Abstract: Methods for generating an object based audio program which is renderable in a personalizable manner, e.g., to provide an immersive, perception of audio content of the program. Other embodiments include steps of delivering (e.g., broadcasting), decoding, and/or rendering such a program. Rendering of audio objects indicated by the program may provide an immersive experience. The audio content of the program may be indicative of multiple object channels (e.g., object channels indicative of user-selectable and user-configurable objects, and typically also a default set of objects which will be rendered in the absence of a selection by a user) and a bed of speaker channels. Another aspect is an audio processing unit (e.g., encoder or decoder) configured to perform, or which includes a buffer memory which stores at least one frame (or other segment) of an object based audio program (or bitstream thereof) generated in accordance with, any embodiment of the method.

Abstract: A method (600) for decoding an encoded audio signal (102) is described. The encoded audio signal (102) comprises a sequence of frames. Furthermore, the encoded audio signal (102) is indicative of a plurality of different dynamic range control (DRC) profiles for a corresponding plurality of different rendering modes. Different subsets of DRC profiles from the plurality of DRC profiles are comprised within different frames of the sequence of frames, such that two or more frames of the sequence of frames jointly comprise the plurality of DRC profiles.

Abstract: An audio bitstream is decoded into audio objects and audio metadata for the audio objects. The audio objects include a specific audio object. The audio metadata specifies frame-level gains that include a first gain and a second gain respectively for a first audio frame and a second audio frame. It is determined, based on the first and second gains, whether sub-frame gains are to be generated for the specific audio object. If so, a ramp length is determined for a ramp used to generate the sub-frame gains for the specific audio object. The ramp of the ramp length is used to generate the sub-frame gains for the specific audio object. A sound field represented by the audio objects with the sub-frame gains is rendered by audio speakers.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, devices and computer program products for encoding and decoding a stereo audio signal based on an input signal. According to the disclosure, a hybrid approach of using both parametric stereo coding and a discrete representation of the stereo audio signal is used which may improve the quality of the encoded and decoded audio for certain bitrates.

Abstract: Described is a method of training a neural-network-based system for determining an indication of an audio quality of an audio input. The method includes obtaining, as input, at least one training set comprising audio samples. The audio samples include audio samples of a first type and audio samples of a second type, wherein each of the first type of audio samples is labelled with information indicative of a respective predetermined audio quality metric, and wherein each of the second type of audio samples is labelled with information indicative of a respective audio quality metric relative to that of a reference audio sample. The method further includes: inputting the training set to the neural-network-based system; and iteratively training the system to predict the respective label information of the audio samples in the training set.

Abstract: The present document relates to audio coding systems which make use of a harmonic transposition method for high frequency reconstruction (HFR), and to digital effect processors, e.g. so-called exciters, where generation of harmonic distortion adds brightness to the processed signal. In particular, a system configured to generate a high frequency component of a signal from a low frequency component of the signal is described. The system may comprise an analysis filter bank (501) configured to provide a set of analysis subband signals from the low frequency component of the signal; wherein the set of analysis subband signals comprises at least two analysis subband signals; wherein the analysis filter bank (501) has a frequency resolution of ?f.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method comprises: transforming one or more frames of a two-channel time domain audio signal into a time-frequency domain representation including a plurality of time-frequency tiles, wherein the frequency domain of the time-frequency domain representation includes a plurality of frequency bins grouped into subbands. For each time-frequency tile, the method comprises: calculating spatial parameters and a level for the time-frequency tile; modifying the spatial parameters using shift and squeeze parameters; obtaining a softmask value for each frequency bin using the modified spatial parameters, the level and subband information; and applying the softmask values to the time-frequency tile to generate a modified time-frequency tile of an estimated audio source.

Abstract: Described herein is a method for improving dialogue intelligibility during playback of audio data on a playback device, wherein the audio data comprise dialogue audio data, and at least one of music and effects audio data, the method including the steps of: determining a volume mixing ratio based on a volume value for playback; mixing the dialogue audio data and the at least one of music and effects audio data based on said volume mixing ratio; and outputting the mixed audio data for playback. Described are further a respective playback device and a respective computer program product.

Abstract: The present document relates an audio encoding and decoding system (referred to as an audio codec system). In particular, the present document relates to a audio codec system which is particularly well suited for voice encoding/decoding. A transform-based speech encoder is configured to encode a speech signal into a bitstream is described. A speech decoder configured to decode audio signals from a bitstream is further described.

Abstract: Methods and audio processing units for generating an object based audio program including conditional rendering metadata corresponding to at least one object channel of the program, where the conditional rendering metadata is indicative of at least one rendering constraint, based on playback speaker array configuration, which applies to each corresponding object channel, and methods for rendering audio content determined by such a program, including by rendering content of at least one audio channel of the program in a manner compliant with each applicable rendering constraint in response to at least some of the conditional rendering metadata. Rendering of a selected mix of content of the program may provide an immersive experience.

Abstract: The present document relates to audio source coding systems which make use of a harmonic transposition method for high frequency reconstruction (HFR), as well as to digital effect processors, e.g. exciters, where generation of harmonic distortion add brightness to the processed signal, and to time stretchers where a signal duration is prolonged with maintained spectral content. A system and method configured to generate a time stretched and/or frequency transposed signal from an input signal is described. The system comprises an analysis filterbank configured to provide an analysis subband signal from the input signal; wherein the analysis subband signal comprises a plurality of complex valued analysis samples, each having a phase and a magnitude. Furthermore, the system comprises a subband processing unit configured to determine a synthesis subband signal from the analysis subband signal using a subband transposition factor Q and a subband stretch factor S.

Abstract: On the basis of a bitstream (P), an n-channel audio signal (X) is reconstructed by deriving an m-channel core signal (Y) and multichannel coding parameters (?) from the bitstream, where 1?m<n. Also derived from the bitstream are pre-processing dynamic range control, DRC, parameters (DRC2) quantifying an encoder-side dynamic range limiting of the core signal. The n-channel audio signal is obtained by parametric synthesis in accordance with the multichannel coding parameters and while cancelling any encoder-side dynamic range limiting based on the pre-processing DRC parameters. In particular embodiments, the reconstruction further includes use of compensated post-processing DRC parameters quantifying a potential decoder-side dynamic range compression. Cancellation of an encoder-side range limitation and range compression are preferably performed by different decoder-side components. Cancellation and compression may be coordinated by a DRC pre-processor.

Abstract: Described herein is a method of determining parameters for a generative neural network for processing an audio signal, wherein the generative neural network includes an encoder stage mapping to a coded feature space and a decoder stage, each stage including a plurality of convolutional layers with one or more weight coefficients, the method comprising a plurality of cycles with sequential processes of: pruning the weight coefficients of either or both stages based on pruning control information, the pruning control information determining the number of weight coefficients that are pruned for respective convolutional layers; training the pruned generative neural network based on a set of training data; determining a loss for the trained and pruned generative neural network based on a loss function; and determining updated pruning control information based on the determined loss and a target loss. Further described are corresponding apparatus, programs, and computer-readable storage media.

Abstract: A method comprises: obtaining softmask values for frequency bins of time-frequency tiles representing an audio signal; reducing, or expanding and limiting, the softmask values; and applying the reduced, or expanded and limited, softmask values to the frequency bins to create a time-frequency representation of an estimated target source. An alternative method comprises, for each time-frequency tile: obtaining softmask values; applying the softmask values to the frequency bins to create a time-frequency domain representation of an estimated target source; obtaining a panning parameter and a source concentration estimates for the target source; determining, using the panning parameter estimate and the softmask values, a magnitude for the time-frequency representation of the estimated target source; determining, using the panning parameter estimate and the source phase concentration estimate, a phase for the time-frequency representation of the estimated target source; and combining the magnitude and the phase.

Abstract: A method for representing a second presentation of audio channels or objects as a data stream, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a set of base signals, the base signals representing a first presentation of the audio channels or objects; (b) providing a set of transformation parameters, the transformation parameters intended to transform the first presentation into the second presentation; the transformation parameters further being specified for at least two frequency bands and including a set of multi-tap convolution matrix parameters for at least one of the frequency bands.

Abstract: A system utilizing a high throughput coding mode for CABAC in HEVC is described. The system may include an electronic device configured to obtain a block of data to be encoded using an arithmetic based encoder; to generate a sequence of syntax elements using the obtained block; to compare an Absolute-3 value of the sequence or a parameter associated with the Absolute-3 value to a preset value; and to convert the Absolute-3 value to a codeword using a first code or a second code that is different than the first code, according to a result of the comparison.

Abstract: There is provided encoding and decoding methods for encoding and decoding of object based audio. An exemplary encoding method includes inter alia calculating M downmix signals by forming combinations of N audio objects, wherein M?N, and calculating parameters which allow reconstruction of a set of audio objects formed on basis of the N audio objects from the M downmix signals. The calculation of the M downmix signals is made according to a criterion which is independent of any loudspeaker configuration.

Abstract: The present document describes a method (700) for encoding a multi-channel input signal (201). The method (700) comprises determining (701) a plurality of downmix channel signals (203) from the multi-channel input signal (201) and performing (702) energy compaction of the plurality of downmix channel signals (203) to provide a plurality of compacted channel signals (404). Furthermore, the method (700) comprises determining (703) joint coding metadata (205) based on the plurality of compacted channel signals (404) and based on the multi-channel input signal (201), wherein the joint coding metadata (205) is such that it allows upmixing of the plurality of compacted channel signals (404) to an approximation of the multi-channel input signal (201). In addition, the method (700) comprises encoding (704) the plurality of compacted channel signals (404) and the joint coding metadata (205).

Abstract: A method of audio processing includes generating harmonics in a hybrid complex quadrature mirror filter domain. Generating the harmonics may include multiplication, using a feedback delay loop, and dynamic compression. The harmonics may be generated based on one or more hybrid sub-bands of the complex transform domain signal.

Abstract: The present document relates to a method of layered encoding of a compressed sound representation of a sound or sound field. The compressed sound representation comprises a basic compressed sound representation comprising a plurality of components, basic side information for decoding the basic compressed sound representation to a basic reconstructed sound representation of the sound or sound field, and enhancement side information including parameters for improving the basic reconstructed sound representation.