Methods and apparatus for audio processing
View Patent ↗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.
1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor;
memory storing computer program code;
wherein the memory storing the computer program code is configured, with the processor, to cause the apparatus to perform actions comprising at least:
determining sound characteristic based on at least one user input comprising at least one trace on an input device, wherein the sound characteristics include at least a duration during which a sound is recorded, and an apparent direction from which the sound is recorded, and wherein the duration during which the sound is recorded and the apparent direction from which the sound is recorded correspond to the length and direction, respectively, of the at least one trace; and
performing at least one control operation to cause a sound phrase to exhibit the sound characteristic.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein performing the at least one control operation comprises processing at least one signal from at least one microphone to create a sound signal, and wherein performing the at least one control operation comprises causing the recording of the at least one sound signal.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actions further comprise playing the sound phrase and wherein the sound characteristics comprise an apparent direction for sound playback.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the sound phrase comprises a previously stored sound phrase.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein one or more components of the sound phrase are artificially generated at the time of playback.
6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the recorded sound signal is stored as a sound phrase exhibiting the duration and the apparent direction based on the user inputs and wherein the actions further comprise:
receiving at least one further user input specifying at least one of duration and direction for playback; and
performing at least one control operation to cause playback of the sound phrase such that the sound phrase exhibits the at least one of direction and duration based on the at least one further user input.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sound phrase is a pattern comprising at least one spatial audio component.
8. A method comprising:
configuring at least one processor to cause an apparatus to perform actions comprising at least:
determining sound characteristic based on at least one user input comprising at least one trace on an input device, wherein the sound characteristics include at least a duration during which a sound is recorded, and an apparent direction from which the is recorded, and wherein the duration during which the sound is recorded and the apparent direction from which the sound is recorded correspond to the length and direction, respectively, of the at least one trace; and
performing at least one control operation to cause a sound phrase to exhibit the sound characteristics.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein performing the at least one control operation comprises processing at least one signal from at least one microphone to create a sound signal, and wherein performing the at least one control operation comprises causing the recording of the at least one sound signal.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the actions further comprise playing the sound phrase and wherein the sound characteristics comprise a direction for sound playback.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sound phrase comprises a previously stored sound phrase.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein one or more components of the sound phrase are artificially generated at the time playback.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the recorded sound signal is stored as a sound phrase exhibiting the duration and the apparent direction based on the user inputs and wherein the actions further comprise:
receiving at least one further user input specifying at least one of duration and direction for playback; and
performing at least one control operation to cause playback of the sound phrase such that the sound phrase exhibits the at least one of direction and duration based on the at least one further user input.
14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of instructions, execution of which by a processor configures an apparatus to perform actions comprising at least:
determining sound characteristics based on at least one user input comprising at least one trace on an input device, wherein the sound characteristics include at least a duration during which a sound is recorded, and an apparent direction from which the sound is recorded, and wherein the duration during which the sound is recorded and the apparent direction from which the sound is recorded correspond to the length and direction, respectively, of the at least one trace; and
performing at least one control operation to cause a sound phrase to exhibit the sound characteristics based on the at least one user input.
15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein performing the at least one control operation comprises processing at least one signal from at least one microphone to create a sound signal, and wherein performing the at least one control operation comprises causing the recording of the at least one sound signal.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the actions further comprise playing the sound phrase and wherein the sound characteristics comprise a direction for sound playback.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the sound phrase comprises a previously stored sound phrase.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein one or more components of the sound phrase are artificially generated at the time of playback.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the recorded sound signal is stored as a sound phrase exhibiting the duration and the apparent direction specified by the user inputs and wherein the actions further comprise:
receiving at least one further user input specifying at least one of duration and direction for playback; and
performing at least one control operation to cause playback of the sound phrase such that the sound phrase exhibits the at least one of direction and duration based on the at least one further user input.