Venue Audio De-Mixing for Comb Filtering and Latency Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The comb filtering effect and audio latency issues in real-world venues cause undesirable audio phenomena such as metallic-like sounds, echoes, and phasing, which disrupt coherent and synchronized sound experiences in live performances and audio production.
Innovation Solution
An audio de-mixing tool and re-mixing tool are employed to analyze and deconstruct composite audio programs into multiple audio sounds, identify characteristics, and construct a playback presentation that minimizes comb filtering and audio latency, using pattern recognition and audio control signals to configure loudspeakers and visual displays for immersive experiences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If audio sounds are played back through multiple loudspeakers in a real-world venue, then the audio coverage and immersion are improved, but comb filtering effects and audio latency cause metallic-like sounds, echoes, and phasing that degrade sound quality
Solution Approach 1:
The composite audio program is segmented into multiple individual audio sounds using audio de-mixing technology. This allows each audio sound to be independently processed and assigned to specific loudspeaker zones, enabling precise control over audio playback timing and location to minimize comb filtering effects while maintaining broad audio coverage throughout the venue.
Solution Approach 2:
Audio sounds are pre-processed and assigned to specific loudspeaker zones before playback. The system performs preliminary analysis of the composite audio program to identify and separate individual audio sounds, then assigns them to optimal loudspeaker locations in advance, allowing the venue to playback audio without experiencing comb filtering or latency issues during live events.
2Loss of information
If the time delay between audio sound and its reflections is increased, then the human ear can perceive separate signals for spatial localization, but this creates noticeable echoes and degrades audio quality
Solution Approach 1:
Different loudspeaker zones are assigned different audio sounds based on their spatial location within the venue. Each zone plays back only the audio sounds relevant to its location, with precisely controlled timing. This creates localized audio experiences that provide spatial perception for attendees in different areas without creating venue-wide echoes or excessive time delays.
3Reliability
If audio latency between multiple audio sounds is kept below 10-12ms, then synchronization is maintained, but this limits the ability to accommodate venues with varying acoustic characteristics and loudspeaker configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts audio playback timing for each loudspeaker zone based on real-time calculations of distance, acoustic characteristics, and venue geometry. By segmenting audio into individual sounds and processing them separately, the system can apply different time delays to different zones while maintaining overall synchronization within acceptable thresholds, accommodating diverse venue configurations without compromising audio coherence.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces comb filtering and audio latency, ensuring a seamless and immersive audio experience by intelligently managing audio latency and synchronizing sound playback across multiple loudspeakers and visual displays.
Implementation Method 1
specific frequencies of the audio sound are amplified or attenuated by the superposition its reflections onto itself causing the comb filtering effect
Implementation Method 2
The audio sound can be reflected when it contacts hard surfaces, for example, a floor, a wall, a window, or the like within the real-world venue
Implementation Method 3
when the time delay between the audio sound and its reflections is approximately fifty (50) ms, the human ear begins to perceive the reflections to be echoes of the audio sound
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and apparatuses can playback a composite audio program that is associated with an event being hosted by a real-world venue. These systems, methods, and apparatuses can seamlessly deconstruct the composite audio program into multiple audio sounds that can be collectively played back by the real-world venue. As part of this deconstruction, these systems, methods, and apparatuses can analyze the audio sounds to identify one or more characteristics, parameters, and/or attributes of these audio sounds. These systems, methods, and apparatuses can intelligently construct an audio presentation from these multiple audio sounds to playback the composite audio program within the real-world venue. As part of this construction, these systems, methods, and apparatuses construct the audio presentation based upon the one or more characteristics, parameters, and/or attributes of these audio sounds. After the constructing the audio presentation, these systems, methods, and apparatuses can configure the real-world venue as outlined in the audio presentation to playback the composite audio program within the real-world venue. As part of this constructing, these systems, methods, and apparatuses can identify audio control signals that configure the real-world venue to playback the audio presentation through real-world loudspeakers within the real-world venue.