Patent Application
20190246227
The embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a sound processing apparatus and method suitable for use, for example, in an audio mixer, and more particularly relate to a technique for setting localization of a sound signal.
Existing audio mixers (hereinafter also referred to simply as “mixers”) installed in concert venues etc. are generally constructed in such a manner that, in each of a plurality of channels, sound volume of an input sound signal is adjusted via a fader of the channel and such a volume-adjusted sound signal is output to a bus. Then, in the bus, sound signals supplied from one or more of the channels are mixed, and the mixed result is output to an output destination, such as a main speaker or a monitor speaker.
Generally, the existing mixers include a “pan” module as a processing module for setting localization (panning) of sound signals of a plurality of channels, such as two-channel stereo signals or multi-channel surround signals. Among the existing pan modules is one that sets localization of sound signals by adjusting a sound volume difference between a plurality of channels. In this disclosure, such a pan module that sets localization of sound signals by adjusting a sound volume difference between a plurality of channels will be referred to as “sound volume pan module”.
As methods for setting localization (panning), it has heretofore been known to set localization on the basis of a time difference (delay amount) between a plurality of channels, in addition to the aforementioned sound volume panning. In this disclosure, such panning based on a time difference (delay amount) between a plurality of channels will hereinafter be referred to as “delay panning”.
Use of the sound volume pan module (sound volume panning), however, may sometimes lead to reduction in a range (“service area”) within which sound signals are deliverable. When localization is set in a large-scale concert venue such that the localization appears fully in one channel side of main speakers, the service area may decrease with no sound signal reaching an audience near the other channel side. If the service area decreases due to the use of the sound volume pan module as above, there would arise, among others, an inconvenience of a sound signal being heard differently depending on positions of audience seats. To avoid such inconveniences, in a large-scale concert venue, the sound volume pan module (sound volume panning) is sometimes not used, and sound signals for main speakers for the audience seats are mixed monaurally.
On the other hand, the delay panning achieves a wider service area than the sound volume panning. Thus, in some cases, a user may want to selectively use both the sound volume panning and the delay panning, for example, depending on respective environments of output destinations of sound signals. In such cases, it would be very convenient if setting of the sound volume panning and setting of the delay panning are associated with each other, for example, if the sound volume panning and the delay panning are both configured to set same localization. However, with the conventionally known mixers, it has been impossible to easily perform setting of the sound volume panning and setting of the delay panning in association with each other.
In view of the foregoing prior art problems, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a sound processing apparatus and method which enable a first parameter and a second parameter, which are used for localizing a sound signal, to be easily associated with each other with no extra time and labor required.
In order to accomplish the aforementioned objects, the inventive sound processing apparatus includes: a signal processing device configured to individually perform first localization setting for setting localization of an input sound signal based on a value of a first parameter and second localization setting for setting localization of the input sound signal based on a value of a second parameter different from the first parameter; an operation device operable by a user for adjusting the value of the first parameter or the second parameter; a control device that, in response to an adjustment by the operation device of the value of one of the first parameter and the second parameter, automatically changes the value of the other of the first parameter and the second parameter; and an output device that outputs at least one of the sound signal localized in accordance with the first localization setting and the sound signal localized in accordance with the second localization setting.
According to the inventive sound processing apparatus, the value of the first parameter for the first localization setting and the value of the second parameter for the second localization setting can be interlocked with each other, by automatically changing, in response to an adjustment of the value of one of the first parameter and the second parameter, the value of the other of the first parameter and the second parameter. Namely, a change of the value of one of the first and second parameters can be automatically reflected in the value of the other of the first and second parameters. Thus, according to the inventive sound processing apparatus, the value of the first parameter for the first localization setting and the value of the second parameter for the second localization setting can be automatically interlocked with each other, which thereby achieves the superior advantageous benefit that the first and second parameters to be used for localizing the sound signal can be associated with each other easily with no extra time and labor required.
In an embodiment, the first parameter is a parameter for setting localization based on a sound volume difference between a plurality of channels, and the second parameter is a parameter for setting localization based on a time difference in sound signal between the plurality of channels.
The disclosure made herein also embraces a sound processing method that includes steps corresponding to the constituent elements of the inventive sound processing apparatus set forth above. Also disclosed herein is a computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing a group of instructions executable by one or more processors for performing the aforementioned sound processing method.
Certain embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The sound processing apparatus 100 of
The CPU 21 controls overall behavior of the mixer 20 by executing various programs stored in the memory 22. The memory 22 not only non-volatilely stores various programs to be executed by the CPU 21, various data, etc., but also is used as a loading area for loading programs to be executed by the CPU 21 and as a working area. Processes (such as later-described processes of
The display 23 displays various information, based on display control signals given from the CPU 21, in various images, character strings, and the like. The operator group 24 includes a plurality of operators (manual operators) disposed on an operation panel of the mixer 20, related interface circuits, etc. More specifically, the operator group 24 includes a plurality of fader operators, rotary knob operators to be used for equalization, adjustment of panning, etc. The user of the mixer 20 uses the operator group 24 to execute various operations including setting of sound signal paths, adjustment of values of various parameters, etc. The CPU 21 acquires a detection signal corresponding to each input operation executed by the user on the operator group 24 and on the display 23 and controls the behavior of the mixer 20 on the basis of the acquired detection signal. One or more operators included in the operator group 24 correspond to the operation device 13 of
The mixing section 25 performs various mixing processing (including, among others, sound volume control, pan control, effect process, and equalizer process) on input sound signals. Such a mixing section 25 is implemented, for example, by a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) operating in accordance with mixing processing microprograms, or by the CPU 21 executing a mixing processing software program stored in the memory 22. The mixing section 25 corresponds to the signal processing device 10 (first and second localization setting sections 11 and 12) of
The sound signal input to the channel 30 is subjected to characteristic control and sound volume adjustment (not shown) and then supplied to the sound volume pan module 31 or delay pan module 32 selected by the selection section 33. The selected sound volume pan module 31 or delay pan module 32 selected by the selection section 33 localizes the supplied sound signal in accordance with a value of a parameter and supplies the localized sound signals to stereo buses 41. The stereo buses 41, which are buses of a two-channel stereo configuration (composed of a pair of “L” and “R” buses), mix the supplied sound signals into two-channel stereo signals and output the mixed sound signals. The stereo buses 41 are included in the buses 40 of
As well known in the art, the sound volume pan module 31 is designed to create a sound volume difference between two or more channels such that a sound is heard with localization biased (or offset) toward a channel having a larger sound volume. The sound volume pan module 31 localizes a sound signal on the basis of a setting value of a parameter that prescribes a sound volume difference between two channels corresponding to the stereo buses 41 (such a setting value will hereinafter be referred to as “setting value of the sound volume pan module 31”). As also well known, the delay pan module 32 uses the human's auditory characteristic that a sound is heard with localization biased (offset) toward a channel where a sound is heard earlier than another sound (Haas effect or precedence effect). The delay pan module 32 localizes a sound signal on the basis of a setting value of a parameter that prescribes a time difference (delay amount) between the two channels corresponding to the stereo buses 41 (such a setting value will hereinafter be referred to as “setting value of the delay pan module 32”). One feature of the mixer 20 resides in that the mixer 20 interlocks the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 and the setting value of the delay pan module 32 with each other (as depicted by arrow 34 in
As also well known in the art, the term “sound signal localization” represents a position (angle) of a virtual sound source relative to a listener in a two-channel stereo or multi-channel surround environment. For example, when the localization is set at a center position of a sound field, the listener feels as if the sound source were located at the center position of the sound field, namely, as if the sound signal were heard (sounded) from the center position. When the localization is set biased leftward from the center position of the sound field, the listener feels as if the sound source were located leftward of the center position, namely, as if the sound signal were heard (sounded) from a left side of the sound field. In this disclosure, the terms “left” and “right” represent “left” and “right” of the two-channel stereo configuration.
Once the operation (user's operation or automatic operation) for adjusting the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 is executed (YES determination at step S1), the CPU 21 adjusts, in response to the operation, the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 of the channel 30 stored in the memory 22 (step S2). Then, in response to the adjustment of the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31, the CPU 21 automatically changes the setting value of the delay pan module 32 of the channel 30 stored in the memory 22 (step S3).
Once the operation (user's operation or automatic operation) for adjusting the setting value of the delay pan module 32 is executed (NO determination at step S1), the CPU 21 adjusts, in response to the operation, the setting value of the delay pan module 32 of the channel 30 stored in the memory 22 (step S4). Then, the CPU 21 automatically changes, in response to the adjustment of the setting value of the delay pan module 32, the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 of the channel 30 stored in the memory 22 (step S5).
As an example, the CPU 21 performs the aforementioned operations of steps S3 and S5 according to a criterion prescribing association between the value of the parameter for the sound volume pan module 31 (sound volume panning parameter (namely, first parameter)) and the value of the parameter for the delay pan module delay (delay panning parameter (namely, second parameter)). More specifically, the aforementioned criterion is stored in a data table (hereinafter referred to as “associating table”) where a plurality of values the sound volume panning parameter can take and a plurality of values the delay panning parameter can take are associated with each other, and the operations of steps S3 and S5 are performed on the basis of the associating table. For example, the associating table is retained in the memory 22. In this case, at step S3 above, the CPU 21 acquires, on the basis of the associating table, a setting value of the delay pan module 32 that corresponds to the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 changed at step S2 above and then changes (or replaces) the setting value of the delay pan module 32 of the channel 30 stored in the memory 22 to (or with) the acquired setting value. Further, at step S5 above, the CPU 21 acquires, on the basis of the associating table, a setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 that corresponds to the setting value of the delay pan module 32 changed at step S4 above and then changes the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 of the channel 30 stored in the memory 22 to the acquired setting value.
Thus, according to the associating table of
By the operations of steps S3 and S5 illustrated in
In
Once the sound volume pan module 31 is selected (YES determination at step S6), the CPU 21 switches the signal path of the channel 30 in question such that an input sound signal is supplied to the sound volume pan module 31 of the channel 30 (step S7). Thus, the sound signal localized by the sound volume pan 31 is supplied to the stereo buses 41, so that a mixed result including the signal localized by the sound volume pan 31 is output from each of the stereo buses 41 (step S8). Once the delay pan module 32 is selected (NO determination at step S6), on the other hand, the CPU 21 switches the signal path of the channel 30 such that an input sound signal is supplied to the delay pan module 32 (step S9). Thus, the signal localized by the delay pan 32 is supplied to the stereo buses 41, so that the mixed result including the signal localized by the delay pan 32 is output from each of the stereo buses 41 (step S8).
Because the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 and the setting value of the delay pan module 32 are set and adjusted in an automatically interlocked manner as set forth above, the localization of a sound based on the sound signal output at step S8 from of the stereo buses 41 as a result of the localizing process by the one of the pan modules 31 or 32 immediately before the switching and the localization of the sound signal output at step S8 from the stereo buses 41 as a result of the localizing process by the other of the pan modules 32 or 31 immediately after the switching are associated with each other (for example, the same localization is provided immediately before and immediately after the switching). Thus, by merely switching between the instructing switches of the selection section 33, the user can easily interchangeably use the sound volume pan module 31 and the delay pan module 32 without having to perform the localization setting again after the switching. For example, the user can easily selectively use any desired one of the sound volume pan module 31 and delay pan module 32 after listening to and comparing sounds localized by the sound volume pan module 31 and by the delay pan module 32. Specifically, the user can easily selectively use any desired one of the sound volume pan module 31 and delay pan module 32 depending on the time and situation; for example, at a preparation stage of mixer setting in a concert, the user may set localization of the sound signal by using the sound volume pan module 31 that is more familiar to the user, and at an actual stage of the concert, the user may set localization of the sound signal by using the delay pan module 32 that has a wider service area.
The example of
Further,
As an example, the first buses 42 and the second buses 43 have different uses. Namely, environments of destinations (sound signal transmission or output destinations), to which sound signals are transmitted via the first and second buses 42 and 43, differ from each other. For example, the first buses 42 are monitor output buses for monitor output to a human player or human players on a stage of a concert venue, while the second buses 43 are stereo buses for main output to audience seats of the concert venue.
The main output to the audience seats has a wider service area than the monitor output. Particularly, in a huge concert venue, such as a stadium, the main output has an extremely wide service area. By contrast, the monitor output is used for the monitor speakers on the stage, human players' in-ear monitors, etc., and thus has a narrower service area than the main output. The localization control based on the sound volume pan module 31 has the disadvantage that it is not be suitable for use in a vast service area, such as a huge concert venue, because there may occur an area which a sound does not reach when localization is set fully to any one of left and right speakers (or to any one of left and right limits in the localization control); in other words, the service area may narrow due to the use of the sound volume pan module 31. In view of such a disadvantage, the construction of
Further, once an operation is executed for adjusting the setting value of the delay pan module 32 of any one of the channels 30 (NO determination at step S10), the CPU 21 adjusts, in response to the adjusting operation, the setting value of the delay pan module 32 stored in the memory 22 (step S15). Then, in accordance with the adjusted setting value of the delay pan module 32 (and on the basis of the associating table of
Then, the sound signal localized by the sound volume pan module 31 is supplied to the first buses 42, so that a mixed result including the sound signal localized by the sound volume pan module 31 is output via the first buses 42 (step S13). Further, the sound signal localized by the delay pan module 32 is supplied to the second buses 43, so that mixed result including the sound signal localized by the delay pan module 32 is output via the second buses 43 (step S14).
Thus, by steps S12 and S16 of
In the case where the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 and the setting value of the delay pan module 32 are interlocked with each other at steps S12 and S16 as noted above, the user of the mixer 20 can easily set same localization, with no extra time and labor required, with respect to each of the environments of the sound signal transmission destinations of the first and second buses 42 and 43, by merely adjusting any one of the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 and the setting value of the delay pan module 32. For example, by merely adjusting the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 while listening to monitor output sounds output via the first buses 42, the user of the mixer 20 can set a main output sound output via the second bus 43 (setting value of the delay pan module 32) to the same localization as a monitor output sound. Thus, in each of the environments of the sound signal transmission destinations of the first and second buses 42 and 43, appropriate localization as desired by the user, which gives no uncomfortable and strange feeling, can be set. Further, even in the construction where the sound volume pan module 31 and the delay pan module 32 are selectively used for the first buses 42 and the second buses 43, respectively, no extra time and labor is required because the setting values of both of the sound volume pan module 31 and delay pan module 32 can be set by the user merely adjusting the setting value of any one of the sound volume pan module 31 and delay pan module 32.
Further, in
In another embodiment, the aforementioned criterion (namely, the aforementioned associating table) used at steps S3, S5, S12, and S16 above may be one that associates the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 and the setting value of the delay pan module 32 in a stepwise manner.
In still another embodiment, association between the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 and the setting value of the delay pan module 32 may be determined, at steps S3, S5, S12, and S16, on the basis of calculated values of a time difference and volume difference of localized sound signals between the two ears of a listener when the listener listens to the sound signals. Such calculations may be executed, for example, on the basis of a distance between the two ears of the listener, a distance between a sound source and the listener, an angle formed between a “line connecting the two ears” and a “line connecting the sound source and the listener”, etc. The time difference and volume difference are calculated, for example, per each virtual sound source position (localization position). For instance, an associating table prescribing the time difference and volume difference calculated per each virtual sound source position (localization position) is stored in the memory 22 of the mixer 20. At steps S3, S5, S12, and S16 above, the CPU 21 can acquire, on the basis of the associating table, the value of the sound volume pan module 31 or delay pan module 32 corresponding to the value of the delay pan module 32 or volume pan module 31. Namely, the aforementioned operations of steps S3, S5, S12, and S16 may be configured to automatically change, in accordance with the value of one of the sound volume panning parameter (first parameter) and delay panning parameter (second parameter) having been adjusted, the value of the other of the sound volume panning parameter and delay panning parameter on the basis of characteristics of the volume difference and time difference of the localized sound signal between the two ears of the listener.
In still another embodiment, the aforementioned criterion (the aforementioned associating table), namely, the association between the value of the sound volume panning parameter and the value of the delay panning parameter, which is used at steps S3, S5, S12, and S16 above, may be set in any manner as desired by the user. In this case, the user can associate the value of the sound volume panning parameter and the value of the delay panning parameter with each other freely in accordance with his or her preference etc. Further, the value of the sound volume panning parameter and the value of the delay panning parameter may be associated with each other in any desired manner as long as the localization setting of the sound volume panning and the localization setting of the delay panning are linked with each other, namely, as long as, in correlation to the value of one of the sound volume panning parameter and delay panning parameter, the value of the other of the sound volume panning parameter and delay panning parameter can be determined.
In still another embodiment, a plurality of types of associating tables may be prestored in the memory 22 so that the user can select any desired one of the associating tables. As an example, the memory 22 may prestore a plurality of types of associating tables corresponding to various conditions, such as a size, shape, etc. of a service area (more specifically, conditions, such as a type, space width, area, etc. of a building to be used as the service area). In such a case, the user can select an appropriate one of the associating tables depending on an environment etc. of an output destination of a sound signal. As one specific example of such associating tables corresponding to various conditions, such as a size, shape, etc. of a service area is conceivable an associating table for a large-scale hall that is arranged to narrow localizing swing widths (i.e., angles from the center position) of the sound volume panning to be associated with individual localizations of the delay panning, namely, that is arranged to not largely swing the localization in the sound volume panning even when a great time difference is set for the sound volume panning. As another example, the user may input conditions, such as a size, shape, etc. of a service area, in such a manner that association between the value of the sound volume panning parameter and the value of the delay panning parameter can be provided in accordance with the user-input conditions.
In yet still another embodiment, arrangements may be made such that any one of the sound volume panning (first localization setting) and delay panning (second localization setting) is automatically selected in accordance with an environment of an output destination of a sound signal. In such a case, once the user inputs an environment (for example, main output or monitor output environment) of the output destination of the sound signal, the CPU 21 performs the aforementioned process of
Further, separate operators may be provided for adjusting the value of the sound volume panning parameter (parameter of the first localization setting) and for adjusting the value of the delay panning parameter (parameter of the second localization setting), or a common operator may be provided both for adjusting the value of the sound volume panning parameter and for adjusting the value of the delay panning parameter. Further, such a value adjusting operator may be provided separately for each of the channels 30, or a common value adjusting operator may be provided for the plurality of channels 30.
In the case where a common operator is used both for adjusting the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 and for adjusting the setting value of the delay pan module 32 in the example channel construction of
Further, the operators for adjusting the setting values of the sound volume pan module 31 and delay pan module 32 may be in the form of operators dedicated for setting value adjustment of the sound volume pan module 31 and/or delay pan module 32, or in the form of general-purpose operators to which desired parameters are assignable as objects of operation.
Further, the operators for adjusting the setting values of the sound volume pan module 31 and delay pan module 32 may be image objects, such as operator images, displayed on the display 23, rather than being limited to physical operators.
In yet still another embodiment, the CPU 21 may change, on the basis of an operated amount corresponding to an operation for adjusting the setting value of any one of the sound volume pan module 31 and delay pan module 32, the setting value of the other of the sound volume pan module 31 and delay pan module 32, at steps S3, S5, S12, and S16. In yet still another embodiment, in response to an operation for setting localization of any one of the channels 30, the CPU 21 may perform control for changing both of the setting value of the sound volume pan module 31 (value of the first parameter in the first localization setting section 11) and the setting value of the delay pan module 32 (value of the second parameter in the second localization setting section 12) of that channel stored in the memory 22 (as modifications of steps S2 to S5, S11, S12, S15, and S16). Further, the operations for setting localization are, for example, operations of localization setting operators (operator group 24) provided on the operation panel, or operations on the screen of the display 23. In any of these cases, the user can set mutually associated values (for example, values for achieving same localization) in both of the sound volume pan module 31 and delay pan module 32, by merely executing a localization setting operation without paying any attention to a difference between the localization setting methods (namely, a difference between the sound volume panning and the delay panning).
Furthermore, the above-described embodiments of the present invention may be combined as desired. Moreover, although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in relation to sound image localization control using a pair of left and right channels, the embodiments of the present invention are also applicable to two-dimensional or three-dimensional sound image localization control using two or more channels.
It should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and various modifications of the present invention are of course possible within the scope of the technical ideas disclosed in the claims, description and drawings. For example, the inventive sound processing apparatus 100 may be applied to any other apparatus than the mixer 20, such as a recorder and a processor, as long as such other apparatus have a function for localizing a sound signal. Furthermore, the inventive sound processing apparatus 100 may be implemented by a dedicated hardware apparatus (integrated circuitry etc.) configured to perform the functions of the individual devices 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 illustrated in
The embodiments of the present invention based on the above-described control performed by the CPU 21 may be understood as a method for adjusting the first parameter and second parameter to be used in the signal processing device (10). In such a case, the signal processing device (10) is configured to individually perform the first localization setting (sound volume panning) for setting localization of an input sound signal based on a value of the first parameter and the second localization setting (delay panning) for setting localization of the input sound signal based on a value of the second parameter different from the first parameter. This inventive method includes: adjusting the value of the first parameter or second parameter (S2, S4; S11, S15); in response to the adjustment of the value of one of the first parameter and second parameter, automatically changing the value of the other of the first parameter and second parameter (S3, S5; S12, S16); and outputting at least one of the sound signal localized in accordance with the first localization setting and the sound signal localized in accordance with the second localization setting (S8; S13, S14). Further, the embodiments of the present invention may be understood as a program for causing a processor (CPU 21) to perform the individual steps constituting the aforementioned method, or as a computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing such a program.
The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the embodiments of the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-203717 | Oct 2016 | JP | national |
This application is based on, and claims priority to, JP PA 2016-203717 filed on 17 Oct. 2016 and International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2017/037217 filed on 13 Oct. 2017. The disclosure of the priority applications, in its entirety, including the drawings, claims, and the specification thereof, are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2017/037217 | Oct 2017 | US |
| Child | 16385254 | US |
