Abstract: Systems and techniques for determining characteristics to be exhibited by a sound phrase. A user draws traces on an input device indicating characteristics, such as duration and direction, of sounds such as sounds to be captured by a microphone array. In response to the user inputs, signals from the microphone array are processed to produce a signal exhibiting the characteristics. The signal is stored to create a sound phrase, and the sound phrase may later be played. Additional inputs may be received specifying a direction from which the sound phrase is to be played, or playback may come from a default direction. Further inputs may be received during playback to control characteristics of the playback. In addition to specifying characteristics to be imparted to recorded or stored phrases, user inputs may specify characteristics for generated sounds or may specify characteristics to be exhibited by sounds being played.

Abstract: A first apparatus performs the following: determining, using at least two microphone signals corresponding to left and right microphone signals and using at least one further microphone signal, directional information of the left and right microphone signals; outputting a first signal corresponding to the left microphone signal; outputting a second signal corresponding to the right microphone signal; and outputting a third signal corresponding to the determined directional information. Another apparatus performs the following: performing at least one of the following: outputting first and second signals as stereo output signals; or converting the first and second signals to mid and side signals, and converting, using directional information for the first and second signals, the mid and side signals to at least one of binaural signals or multi-channel signals, and outputting the corresponding binaural signals or multi-channel signals. Additional apparatus, program products, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Techniques are presented that include determining, using signals captured from two or more microphones configured to detect an acoustic signal from one or more sound sources, one or more prominent sound sources based on the one or more sound sources. The techniques also include determining one or more directions relative to a position of one or more of the two or more microphones for prominent sound source(s). The techniques further include outputting information suitable to be viewed on a display, the information providing for the prominent sound source(s) a visual effect indicating at least in part the one or more directions, relative to a position of one or more of the microphones, of the prominent sound source(s) in the acoustic signal. The information and the corresponding visual effect(s) may be presented on a display, e.g., as part of a screensaver.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for creating multichannel output signals from input audio signals. A first signal is determined based on a number of subbands into which the input audio signals are divided and based at least in part on a directional estimation wherein the subbands having dominant sound source directions are emphasized relative to subbands having directional estimates that deviate from directional estimates of the dominant sound source directions. A second signal is determined based on the number of subbands wherein an ambient component is introduced to create a perception of an externalization for a sound image. A resultant audio signal is created using the first and second signals. The resultant audio signal is one of a number of multichannel signals. Additionally, it is determined whether binaural audio output or multichannel audio output (or both) is to be output, and the appropriate number of audio output signals are determined and output.

Abstract: A method includes, for each of a number of subbands of a frequency range and for at least first and second frequency-domain signals that are frequency-domain representations of corresponding first and second audio signals: determining a time delay of the first frequency-domain signal that removes a time difference between the first and second frequency-domain signals in the subband. The method includes forming a first resultant signal including, for each of the number of subbands, a sum of one of the first or second frequency-domain signals shifted by the time delay and of the other of the first or second frequency-domain signals; and forming a second resultant signal including, for each of the number of subbands, a difference between the shifted one of the first or second frequency-domain signals and the other of the first or second frequency-domain signals. Apparatus and program products are also disclosed.