AUDIO CONTROL SYSTEM AND RELATED METHODS
Some embodiments of the invention are directed to an audio production system which is more portable, less expensive, faster to set up, and simpler and easier to use than conventional audio production tools. An audio production system implemented in accordance with some embodiments of the invention may therefore be more accessible to the typical user, and easier and more enjoyable to use, than conventional audio production tools.
1 . A method for use with an audio system in relation to a multi-track recording of audio, the audio system comprising at least one amplifier, the method comprising acts of:
(A) receiving, at the audio system, an indication of a new audio input;
(B) in response to receiving the indication, automatically causing, without intervention by a user of the audio system, a new track to be created in the multi-track recording;
(C) receiving the audio input;
(D) causing the received audio input to be mapped to the new track;
(E) determining a gain level associated with the audio input received in the act (C); and
(F) automatically, without intervention by the user, adjusting a gain level of the at least one amplifier, so that subsequent reproduction of the audio input by the at least one amplifier falls within a dynamic range delimited by a lower gain level and an upper gain level.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the new audio input received in the act (A) comprises the user actuating a record button on the audio system.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the new audio input received in the act (A) comprises the user plugging a musical instrument or microphone into an audio input port of the audio system.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the act (A) comprises receiving an indication of a plurality of audio inputs, the act (B) comprises causing a new track to be created in the multi-track recording for each of the plurality of received audio inputs, the act (C) comprises receiving the plurality of audio inputs, and the act (D) comprises causing each of the plurality of received audio inputs to be mapped to a corresponding new track.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the act (C) comprises receiving the plurality of audio inputs simultaneously.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the act (C) comprises receiving the audio input via a component comprising at least one amplifier, and wherein the act (F) comprises automatically, without intervention by the user, analyzing spectral content of the received audio input in each of a plurality of frequency sub-bands, and adjusting spectral content of subsequent output of the at least one amplifier in one or more of the frequency sub-bands.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the act (B) comprises the audio system issuing an instruction to device to create the new track in the multi-track recording.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the device is a mobile device.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the act (F) comprises causing a digital representation of the received audio input to be stored to memory allocated to the new track.
10 . The method of claim 1 , comprising an act, performed after the act (A) is started, of causing a waveform representing the received audio input to be rendered by a device.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the device is a mobile device.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the new track is a first track in the multi-track recording.
13 . The method of claim 1 , comprising acts, performed after the act (D), of:
receiving, at a first point in time, an instruction from the user to pause a recording of the audio input;
receiving, at a second point in time after the first point in time, a second audio input;
automatically causing, without intervention by the user, a second new track to be created in the multi-track recording; and
causing the second audio input to be mapped to the second new track.
14 . The method of claim 1 , comprising acts, performed after the act (D), of:
receiving, at a first point in time, an instruction from the user to pause a recording of the audio input;
receiving, at a second point in time after the first point in time, a second audio input;
automatically causing the second audio input to be mapped to the new track.
15 . At least one computer-readable storage medium having instructions recorded thereon which, when executed, cause an audio system to perform a method, the audio system comprising at least one amplifier, the method comprising acts, performed by the audio system, of:
(A) receiving an indication of a new audio input;
(B) in response to receiving the indication, automatically causing, without intervention by a user of the audio system, a new track to be created in a multi-track recording;
(C) receiving the audio input;
(D) causing the received audio input to be mapped to the new track;
(E) determining a gain level associated with the audio input received in the act (C); and
(F) automatically, without intervention by the user, adjusting a gain level of the at least one amplifier, so that subsequent reproduction of the audio input by the at least one amplifier falls within a dynamic range delimited by a lower gain level and an upper gain level.
16 . An audio system, comprising:
at least one amplifier;
at least one computer-readable storage medium having instructions recorded thereon; and
at least one computer processor, programmed via the instructions to:
receive an indication of a new audio input at the audio system;
in response to receiving the indication, automatically cause, without intervention by a user of the audio system, a new track to be created in a multi-track recording;
receive the audio input;
cause the received audio input to be mapped to the new track;
determine a gain level associated with the received audio input; and
automatically, without intervention by the user, adjust a gain level of the at least one amplifier, so that subsequent reproduction of the audio input by the at least one amplifier falls within a dynamic range delimited by a lower gain level and an upper gain level.
17 . The audio system of claim 16 , comprising a microphone and an audio input port, wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to receive a plurality of audio inputs, one of the plurality of audio inputs being received via one of the microphone and the audio input port, and another of the plurality of audio inputs being received via the other of the microphone and the audio input port.
18 . The audio system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to determine an average gain level associated with the received audio input during a time interval of predetermined length.
19 . The audio system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to determine a peak gain level associated with the received audio input.
20 . The audio system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to determine the upper gain level of the dynamic range based at least in part on the peak gain level.
21 . The audio system of claim 16 , comprising a sound emitting device coupled to the at least one amplifier, wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to adjust a gain level of the at least one amplifier and/or the sound emitting device so that subsequent output of the at least one amplifier and the sound emitting device falls within a dynamic range in which response of the at least one amplifier and of the sound emitting device is substantially linear.
22 . The audio system of claim 16 , comprising a sound emitting device coupled to the at least one amplifier, and wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to adjust a gain level of the at least one amplifier and/or of the sound emitting device so that subsequent output of the at least one amplifier and the sound emitting device includes less than 10% harmonic distortion.
23 . The audio system of claim 22 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to adjust a gain level of the at least one amplifier and/or of the sound emitting device so that subsequent output of the at least one amplifier and the sound emitting device includes less than 5% harmonic distortion.
24 . The audio system of claim 23 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to adjust a gain level of the at least one amplifier and/or of the sound emitting device so that subsequent output of the at least one amplifier and the sound emitting device includes less than 3% harmonic distortion.
25 . The audio system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one amplifier comprises a plurality of amplifiers, and the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to adjust a gain level of each of the plurality of amplifiers so that subsequent output produced by the plurality of amplifiers is within the dynamic range.
26 . The audio system of claim 16 , coupled to a mobile device comprising at least one amplifier of a mobile device, wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to adjust a gain level of the at least one amplifier of the mobile device, so that subsequent reproduction of the audio input by the at least one amplifier of the mobile device falls within the dynamic range delimited by the lower gain level and the upper gain level.
27 . The audio system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one amplifier comprises a plurality of amplifiers, and the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to set a gain level of each of the plurality of amplifiers to be substantially equal.
28 . The audio system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to:
receive the audio input from at least one audio source comprising at least one musical instrument;
identify the at least one musical instrument from the received audio input; and
adjust the gain level of the at least one amplifier in a manner corresponding to the identified musical instrument.
29 . The audio system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to analyze spectral content of the received audio input in each of a plurality of frequency sub-bands, and to adjust the spectral content of subsequent output of the at least one amplifier in one or more of the frequency sub-bands.
30 . The audio system of claim 29 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to equalize a gain level across one or more of the frequency sub-bands.
31 . The audio system of claim 29 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to attenuate a gain level in one or more of the frequency sub-bands.
32 . The audio system of claim 29 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed via the instructions to increase a gain level in one or more of the frequency sub-bands.