Audio Clip Volume Curves for Absolute Loudness and Peak Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current media editing applications face challenges in adjusting audio volume effectively, as relative volume adjustments often fail to adequately enhance quiet clips without clipping loud peaks, and do not allow for fine-tuning of volume levels across different portions of a clip, making it difficult to align audio points in time.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of volume adjuster graphs that use absolute values based on intrinsic characteristics like peak or RMS values, allowing for individual adjustment of each clip's segments, and the use of deformable graphs and reference waveforms for better volume control and visual identification of audio points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single volume bar is used to adjust the volume of an audio clip, then the volume can be changed uniformly across the entire clip, but it does not allow fine tuning of the volume in different portions of the clip
Solution Approach 1:
The audio clip is divided into multiple segments, and each segment has its own volume adjuster. This allows different portions of the audio clip to have different volume adjustments, enabling fine-tuning of volume in specific portions while maintaining uniform adjustment capability for the entire clip.
Solution Approach 2:
The volume adjustment interface transitions from a single one-dimensional volume bar to a multi-dimensional system where volume can be adjusted both globally (affecting the entire clip) and locally (affecting specific segments). This adds the dimension of spatial segmentation to the volume control mechanism.
2Ease of operation
If a relative volume adjustment is used, then the volume can be increased or decreased by a relative value, but the volume of a quiet clip might not become loud enough even after maximum adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects the initial volume level of the audio clip and pre-calculates the optimal adjustment amount. This preliminary action ensures that the volume is adjusted to the desired target level (e.g., making a quiet clip loud enough) without requiring the user to manually calculate or estimate the adjustment amount.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback by displaying the detected volume level and the adjusted volume level, allowing users to see the effect of the adjustment. This feedback mechanism ensures that the volume adjustment achieves the desired precision and allows users to make further adjustments if needed.
3Ease of operation
If the volume of an audio clip is raised by a relative value, then the volume increases, but a clip with a loud peak might be clipped off if the peak goes beyond the maximum allowed level
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects the peak volume level of the audio clip before applying the volume adjustment. This preliminary detection allows the system to calculate an adjustment amount that will not cause the peak to exceed the maximum allowed level, thereby preventing clipping while still achieving the desired volume increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback by displaying the detected peak level and the adjusted peak level, allowing users to verify that the adjustment does not cause clipping. This feedback ensures reliable volume adjustment while maintaining audio quality.
4Ease of operation
If a non-linear volume scale is used, then the volume can be adjusted on a logarithmic scale, but changes to the volume bar and the resulting changes to the corresponding waveform do not move in locked step
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides visual feedback by displaying both the volume bar position and the corresponding waveform adjustment simultaneously. This feedback ensures that users can see the relationship between the volume adjustment and the waveform change, maintaining alignment information even when using a non-linear volume scale.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for adjusting the sound volume of media clips using volume adjuster lines is provided. The volume adjuster lines are individually set for each clip based on the intrinsic, or absolute, volume values of the clip. In some embodiments, the volume adjuster lines are set for each clip based on the peak value or a calculated loudness equivalent of the clip. A user can move the volume adjuster line to set the absolute sound level of a clip. The volume adjuster lines can be hidden in some embodiments. In these embodiments, dragging on any portion of a clip is treated as dragging on the volume adjuster line. Some embodiments provide a deformable volume adjuster line, or curve. In these embodiments, a single audio clip can have several different volume adjuster lines for different sections of the clip where the volume adjuster line for each section is individually adjustable.