Time domain level adjustment for audio signal decoding or encoding

An audio signal encoder configured to provide an encoded audio signal representation on the basis of a time-domain representation of an input audio signal, the audio signal encoder comprising:

• a clipping estimator configured to analyze the time-domain representation of the input audio signal as to whether potential clipping is suggested in order to determine a current level shift factor for the input signal representation, wherein when the potential clipping is suggested, the current level shift factor causes the time-domain representation of the input audio signal to shifted towards a least significant bit so that headroom at at least one most significant bit is gained;
• a level shifter configured to shift a level of the time-domain representation of the input audio signal according to the current level shift factor for acquiring a level shifted time-domain representation;
• a time-to-frequency domain converter configured to convert the level shifted time-domain representation into a plurality of frequency band signals;
• and
• a level shift compensator configured to act on the plurality of frequency band signals for at least partly compensating a level shift applied to the level shifted time-domain representation by the level shifter and for acquiring a plurality of compensated frequency band signals.

A method for decoding an encoded audio signal representation and for providing a corresponding decoded audio signal representation, the method comprising:

• preprocessing the encoded audio signal representation to acquire a plurality of frequency band signals;
• analyzing side information relative to a gain of the frequency band signals as to whether the side information suggest a potential clipping in order to determine a current level shift factor for the encoded audio signal representation, wherein when the side information suggests the potential clipping, the current level shift factor causes information of the plurality of frequency band signals to be shifted towards a least significant bit so that headroom at at least one most significant bit is gained;
• shifting levels of the frequency band signals according to the level shift factor for acquiring level shifted frequency band signals;
• performing a frequency-to-time-domain conversion of the frequency band signals to a time-domain representation;
• and
• acting on the time-domain representation for at least partly compensating a level shift applied to the level shifted frequency band signals and for acquiring a compensated time-domain representation.