Clipping protection in fixed-width audio mixing

A method comprising:

• multiplying a first digital input signal by a first gain value to provide a first scaled signal, wherein the first digital input signal is derived from an audio signal, wherein the first digital input signal is of a fixed width data type having a fixed length of x bit integers and wherein the first scaled signal is of the fixed width data type having the fixed length of x bit integers;
• multiplying a second digital input signal by the first gain value to provide a second scaled signal, wherein the second digital input signal is of the fixed width data type having the fixed length of x bit integers and wherein the second scaled signal is of the fixed width data type having the fixed length of x bit integers;
• combining the first scaled signal and the second scaled signal to provide a combined signal, wherein said combining of the first scaled signal and the second scaled signal is performed at a fixed length of y bit integers and wherein the combined signal is of the fixed width data type having the fixed length of x bit integers;
• soft limiting the combined signal by reducing some of the amplitudes of the combined signal to provide a soft limited signal, wherein said soft limiting of the combined signal is performed at the fixed length of x bit integers;
• and
• multiplying the soft limited signal by a second gain value to provide a mixed output signal, wherein the mixed output signal is of the fixed width data type having the fixed length of x bit integers,
• wherein the first gain value is a value that is equal to an inverse value of the second gain value, and
• wherein the value of y is greater than the value of x wherein one of either said multiplying of the first digital input signal by the first gain value, said multiplying of the second digital input signal by the first gain value, said combining, said soft limiting, or said multiplying of the soft limited signal by the second gain value is performed by a processor.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, such that when the instructions are read and executed by one or more processors, said one or more processors is configured to perform the steps of:

• multiplying a first digital input signal by a first gain value to provide a first scaled signal, wherein the first digital input signal is derived from an audio signal, wherein the first digital input signal is of a fixed width data type having a fixed length of x bit integers and wherein the first scaled signal is of the fixed width data type having the fixed length of x bit integers;
• multiplying a second digital input signal by the first gain value to provide a second scaled signal, wherein the second digital input signal is of the fixed width data type having the fixed length of x bit integers and wherein the second scaled signal is of the fixed width data type having the fixed length of x bit integers;
• combining the first scaled signal and the second scaled signal to provide a combined signal, wherein said combining of the first scaled signal and the second scaled signal is performed at a fixed length of y bit integers and wherein the combined signal is of the fixed width data type having the fixed length of x bit integers;
• soft limiting the combined signal by reducing some of the amplitudes of the combined signal to provide a soft limited signal, wherein said soft limiting of the combined signal is performed at the fixed length of x bit integers;
• and
• multiplying the soft limited signal by a second gain value to provide a mixed output signal, wherein the mixed output signal is of the fixed width data type having the fixed length of x bit integers,
• wherein the first gain value is a value that is equal to an inverse value of the second gain value, and
• wherein the value of y is greater than the value of x.