Audio Sample Playback Unit Latency Reduction via Pre-loaded Heads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio sample playback units face challenges in replicating the sound of analog instruments due to high latency, limited flexibility in producing diverse sounds, and glitches in audio playback, which are attributed to insufficient processing power and design.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves an audio sample playback apparatus with a memory system that stores audio samples and a processor configured to efficiently retrieve and generate audio frames by using a multi-dimensional mapping data structure, pre-loading sample heads into high-speed memory, and distributing tasks across multiple threads to reduce latency and enhance sound production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If audio samples are stored in memory and retrieved using conventional methods, then the system can produce audio output, but high latency occurs between trigger input and audible output
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-loads audio sample heads into high-speed memory before they are needed for playback. This preliminary action ensures that when a trigger input occurs, the audio sample data is already available in fast memory, eliminating retrieval delays and reducing latency between trigger and audible output.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides audio samples into segments (heads and tails) and stores them in different memory locations. The head portion is pre-loaded into high-speed memory for immediate access, while the tail portion remains in slower storage. This segmentation allows the system to prioritize fast access to the most critical audio data without requiring all samples to be in high-speed memory simultaneously.
2Loss of time
If the system uses sufficient processing power to complete audio calculations quickly, then latency is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the audio processing pipeline into multiple threads with specialized functions: a first thread handles trigger input processing and sample selection, a second thread manages audio sample retrieval and playback, and a third thread handles output generation. This segmentation distributes computational load across parallel threads, reducing latency without requiring a single complex high-power processor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mapping data structure that sits between the trigger input and the audio sample storage. This mapping structure efficiently translates trigger parameters into corresponding audio sample identifiers, enabling fast sample retrieval without complex real-time decision-making logic in the main processing thread.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system stores a large number of audio samples in memory, then sound diversity is improved, but the memory requirements and access time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the audio sample library into head portions and tail portions, storing heads in high-speed memory and tails in slower storage. This allows the system to maintain a large collection of diverse audio samples while ensuring that the most frequently accessed sample data (heads) is available for rapid retrieval, thus preserving sound diversity without proportionally increasing retrieval time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-loads audio sample heads into high-speed memory based on anticipated playback needs. This preliminary population of fast memory with relevant sample data allows the system to quickly access diverse sounds when triggers occur, without requiring all possible audio samples to be simultaneously available in high-speed memory.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are a number of example embodiments for an improved audio sample playback unit. For example, multi-dimensional mapping of triggers to audio samples is disclosed. Also disclosed is low latency retrieval and playback of audio samples via pre-loading of sample heads into high speed memory. Furthermore, disclosed herein is a multi-threaded control operation for generating audio frames in response to trigger inputs, as well as the use of multiple pipes from which audio data can be generated. Further still, an example embodiment provides for multi-level control of audio properties, including voice-specific controls, pipe-specific controls, and global controls.