This application describes methods and apparatus for selectively clamping a signal path (106) for an analog audio signal to a clamp voltage, e.g. ground. Voltage clamping circuitry (200) is disclosed having a first switching device (201) in series with a second switching device (202) between a node of the signal path and the clamp voltage. The clamping circuitry is configured to be operable in: a first state where the first and second switching devices are both on to electrically connect the signal path to the clamp voltage; and also a second state to electrically disconnect the signal path from the clamp voltage. In the second state one of the first and second switching devices is configured to block conduction when the voltage at said node of the signal path is positive and the other switching device is configured to block conduction when the voltage at said node of the signal path is negative.

A headset accessory comprises circuitry and is configured to mechanically attach to an audio headset. The circuitry of the headset may be operable to establish a link to the audio headset that supports conveyance of bias voltage, bias current, and/or information between the circuitry of the accessory and circuitry of the audio headset. The headset accessory may be configured to attach to a housing of the headset on a surface of the housing opposite an ear cup. A state of the circuitry of the accessory may be controlled based on the information received from the audio headset via the link. The information may include characteristics of audio being processed by the audio headset. The circuitry of the headset accessory may comprise non-volatile memory, and the non-volatile memory may store parameter settings for configuring audio processing circuitry of the audio headset.

A headset having game, chat and microphone audio signals is provided with a programmable signal processor for individually modifying the audio signals and a memory configured to store a plurality of user-selectable signal-processing parameter settings that determine the manner in which the audio signals will be altered by the signal processor. The parameter settings collectively form a preset, and one or more user-operable controls can select and activate a preset from the plurality of presets stored in memory. The parameters stored in the selected preset can be loaded into the signal processor such that the sound characteristics of the audio paths are modified in accordance with the parameter settings in the selected preset.

To control loudness during a junction between different types of broadcast content, such as a junction between program and commercial or promotional content, representative loudness values for content respectively before (P) and after (C) the junction are received from a playout automation system. A time-varying gain control is applied before and after the junction in order to smooth loudness around the junction. The audio gain is smoothly increased prior to the junction to a gain (P+C)/2P times higher than the original gain value. Then, the gain is reduced shortly before the junction to a value (P+C)/2C times lower than the original gain value. After the junction, the gain is returned smoothly to the original value.

Systems and methods for handling silence in audio streams are disclosed. In one aspect, a transmitter detects a halt in an audio stream. After detection of the halt in the audio stream, the transmitter embeds a silence signal into the audio stream and transmits the silence signal to associated receivers. The associated receivers may respond to the embedded silence signal by playing silence or by using the silence signal to activate a silence protocol. In either event, the associated receivers do not receive the original audio halt and do not produce an unwanted audio artifact.

Systems and methods for handling silence in audio streams are disclosed. In one aspect, a transmitter detects a halt in an audio stream. After detection of the halt in the audio stream, the transmitter embeds a silence signal into the audio stream and transmits the silence signal to associated receivers. The associated receivers may respond to the embedded silence signal by playing silence or by using the silence signal to activate a silence protocol. In either event, the associated receivers do not receive the original audio halt and do not produce an unwanted audio artifact.

Systems and methods for handling silence in audio streams are disclosed. In one aspect, a transmitter detects a halt in an audio stream. After detection of the halt in the audio stream, the transmitter embeds a silence signal into the audio stream and transmits the silence signal to associated receivers. The associated receivers may respond to the embedded silence signal by playing silence or by using the silence signal to activate a silence protocol. In either event, the associated receivers do not receive the original audio halt and do not produce an unwanted audio artifact.

A wireless receiver includes an RF muting circuit that opens and closes a signal line of a demodulated signal according to a received carrier strength level, a noise muting circuit that opens and closes the signal line according to a noise level in the modulated signal, and an RF attenuation circuit that attenuates a RF signal handled in a RF amplifier circuit, and additionally includes a reception mode switching circuit which can simultaneously select at least any two values from those comprising one of a plurality of predetermined threshold values of the RF muting circuit, one of a plurality of predetermined threshold values of the noise muting circuit and one of a plurality of predetermined amount of attenuation of the RF attenuation circuits. This configuration allows to provide a wireless receiver having a stable reception characteristics without sound interruption or interferences in a multi-wave operation of wireless microphones.

To realize active control ground that sets inverted output of an amplification circuit to ground with simple configuration. A DAP 1 comprises a positive side DAC 7 that D/A-converts digital audio data into analog audio data, a positive side amplification circuit 9 that amplifies the analog audio data that the DAC 7 D/A-converts, a negative side DAC 8 that D/A-converts the digital audio data into the analog audio data, and a negative side amplification circuit 10 that amplifies the analog audio data that the DAC 8 D/A-converts, and a CPU 2. The CPU 2 mutes the DAC 8 in case of an ACG mode that sets output of the amplification circuit 10 to ground.

A wireless receiver includes an RSSI generation circuit that obtains RSSI output corresponding to a carrier strength level of a received RF signal; a lookup table from which a threshold value corresponding to temperature information from a temperature sensor is read based on the temperature information; a comparison circuit that generates comparison output when the RSSI output is below the threshold value read from the lookup table, in which the threshold value is one input, and the RSSI output from the RSSI generation circuit is the other input; and a muting circuit that closes a signal line of an audio signal demodulated from the RF signal, and cuts off output of the audio signal, based on the comparison output from the comparison circuit. The above configuration enables the wireless receiver to eliminate fluctuation of a reception reaching distance relative to temperature change, and ensure stable mute operation.