Reducing noise in audio signals

An electronic device comprising:

• at least one primary microphone that receives an audio signal;
• at least one processor that determines, from the audio signal, whether a user of the electronic device is currently speaking;
• and
• a plurality of microphones comprising:
• a first microphone subset includes the at least one primary microphone and at least one first microphone and which receives a first audio in response to determining that a near-end speaker is not currently speaking;
• and
• at least one second microphone subset that includes the at least one primary microphone and at least one second microphone and which receives at least one second audio in response to determining that a near-end speaker is not currently speaking, wherein the at least one first microphone and the at least one second microphone are spatially separate;
• and
• wherein the at least one processor:
• receives the first audio from the first microphone subset and the second audio from the second microphone subset;
• generates a composite signal from the first audio and the second audio;
• and
• collectively processes the audio signal and the composite signal to generate a modified audio signal having a reduced level of noise.

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage device;
• and
• program code on the computer readable storage device that, when executed by a processor associated with an electronic device, enables the electronic device to provide the functionality of:
• determining, from an audio signal received by at least one primary microphone of an electronic device, whether a user that is proximate to the electronic device is currently speaking;
• in response to determining that a user is not currently speaking:
• receiving a first audio using a first microphone subset from among a plurality of microphones, the first microphone subset including the at least one primary microphone and at least one first microphone;
• receiving at least one second audio using at least one second microphone subset from among the plurality of microphones, the second microphone subset including the at least one primary microphone and at least one second microphone, wherein the at least one first microphone and the at least one second microphone are spatially separate;
• generating a composite signal from the first audio and the second audio;
• and
• collectively processing the audio signal and the composite signal to generate a modified audio signal having a reduced level of noise.