Audio signal processing apparatus and method for parameter assignment

An audio signal processing apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of channels each configured to perform given signal processing on an input audio signal;
• an auxiliary signal processor configured to input an audio signal from one or more of the plurality of channels and perform auxiliary signal processing different from the given signal processing on the audio signal input to the auxiliary signal processor;
• a plurality of channel strips each associated with one of the plurality of channels and including a plurality of manual controls which includes an encoder that adjusts a panning or gain of an audio signal of the one channel associated with the channel strip and a fader manual-operator that adjusts a sound volume of the audio signal of the one channel associated with the channel strip;
• and
• a controller that, in response to an assignment instruction given by a user, associates at least one of the plurality of channel strips with the auxiliary signal processor, assigns, in place of the panning or gain of the audio signal, a parameter for controlling a sound volume of an audio signal input to the auxiliary signal processor to the encoder included in the associated at least one channel strip and assigns, in place of the sound volume of the audio signal, a parameter for controlling a sound volume of an audio signal output from the auxiliary signal processor to the fader manual-operator included in the associated at least one channel strip,
• wherein when no assignment instruction has been given by the user, the plurality of channel strips each function to adjust, via the encoder and fader manual-operator, the panning or gain and sound volume of the audio signal of the one channel associated with the channel strip, on the other hand, when the assignment instruction has been given by the user, the associated at least one channel strip functions to adjust, via the encoder and fader manual-operator, parameters for controlling input and output sound volumes of the auxiliary signal processor, while the encoder and fader manual-operator of each of the channel strips other than the associated at least one channel strip maintains the function of adjusting the panning or gain and sound volume of the audio signal of the one channel associated with the channel strip,
• wherein the plurality of manual controls included in each of the plurality of channel strips are aligned in an aligned order in a vertical direction,
• wherein parameters for controlling the audio signal of the one channel associated with the channel strip are respectively assigned to the plurality of manual controls included in the channel strip in such a manner that the aligned order of the plurality of manual controls in the vertical direction corresponds to a sequence of signal processing in the one channel associated with the channel strip, and
• wherein parameters related to the auxiliary signal processor are respectively assigned to the plurality of manual controls included in the associated at least one channel strip in such a manner that the aligned order of the plurality of manual controls in the vertical direction corresponds to a sequence of signal processing in the auxiliary signal processor.

A method for assigning parameters to manual controls in an audio signal processing apparatus, the audio signal processing apparatus including:

• a plurality of channels each configured to perform given signal processing on an input audio signal;
• an auxiliary signal processor configured to input an audio signal from one or more of the plurality of channels and perform auxiliary signal processing different from the given signal processing on the audio signal input to the auxiliary signal processor;
• and a plurality of channel strips each associated with one of the plurality of channels and including a plurality of manual controls for adjusting parameters for the given signal processing of the one channel associated with the channel strip, the method comprising:
• an assignment step of, in response to an assignment instruction given by a user, associating at least one of the plurality of channel strips with the auxiliary signal processor, and assigning, in place of the parameters for the given signal processing, parameters related to the auxiliary signal processor to the plurality of manual controls included in the associated at least one channel strip,
• wherein when no assignment instruction has been given by the user, the plurality of channel strips each function to adjust the parameters for the given signal processing of the one channel associated with the channel strip, on the other hand, when the assignment instruction has been given by the user, the associated at least one channel strip functions to adjust the assigned parameters related to the auxiliary signal processor, while each of the channel strips other than the associated at least one channel strip maintains the function of adjusting the parameters for the given signal processing of the one channel associated with the channel strip,
• wherein the plurality of manual controls included in each of the plurality of channel strips are aligned in an aligned order in a vertical direction,
• wherein the parameters for the given signal processing of the one channel associated with the channel strip are respectively assigned to the plurality of manual controls included in the channel strip in such a manner that the aligned order of the plurality of manual controls in the vertical direction corresponds to a sequence of signal processing in the one channel associated with the channel strip, and
• wherein the parameters related to the auxiliary signal processor are respectively assigned to the plurality of manual controls included in the associated at least one channel strip in such a manner that the aligned order of the plurality of manual controls in the vertical direction corresponds to a sequence of signal processing in the auxiliary signal processor.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium containing a program executable by a processor to perform a method for assigning parameters to manual controls in an audio signal processing apparatus, the audio signal processing apparatus including:

• a plurality of channels each configured to perform given signal processing on an input audio signal;
• an auxiliary signal processor configured to input an audio signal from one or more of the plurality of channels and perform auxiliary signal processing different from the given signal processing on the audio signal input to the auxiliary signal processor;
• and a plurality of channel strips each associated with one of the plurality of channels and including a plurality of manual controls for adjusting parameters for the given signal processing of the one channel associated with the channel strip, the method comprising:
• an assignment step of, in response to an assignment instruction given by a user, associating at least one of the plurality of channel strips with the auxiliary signal processor, and assigning, in place of the parameters for the given signal processing, parameters related to the auxiliary signal processor to the plurality of manual controls included in the associated at least one channel strip,
• wherein when no assignment instruction has been given by the user, the plurality of channel strips each function to adjust the parameters for the given signal processing of the one channel associated with the channel strip, on the other hand, when the assignment instruction has been given by the user, the associated at least one channel strip functions to adjust the assigned parameters related to the auxiliary signal processor, while each of the channel strips other than the associated at least one channel strip maintains the function of adjusting the parameters for the given signal processing of the one channel associated with the channel strip,
• wherein the plurality of manual controls included in each of the plurality of channel strips are aligned in an aligned order in a vertical direction,
• wherein the parameters for the given signal processing of the one channel associated with the channel strip are respectively assigned to the plurality of manual controls included in the channel strip in such a manner that the aligned order of the plurality of manual controls in the vertical direction corresponds to a sequence of signal processing in the one channel associated with the channel strip, and
• wherein the parameters related to the auxiliary signal processor are respectively assigned to the plurality of manual controls included in the associated at least one channel strip in such a manner that the aligned order of the plurality of manual controls in the vertical direction corresponds to a sequence of signal processing in the auxiliary signal processor.