Abstract: An audio decoder decodes a bit stream of encoded audio data, which bit stream represents a sequence of audio sample values and includes a plurality of frames, wherein each frame includes associated encoded audio sample values. The audio decoder includes a determiner configured to determine whether a frame of the encoded audio data is a special frame including encoded audio sample values associated with the special frame and additional information, wherein the additional information include encoded audio sample values of a number of frames preceding the special frame, wherein the encoded audio sample values of the preceding frames are encoded using the same codec configuration as the special frame, wherein the number of preceding frames is sufficient to initialize the decoder to be in a position to decode the audio sample values associated with the special frame if the special frame is the first frame upon start-up of the decoder.

Abstract: Audio data processor, having: a receiver interface for receiving encoded audio data and metadata related to the encoded audio data; a metadata parser for parsing the metadata to determine an audio data manipulation possibility; an interaction interface for receiving an interaction input and for generating, from the interaction input, interaction control data related to the audio data manipulation possibility; and a data stream generator for obtaining the interaction control data and the encoded audio data and the metadata and for generating an output data stream, the output data stream having the encoded audio data, at least a portion of the metadata, and the interaction control data.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a description of a combined audio scene, includes: an input interface for receiving a first description of a first scene in a first format and a second description of a second scene in a second format, wherein the second format is different from the first format; a format converter for converting the first description into a common format and for converting the second description into the common format, when the second format is different from the common format; and a format combiner for combining the first description in the common format and the second description in the common format to obtain the combined audio scene.

Abstract: An apparatus for encoding directional audio coding parameters having diffuseness parameters and direction parameters, has: a parameter quantizer for quantizing the diffuseness parameters and the direction parameters; a parameter encoder for encoding quantized diffuseness parameters and quantized direction parameters; and an output interface for generating an encoded parameter representation having information on encoded diffuseness parameters and encoded direction parameters.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for rendering an audio signal for a playback to a user is disclosed. In one example, the apparatus is configured to determine information about an orientation of a head of the user using an optical sensor. The apparatus is configured to determine information about an orientation of the optical sensor using an orientation sensor which is arranged in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the optical sensor. The apparatus is configured to consider the information about the orientation of the optical sensor when determining the information about the orientation of the head. The apparatus is configured to perform a spatial rendering of an audio signal in dependence on the information about the orientation of the head of the user.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a description of a combined audio scene, includes: an input interface for receiving a first description of a first scene in a first format and a second description of a second scene in a second format, wherein the second format is different from the first format; a format converter for converting the first description into a common format and for converting the second description into the common format, when the second format is different from the common format; and a format combiner for combining the first description in the common format and the second description in the common format to obtain the combined audio scene.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a description of a combined audio scene, includes: an input interface for receiving a first description of a first scene in a first format and a second description of a second scene in a second format, wherein the second format is different from the first format; a format converter for converting the first description into a common format and for converting the second description into the common format, when the second format is different from the common format; and a format combiner for combining the first description in the common format and the second description in the common format to obtain the combined audio scene.

Abstract: An apparatus for encoding directional audio coding parameters comprising diffuseness parameters and direction parameters having a parameter calculator (100) for calculating the diffuseness parameters with a first time or frequency resolution and for calculating the direction parameters with a second time or frequency resolution; and a quantizer and encoder processor (200) for generating a quantized and encoded representation of the diffuseness parameters and the direction parameters.

Abstract: What is described is a method for loss concealment of spatial audio parameters, the spatial audio parameters having at least a direction of arrival information; the method having the following steps: receiving a first set of spatial audio parameters having at least a first direction of arrival information; receiving a second set of spatial audio parameters, having at least a second direction of arrival information; and replacing the second direction of arrival information of a second set by a replacement direction of arrival information derived from the first direction of arrival information, if at least the second direction of arrival information or a portion of the second direction of arrival information is lost or damaged.

Abstract: An audio encoder for encoding audio input data has: a preprocessor for preprocessing the audio input data to obtain audio data to be coded; a coder processor for coding the audio data to be coded; and a controller for controlling the coder processor so that, depending on a first signal characteristic of a first frame of the audio data to be coded, a number of audio data items of the audio data to be coded by the coder processor for the first frame is reduced compared to a second signal characteristic of a second frame, and a first number of information units used for coding the reduced number of audio data items for the first frame is stronger enhanced compared to a second number of information units for the second frame.

Abstract: An audio encoder for encoding audio input data has: a preprocessor for preprocessing the audio input data to obtain audio data to be coded; a coder processor for coding the audio data to be coded; and a controller for controlling the coder processor so that, depending on a first signal characteristic of a first frame of the audio data to be coded, a number of audio data items of the audio data to be coded by the coder processor for the first frame is reduced compared to a second signal characteristic of a second frame, and a first number of information units used for coding the reduced number of audio data items for the first frame is stronger enhanced compared to a second number of information units for the second frame.

Abstract: A network device for managing a call between user terminals checks whether a first user terminal supports usage of a first audio coding mode for the call, and a second user terminal intends to use a second audio coding mode for the call, and, if the first user terminal supports the usage of the first audio coding mode, and the second user terminal intends to use the second audio coding mode, repacks first data of the call sent from the first user terminal to the second user terminal and packetized into first packets referring to the second audio coding mode, into second packets referring to the first audio coding mode; and repacks second data of the call sent from the second user terminal to the first user terminal and packetized into third packets referring to the second audio coding mode, into fourth packets referring to the first audio coding mode.

Abstract: An apparatus for encoding a spatial audio representation representing an audio scene to obtain an encoded audio signal includes: a transport representation generator for generating a transport representation from the spatial audio representation, and for generating transport metadata related to the generation of the transport representation or indicating one or more directional properties of the transport representation; and an output interface for generating the encoded audio signal, the encoded audio signal including information on the transport representation, and information on the transport metadata.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a sound field description from an input signal having one or more channels including: an input signal analyzer for obtaining diffuseness data from the input signal; a sound component generator for generating, from the input signal, one or more sound field components of a first group of sound field components having for each sound field component a direct component and a diffuse component, and for generating, from the input signal, a second group of sound field components having only a direct component, the sound component generator being configured to perform an energy compensation when generating the first group of sound field components, the energy compensation depending on the diffuseness data and a number of sound field components in the second group, a number of diffuse components in the first group, or a maximum order of sound field components.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a sound field description from an input signal having at least two channels has: an input signal analyzer for obtaining direction data and diffuseness data from the input signal; an estimator for estimating a first energy- or amplitude-related measure for an omnidirectional component derived from the input signal and for estimating a second energy- or amplitude-related measure for a directional component derived from the input signal, and a sound component generator for generating sound field components of the sound field, wherein the sound component generator is configured to perform an energy compensation of the directional component using the first energy- or amplitude-related measure, the second energy- or amplitude-related measure, the direction data and the diffuseness data.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a sound field description using an input signal having a mono-signal or a multi-channel signal comprises: an input signal analyzer for analyzing the input signal to derive direction data and diffuseness data; a low-order components generator for generating a low-order sound field description from the input signal up to a predetermined order and mode; a mid-order components generator for generating a mid-order sound field description above the predetermined order or at the predetermined order and above the predetermined mode and below or at a first truncation order using a synthesis of at least one direct portion and of at least one diffuse portion using the direction data and the diffuseness data; and a high-order components generator for generating a high-order sound field description having a component above the first truncation order using a synthesis of at least one direct portion.

Abstract: A time scaler for providing a time scaled version of an input audio signal is configured to compute or estimate a quality of a time scaled version of the input audio signal obtainable by a time scaling of the input audio signal. The time scaler is configured to perform the time scaling of the input audio signal in dependence on the computation or estimation of the quality of the time scaled version of the input audio signal obtainable by the time scaling. An audio decoder has such a time scaler.

Abstract: A time scaler for providing a time scaled version of an input audio signal is configured to compute or estimate a quality of a time scaled version of the input audio signal obtainable by a time scaling of the input audio signal. The time scaler is configured to perform the time scaling of the input audio signal in dependence on the computation or estimation of the quality of the time scaled version of the input audio signal obtainable by the time scaling. An audio decoder has such a time scaler.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for rendering an audio signal for a playback to a user is disclosed. In one example, the apparatus is configured to determine information about an orientation of a head of the user using an optical sensor. The apparatus is configured to determine information about an orientation of the optical sensor using an orientation sensor which is arranged in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the optical sensor. The apparatus is configured to consider the information about the orientation of the optical sensor when determining the information about the orientation of the head. The apparatus is configured to perform a spatial rendering of an audio signal in dependence on the information about the orientation of the head of the user.

Abstract: An apparatus for estimating an inter-channel time difference between a first channel signal and a second channel signal, includes a signal analyzer for estimating a signal characteristic of the first channel signal or the second channel signal or both signals or a signal derived from the first channel signal or the second channel signal; a calculator for calculating a cross-correlation spectrum for a time block from the first channel signal in the time block and the second channel signal in the time block; a weighter for weighting a smoothed or non-smoothed cross-correlation spectrum to obtain a weighted cross correlation spectrum using a first weighting procedure or using a second weighting procedure depending on a signal characteristic estimated by the signal analyzer, wherein the first weighting procedure is different from the second weighting procedure; and a processor for processing the weighted cross-correlation spectrum to obtain the inter-channel time difference.