Compressor target curve to avoid boosting noise

A method of processing an audio signal, comprising:

• receiving audio from a playback volume controller/leveler;
• computing a threshold level dynamically using a minimum-follower mechanism over a history of observed audio signals by:
• computing a frequency spectrum of the audio, the frequency spectrum having a plurality of subbands;
• computing an average minimum energy across the subbands over time;
• and
• computing the threshold level based at least in part on the average minimum energy;
• comparing a level of the audio with the threshold level;
• in accordance with the level being greater than the threshold level,
• processing the audio in accordance with a first dynamic range control (DRC) compression curve, the first DRC compression curve indicating a first amount of gain to apply to the audio;
• in accordance with the level being less than or equal to the threshold level,
• processing the audio in accordance with a second DRC compression curve, the second DRC compression curve indicating a second amount of gain to apply to the audio, wherein the second amount of gain is different than the first amount of gain;
• and
• sending the audio to a downstream device.

A method of processing an audio signal, comprising:

• receiving audio from a playback volume controller/leveler;
• discriminating, using signal recognition and classification, between unwanted noise and wanted signal in the audio;
• modifying a first or a second dynamic range control compression (DRC) curve, the first DRC compression curve indicating a first amount of gain to apply to the audio and the second DRC compression curved indicating a second amount of gain to apply to the audio, wherein the second amount of gain is different than the first amount of gain, by adjusting, based on the discriminating, a position of one or more knees in the first or the second dynamic range control (DRC) compression curve, and an amount of gain applied to the audio when a level of the audio is below the one or more knees;
• comparing the level of the audio with a threshold level;
• in accordance with the level of the audio being greater than the threshold level,
• processing the audio in accordance with the first DRC compression curve;
• in accordance with the level being less than or equal to the threshold level,
• processing the audio in accordance with the second DRC compression curve;
• and
• sending the audio to a downstream device.