Method and apparatus for performing audio ducking

• US 8,326,444 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Classen, Holger, Duwenhorst, Sven
• Primary Examiner(s): ELBIN, JESSE A
• Application Number:
  US11/840,416
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 715/727, 381/58, 381/104, 381/106, 381/107, 381/108, 846/27, 846/33, 386/241, 386/278, 386/280, 386/281
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3005 in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product for performing audio ducking is presented. A plurality of tracks are displayed in a user interface, each track of the plurality of tracks including at least one audio clip. A first clip of the plurality of tracks is linked to at least one other clip of the plurality of tracks. At least one audio clip of the first track is preprocessed to obtain characteristic data of the at least one audio clip of the first track. The characteristic data of the at least one audio clip is utilized to determine level change parameters for the at least one clip of the plurality of tracks linked to the first clip.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

preprocessing a first clip to obtain characteristic data of the first clip, wherein the characteristic data comprises an average level of the first clip; and

utilizing the characteristic data of said first clip to determine level change parameters for audio ducking a second clip when the first clip is used with the second clip, wherein the audio ducking comprises adjusting a level of a signal of the second clip based at least in part on the level change parameters, wherein adjusting the level of the signal of the second clip in the audio ducking is determined based at least in part on the average level of the first clip to minimize modulation while the first clip is used with the second clip.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying a plurality of tracks in a user interface, each track of said plurality of tracks including at least one audio clip, wherein the plurality of tracks comprise the first clip and the second clip;

and

linking the first clip to the second clip, wherein said linking further comprises linking at least one other clip of a same track as said first clip to said second clip of said plurality of tracks.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying a plurality of tracks in a user interface, each track of said plurality of tracks including at least one audio clip, wherein the plurality of tracks comprise the first clip and the second clip;

and

linking the first clip to the second clip, wherein said linking further comprises linking said first clip to at least one other clip of a same track as said second clip.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said level change parameters include at least one of an audio level of said second clip and a fade used for changing a level of said second clip from a first level to a second level.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving user input which changes at least one of said level change parameters.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating said level change parameters when at least one clip is changed.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said level change parameters reflect one type of level change selected from a plurality of different types of level change.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein utilizing said characteristic data of said first clip to determine level change parameters for audio ducking said second clip further comprises determining the level change parameters such that a level change changing a level of said second clip will be applied unless said second clip and another clip of a same track as said second clip are closer together in time than a predetermined threshold value.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio ducking comprises timing for adjusting the level of the signal of the second clip, wherein the characteristic data comprises a clip length of the first clip, wherein the timing for adjusting the level of the signal of the second clip in the audio ducking is determined based at least in part on the clip length of the first clip to minimize modulation while the first clip is used with the second clip.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable code thereon for performing audio ducking, the medium comprising:

instructions for preprocessing a first clip to obtain characteristic data of the first clip, wherein the characteristic data comprises an average level of the first clip; and

instructions for utilizing the characteristic data of said first clip to determine level change parameters for audio ducking a second clip when the first clip is used with the second clip, wherein the audio ducking comprises adjusting a level of a signal of the second clip based at least in part on the level change parameters, wherein adjusting the level of the signal of the second clip in the audio ducking is determined based at least in part on the average level of the first clip to minimize modulation while the first clip is used with the second clip.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the medium further comprises:

instructions for displaying a plurality of tracks in a user interface, each track of said plurality of tracks including at least one audio clip, wherein the plurality of tracks comprise the first clip and the second clip; and

instructions for linking the first clip to the second clip, wherein said linking further comprises linking at least one other clip of a same track as said first clip to said second clip of said plurality of tracks.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the medium further comprises:

instructions for displaying a plurality of tracks in a user interface, each track of said plurality of tracks including at least one audio clip, wherein the plurality of tracks comprise the first clip and the second clip; and

instructions for linking the first clip to the second clip, wherein said linking further comprises linking said first clip to at least one other clip of a same track as said second clip.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein said level change parameters include at least one of an audio level of said second clip and a fade used for changing a level of said second clip from a first level to a second level.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising instructions for receiving user input that changes at least one of said level change parameters.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising instructions for updating said level change parameters when at least one clip is changed.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein said level change parameters reflect one type of level change selected from a plurality of different types of level change.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein utilizing said characteristic data of said first clip to determine level change parameters for audio ducking said second clip further comprises determining the level change parameters such that a level change changing a level of said second clip will be applied unless said second clip and another clip of a same track as said second clip are closer together in time than a predetermined threshold value.

18. A computer system comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a communications interface;

an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface; and

wherein the memory is encoded with an application providing audio ducking, that when performed on the processor, provides a process for processing information, the process causing the computer system to perform the operations comprising;

preprocessing a first clip to obtain characteristic data of the first clip, wherein the characteristic data comprises an average level of the first clip; and

utilizing the characteristic data of said first clip to determine level change parameters for audio ducking a second clip when the first clip is used with the second clip, wherein the audio ducking comprises adjusting a level of a signal of the second clip based at least in part on the level change parameters, wherein adjusting the level of the signal of the second clip in the audio ducking is determined based at least in part on the average level of the first clip to minimize modulation while the first clip is used with the second clip.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying a plurality of tracks in a user interface, each track of said plurality of tracks including at least one audio clip, wherein the plurality of tracks comprise the first clip and the second clip; and

linking the first clip to the second clip, wherein said linking further comprises linking at least one other clip of a same track as said first clip to said second clip of said plurality of tracks.

20. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying a plurality of tracks in a user interface, each track of said plurality of tracks including at least one audio clip, wherein the plurality of tracks comprise the first clip and the second clip; and

linking the first clip to the second clip, wherein said linking a first clip further comprises linking said first clip to at least one other clip of a same track as said second clip.

21. The computer system of claim 18 wherein said level change parameters include at least one of an audio level of said second clip and a fade used for changing a level of said second clip from a first level to a second level.