EarFix

Hearing correction audio plugin based on your audiogram

EarFix is a free, open-source audio plugin that applies personalized hearing correction to any audio source. Enter your audiogram data (from a hearing test) and EarFix compensates for your specific hearing loss profile in real-time.

Download

Download EarFix v1.3.0 for macOS (AU + VST3)

After downloading:

1. Unzip EarFix-v1.3.0-macOS.zip
2. Copy EarFix.component to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/
3. Copy EarFix.vst3 to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
4. Restart your DAW

See all releases for older versions.

Features

• Personalized Correction: Enter your audiogram values for 6 standard frequencies (250Hz - 8kHz)
• Multiband WDRC: Professional-grade Wide Dynamic Range Compression with 4-band Linkwitz-Riley crossover (250Hz, 1kHz, 4kHz)
• Three Correction Models:
  • Half-Gain: Simple, transparent correction (applies 50% of hearing loss as gain)
  • NAL (Speech): Clinical-grade algorithm with compression (based on National Acoustic Laboratories formula)
  • MOSL (Music): Music-optimized specific loudness restoration with gentle compression and preserved dynamics
• Max Boost Control: Limit per-band gain (0-30dB) for hearing safety
• Auto-Gain: Hold the button to automatically match output level to input level
• Level Metering: Stereo input and output meters for visual feedback
• Independent Ear Control: Separate audiograms and enable/disable for left and right ears
• Adjustable Strength: Scale correction from 0-100% to find your comfort level
• Output Gain: Master volume control with +/-24dB range
• Headphone Correction: Built-in headphone EQ profiles (oratory1990 database)
• Premium UI: Clean, professional interface with interactive audiogram charts and signal flow visualization

Supported Formats

| Format | macOS | Windows | |--------|-------|---------| | AU (Audio Unit) | Yes | N/A | | VST3 | Yes | Planned | | AUv3 | Yes | N/A | | AAX | Yes | Planned |

Requirements

• macOS: 10.13 (High Sierra) or later
• Architecture: Universal Binary (Apple Silicon & Intel)

Installation

See INSTALL.md for detailed installation instructions.

Quick Install (macOS):

1. Download the latest release from Releases
2. Copy EarFix.component to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/
3. Copy EarFix.vst3 to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
4. Restart your DAW

Usage

See the User Guide for complete documentation.

Quick Start:

1. Insert EarFix on a track or master bus
2. Enter your audiogram values (hearing threshold in dB HL) for each frequency
3. Choose a correction model (start with Half-Gain)
4. Adjust correction strength to taste
5. Enable/disable individual ears as needed

How It Works

EarFix uses a 4-band Linkwitz-Riley crossover to split audio into frequency bands (Low: <250Hz, Low-Mid: 250Hz-1kHz, High-Mid: 1kHz-4kHz, High: >4kHz), then applies Wide Dynamic Range Compression (WDRC) independently to each band based on your audiogram.

Correction Models:

• Half-Gain Rule: For each frequency, applies gain equal to half your hearing threshold. Simple and effective for mild-moderate hearing loss.

• NAL (Speech): Applies the National Acoustic Laboratories' Non-Linear 2 prescription formula, which accounts for loudness recruitment and provides compression for speech intelligibility.

• MOSL (Music): Music-Optimized Specific Loudness model that preserves spectral balance and musical dynamics. Uses gentler compression (max 1.7:1) and slower time constants to avoid "pumping" artifacts common with speech-focused algorithms.

Safety Features:

The Max Boost control (0-30dB) limits the maximum gain applied in any frequency band, protecting your hearing from excessive amplification.

Building from Source

Prerequisites

• JUCE Framework (tested with JUCE 7.x)
• Xcode 14+ (macOS)
• Projucer (included with JUCE)

Build Steps

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/sneakinhysteria/EarFix.git
cd EarFix

# Open in Projucer and save to generate Xcode project
# Or use existing Xcode project:
cd Builds/MacOSX
xcodebuild -project EarFix.xcodeproj -scheme "EarFix - All" -configuration Release

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues and pull requests.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• JUCE Framework - Cross-platform audio application framework
• NAL-NL2 prescription formula by the National Acoustic Laboratories, Australia
• MOSL model based on research from:
  • Fitz & McKinney (Starkey) - Specific loudness restoration for music
  • Moore & Glasberg (Cambridge) - Loudness perception and hearing loss models
  • Marshall Chasin - Music program optimization guidelines for hearing aids
• AutoEQ by Jaakko Pasanen - Headphone frequency response database and EQ profiles
• oratory1990 - Headphone measurements and EQ presets
• Inspired by the need for accessible hearing correction tools

Disclaimer

EarFix is not a medical device and is not intended to replace professional hearing aids or audiological care. Always consult with a qualified audiologist for hearing health concerns. The correction provided is based on simplified models and may not be suitable for all types of hearing loss.

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