Recording musical instruments using a microphone array in a device
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsJonathan D. Sheaffer, Darius A. Satongar, Joshua D. Atkins, Martin E. Johnson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microphone array included in a portable electronic device is used to generate various virtual studio microphones by combining one or more microphone signals to produce one or more acoustic pickup beams. An error is determined in a position of the microphone array relative to an audio source to be recorded. An interface is displayed to instruct a user on repositioning the microphone array relative to the instrument and the instrument is recorded using the repositioned microphone array.
Claims20
An audio system comprising:
- a housing having integrated therein a plurality of microphones having a fixed geometrical relationship to each other, wherein the housing is portable;
- a sensor to provide current position information of the plurality of microphones;
- a processor to access a plurality of microphone signals produced by the plurality of microphones, respectively;
- and
- memory having stored therein instructions,
- wherein the processor executes the instructions to generate one or more virtual studio microphones for recording an instrument, wherein the one or more virtual studio microphones are generated by:
- determining a configuration of the plurality of microphones and emulating the configuration by combining one or more of the plurality of microphone signals to produce an acoustic pickup beam;
- determining whether there is an error in a position of the plurality of microphones;
- displaying an interface to instruct on repositioning of the plurality of microphones relative to the instrument based on the current position information provided by the sensor, the determined configuration and any determined error;
- and
- recording the instrument using the repositioned plurality of microphones and the configuration.
An audio process comprising:
- sensing current position information of the plurality of microphones;
- accessing a plurality of microphone signals produced by a plurality of microphones, respectively, the plurality of microphones being integrated in a housing and having a fixed geometrical relationship to each other, wherein the housing is portable;
- and
- generating one or more virtual studio microphones for recording an instrument, wherein the one or more virtual studio microphones are generated by:
- determining a configuration of the plurality of microphones and emulating the configuration by combining one or more of the plurality of microphone signals to produce an acoustic pickup beam;
- determining whether there is an error in a position of the plurality of microphones;
- displaying an interface to instruct on repositioning of the plurality of microphones relative to the instrument based on the current position information provided by the sensor, the determined configuration and any determined error;
- and
- recording the instrument using the repositioned plurality of microphones and the configuration.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable program instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
- sensing current position information of the plurality of microphones;
- accessing a plurality of microphone signals produced by a plurality of microphones, respectively, the plurality of microphones being integrated in a housing and having a fixed geometrical relationship to each other, wherein the housing is portable;
- and
- generating one or more virtual studio microphones for recording an instrument, wherein the one or more virtual studio microphones are generated by:
- determining a configuration of the plurality of microphones and emulating the configuration by combining one or more of the plurality of microphone signals to produce an acoustic pickup beam;
- determining whether there is an error in a position of the plurality of microphones;
- displaying an interface to instruct on repositioning of the plurality of microphones relative to the instrument based on the current position information provided by the sensor, the determined configuration and any determined error;
- and
- recording the instrument using the repositioned plurality of microphones and the configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.