Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
  • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
  • H04H60/02—Arrangements for generating broadcast information; Arrangements for generating broadcast-related information with a direct linking to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time; Arrangements for simultaneous generation of broadcast information and broadcast-related information
  • H04H60/04—Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios

Definitions

• a distributed audio signal processing apparatus A distributed audio signal processing apparatus
• the present invention relates to a distributed audio signal processing apparatus. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a distributed audio signai processing apparatus wherein at least two programmable signal processing blocks can be controlled by the same control console.
• the present invention provides a distributed audio signal processing apparatus comprising
• control console connected to each of the signal processing blocks the control console comprising a plurality of controls and a user interface, the control console being adapted to communicate with each of the signal processing blocks to determine the audio input ports, channels and matrix outputs of the signal processing blocks and to display at least the audio input ports and matrix outputs in the interface;
• control console being further adapted to create at least one audio route in at least one signal processing block based on selection of an audio input port and at least one matrix output in the interface, the audio route extending from the selected audio input port, through a channel and associated matrix to the at least one selected matrix output, and to further connect a control to the channel in the audio route.
• the distributed audio signal processing apparatus comprises at least one audio route, each audio route extending within one signal processing block.
• the matrices are connected together by a mixing bus.
• the distributed audio signal processing apparatus comprises at least one audio route, the at least one audio route extending from one signal processing block across the mixing bus to another signal processing block
• the output processor connected to the matrix output of one signal processing block is slaved with the output processor of the corresponding matrix output of the other signal block such that the two output processors process the mixed audio signals they receive identically.
• Such an arrangement is difficult for an operator to manage as may be best explained by way of an example.
• audio sources typically microphones.
• One (or in practice several) microphones will pick up the crowd noise.
• a further microphone will pick up the sound of the match.
• a further microphone will pick up the voice of the commentator at the match.
• a mixer 2 remote from the studio 4 at the football ground is used to mix these sounds together for broadcast. This is controlled over the internet 6 by a control console 7 at the broadcast studio 4.
• There will be further commentators in the local studio. The commentator's voices are mixed by a local mixer 3 for broadcast. This is controlled by a further control console 5 at the broadcast studio.
• Shown in figure 3 is a more realistic embodiment of a distributed audio signal processing apparatus 10 according to the invention.
• the remote venue there are three audio sources - presenter 1, presenter 2 and Venue ambient'.
• the local studio there are two miscellaneous audio sources, misc 1 and misc 2. They could for example be presenters local to the studio.
• the remote presenters desire to be able to hear each other talk and also the venue ambient noise.
• the remote signal processing block 12 is therefore programmed from the control console 20 in the studio with audio routes as shown producing outputs OP1 and OP2 at the venue to which the presenters can piug in their earphones.
• misc minus is then connected via an IP cloud (not shown) to a matrix input 17 of the remote matrix 16 from where it is provided to OP1 and OP2.
• the routing table corresponding to figure 3 is shown in figure 4.
• a consequence of splitting the audio sources 14 is that more than one audio input port 13 can correspond to the same audio source 14 (for example channels 1 and 6 both receive audio from the same audio source, presl).
• the remote signal processing block 12 is programmed with audio routes which produce a mix of presl, pres2 and venue ambient at OP1 and OP2 for consumption by the presenters.
• further audio routes are programmed which extend from presl, pres2 and venue ambient to main 1 of the signal processing block 11 local to the studio.
• the consequence of this is that the remote matrix 16 produces the mix for output at OP1 and QP2 but also sends this mix over the mixing bus 25 to the signal processing block 11 local to the studio.
• the local signal processing block 11 has also been programmed with audio routes which terminate at main 1 (corresponding to misc local 1 and tnisc local 2).
• the matrix 15 of the local signal processing block 11 therefore mixes the mixed signal it has received over the mixing bus 25 with these additional audio routes and provides the final mix at main 1.
• Figure 6 shows the routing table for the embodiment of figure 5.
• the important distinction between this and figure 4 is that audio routes can begin in one signal processing block 11,12 but end in another 11,12. The consequence of this is that there is now only one control 21 per audio input port 13.
• This is conceptually much simpler for an operator to manage. An operator need only decide where he would like audio from an audio input port 13corresponding to a particular audio source 14 to end.
• the operator desires the voice from presl to appear both at main 1 and OP1 and so simply includes these outputs in the routing table.
• the control console 20 programs the signal processing blocks 11.12 with the appropriate audio route. If during broadcast it is desired that the presenter at OP1 can hear the audio source misc local 1 the operator simply adds this to the routing table.
• the mixing bus 25 comprises a plurality of individual paths, in order to create a new audio route the control console 20 programs the local matrix 15 to provide a copy of pres 1 on a path of the mixing bus 25. It also programs the remote matrix 16 to receive the copy of pres 1 from the path of the mixing bus 25 and pass it to OP1 along with matrix inputs 17 for that matrix 16 destined for OP1.
• presenter 1 would like to hear his own voice and that of presenter 2 (from audio sources pres 1 and pres 2). Because mixing is done at the remote venue by the remote matrix 16 the required mix OP1 is available instantly without any audio lag. In contrast if presl and pres 2 were passed over the bus 15 back to the studio, mixed at the studio and then passed back over the mixing bus 25 to the remote matrix 16 there would be a slight audio delay between the presenter speaking and hearing his own voice in his headset. This can be very off putting for a presenter. Local mixing eliminates this audio delay.
• a further embodiment of the invention 10 is shown in figure 7. In this embodiment each audio input port 13 is connected to one channel 19 only. Further, the remote and local matrices 16,15 are slaved together.
• the local matrix 15 generates a partial mix which is a mix of the speech of the local presenters and again provides it to the mixing bus 25.
• Each matrix 15,16 then combines its own partial mix with the partial mix received over the bus 25 to produce a final mix which is output to one of its matrix outputs 18. In this way the outputs of the two matrices 15,16 are identical.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Circuit For Audible Band Transducer (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Acoustics & Sound (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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• 2014
  • 2014-11-22 GB GB1420787.2A patent/GB2533548A/en not_active Withdrawn
• 2015
  • 2015-11-19 WO PCT/GB2015/053532 patent/WO2016079526A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2015-11-19 EP EP15804913.0A patent/EP3221986A1/de not_active Withdrawn

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