Abstract: A method of estimating the reverberations in an acoustic signal (y) comprises determining the frequency spectrum (Y) of the signal (y), providing a first parameter (?) indicative of the decay of the reverberations part (r) of the signal over time, and providing a second parameter (?) indicative of the amplitude of the direct part (d) of the signal relative to the reverberations part (r). An estimated frequency spectrum ({circumflex over (R)}) of the reverberations signal (r) is produced using the frequency spectrum (Y) of a previous frame, the first parameter (?), and the second parameter (?). The second parameter (?) is preferably inversely proportional to the early-to-late ratio of the signal (y).

Abstract: A method of estimating the reverberations in an acoustic signal (y) comprises the steps of determining the frequency spectrum (Y) of the signal (y), providing a first parameter (?) indicative of the decay of the reverberations part (r) of the signal over time, and providing a second parameter (?) indicative of the amplitude of the direct part (d) of the signal relative to the reverberations part (r). An estimated frequency spectrum ({hacek over (R)}) of the reverberations signal (r) is produced using the frequency spectrum (Y) of a previous frame, the first parameter (?), and the second parameter (?). The second parameter (?). The second parameter (?) is preferably inversely proportional to the early-to-late ratio of the signal (y).

Abstract: The invention relates to an audio encoder and decoder and methods for audio encoding and decoding. In the encoder an audio signal is split into an anechoic signal part and information regarding a reverberant field associated with the audio signal, preferably by a representation using only few parameters such as reverberation time and reverberation amplitude. The anechoic signal is then encoded using an audio codec. At the decoder the anechoic signal part is restored using the audio codec, and the restored anechoic signal part is transformed into the substantially original audio signal by applying reverberance according to the information regarding the reverberant field, preferably by convolution with a room impulse response generated on the basis of the reverberant field information. According to the invention the audio codec involved needs only be capable of encoding anechoic audio signals, thus solving the problem of parametric audio codecs providing poor performance on reverberant audio signals.