Kind of Loud Technologies, LLC.

Universal Audio

David P Berners

Jonathan Stuart Abel

The present invention relates to audio signal processing, and more particularly to methods and apparatuses for emulating and controlling various features of mechanical spring reverberation in a digital audio processing system. According to certain aspects of the invention, such an emulation is performed so as to enhance or alter the characteristics of a digitally stored or processed audio signal in substantially the same manner as a mechanical spring reverberation system. In one example embodiment, the propagation of energy through a mechanical spring is simulated using dispersive waveguides, wherein left-going and right-going waves are separately processed, and the effects of dispersion and attenuation commuted to the waveguide ends. According to additional aspects, many spring reverberators contain spring elements arranged in parallel, with no coupling between springs. Accordingly, in another embodiment of the present invention, such reverberators are modeled using a set of waveguide structures, arranged in parallel, and tuned to simulate the dispersion and attenuation of the torsional propagation modes of each of the individual spring elements. According to further aspects, reverberators occasionally have spring elements comprised of spring segments connected in series. Accordingly, in yet another embodiment of the invention, such arrangements are emulated using dispersive waveguide structures with scattering junctions between modeled spring segments. According to still other embodiments of the invention, both longitudinal and torsional waves are simulated so as to produce a widening over time of successive arrivals at the simulated pick-up, to thereby account for the difference in propagation speed between the torsional and longitudinal modes.

Method and system for artificial reverberation employing dispersive delays

A system and method for graphic equalization of audio signals is disclosed. Traditional graphic equalizers provide control over the gains in each of a set of frequency bands. However, the actual band gains vary from the desired gains due to crosstalk between bands. Prior art methods for addressing this difficulty include applying a correction filter to the equalizer, and adjusting the shape of the individual band filters, both of which increase the computational cost. In an embodiment of the present invention, the input gains are processed to produce a set of adjusted gains which take into account the crosstalk, and result in an equalization interpolating the input band gains.

Method and system for audio filtering

A method and system for designing a discrete-time filter having a transfer function which approximates that of an analog shelf filter is disclosed. Prior art methods include applying the bilinear transform to the analog filter, which has the drawback of warping high-frequency features of the desired transfer function. In an embodiment of the present invention, an analog filter is designed which anticipates the warping imposed by the bilinear transform. For filters whose features approach the Nyquist limit, the inventive method provides a closer approximation to the analog response than direct application of the bilinear transform.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

David P Berners