Audio Sample Combining with Automatic Rhythm and Pitch Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current music software programs offer extensive control over music aspects, requiring specialized musical knowledge, leading to frustrating user experiences for users without such knowledge when combining audio samples.

Innovation Solution

A computing device with a user input module and an audio combining module that automatically adjusts the rhythm and pitch of audio samples to enhance rhythmic and harmonic coherence, allowing users to combine samples without needing advanced musical knowledge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If extensive control over music aspects is provided in software programs, then the capability to adjust music parameters is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to requiring specialized musical knowledge

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol capabilityVSAvoiduser experience
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically adjusts rhythm and pitch parameters of audio samples without requiring user intervention or specialized musical knowledge. The audio combining module autonomously processes the audio files, determining optimal timing and pitch adjustments to achieve coherent mixing, thereby enabling users without musical expertise to effectively combine audio samples.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically modifies key audio parameters including rhythm (tempo, beat timing) and pitch (frequency, key) of audio samples. By dynamically adjusting these parameters through digital signal processing, the system transforms audio files to be rhythmically and harmonically coherent, eliminating the need for users to manually tune these complex parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If automatic rhythm and pitch adjustment is implemented, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of combining audio samplesVSAvoidaudio processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The audio combining module is divided into distinct functional sub-modules: a rhythm analysis module that detects beat patterns and temporal structures, a pitch detection module that identifies musical keys and notes, a rhythm adjustment module that modifies timing parameters, and a pitch adjustment module that transforms frequency content. This segmentation allows complex audio processing to be managed through modular, specialized components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs metadata as an intermediary representation that bridges the gap between raw audio data and user requirements. By extracting and manipulating metadata (temporal patterns, pitch contours, harmonic structures) rather than directly processing the complete audio signals, the system simplifies the complexity of audio processing while maintaining effective control over the mixing results.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3047478B1Combining audio samples by automatically adjusting sample characteristics
Publication Date: 2018.10.24 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3047478B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3047478B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3047478B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A user selects an audio sample to be combined with a set of audio samples. The selected sample is automatically combined with the set of samples based on metadata corresponding to the sample and metadata corresponding to the set of samples. The rhythmic content (beat locations) of the sample and/or set of samples is automatically adjusted to increase rhythmic coherence of the sample and the set of samples, and a pitch of the sample and/or set of samples is automatically adjusted to increase harmonic coherence of the sample and the set of samples. The user is thus able to select a sample and a set of samples, and have one or both automatically adjusted so that the combination sounds good together both rhythmically and harmonically. Audio samples can be similarly combined with other audio samples, and sets of audio samples can be similarly combined with other sets of audio samples.