LOUDSPEAKER POSITION COMPENSATION WITH 3D-AUDIO HIERARCHICAL CODING

• US 20140016802A1
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sen, Dipanjan
• Granted Patent: US 9,473,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/307
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/03 Aspects of down-mixing multi-channel audio to configurations with lower numbers of playback channels, e.g. 7.1 -> 5.1 H04S2400/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/11 Application of ambisonics in stereophonic audio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/002 Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/006 in which a plurality of audio signals are transformed in a combination of audio signals and modulated signals, e.g. CD-4 systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field

Abstract

In general, techniques are described for compensating for loudspeaker positions using hierarchical three-dimensional (3D) audio coding. An apparatus comprising or more processors may perform the techniques. The processors may be configured to perform a first transform that is based on a spherical wave model on a first set of audio channel information for a first geometry of speakers to generate a first hierarchical set of elements that describes a sound field. The processors may further be configured to perform a second transform in a frequency domain on the first hierarchical set of elements to generate a second set of audio channel information for a second geometry of speakers.

Claims

1. A method of audio signal processing comprising:

transforming, with a first transform that is based on a spherical wave model, a first set of audio channel information for a first geometry of speakers into a first hierarchical set of elements that describes a sound field; and

transforming in a frequency domain, with a second transform, the first hierarchical set of elements into a second set of audio channel information for a second geometry of speakers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry of speakers have different radii.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry of speakers have different azimuth.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry of speakers have different elevation angle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hierarchical set of elements comprise spherical harmonic coefficients.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein transforming, with the second transform, comprises transforming, with the second transform, the first hierarchical set of elements into the second set of audio channel information for the second geometry of speakers to compensate for a difference of position between elements in the first geometry of speakers and elements in the second geometry of speakers.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing panning on the first set of audio channel information to produce a first set of virtual audio channel information,

wherein transforming, with the first transform, comprises transforming, with the first transform, the first set of virtual audio channel information to produce the first hierarchical set of elements that describes the sound field.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein performing panning on the first set of audio channel information comprises performing vector base amplitude panning on the first set of audio channel information to produce the first set of virtual audio channel information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first set of audio channel information is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the second set of audio channel information comprises a second set of virtual audio channel information,

wherein each of the second set of audio channel information is associated with a corresponding different region of space, and

wherein the method further comprises performing panning on the second set of virtual audio channel information to produce the second set of audio channel information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein performing panning comprises performing vector base amplitude panning on the second set of virtual audio channel information to produce the second set of audio channel information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the second set of virtual audio channel information is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of audio channel information is associated with a first spatial geometry, and wherein the second set of audio channel information is associated with a second spatial geometry that is different than the first spatial geometry.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geometry of speakers is a square geometry.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geometry of speakers is a rectangular geometry.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geometry of speakers is a spherical geometry.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the second geometry of speakers is a square geometry.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the second geometry of speakers is a rectangular geometry.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the second geometry of speakers is a spherical geometry.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein transforming, with the first transform, comprises transforming in a frequency domain, with the first transform that is based on the spherical wave model, the first set of audio channel information for the first geometry of speakers into the first hierarchical set of elements that describes the sound field.

23. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors configured to perform a first transform that is based on a spherical wave model on a first set of audio channel information for a first geometry of speakers to generate a first hierarchical set of elements that describes a sound field, and to perform a second transform in a frequency domain on the first hierarchical set of elements to generate a second set of audio channel information for a second geometry of speakers.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different radii.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different azimuth.

26. The apparatus claim 23, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different elevation angle.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first hierarchical set of elements comprise spherical harmonic coefficients.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors comprise an encoder that is configured to perform the first transform and the second transform.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, when performing the second transform, perform the second transform on the first hierarchical set of elements to generate the second set of audio channel information for the second geometry of speakers to compensate for a difference of position between elements in the first geometry of speakers and elements in the second geometry of speakers.

30. The apparatus of claim 23,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform panning on the first set of audio channel information to produce a first set of virtual audio channel information, and

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, when transforming with the first transform, transform, with the first transform, the first set of virtual audio channel information to produce the hierarchical set of elements that describes the sound field.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, when performing panning on the first set of audio channel information, perform vector base amplitude panning on the first set of audio channel information to produce the first set of virtual audio channel information.

32. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of the first set of audio channel information is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

34. The apparatus of claim 23,

wherein the second set of audio channel information comprises a second set of virtual audio channel information,

wherein each of the second set of audio channel information is associated with a corresponding different region of space, and

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform panning on the second set of virtual audio channel information to produce the second set of audio channel information.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, when performing panning, perform vector base amplitude panning on the second set of virtual audio channel information to produce the second set of audio channel information.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein each of the second set of virtual audio channel information is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

38. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first set of audio channel information is associated with a first spatial geometry, and wherein the second set of audio channel information is associated with a second spatial geometry that is different than the first spatial geometry.

39. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first geometry of speakers is a square geometry.

40. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first geometry of speakers is a rectangular geometry.

41. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first geometry of speakers is a spherical geometry.

42. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the second geometry of speakers is a square geometry.

43. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the second geometry of speakers is a rectangular geometry.

44. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the second geometry of speakers is a spherical geometry.

45. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are configured to, when performing the first transform, perform the first transform in a frequency domain on the first set of audio channel information for the first geometry of speakers to generate the first hierarchical set of elements that describes the sound field.

46. An apparatus comprising:

means for transforming, with a first transform that is based on a spherical wave model, a first set of audio channel information for a first geometry of speakers into a first hierarchical set of elements that describes a sound field; and

means for transforming in a frequency domain, with a second transform, the first hierarchical set of elements into a second set of audio channel information for a second geometry of speakers.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different radii.

48. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different azimuth.

49. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different elevation angle.

50. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the first hierarchical set of elements comprise spherical harmonic coefficients.

51. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for transforming, with the second transform, comprises means for transforming, with the second transform, the first hierarchical set of elements into the second set of audio channel information for the second geometry of speakers to compensate for a difference of position between elements in the first geometry of speakers and elements in the second geometry of speakers.

52. The apparatus of claim 46, further comprising means for performing panning on the first set of audio channel information to produce a first set of virtual audio channel information,

wherein the means for transforming, with the first transform, comprises means for transforming, with the first transform, the first set of virtual audio channel information to produce the hierarchical set of elements that describes the sound field.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the means for performing panning on the first set of audio channel information comprises means for performing vector base amplitude panning on the first set of audio channel information to produce the first set of virtual audio channel information.

54. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein each of the first set of audio channel information is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

56. The apparatus of claim 46,

wherein the second set of audio channel information comprises a second set of virtual audio channel information,

wherein each of the second set of audio channel information is associated with a corresponding different region of space, and

wherein the method further comprises performing panning on the second set of virtual audio channel information to produce the second set of audio channel information.

57. The apparatus of claim 56, wherein performing panning comprises performing vector base amplitude panning on the second set of virtual audio channel information to produce the second set of audio channel information.

58. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein each of the second set of virtual audio channel information is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

59. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

60. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the first set of audio channel information is associated with a first spatial geometry, and wherein the second set of audio channel information is associated with a second spatial geometry that is different than the first spatial geometry.

61. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the first geometry of speakers is a square geometry.

62. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the first geometry of speakers is a rectangular geometry.

63. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the first geometry of speakers is a spherical geometry.

64. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the second geometry of speakers is a square geometry.

65. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the second geometry of speakers is a rectangular geometry.

66. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the second geometry of speakers is a spherical geometry.

67. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the means for transforming, with the first transform, comprises means for transforming in a frequency domain, with the first transform that is based on the spherical wave model, the first set of audio channel information for the first geometry of speakers into the first hierarchical set of elements that describes the sound field.

68. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

transform, with a first transform that is based on a spherical wave model, a first set of audio channel information for a first geometry of speakers into a first hierarchical set of elements that describes a sound field; and

transform in a frequency domain, with a second transform, the first hierarchical set of elements into a second set of audio channel information for a second geometry of speakers.

69. A method comprising:

receiving loudspeaker channels along with coordinates of a first geometry of speakers, wherein the loudspeaker channels have been transformed into hierarchical set of elements.

76. The method of claim 69, further comprising:

performing panning on the loudspeaker channels based on the coordinates of the first geometry of speakers to produce virtual loudspeaker channels; and

transforming, with a first transform that is based on a spherical wave model, the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce the hierarchical set of elements that describes the sound field.

77. The method of claim 76, wherein performing panning on the loudspeaker channels comprises performing vector base amplitude panning on the loudspeaker channels to produce the virtual loudspeaker channels.

78. The method of claim 76, wherein each of the loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

79. The method of claim 78, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

80. The method of claim 76, further comprising:

transforming in a frequency domain, with a second transform that is based on a spherical wave model, the hierarchical set of elements into virtual loudspeaker channels; and

performing panning on the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce different loudspeaker channels, wherein each of different loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different region of space.

81. The method of claim 80, wherein performing panning comprises performing vector base amplitude panning on the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce the different loudspeaker channels.

82. The method of claim 80, wherein each of virtual loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

83. The method of claim 82, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

84. The method of claim 80, wherein the loudspeaker channels are associated with a first spatial geometry, and wherein the second set of audio channel information is associated with a second spatial geometry that is different than the first spatial geometry.

70. The method of 69, wherein the loudspeaker channels and coordinates of the first geometry are mapped to a second geometry of speakers.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different radii.

72. The method of claim 70, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different azimuth.

73. The method of claim 70, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different elevation angle.

74. The method of claim 70, wherein the first hierarchical set of elements comprise spherical harmonic coefficients.

75. The method of claim 70, wherein the loudspeaker channels and coordinates of the first geometry are mapped to the second geometry of speakers to compensate for a difference of position between elements in the first geometry of speakers and elements in the second geometry of speakers.

85. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors configured to receive loudspeaker channels along with coordinates of a first geometry of speakers, wherein the loudspeaker channels have been transformed into hierarchical set of elements.

93. The apparatus of claim 85, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform panning on the loudspeaker channels based on the coordinates of the first geometry of speakers to produce virtual loudspeaker channels, and transform, with a first transform that is based on a spherical wave model, the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce the hierarchical set of elements that describes the sound field.

94. The apparatus of claim 93, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, when performing panning on the loudspeaker channels, perform vector base amplitude panning on the loudspeaker channels based on the coordinates of the first geometry of speakers to produce the virtual loudspeaker channels.

95. The apparatus of claim 93, wherein each of the loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

96. The apparatus of claim 95, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

97. The apparatus of claim 93, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to transform in a frequency domain, with a second transform that is based on a spherical wave model, the hierarchical set of elements into the virtual loudspeaker channels, and perform panning on the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce different loudspeaker channels, wherein each of the different loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different region of space.

98. The apparatus of claim 97, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, when performing panning, perform vector base amplitude panning on the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce the different loudspeaker channels.

99. The apparatus of claim 97, wherein each of virtual loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

100. The apparatus of claim 99, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

101. The apparatus of claim 97, wherein the loudspeaker channels are associated with a first spatial geometry, and wherein the different loudspeaker channels are associated with a second spatial geometry that is different than the first spatial geometry.

86. The apparatus of 85, wherein the loudspeaker channels and coordinate of the first geometry are mapped to a second geometry of speakers.

87. The apparatus of claim 86, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different radii.

88. The apparatus of claim 86, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different azimuth.

89. The apparatus of claim 86, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different elevation angle.

90. The apparatus of claim 86, wherein the first hierarchical set of elements comprise spherical harmonic coefficients.

91. The apparatus of claim 86, wherein the processor comprises a decoder.

92. The apparatus of claim 91, wherein the loudspeaker channels and coordinates of the first geometry are mapped to the second geometry of speakers to compensate for a difference of position between elements in the first geometry of speakers and elements in the second geometry of speakers.

102. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving loudspeaker channels along with coordinates of a first geometry of speakers, wherein the loudspeaker channels have been transformed into hierarchical set of elements.

103. The apparatus of 102, wherein the loudspeaker channels and coordinate of the first geometry are mapped to a second geometry of speakers.

104. The apparatus of claim 103, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different radii.

105. The apparatus of claim 103, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different azimuth.

106. The apparatus of claim 103, wherein the first geometry of speakers and second geometry have different elevation angle.

107. The apparatus of claim 103, wherein the first hierarchical set of elements comprise spherical harmonic coefficients.

108. The apparatus of claim 103, wherein the loudspeaker channels and coordinates of the first geometry are mapped to the second geometry of speakers to compensate for a difference of position between elements in the first geometry of speakers and elements in the second geometry of speakers.

109. The apparatus of claim 103, further comprising:

means for performing panning on the loudspeaker channels based on the coordinates of the first geometry of speakers to produce virtual loudspeaker channels; and

means for transforming, with a first transform that is based on a spherical wave model, the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce the hierarchical set of elements that describes the sound field.

110. The apparatus of claim 109, wherein the means for performing panning on the loudspeaker channels comprises means for performing vector base amplitude panning on the loudspeaker channels to produce the virtual loudspeaker channels.

111. The apparatus of claim 109, wherein each of the loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

112. The apparatus of claim 111, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

113. The apparatus of claim 109, further comprising:

means for transforming in a frequency domain, with a second transform that is based on a spherical wave model, the hierarchical set of elements into virtual loudspeaker channels; and

means for performing panning on the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce different loudspeaker channels, wherein each of different loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different region of space.

114. The apparatus of claim 113, wherein the means for performing panning comprises means for performing vector base amplitude panning on the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce the different loudspeaker channels.

115. The apparatus of claim 113, wherein each of virtual loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

116. The apparatus of claim 115, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

117. The apparatus of claim 113, wherein the loudspeaker channels are associated with a first spatial geometry, and wherein the second set of audio channel information is associated with a second spatial geometry that is different than the first spatial geometry.

118. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

receive loudspeaker channels along with coordinates of a first geometry of speakers, wherein the loudspeaker channels have been transformed into hierarchical set of elements.

119. A method comprising:

transmitting loudspeaker channels along with coordinates of a first geometry of speakers, wherein the first geometry corresponds to locations of the channels.

120. The method of claim 119, wherein a first set of audio channel information from the first geometry of speakers is transformed, with a first transform, into a first hierarchical set of elements that describes a sound field.

121. The method of claim 120, wherein the first hierarchical set of elements is transformed, with a second transform, into a second set of audio channel information for a second geometry of speakers.

122. The method of claim 121, wherein the first hierarchical set of elements is transformed, with the second transform, into the second set of audio channel information for the second geometry of speakers to compensate for a difference of position between one or more elements in the first geometry of speakers and one or more elements in the second geometry of speakers.

123. The method of claim 119, further comprising:

performing panning on the loudspeaker channels based on the coordinates of the first geometry of speakers to produce virtual loudspeaker channels; and

transforming, with a first transform that is based on a spherical wave model, the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce a hierarchical set of elements that describes the sound field.

124. The method of claim 123, wherein performing panning on the loudspeaker channels comprises performing vector base amplitude panning on the loudspeaker channels to produce the virtual loudspeaker channels.

125. The method of claim 123, wherein each of the loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

126. The method of claim 125, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

127. The method of claim 123, further comprising:

transforming in a frequency domain, with a second transform that is based on a spherical wave model, the hierarchical set of elements into virtual loudspeaker channels; and

performing panning on the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce different loudspeaker channels, wherein each of different loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different region of space.

128. The method of claim 127, wherein performing panning comprises performing vector base amplitude panning on the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce the different loudspeaker channels.

129. The method of claim 128, wherein each of virtual loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

130. The method of claim 129, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

131. The method of claim 127, wherein the loudspeaker channels are associated with a first spatial geometry, and wherein the second set of audio channel information is associated with a second spatial geometry that is different than the first spatial geometry.

132. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors configured to transmit loudspeaker channels along with coordinates of a first geometry of speakers, wherein the geometry corresponds to the locations of the channels.

133. The apparatus of claim 132, wherein a first set of audio channel information for the first geometry of speakers is transformed, with a first transform that is based on a spherical wave model, into a first hierarchical set of elements that describes a sound field.

134. The apparatus of claim 133, wherein the first hierarchical set of elements is transformed in a frequency domain, with a second transform that is based on a spherical wave model, into a second set of audio channel information from a second geometry of speakers.

135. The apparatus of claim 134, wherein the first hierarchical set of elements is transformed, with the second transform, into the second set of audio channel information for the second geometry of speakers to compensate for a difference of position between elements in the first geometry of speakers and elements in the second geometry of speakers.

136. The apparatus of claim 132, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform panning on the loudspeaker channels based on the coordinates of the first geometry of speakers to produce virtual loudspeaker channels, and transform, with a first transform that is based on a spherical wave model, the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce the hierarchical set of elements that describes the sound field.

137. The apparatus of claim 136, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, when performing panning on the loudspeaker channels, perform vector base amplitude panning on the loudspeaker channels to produce the virtual loudspeaker channels.

138. The apparatus of claim 136, wherein each of the loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

139. The apparatus of claim 138, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

140. The apparatus of claim 136, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to transform in a frequency domain, with a second transform that is based on a spherical wave model, the hierarchical set of elements into virtual loudspeaker channels, and perform panning on the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce different loudspeaker channels, wherein each of different loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different region of space.

141. The apparatus of claim 140, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, when performing panning, perform vector base amplitude panning on the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce the different loudspeaker channels.

142. The apparatus of claim 140, wherein each of virtual loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

143. The apparatus of claim 142, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

144. The apparatus of claim 140, wherein the loudspeaker channels are associated with a first spatial geometry, and wherein the second set of audio channel information is associated with a second spatial geometry that is different than the first spatial geometry.

145. An apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting loudspeaker channels along with coordinates of a first geometry of speakers, wherein the geometry corresponds to the locations of the channels.

146. The apparatus of claim 145, wherein a first set of audio channel information for the first geometry of speakers is transformed, with a first transform, into a first hierarchical set of elements that describes a sound field.

147. The apparatus of claim 146, wherein the first hierarchical set of elements is transformed, with a second transform, into a second set of audio channel information for a second geometry of speakers.

148. The apparatus of claim 147, wherein the first hierarchical set of elements is transformed, with a second transform, into the second set of audio channel information for the second geometry of speakers to compensate for a difference of position between elements in the first geometry of speakers and elements in the second geometry of speakers.

149. The apparatus of claim 145, further comprising:

performing panning on the loudspeaker channels based on the coordinates of the first geometry of speakers to produce virtual loudspeaker channels; and

transforming, with a first transform that is based on a spherical wave model, the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce the hierarchical set of elements that describes the sound field.

150. The apparatus of claim 149, wherein performing panning on the loudspeaker channels comprises performing vector base amplitude panning on the loudspeaker channels to produce the virtual loudspeaker channels.

151. The apparatus of claim 149, wherein each of the loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

152. The apparatus of claim 151, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

153. The apparatus of claim 149, further comprising:

transforming in a frequency domain, with a second transform that is based on a spherical wave model, the hierarchical set of elements into virtual loudspeaker channels; and

performing panning on the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce different loudspeaker channels, wherein each of different loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different region of space.

154. The apparatus of claim 153, wherein performing panning comprises performing vector base amplitude panning on the virtual loudspeaker channels to produce the different loudspeaker channels.

155. The apparatus of claim 153, wherein each of virtual loudspeaker channels is associated with a corresponding different defined region of space.

156. The apparatus of claim 155, wherein the different defined regions of space are defined in one or more of an audio format specification and an audio format standard.

157. The apparatus of claim 153, wherein the loudspeaker channels are associated with a first spatial geometry, and wherein the second set of audio channel information is associated with a second spatial geometry that is different than the first spatial geometry.

158. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

transmit loudspeaker channels along with coordinates of a first geometry of speakers, wherein the geometry corresponds to the locations of the channels.