TY - JOUR AU - Rodrigues, Joseph X. AU - Gudino, Lucy J. AU - Pai, K. R. PY - 2012 TI - Sharp Transition Multiband Filter in Speech Processing Scheme for Hearing Impaired JF - American Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences VL - 5 IS - 1 DO - 10.3844/ajeassp.2012.42.48 UR - https://thescipub.com/abstract/ajeassp.2012.42.48 AB - Problem statement: A simple analytical approach to the synthesis of a sharp transition, linear phase, multiband FIR filter is presented. The filter magnitude response is modeled using trigonometric functions of frequency. Approach: Employing variable density of ripple cycles in passband and stopband regions with large density of ripples cycles at the sharp transition edges, reduces the abrupt discontinuities at these edges. Results: As a result, Gibb’s phenomenon is reduced in the filter implementation thus giving a flat passband and good stopband attenuation. A closed form expression for impulse response coefficients is obtained. The filter design is easily tunable and allows for variation in transition bandwidth of each band. A speech processing scheme is implemented using a pair of the proposed sharp transition multiband FIR filters to split the speech spectrum into complementary short time spectral bands. Conclusion: The adjacent speech formants are fed dichotically to the two ears to reduce the effect of spectral masking and hence improve speech perception in sensorineural hearing impaired.