An apparatus and method for coding a multi-channel waveform
signal from or into a
data stream using block-based prediction is presented. The apparatus is configured to decode from the
data stream a commonality
syntax element indicating for a plurality of channels of the multi-channel waveform
signal, whether, among a set of prediction
modes supported by the apparatus, one prediction mode is commonly attributed to the plurality of channels, if the commonality
syntax element indicates that one prediction mode is commonly attributed to the plurality of channels, decode a set of one or more prediction mode
syntax elements from the
data stream which indicate a selected prediction mode out of the set of prediction
modes, wherein the selected prediction mode is the one prediction mode, or appoint a selected prediction mode indicated by a set of one or more prediction mode syntax elements decoded for a first channel among the plurality of channels the one prediction mode, or use a default prediction mode among the set of prediction
modes as the one prediction mode, and decode each of the plurality of channels using the one prediction mode, and, if the commonality syntax element does not indicate that one prediction mode is commonly attributed to the plurality of channels, decode, from the data
stream, for each of the plurality of channels, the set of one or more prediction mode syntax elements, which indicate a selected prediction mode out of the set of prediction modes for the respective channel, and decode each of the plurality of channels using the selected prediction mode for the respective channel.