An encoder and a method therein for Pyramid Vector Quantizer, PVQ, shape search, the PVQ taking a target vector x as input and deriving a vector y by iteratively adding unit pulses in an inner dimension search loop. The method comprises, before entering a next inner dimension search loop for unit pulse addition, determining, based on the maximum pulse amplitude, maxamp.sub.y, of a current vector y, whether more than a current bit word length is needed to represent enloop.sub.y, in a lossless manner in the upcoming inner dimension loop. The variable enloop.sub.y is related to an accumulated energy of the vector y. The performing of this method enables the encoder to keep the complexity of the search at a reasonable level.

Systems and methods for training a machine-learned model are provided. A method can include can include obtaining an unlabeled audio signal, sampling the unlabeled audio signal to select one or more sampled slices, inputting the one or more sampled slices into a machine-learned model, receiving, as an output of the machine-learned model, one or more determined characteristics associated with the audio signal, determining a loss function for the machine-learned model based at least in part on a difference between the one or more determined characteristics and one or more corresponding ground truth characteristics of the audio signal, and training the machine-learned model from end to end based at least in part on the loss function. The one or more determined characteristics can include one or more reconstructed portions of the audio signal temporally adjacent to the one or more sampled slices or an estimated distance between two sampled slices.

Systems and methods for training a machine-learned model are provided. A method can include can include obtaining an unlabeled audio signal, sampling the unlabeled audio signal to select one or more sampled slices, inputting the one or more sampled slices into a machine-learned model, receiving, as an output of the machine-learned model, one or more determined characteristics associated with the audio signal, determining a loss function for the machine-learned model based at least in part on a difference between the one or more determined characteristics and one or more corresponding ground truth characteristics of the audio signal, and training the machine-learned model from end to end based at least in part on the loss function. The one or more determined characteristics can include one or more reconstructed portions of the audio signal temporally adjacent to the one or more sampled slices or an estimated distance between two sampled slices.

An audio signal encoding and decoding method using a neural network model, and an encoder and decoder for performing the same are disclosed. A method of encoding an audio signal using a neural network model, the method may include identifying an input signal, generating a quantized latent vector by inputting the input signal into a neural network model encoding the input signal, and generating a bitstream corresponding to the quantized latent vector, wherein the neural network model may include i) a feature extraction layer generating a latent vector by extracting a feature of the input signal, ii) a plurality of downsampling blocks downsampling the latent vector, and iii) a plurality of quantization blocks performing quantization of a downsampled latent vector.

An audio signal encoding and decoding method using a neural network model, and an encoder and decoder for performing the same are disclosed. A method of encoding an audio signal using a neural network model, the method may include identifying an input signal, generating a quantized latent vector by inputting the input signal into a neural network model encoding the input signal, and generating a bitstream corresponding to the quantized latent vector, wherein the neural network model may include i) a feature extraction layer generating a latent vector by extracting a feature of the input signal, ii) a plurality of downsampling blocks downsampling the latent vector, and iii) a plurality of quantization blocks performing quantization of a downsampled latent vector.

There is disclosed inter alia an apparatus for spatial audio signal encoding comprising means for receiving for each time frequency block of a sub band of an audio frame a spatial audio parameter comprising an azimuth and an elevation; determining a first distortion measure for the audio frame by determining a first distance measure for each time frequency block and summing the first distance measure for each time frequency block; determining a second distortion measure for the audio frame by determining a second distance measure for each time frequency block and summing the second distance measure for each time frequency block, and selecting either the first quantization scheme or the second quantization scheme for quantising the elevation and the azimuth for all time frequency blocks of the sub band of the audio frame, wherein the selecting is dependent on the first and second distortion measures.

There is disclosed inter alia an apparatus for spatial audio signal encoding comprising means for receiving for each time frequency block of a sub band of an audio frame a spatial audio parameter comprising an azimuth and an elevation; determining a first distortion measure for the audio frame by determining a first distance measure for each time frequency block and summing the first distance measure for each time frequency block; determining a second distortion measure for the audio frame by determining a second distance measure for each time frequency block and summing the second distance measure for each time frequency block, and selecting either the first quantization scheme or the second quantization scheme for quantising the elevation and the azimuth for all time frequency blocks of the sub band of the audio frame, wherein the selecting is dependent on the first and second distortion measures.

There is disclosed inter alia an apparatus for spatial audio signal encoding comprising means for receiving for each time frequency block of a sub band of an audio frame a spatial audio parameter comprising an azimuth and an elevation; determining a first distortion measure for the audio frame by determining a first distance measure for each time frequency block and summing the first distance measure for each time frequency block; determining a second distortion measure for the audio frame by determining a second distance measure for each time frequency block and summing the second distance measure for each time frequency block, and selecting either the first quantization scheme or the second quantization scheme for quantising the elevation and the azimuth for all time frequency blocks of the sub band of the audio frame, wherein the selecting is dependent on the first and second distortion measures.

There is disclosed inter alia an apparatus for spatial audio signal encoding comprising means for receiving for each time frequency block of a sub band of an audio frame a spatial audio parameter comprising an azimuth and an elevation; determining a first distortion measure for the audio frame by determining a first distance measure for each time frequency block and summing the first distance measure for each time frequency block; determining a second distortion measure for the audio frame by determining a second distance measure for each time frequency block and summing the second distance measure for each time frequency block, and selecting either the first quantization scheme or the second quantization scheme for quantising the elevation and the azimuth for all time frequency blocks of the sub band of the audio frame, wherein the selecting is dependent on the first and second distortion measures.

A device includes a memory configured to store untransformed ambisonic coefficients at different time segments. The device also includes one or more processors configured to obtain the untransformed ambisonic coefficients at the different time segments, where the untransformed ambisonic coefficients at the different time segments represent a soundfield at the different time segments. The one or more processors are also configured to apply one adaptive network, based on a constraint, to the untransformed ambisonic coefficients at the different time segments to generate transformed ambisonic coefficients at the different time segments, wherein the transformed ambisonic coefficients at the different time segments represent a modified soundfield at the different time segments, that was modified based on the constraint.