppression [1]
* binaural coherence filter for feedback reduction and dereverberation [2]
* multi-band dynamic range compressor for hearing loss compensation [3]
* spatial filtering algorithms:
    * a delay-and-sum beamformer
    * a MVDR beamformer [4]
* single-channel noise reduction [5]
* resampling and filter plugins
* STFT cyclic aliasing prevention
* adaptive feedback cancellation [6]
* probabilistic sound source localization [7]

See below for a list of available reference implementations.

## Citation in publications

In publications using openMHA please use the DOI assigned to this Github repository,
[10.5281/zenodo.4569575](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4569575),
and cite the following open-access publication:


Hendrik Kayser, Tobias Herzke, Paul Maanen, Max Zimmermann, Giso Grimm, and Volker Hohmann,
Open community platform for hearing aid algorithm research: open Master Hearing Aid (openMHA),
SoftwareX, Volume 17, 2022, 100953, ISSN 2352-7110, [DOI: 10.1016/j.softx.2021.100953](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.softx.2021.100953).


For individual algorithms, please also refer to the plugin documentation and the 
list of publications at the end of this README.

## Installation

For installation instructions for Linux, Windows and macOS, please refer
to the instructions in file [INSTALLATION.md](INSTALLATION.md).

We also provide SD card images for Beaglebone Black with the Cape4all
sound card here: http://mahalia.openmha.org/.

## Usage instructions:

Please follow our getting-started guide:
http://www.openmha.org/docs/openMHA_starting_guide.pdf

## Known issues
### macOS
* There are some known issues with Octave under macOS.  The openMHA GUI may
  not work correctly with Octave. As an alternative Matlab can be used.

## Proprietary fitting rules
It is possible to fit a dynamic compressor in openMHA with the
commercial hearing aid prescription rules *DSLmio 5* and *NAL NL2*.

The software libraries implementing these rules must be obtained from
their respective vendors.  The openMHA team provides wrappers around
these libraries. These wrappers are not part of openMHA but are
optional extras.

Please refer to files [README_NALNL2.md](README_NALNL2.md) and 
[README_DSLmio5.md](README_DSLmio5.md) for more information.

## Reference algorithms

A collection of openMHA configuration files that implement signal
processing algorithms for hearing aids as they were used in the 
following publications are available in the *reference_algorithms* directory:

Baumgärtel, R. M., Krawczyk-Becker, M., Marquardt, D., Völker, C.,
Hu, H., Herzke, T., Coleman, G., Adiloğlu, K., Ernst, S. M., Gerkmann, T., 
Doclo, S., Kollmeier, B., Hohmann, V., & Dietz, M. (2015). Comparing 
Binaural Pre-processing Strategies I: Instrumental Evaluation. Trends 
in hearing, 19.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2331216515617916

and

Hendrikse, M. M. E., Grimm, G., & Hohmann, V. (2020). Evaluation of
the Influence of Head Movement on Hearing Aid Algorithm Performance
Using Acoustic Simulations. Trends in Hearing, 24, 1–20. 
https://doi.org/10.1177/2331216520916682

A database that can be utilized to reproduce the signals used in the latter
study is available under: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3621282.
 
Available methods:

* Single-channel noise reduction
* Binaural coherence filter
* Adaptive MVDR beamformer
* Binaural beamformer
* Bilateral adaptive differential microphones
* Delay-and-subtract beamformer

For references and more information see file [README.md](reference_algorithms/README.md)
in the *reference_algorithms* directory.

## References for individual algorithms

[1] Elko GW, Pong ATN. A Simple Adaptive First-order Differential
Microphone. In: Proceedings of 1995 Workshop on Applications of Signal
Processing to Audio and Accoustics; 1995. p. 169–172.

[2] Grimm G, Hohmann V, Kollmeier B. Increase and Subjective
Evaluation of Feedback Stability in Hearing Aids by a Binaural
Coherence-based Noise Reduction Scheme. IEEE Transactions on Audio,
Speech, and Language Processing. 2009;17(7):1408–1419.

[3] Grimm G, Herzke T, Ewert S, Hohmann V. Implementation and
Evaluation of an Experimental Hearing Aid Dynamic Range Compressor
Gain Prescription. In: DAGA 2015; 2015. p. 996–999.

[4] Adiloğlu K, Kayser H, Baumgärtel RM, Rennebeck S, Dietz M, Hohmann
V. A Binaural Steering Beamformer System for Enhancing a Moving Speech
Source. Trends in Hearing. 2015;19:2331216515618903

[5] Gerkmann T, Hendriks RC. Unbiased MMSE-Based Noise Power
Estimation With Low Complexity and Low Tracking Delay. IEEE
Transactions on Audio, Speech, and Language
Processing. 2012;20(4):1383–1393.

[6] Schepker H, Doclo S, A semidefinite programming approach to
min-max estimation of the common part of acoustic feedback paths in
hearing aids. IEEE Transactions on Audio, Speech, and Language
Processing. 2016;24(2):366-377.

[7] Kayser H, Anemüller J, A discriminative learning approach to
probabilistic acoustic source localization. In: International Workshop
on Acoustic Echo and Noise Control (IWAENC 2014); 2014. p. 100–104.
