Automatic multi-channel music mix from multiple audio stems
There are disclosed automatic mixers and methods for creating a surround audio mix. A set of rules may be stored in a rule base. A rule engine may select a subset of the set of rules based, at least in part, on metadata associated with a plurality of stems. A mixing matrix may mix the plurality of stems in accordance with the selected subset of rules to provide three or more output channels.
1. A system comprising:
an automatic mixer for creating a surround audio mix from a stereo artistic mix, comprising:
a rule engine to select a subset of a set of rules based, at least in part, on metadata associated with a plurality of stems, wherein the set of rules includes different rules for different music genres and different rules for different surround audio system configurations; and
a mixing matrix to mix the plurality of stems in accordance with the selected subset of rules to provide three or more output channels of the surround audio mix;
wherein the metadata includes a genre associated with the plurality of stems and a respective voice associated with each of the stems.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a multiple channel audio system including respective speakers to reproduce each of the output channels.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein
each rule from the set of rules includes one or more conditions, and
one or more actions to be taken if the conditions of the rule are satisfied.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein
the rule engine is configured to select rules having conditions that are satisfied by the metadata.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein
the rule engine is configured to receive data indicating a surround audio system configuration, and
the rule engine is configured to select rules having conditions that are satisfied by the metadata and the surround audio system configuration.
6. The system of claim 3 , wherein
the one or more actions included in each rule from the set of rules include setting one or more mixing parameters for the mixing matrix.
7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:
a stem processor to process at least one of the stems in accordance with the selected subset of rules.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein
the one or more actions included in each rule from the set of rules include setting one or more effects parameters for the stem processor.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein
the stem processor performs one or more of amplification, attenuation, low pass filtering, high pass filtering, graphic equalization, limiting, compression, phase shifting, noise, hum, and feedback suppression, reverberation, de-essing, and chorusing in accordance with the one or more effects parameters.
10. The system of claim 3 , wherein
the actions included in the selected subset of rules collectively define respective voice positions on a virtual stage for respective voices of each of the plurality of stems.
11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a coordinate processor to transform the voice positions on the virtual stage into mixing parameters for the mixing matrix.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein
the coordinate processor is configured to receive data indicating a listener position with respect to the virtual stage, and
the coordinate processor is configured to transform the voice positions into the mixing parameters based, in part, on the listener position.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein
the coordinate processor is configured to receive data indicating relative speaker positions, and
the coordinate processor is configured to transform the voice positions into the mixing parameters based, in part, on the relative speaker positions.
14. A method for automatically creating a surround audio mix from a stereo artistic mix, comprising:
obtaining a plurality of stems developed during the creation of the stereo artistic mix;
selecting a subset of a set of rules based, at least in part, on metadata associated with the plurality of stems, wherein the set of rules includes different rules for different music genres and different rules for different surround audio system configurations; and
mixing the plurality of stems in accordance with the selected subset of rules to provide three or more output channels of the surround audio mix;
wherein the metadata includes a genre associated with the plurality of stems and a respective voice associated with each of the stems.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
converting each of the output channels to audible sound using a multiple channel audio system including respective speakers for each of the output channels.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein
each rule from the set of rules includes one or more conditions, and
one or more actions to be taken if the conditions of the rule are satisfied.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein selecting a subset of the set of rules comprises:
selecting rules having conditions that are satisfied by the metadata.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving data indicating a surround audio system configuration, wherein
selecting a subset of the set of rules comprises selecting rules having conditions that are satisfied by the metadata and the surround audio system configuration.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein
the one or more actions included in each rule from the set of rules include setting one or more mixing parameters for a mixing matrix.