Abstract:
The present invention enables producers of music to take audio data that has been generated within a commercially available Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) and then apply the method and apparatus of the present invention to create an Adaptable Music File. This Adaptable Music File may then be used to produce suitable music mixes based on user specified values for descriptive parameters that are tailored to users without music expertise, for example foreground, background, intense, light, dense, and sparse. The Adaptable Music File created by the present invention may be used with other Adaptable Music Files to create new suitable music mixes based on user specified values for descriptive parameters that are tailored to users without music expertise.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/712,162, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Automating the Mixing of Multi-Track Digital Audio”, filed on Aug. 29, 2005. 
     
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
       [0002]     Not Applicable  
       TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention relates generally to digital audio. More specifically the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automating the mixing of multi-track digital audio.  
       PROGRAM APPENDIXES  
       [0000]    
       
          Appendix A lists pseudocode comprising program headers and implementation necessary to explain the performance of each of the processes that make up the program of the preferred embodiment used by the system of the present invention; and  
          Appendix B lists pseudocode comprising data structures necessary to explain the package description file to tag a song with a descriptive meta-data that makes up the main component of the program of the preferred embodiment used by the system of the present invention.  
       
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     Music is used in a variety of products and works. For example, music is often used in web applications, computer games, and other interactive multimedia products. Music is also often used in other works such as television advertising, radio advertising, commercial films, corporate videos, and other media.  
         [0007]     Working with music during the production of products and works that use music can be complicated and time consuming. In a first example, if the music in use is from a music library, it usually has been mixed from a multi-track composition, so the various instruments and other musical elements are fixed and cannot be changed by a user of music. In a second example, when a user of music requires that the music be mixed differently, the user must engage in the costly and time consuming task of either licensing the original multi-track music project, or contracting a composer to attempt to reproduce the music with the desired changes.  
         [0008]     If a user of music has access to a multi-track music project, the user must have expert audio engineering skills and must have a significant amount of time available in order to create an acceptable music mix. It is therefore an objective of the present invention to teach a method and apparatus for automating the mixing of multi-track digital audio.  
         [0009]     If a user of music has access to several multi-track music projects, and wishes to create a new song by combining various tracks from the several multi-track music projects, the user must have expert audio engineering skills and must have a significant amount of time available in order to create an acceptable music mix. It is therefore an objective of the present invention to teach a method and apparatus for automating the mixing of multi-track digital audio.  
         [0010]     Others have attempted to solve the same and similar issues presented above, but have failed in accomplishing these objectives. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,792 teaches a music apparatus performing joint play of compatible songs; U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,145 teaches an automatic performance apparatus having automatic synchronizing function; U.S. Pat. No. 6,916,978 teaches a system and method for creating, modifying, interacting with and playing musical compositions; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,193 teaches a method and system for smart cross-fader for digital audio.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     In accordance with the present invention a method and apparatus for automating the mixing of multi-track digital audio that overcomes the aforementioned problems of the prior art.  
         [0012]     The present invention enables producers of music to take audio data that has been generated within a commercially available Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) and then apply the method and apparatus of the present invention to create an Adaptable Music File. This Adaptable Music File may then be used to produce suitable music mixes based on user specified values for descriptive parameters that are tailored to users without music expertise, for example foreground, background, intense, light, dense, and sparse.  
         [0013]     The Adaptable Music File created by the present invention may be used with other Adaptable Music Files to create new suitable music mixes based on user specified values for descriptive parameters that are tailored to users without music expertise. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present invention and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a flow chart illustrating the data structures of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating the program steps  1 - 7  of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating the program steps  8 - 10  of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4 a  flow chart illustrating the program steps  11 - 16  of the present invention; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a diagram of the present invention&#39;s various physical components. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]     In the following detailed description of the invention of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings (where like numbers represent like elements), which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, but other embodiments may be utilized and logical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.  
         [0021]     In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it is understood that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and techniques known to one of ordinary skill in the art have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the invention.  
         [0022]     Referring to FIGS.  1  thru  5 , it is possible to see the various major elements constituting the apparatus of the present invention and its method of use. The invention is a method and apparatus for automating the mixing of multi-track digital audio.  
         [0023]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a diagram of the present invention&#39;s various physical components is illustrated. The physical embodiment of the present invention is that of a computer which is running the method, embodied in software, to take user input and create the desired output.  
         [0024]     The physical embodiment of the invention is a computer-based system of interacting components. The major physical elements are: a buss  200  which allows various components of the system to be connected or wired; an input device  250  such as a keyboard or mouse provides user input utilized by the system; a display device  210  such as a video card and computer screen provides the user with visual information about the system via a user interface; a CPU  220  of sufficient processing power handles the system&#39;s processing; storage media  230  stores the program steps as described in  FIGS. 1-4  for the system&#39;s processing; and a memory  240  of sufficient size which stores any data resulting from, or for, the system&#39;s processing.  
         [0025]     Still referring to  FIG. 5 , the buss  200 , CPU  220 , storage media  230 , memory  240 , input device  250 , and display device  210  will preferably be components of a computer. The audio device  119  may be a component of the computer but may also be a device external to the computer such as a digital to analog audio converter. The audio device  119  is preferably connected to other devices, such as an audio amplifier and speakers. The output audio data  118  is in a format suitable for the audio device  119  to produce audio. The output audio data  118  format may be a sequence of floating point numbers representing multi-channel audio.  
         [0026]     The buss  200 , CPU  220 , storage media  230 , memory  240 , input device  250 , display device  210 , output audio data  118 , and audio device  119  are well-known components to those with ordinary skill in the electronic and mechanical arts, but their novel and non-obvious combination in the present invention with the method for Automating the Mixing of Multi-Track Digital Audio of the present invention improves upon the prior art.  
         [0027]     The method or arrangement of wiring or connecting these components in a manner that is suitable for the operation of the system is also well known to those with ordinary skill in the electronic and mechanical arts.  
         [0028]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , Specifically, in step  1  present invention reads a song, also known as a multi-track audio project  100  and uses a package description file  101  to tag the song  102  with descriptive meta-data  103  such as a name, genre, or mood.  
         [0029]     Now referring to steps  2  &amp;  3 , Groups  104  are added  105  to the song  102  through use of the package description file. These groups  104  may combine various tracks  106  with similar or shared characteristics  107  such as drums, voices, or guitars.  
         [0030]     In step  4  Parameters  108  are added  109  to the song  102  through use of the package description file. The parameters  108  are like music controls with descriptive names and may not require any music expertise to use such as music intensity, density, percussiveness, and sharpness.  
         [0031]     In step  5 , individual tracks  106  are tagged  110  with meta-data  111  through use of the package description file. This meta-data  111  may include information such as the typical amplitude envelope for instruments in that track, as well as tempo, key, note and measure regions, etc.  
         [0032]     In step  6 , Controllers  112  are added to the tracks  113  through use of the package description file. Associated with the controllers  112  are attributes that may govern how the controller  112  affects the associated track  106  when a music mix  117  is performed.  
         [0033]     In step  7 , controllers  112  are bound to parameters  114  through use of the package description file. When the controllers  112  are bound to the parameters, the parameters provide values that the controllers  112  use when they affect the tracks  106  as a music mix is performed. This allows the user to have descriptive control, through the use of the parameters  108  and controllers  112 , over an entire music mix  117 .  
         [0034]     Now referring to steps  8 ,  9 , &amp;  10  a music mix  117  may be performed or calculated  117  for the user specified values for each parameter  116 , resulting in an audio file  118  that may be played over a sound reproduction system  119  or stored in an information retrieval system for later use.  
         [0035]     Once a song and it&#39;s associated tracks are tagged, parameters are added, controllers are added and bound, and the user has specified values for the parameters, it is possible to generate new songs from the various tracks of some number of songs. This is done via the following steps.  
         [0036]     Now referring to  FIG. 3  and step  11 , the process starts  120  when a track  106  is selected  121  from an existing song  102 . The selection  121  may be performed by the user, or by some algorithmic method such as a search based on genre or mood.  
         [0037]     In step  12  a new song  122  is created  123  with the selected track. This new song  122  has one track, the selected track. Next, a test is performed  124  in step  13  to determine if the song is complete. A song may be considered to be complete when two cases are considered to be true. First, the song has enough tracks such that all of the song parameters affect the music mix. For example, if any change in the value of a Intensity parameter has no effect on the output of a music mix, then the song is not complete. However, if any change in the value of all parameters has an effect on the output of the music mix, then the first completion case is true. Second, all tracks should be considered to be suitable for combination given some set of musical criteria such as tempo, pitch, etc.  
         [0038]     In step  14 , if the test succeeds, then the process stops  125  and a new song has been created that is considered to be complete. If the test does not succeed, then in step  15  the search for a new track is started  126  a new track is selected for addition to the song  127  and the process proceeds to step  13  and repeats until stopped  125 .  
         [0039]     Therefore, it should be understood that the method and apparatus of the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limiting on the invention.  
       EXAMPLE PSEUDO-CODE IMPLEMENTATIONS  
       [0040]     The following pseudo-code segments are provided to aid in understanding the various parts of the present invention. They should not be construed as complete or optimal implementations. Note that these codes illustrate the operation of the basic system described above, without any of the additional enhancements discussed. Although given as software code, the actual implementations may be as stored-program(s) used by a processor, as dedicated hardware, or as a combination of the two.