A stimulating assembly (118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618, 718, 818) for insertion into a cochlea of a recipient through an opening (132, 134, 262) in the cochlea, comprising: an elongate carrier member (370, 570, 670, 770, 870) having a basal section (264, 364, 465, 565, 764) configured to be implanted in a basal region of the recipient's cochlea; and a plurality of stimulating contacts (228, 328, 428, 528, 828) disposed along at least a first surface (376, 576) of the carrier member (370, 570, 670, 770, 870), wherein a subset of the stimulating contacts (228, 328, 428, 528, 828) are disposed in the basal section (264, 364, 465, 565, 764); a perimodiolar flexure (136, 336, 536, 636, 736, 836) formed in the basal section (264, 364, 465, 565, 764) having elastic properties and a shape so as to, after insertion into the cochlea, position all of the stimulating contacts (228, 328, 428, 528, 828) disposed in the basal section (264, 364, 465, 565, 764) adjacent to a modiolar wall of the cochlea, wherein when implanted, a distal section of the stimulating assembly (118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618, 718, 818) has a predominate curl so as to spiral around a recipient's modiolus, characterized in further comprising: a shaping member (684, 784) permanently disposed in the carrier member (370, 570, 670, 770, 870), wherein the perimodiolar flexure (136, 336, 536, 636, 736, 836) further comprises a segment of the shaping member (684, 784) formed into an inverse curl to the predominate curl of the distal section of the stimulating assembly (118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618, 718, 818). an elongate carrier member (370, 570, 670, 770, 870) having a basal section (264, 364, 465, 565, 764) configured to be implanted in a basal region of the recipient's cochlea; and a plurality of stimulating contacts (228, 328, 428, 528, 828) disposed along at least a first surface (376, 576) of the carrier member (370, 570, 670, 770, 870), wherein a subset of the stimulating contacts (228, 328, 428, 528, 828) are disposed in the basal section (264, 364, 465, 565, 764); a perimodiolar flexure (136, 336, 536, 636, 736, 836) formed in the basal section (264, 364, 465, 565, 764) having elastic properties and a shape so as to, after insertion into the cochlea, position all of the stimulating contacts (228, 328, 428, 528, 828) disposed in the basal section (264, 364, 465, 565, 764) adjacent to a modiolar wall of the cochlea, wherein when implanted, a distal section of the stimulating assembly (118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618, 718, 818) has a predominate curl so as to spiral around a recipient's modiolus, characterized in further comprising: a shaping member (684, 784) permanently disposed in the carrier member (370, 570, 670, 770, 870), wherein the perimodiolar flexure (136, 336, 536, 636, 736, 836) further comprises a segment of the shaping member (684, 784) formed into an inverse curl to the predominate curl of the distal section of the stimulating assembly (118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618, 718, 818). a shaping member (684, 784) permanently disposed in the carrier member (370, 570, 670, 770, 870), wherein the perimodiolar flexure (136, 336, 536, 636, 736, 836) further comprises a segment of the shaping member (684, 784) formed into an inverse curl to the predominate curl of the distal section of the stimulating assembly (118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618, 718, 818).