Example techniques involve outputting multiple audio channels using a multiple driver playback device. An example playback device receives a first and second channel of audio content. The playback device plays back play back the first channel via a first group of audio transducers such that the first group of audio transducers form, via superposition, a first response lobe having a maximum in a first direction. Further, the playback device plays back the second channel via a second group of audio transducers such that the second group of audio transducers form, via superposition, a second response lobe having a maximum in a second direction that is separated by an angle of at least 45° from the first direction.

A method of processing an audio signal includes receiving an audio bitstream encoded via MPEG Surround 212 (MPS212); generating an internal channel (IC) signal for a single channel pair element (CPE), based on the received audio bitstream, equalization (EQ) values for MPS212 output channels defined in a format converter, and gain values for the MPS212 output channels; and generating stereo output channels, based on the generated IC signal.

A sound signal processing device includes: a vocal remover which generates a first output signal based on first-channel and second-channel sound signals and a first coefficient indicating a vocal bandwidth to be removed; a surround sound processor which generates a second output signal by adding a surround sound effect to the first output signal; an amplifier which amplifies a signal at an amplification factor that is based on a second coefficient; a synthesizer which synthesizes the second output signal with one of the first-channel and second-channel sound signals, and synthesizes a signal that is the second output signal inverted with another one of the first-channel and second-channel sound signals; and a coefficient determination unit which sets the second coefficient such that the amplification factor, used when the vocal bandwidth to be removed is greater than a first bandwidth, is greater than the amplification factor for the first bandwidth.

A system can include a hardware processor that can receive left and right audio signals and process the left and right audio signals to generate three or more processed audio signals. The three or more processed audio signals can include a left audio signal, a right audio signal, and a center audio signal. The processor can also filter each of the left and right audio signals with one or more first virtualization filters to produce filtered left and right signals. The processor can also filter a portion of the center audio signal with a second virtualization filter to produce a filtered center signal. Further, the processor can combine the filtered left signal, filtered right signal, and filtered center signal to produce left and right output signals and output the filtered left and right output signals.

A sound signal processing device includes: a vocal remover which generates a first output signal based on first-channel and second-channel sound signals and a first coefficient indicating a vocal bandwidth to be removed; a surround sound processor which generates a second output signal by adding a surround sound effect to the first output signal; an amplifier which amplifies a signal at an amplification factor that is based on a second coefficient; a synthesizer which synthesizes the second output signal with one of the first-channel and second-channel sound signals, and synthesizes a signal that is the second output signal inverted with another one of the first-channel and second-channel sound signals; and a coefficient determination unit which sets the second coefficient such that the amplification factor, used when the vocal bandwidth to be removed is greater than a first bandwidth, is greater than the amplification factor for the first bandwidth.

A method for generating audio according to an embodiment of the present invention, for solving the above technical problem, comprises the steps of: receiving an audio signal through at least one mic; generating an input channel signal respectively corresponding to the at least one mic; generating a virtual input channel signal based on the input channel signal; generating additional information including playback positions of the input channel signal and the virtual input channel signal; and transmitting a multichannel audio signal including the input channel signal and the virtual input channel signal, and the additional information.

An audio rendering device enhances voice audio such that audible voice is not overwhelmed by other aspects of the soundtrack. The device attenuates right and left channels in an audio stream in response to a detected voice component in the audio stream, and boosts the voice component in the audio stream based on the level of attenuation of the right and left channels. Voice components are distinguished from the non-voice components by separating center channel and mono information from the left, right and surround channels. Non-voice components are attenuated down towards a non-voice threshold level based on an attenuation ratio. Voice components are boosted up toward a voice threshold level, so that the spoken voice is more audible to viewers and not overwhelmed or drowned out by the non-voice aspects of the soundtrack.

An apparatus for generating a modified audio signal having two or more modified audio channels from an audio input signal comprising two or more audio input channels is provided. The apparatus has an information generator for generating signal-to-downmix information. The information generator is adapted to generate signal information by combining a spectral value of each of the two or more audio input channels in a first way. The information generator is adapted to generate downmix information by combining the spectral value of each of the two or more audio input channels in a second way being different from the first way. Furthermore, the information generator is adapted to combine the signal information and the downmix information to obtain signal-to-downmix information. The apparatus has a signal attenuator for attenuating the two or more audio input channels depending on the signal-to-downmix information to obtain the two or more modified audio channels.

Methods and systems are provided for audio devices with enhanced directional operations. In a system that includes one or more audio output components, positioning information associated with at least a part of a user's body maybe determined, the positioning information including at least orientation related information. The one or more audio output components may be controlled based on the determined positioning information, with the determined positioning information corresponding to a positional nature of the user within a three-dimensional space around the user, and where the controlling includes providing a three-dimensional audio environment according to the user.

An apparatus for generating an output downmix representation from an input downmix representation, wherein at least a portion of the input downmix representation is in accordance with a first downmixing scheme, includes: an upmixer for upmixing at least the portion of the input downmix representation using an upmixing scheme corresponding to the first downmixing scheme to obtain at least one upmixed portion; and a downmixer for downmixing the at least one upmixed portion in accordance with a second downmixing scheme different from the first downmixing scheme.