7.

Sound rendering:
noninteractive and
interactive audio
(Noninteractive and Event-based
mixing)

Sistemas de audio, 2022-23 7. Audio engines. 1

 Mixing console

Sistemas de audio, 2022-23 7. Audio engines. 2

 Sound engine (mixing console)

 Types of inputs
 Analog connection: microphone or line level
 Digital connection:
 AES/EBU, SPDIF, streaming, etc
 Sound files
 Mono, stereo or multichannel
 Input module: signal conditioning, processing and routing
of a given input.
 Track structure: organization of signals in different buses
 Master bus: final adjustments

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 Input module

 Signal conditioning
 Level adjustment
 Preprocessing (high-pass filtering, phase change, etc.)
 Signal processing
 Serial: equalization (EQ), compression, noise gate.
 Parallel (processed outside the module  AUX or SND/RTN
groups): FX (distorsion, flanger, chorus, etc.) and reverberation.
 Signal routing
 Panning
 Assignment to groups (buses)

Sistemas de audio, 2022-23 7. Audio engines. 4

 Signal (processing) chain - EXAMPLE

SERIAL PROCESSING
Primary source Dry

Gas mask Distance PROCESSED

Speech EQ
effect attenuation SIGNAL

Copy Wet

PROCESSED
Distortion Reverberation
SIGNAL

PARALLEL PROCESSING
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PERCEPTION

Psychology of Perception
(what we really listen)

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PERCEPTION
Grouping rule: similar sizes
Grouping rule: similar shapes

Time

Grouping rule: synchrony

Auditive object
Auditive stream

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PERCEPTION Rules of Perceptual Organization

 Belonging: something can not belong to two different

objects at the same time.
 Law of similarity: ease to be grouped if similar.
 Law of proximity: ease to be grouped if being close to.
 Common time pattern: ease to be grouped if synchronous.
 Law of continuity: ease to be grouped if this implies that
a previous grouping would remain.
 Law of closure: tendency to fill perceptual information
gaps and perceive a complete pattern.
 ........

Gestalt psychology, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestalt_psychology

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PERCEPTION

Sistemas de audio, 2022-23 7. Audio engines. 20

PERCEPTION The auditory space

 “The auditory world is like the visual world would be if all

objects were very, very transparent and glowed in
sputters and starts by their own light, as well as
reflecting the light of their neighbors. This would be a
hard world for the visual system to deal with.” (Bregman)

Why????

 Analytical or synthetical attention (at will)

 Analytical: we select, conscious or unconsciously, an auditory
stream
 Synthetical: we group different auditory streams

Bregman, Auditory scene analysis, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auditory_scene_analysis

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Mixing!!!

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 Mixing: combine clearly perceived sounds

 Frequency distinction cues

 Key timbre cues
 Presence boost
 Time distinction cues
 (Very slightly) different time onsets to emphasize different sources
 Timbre distinction cues
 Different FX sets generate different timbres.
 ….?????

Try to emphasize distinction cues to maximize separation

or minimize differences to ease grouping!!!

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 Mixing: combine clearly perceived sounds

 Frequency distinction cues

 Key timbre cues
 Presence boost
 Time distinction cues
 (Very slightly) different time onsets to emphasize different sources
 FX distinction cues
 Different FX sets generate different timbres.
 Spatial distinction cues
 PAN: distribute sounds from left (L) to right(R). Avoid extreme
values.
 Front-back: use reverberation, level and filtering to “move”
sounds back and forth.
 ….????? Try to emphasize distinction cues to maximize separation
Perceptual grouping or minimize differences to ease grouping!!!
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 Room in frequency for everyone!

 Frequency spectrum is finite, a fixed bandwidth

 Each instrument timbre has its “magic frequencies”
 Prepare timbre within the mix, not played alone!
 Subtractive equalization
 Cut the frequency ranges that are not representative, so the
signal to noise ratio of other tracks is enhanced.
 Additive equalization
 Keep (or slightly boost) the frequency ranges that are
representative.
 If two sounds share the same frequency ranges, then
other cues have to be applied
Perceptual grouping Check information about
Masking
Noise reduction mixing at the end!!
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 Noninteractive
vs
Interactive
mixing

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 Interactive vs Noninteractive mix

 Noninteractive: each event is in a particular order, and

the order cannot be changed. So, there is a time pattern.
 Examples: film soundtrack, recorded songs, …
 (Usually) Few different items (tracks).
 No need for variation when repeated.
 (Usually) Mix is offline. If online (p.e. live show), the order is
mostly preserved.
 Interactive (Event-driven sound mixing): there is a
changing event order and events appear with no given
time pattern.
 Examples: videogames, simulators, VR/AR environments, …
 (Usually) A large number of different items (assets).
 Need for variation when repeated.
 (Usually) Mix is developed on the fly.
The Essential Guide to Game Audio: The Theory and Practice of Sound for Games, Steve Horowitz
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