Patent ID: 8751027

Claim:
A method of audio processing an ensemble of stored contributing sounds for output to a plurality of audio channels, each sound having respective associated pre-assigned stored metadata defining at least an importance of that sound within a gaming environment and the contribution of that sound of the ensemble to an overall level of audio detail across the plurality of audio channels, the method comprising the steps of: retrieving the ensemble of stored sounds and their corresponding metadata for playback; evaluating an overall level of audio detail generated by the contributing sounds of the ensemble, by analysing the metadata associated with each respective contributing sound of the ensemble; comparing the overall level of audio detail indicated by the metadata associated with the contributing sounds of the ensemble to a first threshold; and if the overall level of audio detail exceeds the first threshold, altering the ensemble of sounds to reduce the contribution indicated by the metadata associated with the respective contributing sounds of the ensemble to the overall level of audio detail by substituting a plurality of sounds from the ensemble with one or more replacement sounds having a lower aggregate contribution to the overall level of audio detail than the sum of contributions of the sounds being replaced.