An audio processing apparatus comprising a microphone configured to receive an acoustic input signal and to generate a microphone signal; a pre-amplifier configured to receive and amplify the microphone signal and to generate an amplified microphone signal; a digitizer configured to receive and digitize the amplified microphone signal and to provide a digitized input audio signal i(t) to a signal processor and an extended frequency modulation XFM processor; the XFM processor configured to receive the digitized input signal i(t), demodulate the digitized input signal i(t) into an extended frequency modulation representation XFMR x(t) of the digitized input audio signal i(t), and to determine and/ or predict spectral content from the demodulated XFMR signal x(t), and provide information about the spectral content to the signal processor via a control line; the signal processor configured to receive the digitized input signal i(t), remove signal portions, from the digitized input signal i(t), corresponding to sounds or partial sounds that are demodulated by the XFM processor, and modifying the digitized input signal i(i) based on the information about the spectral content received from the XFM processor to produce a first output signal; and an adder configured to receive the first output signal and a second output signal produced by the XFM processor, and combine the first output signal with the second output signal into a composite audio signal c(t). a microphone configured to receive an acoustic input signal and to generate a microphone signal; a pre-amplifier configured to receive and amplify the microphone signal and to generate an amplified microphone signal; a digitizer configured to receive and digitize the amplified microphone signal and to provide a digitized input audio signal i(t) to a signal processor and an extended frequency modulation XFM processor; the XFM processor configured to receive the digitized input signal i(t), demodulate the digitized input signal i(t) into an extended frequency modulation representation XFMR x(t) of the digitized input audio signal i(t), and to determine and/ or predict spectral content from the demodulated XFMR signal x(t), and provide information about the spectral content to the signal processor via a control line; receive the digitized input signal i(t), demodulate the digitized input signal i(t) into an extended frequency modulation representation XFMR x(t) of the digitized input audio signal i(t), and to determine and/ or predict spectral content from the demodulated XFMR signal x(t), and provide information about the spectral content to the signal processor via a control line; the signal processor configured to receive the digitized input signal i(t), remove signal portions, from the digitized input signal i(t), corresponding to sounds or partial sounds that are demodulated by the XFM processor, and modifying the digitized input signal i(i) based on the information about the spectral content received from the XFM processor to produce a first output signal; and receive the digitized input signal i(t), remove signal portions, from the digitized input signal i(t), corresponding to sounds or partial sounds that are demodulated by the XFM processor, and modifying the digitized input signal i(i) based on the information about the spectral content received from the XFM processor to produce a first output signal; and an adder configured to receive the first output signal and a second output signal produced by the XFM processor, and combine the first output signal with the second output signal into a composite audio signal c(t). receive the first output signal and a second output signal produced by the XFM processor, and combine the first output signal with the second output signal into a composite audio signal c(t).