Abstract: A speech reproduction device for reproducing speech based on a received speech signal so that the reproduced speech is intelligible in a clear speech zone and unintelligible in a masked speech zone includes an audio processing module configured for receiving the speech signal; a set of speech loudspeakers configured for reproducing the speech based on one or more speech loudspeaker signals; and a set of masking sound loudspeakers configured for producing a masking sound based on one or more masking sound loudspeaker signals, wherein the masking sound masks the speech in the masked speech zone; wherein the audio processing module includes a speech signal analysis module configured for producing one or more analysis signals based on spectral and/or temporal characteristics of the speech signal; wherein the audio processing module includes a masking sound generator configured for producing one or more masking sound signals based on the one or more analysis signals.

Abstract: A device for volume control for at least two audio sources includes a loudness analyzer and a volume regulator. The loudness analyzer is configured to analyze an audio signal of the first one and of the second one of the two audio sources over a time period, to determine a first and a second loudness value, respectively, as a function thereof, and to store same while associating them with the first and the second audio source. The volume regulator is configured to adapt the audio signal of the currently selected first and/or second one of the two audio sources in accordance with the corresponding first and/or second loudness value.

Abstract: A multi-channel decorrelator for providing a plurality of decorrelated signals on the basis of a plurality of decorrelator input signals is configured to premix a first set of N decorrelator input signals into a second set of K decorrelator input signals, wherein K<N. The multi-channel decorrelator is configured to provide a first set of K? decorrelator output signals on the basis of the second set of K decorrelator input signals. The multi-channel decorrelator is further configured to upmix the first set of K? decorrelator output signals into a second set of N? decorrelator output signals, wherein N?>K?. The multi-channel decorrelator can be used in a multi-channel audio decoder. A multi-channel audio encoder provides complexity control information for the multi-channel decorrelator.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing an encoded audio signal having a plurality of downmix signals associated with a plurality of input audio objects and object parameters E. The apparatus includes a grouper configured to group the downmix signals into groups of downmix signals associated with a set of input audio objects. The apparatus includes a processor configured to perform at least one processing step individually on the object parameters Ek of each set of input audio objects in order to provide group results. Further, there is a combiner configured to combine the group results or processed group results in order to provide a decoded audio signal. The grouper is configured to group the downmix signals so that each input audio object belongs to just one set of input audio objects. The invention also refers to a corresponding method.

Abstract: Embodiments provide a digital processor including an ambient portion extractor and a spatial effect processing stage. The ambient portion extractor is configured to extract an ambient portion from a multi-channel signal. The spatial effect processing stage is configured to generate a spatial effect signal based on the ambient portion of the multi-channel signal. The digital processor is configured to combine the multi-channel signal or a processed version thereof with the spatial effect signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for enhancing an audio signal includes a signal processor for processing the audio signal in order to reduce or eliminate transient and tonal portions of the processed signal and a decorrelator for generating a first decorrelated signal and a second decorrelated signal from the processed signal. The apparatus further includes a combiner for weightedly combining the first and the second decorrelated signal and the audio signal or a signal derived from the audio signal by coherence enhancement using time variant weighting factors and to obtain a two-channel audio signal. The apparatus further includes a controller for controlling the time variant weighting factors by analyzing the audio signal so that different portions of the audio signal are multiplied by different weighting factors and the two-channel audio signal has a time variant degree of decorrelation.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a plurality of loudspeaker signals from two or more audio source signals is provided. Each of the two or more audio source signals shall be reproduced in one or more of two or more sound zones, and at least one of the two or more audio source signals shall not be reproduced in at least one of the two more sound zones. An audio preprocessor is configured to modify each initial audio signal of the two or more initial audio signals depending on a signal power or a loudness of another initial audio signal of the two or more initial audio signals. A filter is configured to generate the plurality of loudspeaker signals depending on in which of the two or more sound zones the two or more audio source signals shall be reproduced and depending on in which of the two or more sound zones the two or more audio source signals shall not be reproduced.

Abstract: A decoder for generating an audio output signal having one or more audio output channels from a downmix signal having three or more downmix channels, wherein the downmix signal encodes three or more audio object signals is provided. The decoder includes an input channel router and at least two channel processing units. Each channel processing unit of the at least two channel processing units is configured to generate one or more of at least two processed channels depending on side information and depending on one or more of the three or more downmix channels received by the channel processing unit from the input channel router.

Abstract: A decoder for generating an audio output signal having one or more audio output channels from a downmix signal is provided. The downmix signal encodes one or more audio object signals. The decoder has a control unit. Moreover, the decoder has a first analysis module for transforming the downmix signal to obtain a first transformed downmix having a plurality of first subband channels. Furthermore, the decoder has a second analysis module for generating, when an activation indication is set to the activation state, a second transformed downmix. Moreover, the decoder has an un-mixing unit, wherein the un-mixing unit is configured to un-mix the second transformed downmix. Furthermore, an encoder is provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing an encoded audio signal having a plurality of downmix signals associated with a plurality of input audio objects and object parameters E. The apparatus includes a grouper configured to group the downmix signals into groups of downmix signals associated with a set of input audio objects. The apparatus includes a processor configured to perform at least one processing step individually on the object parameters Ek of each set of input audio objects in order to provide group results. Further, there is a combiner configured to combine the group results or processed group results in order to provide a decoded audio signal. The grouper is configured to group the downmix signals so that each input audio object belongs to just one set of input audio objects. The invention also refers to a corresponding method.

Abstract: A multi-channel audio decoder for providing at least two output audio signals on the basis of an encoded representation is configured to render a plurality of decoded audio signals, which are obtained on the basis of the encoded representation, in dependence on one or more rendering parameters, to obtain a plurality of rendered audio signals. The multi-channel audio decoder is configured to derive one or more decorrelated audio signals from the rendered audio signals, and to combine the rendered audio signals, or a scaled version thereof, with the one or more decorrelated audio signals, to obtain the output audio signals. A multi-channel audio encoder provides a decorrelation method parameter to control an audio decoder.

Abstract: A decoder for generating an audio output signal having one or more audio output channels from a downmix signal having one or more downmix channels is provided. The downmix signal encodes one or more audio object signals. The decoder has a threshold determiner for determining a threshold value depending on a signal energy and/or a noise energy of at least one of the of or more audio object signals and/or depending on a signal energy and/or a noise energy of at least one of the one or more downmix channels. Moreover, the decoder has a processing unit for generating the one or more audio output channels from the one or more downmix channels depending on the threshold value, by computing eigenvalues of a downmix channel cross correlation matrix, wherein each eigenvalue except largest eigenvalue is compared to the threshold value, and omitted if they are smaller.

Abstract: A decoder for generating an audio output signal having one or more audio output channels is provided, having a receiving interface for receiving an audio input signal having a plurality of audio object signals, for receiving loudness information on the audio object signals, and for receiving rendering information indicating whether one or more of the audio object signals shall be amplified or attenuated, further having a signal processor for generating the one or more audio output channels of the audio output signal, configured to determine a loudness compensation value depending on the loudness information and depending on the rendering information, and configured to generate the one or more audio output channels of the audio output signal from the audio input signal depending on the rendering information and depending on the loudness compensation value. One or more by-pass audio object signals are employed for generating the audio output signal. Moreover, an encoder is provided.

Abstract: A decoder for generating an audio output signal having one or more audio output channels is provided, having a receiving interface for receiving an audio input signal having a plurality of audio object signals, for receiving loudness information on the audio object signals, and for receiving rendering information indicating whether one or more of the audio object signals shall be amplified or attenuated, further having a signal processor for generating the one or more audio output channels of the audio output signal, configured to determine a loudness compensation value depending on the loudness information and depending on the rendering information, and configured to generate the one or more audio output channels of the audio output signal from the audio input signal depending on the rendering information and depending on the loudness compensation value. One or more by-pass audio object signals are employed for generating the audio output signal. Moreover, an encoder is provided.

Abstract: A device for volume control for at least two audio sources includes a loudness analyzer and a volume regulator. The loudness analyzer is configured to analyze an audio signal of the first one and of the second one of the two audio sources over a time period, to determine a first and a second loudness value, respectively, as a function thereof, and to store same while associating them with the first and the second audio source. The volume regulator is configured to adapt the audio signal of the currently selected first and/or second one of the two audio sources in accordance with the corresponding first and/or second loudness value.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a stereo output signal includes a manipulation information generator being adapted to generate manipulation information depending on a first signal indication value of a first input channel and on a second signal indication value of a second input channel, and a manipulator for manipulating a combination signal based on the manipulation information to obtain a first manipulated signal as a first output channel and a second manipulated signal as a second output channel. The combination signal is a signal derived by combining the first input channel and the second input channel. Furthermore, the manipulator is configured for manipulating the combination signal in a first manner, when the first signal indication value is in a first relation to the second signal indication value, or in a different second manner, when the first signal indication value is in a different second relation to the second signal indication value.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a stereo side signal having a first side channel and a second side channel from a stereo input signal having a first input channel and a second input channel is provided. The apparatus has a modification information generator for generating modification information based on mid-side information. Furthermore, the apparatus has a signal manipulator being adapted to manipulate the first input channel based on the modification information to obtain the first side channel and being adapted to manipulate the second input channel based on the modification information to obtain the second side channel. The modification information generator has a spectral weights generator for generating the modification information by generating a first spectral weighting factor based on a mono mid signal and on a mono side signal of the stereo input signal.

Abstract: Embodiments provide a digital processor including an ambient portion extractor and a spatial effect processing stage. The ambient portion extractor is configured to extract an ambient portion from a multi-channel signal. The spatial effect processing stage is configured to generate a spatial effect signal based on the ambient portion of the multi-channel signal. The digital processor is configured to combine the multi-channel signal or a processed version thereof with the spatial effect signal.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a side wall, a ceiling and a speaker arrangement including at least one speaker. The speaker arrangement is positioned in or at the side wall and is configured such that a main sound emission direction of the speaker arrangement is directed to the ceiling.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a loudspeaker reproduction system for a vehicle having a first loudspeaker array and a second loudspeaker array. The first loudspeaker array is configured to generate a first stereo or virtual multi-channel sound field, wherein the first loudspeaker array is aligned towards a driver position of the vehicle. The second loudspeaker array is configured to generate a second stereo or virtual multi-channel sound field, wherein the second loudspeaker array is aligned towards a front passenger position of the vehicle.