Multi-stage processing of audio signals to facilitate rendering of 3d audio via a plurality of playback devices

One or more non-transitory, computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, effectuate operations comprising:

• obtaining a plurality of audio signals;
• filtering the plurality of audio signals, such that an audio signal, from among the plurality of audio signals, corresponding to a multi-channel audio format is allowed to pass through for further processing and one or more other audio signals, from among the plurality of audio signals, corresponding to a single-channel audio format is rejected, the audio signal including a plurality of audio objects;
• selecting, from a plurality of audio processing tools, a first audio processing tool and a second audio processing tool;
• assigning a priority to each of the first audio processing tool and the second audio processing tool based on information associated with the first audio processing tool and the second audio processing tool, such that the audio signal is processed using an audio processing tool with a higher priority before being processing by another audio processing tool with a lower priority;
• in response to a higher priority being assigned to the first audio processing tool, encoding, during a first stage audio process and using the first audio processing tool, the plurality of audio objects of the audio signal such that the plurality of audio objects are converted to a first multi-channel audio format, the first multi-channel audio format representing 3D sound fields;
• selecting a second multi-channel audio format for decoding the encoded plurality of audio objects of the audio signal, the second multi-channel audio format being selected based on a type of the second audio processing tool, and the second multi-channel audio format being distinct from the first multi-channel audio format;
• decoding, during the first stage audio process and using the first audio processing tool, the plurality of audio objects of the audio signal, such that the plurality of audio objects of the audio signal are decoded to the second multi-channel audio format;
• obtaining metadata associated with each of the plurality of audio objects of the audio signal, the metadata indicating a position of each of the plurality of audio objects of the audio signal in a 3D space at a given time;
• determining, during a second stage audio process and using the second audio processing tool, a gain level for each of the plurality of audio objects of the audio signal based on the metadata indicating the position of each of the plurality of audio objects in the 3D space at the given time;
• adjusting, during the second stage audio process and using the second audio processing tool, the gain level of the plurality of audio objects of the audio signal;
• selecting a third multi-channel audio format for encoding gain level adjusted audio objects of the audio signal during the second stage audio process, the third multi-channel audio format being selected based on the type of the second audio processing tool;
• encoding, during the second stage audio process and using the second audio processing tool, the gain level adjusted audio objects of the audio signal, such that the gain level adjusted audio objects of the audio signal are converted to the third multi-channel audio format;
• and
• outputting the encoded gain level adjusted audio objects of the audio signals to be rendered via a plurality of playback devices.

A method comprising:

• obtaining, with a computer system, an audio signal, the audio signal corresponding to a multi-channel audio format;
• selecting, with the computer system, from a plurality of audio processing tools, a first audio processing tool and a second audio processing tool;
• assigning, with the computer system, a priority to each of the first audio processing tool and the second audio processing tool;
• selecting, with the computer system, a first multi-channel audio format based on information associated with the second audio processing tool;
• in response to a higher priority being assigned to the first audio processing tool, processing, with the computer system, during a first stage audio process, the audio signal using the first audio processing tool, the processing of the audio signal using the first audio processing tool including converting the audio signal to the selected first multi-channel audio format;
• obtaining, with the computer system, metadata associated with the audio signal;
• selecting, with the computer system, a second multi-channel audio format based on the information associated with the second audio processing tool, the second multi-channel audio format being distinct from the first multi-channel audio format;
• processing, with the computer system, during a second stage audio process, the converted audio signal using the second audio processing tool and based on the metadata, the processing of the converted audio signal using the second audio processing tool including converting the audio signal to the selected second multi-channel audio format;
• and
• outputting, with the computer system, the audio signal in the second multi-channel audio format to be rendered via a plurality of playback devices.

A method comprising:

• obtaining, with a computer system, an audio signal;
• selecting, with the computer system, a first audio processing tool and a second audio processing tool;
• selecting, with the computer system, a surround sound format, the surround sound format corresponding to a 7.1.2 surround sound format;
• processing, with the computer system, during a first stage audio process, the audio signal using the first audio processing tool, the processing of the audio signal using the first audio processing tool including converting the audio signal to the selected 7.1.2 surround sound format;
• obtaining, with the computer system, metadata associated with the audio signal;
• selecting, with the computer system, a stereo audio format;
• processing, with the computer system, during a second stage audio process, the converted audio signal using the second audio processing tool and based on the metadata, the processing of the converted audio signal using the second audio processing tool including converting the audio signal to the selected stereo audio format;
• and
• outputting, with the computer system, the audio signal in the stereo audio format to be rendered via a plurality of playback devices.

A system, comprising:

• one or more audio playback devices;
• memory storing computer program instructions;
• and
• one or more processors configured to execute the computer program instructions, that when executed by at least some of the processors, effectuate operations comprising:
• obtaining audio data comprising a plurality of audio signals;
• identifying, from the plurality of audio signals, a set of audio signals that include one or more audio effects;
• separating each audio signal of the set of audio signals into a dry stem and a wet stem, wherein the dry stem comprises an audio signal without the one or more audio effects and the wet stem comprises an audio signal with at least one of the one or more audio effects;
• selecting an audio map indicating virtual locations in an X-Y plane from where sound is to appear to originate;
• encoding each dry stem based on the audio map to generate an encoded dry stem that, when output through at least one of the one or more audio playback devices, simulates sound associated with each dry stem moving about one or more of the virtual locations;
• encoding each wet stem based on the audio map to generate an encoded wet stem that, when output through at least one of the one or more audio playback devices, simulates sound associated with each wet stem moving about one or more of the virtual locations opposite those of the sound associated with a respective dry stem;
• generating 3D audio data based on the encoded dry stem and the encoded wet stem;
• and
• providing the 3D audio data to the one or more audio playback devices for outputting 3D audio.