Method and apparatus for using visual images to mix sound
OwnerDavid A. Gibsoninventor
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for mixing audio signals. Each audio signal is digitized and then transformed into a predefined visual image, which is displayed in a three-dimensional space. Audio effects added to the audio signals are transformed into predefined visual effects images, which are also displayed in a three-dimensional space. Selected audio characteristics of the audio signal, such as frequency, amplitude, time and spatial placement, are correlated to selected visual characteristics of the visual image, such as size, location, texture, density and color. Dynamic changes or adjustment to any one of these parameters, or parameters of the audio effect images, causes a corresponding change in the correlated parameter or audio effect.
Claims13
A system for mixing a plurality of audio signals each of which having a plurality of audio characteristics associated therewith, the system comprising:
- an audio mixer having a plurality of channels each of which for receiving one of a plurality of audio signals, and for varying audio characteristics of the received audio signal, and for outputing the varied audio signal;
- and
- a microcomputer system including:
- a signal processing unit for transforming each audio signal into an audio signal visual image for display on a video display monitor, each of the audio signal visual images has visual characteristics that correspond to the audio characteristics of the corresponding audio signal, and
- the signal processing unit also for performing frequency analysis on each of the audio signals to detect even and odd harmonic components thereof, and for placing a first type of texturing image on the corresponding audio signal visual images for detected even harmonic components and a second type of texturing image on corresponding audio signal visual images for detected odd harmonic components.
A system for mixing a plurality of audio signals each of which having a plurality of audio characteristics associated therewith, the system comprising:
- an audio mixer having a plurality of channels each of which for receiving one of a plurality of audio signals, and for varying audio characteristics of the received audio signal, and for outputing the varied audio signal;
- and
- a microcomputer system including a signal processing unit for transforming a selected audio signal into an audio signal visual image for display on a video display monitor, the audio signal visual image is segmented into portions that correspond to preselected frequency ranges, wherein the frequency components of the selected audio signal are dynamically correlated with, and visually displayed with dynamic visual characteristics in, corresponding segmented portions of the audio signal visual image.
An article of manufacture for use with a computer system, an audio mixer having a plurality of channels each of which for receiving one of a plurality of audio signals and for varving audio characteristics of the received audio signal and for outputing the varied audio signal an audio effects processing unit associated with each of the channels for adding audio effects to the audio signals and a plurality of speakers that broadcast the audio signals outputed by the audio mixer, the article of manufacture comprising:
- a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for creating visual images of audio signals and audio effects the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
- computer readable program code means for causing the computer to transform each audio signal into an audio signal visual image and to display the audio signal visual images on a video display monitor, each of the audio signal visual images has visual characteristics that correspond to the audio characteristics of the corresponding audio signal;
- and
- computer readable program code means for causing the computer to generate audio effect images and to display the audio effect images on the video display monitor, the audio effect images have visual characteristics that correspond to audio effects added to the audio signals by an audio effects processing unit,
- wherein the computer readable program code means is configured for causing the computer to perform frequency analysis on each of the audio signals to detect even and odd harmonic components thereof, and for causing the computer to place a first type of texturing image on the corresponding audio signal visual images for detected even harmonic components and a second type of texturing image on corresponding audio signal visual images for detected odd harmonic components.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.