Digital interface for analog audio mixers

• US 20060152398A1
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LOUD Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LOUD Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kappers, Andreas Teunis Martinus, Olswang, Benjamin Seth, Jubien, Christopher Michael, Steinberg, Daniel Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,421,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/155
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/315 Firewire, i.e. transmission according to IEEE1394
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios

Abstract

An analog-digital interface device is provided, which is configured to be housed within or removably coupled with an analog mixer, to thereby form a digital-output analog mixer. The analog-digital interface device includes analog-digital conversion circuitry and digital transmission circuitry that convert analog audio from the analog mixer to digital format for transmission along a digital transport interface to an external digital computing device, such as a PC or MAC computer. In one embodiment, the analog audio can be tapped from any one or more points along a signal path of the analog mixer and sent to the analog-digital interface device. In another embodiment, the analog-digital interface device is further configured to receive digital signals back from the external digital computing device, convert them to analog signals, and return them to the analog mixer at any one or more points along a signal path of the analog mixer.

Claims

1. An analog-digital interface device that is configured to be housed within an analog mixer, the analog-digital interface device comprising:

analog-digital conversion circuitry and digital transmission circuitry that convert analog audio from the analog mixer to digital format for transmission along a digital transport interface to an external digital computing device.

2. The analog-digital interface device of claim 1, which is further configured to tap the analog audio from any one or more points along a signal path of the analog mixer.

3. The analog-digital interface device of claim 1, wherein the analog-digital conversion circuitry and digital transmission circuitry further receive audio signals in digital format from the external computing device and convert them to analog signals for mixing and routing within the analog mixer.

4. The analog-digital interface device of claim 3, which is further configured to return the analog signals to the analog mixer at any one or more points along a signal path of the analog mixer.

5. The analog-digital interface device of claim 1, which is further configured to be removably housed within the analog mixer.

6. An analog audio mixing system with digital interface, comprising:

an analog mixer including at least one signal path comprising a channel strip and a bus section;

an analog-digital interface device coupled with the analog mixer, the analog-digital interface device comprising analog-digital conversion circuitry and digital transmission circuitry that convert analog audio to digital format for transmission along a digital transport interface to an external digital computing device; and

a user interface control that permits a user to select one or more points along the signal path of the analog mixer from which analog signals can be tapped and sent to the analog-digital interface device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the user interface control comprises one or more switches provided on the analog mixer to correspond with the one or more points along the signal path of the analog mixer, respectively.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the channel strip of the analog mixer comprises a microphone preamplifier, an equalizer section, auxiliary sends, and a channel volume control, and the bus section comprises master auxiliary sends and returns, a master volume control, and a plurality of mixing busses.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the analog-digital conversion circuitry and digital transmission circuitry of the analog-digital interface device are further configured to receive audio signals in digital format from the external computing device and convert them to analog signals for mixing and routing within the analog mixer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user interface control is further configured to permit a user to select one or more points along the signal path of the analog mixer at which to return the analog signals to the analog mixer.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the digital transport interface of the analog-digital interface device comprises an IEEE 1394 device.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the analog-digital interface device is received within the analog mixer.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the analog-digital interface device is removably coupled to the analog mixer.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the analog-digital interface device comprises an option card.

15. The system of claim 6, further comprising a second user interface control that permits a user to adjust audio sample rates, bit depths, and latency for data going to or from the analog-digital interface device from or to the analog mixer.