Patent ID: 7853342

Claim:
An audio processor for use by a performer, said audio processor comprising: an audio input for accepting a local acoustic performance by said performer in real time, said audio input providing a local signal representative of said local acoustic performance, said local signal being digital; a communication channel interface, said interface having access through a communication channel to at least one remote audio processor, said access having an associated first latency, said interface further receiving from said at least one remote audio processor an inbound signal as a first plurality of packets, said inbound signal representative of a remote acoustic performance, said inbound signal being digital; an audio output; a delay able to add latency to the local and inbound signals, said delay having a non-zero local delay value, said delay adding a second latency specified by the local delay value to said local signal, said delay providing said local signal with said second latency to said audio output, said delay having a remote delay value associated with said at least one remote audio processor, said delay adding a third latency specified by said remote delay value to the inbound signal, said delay providing the inbound signal with said third latency to said audio output; and, a synthesizer; said interface further sending the local signal without said second latency as a second plurality of packets to the at least one remote audio processor in substantially real time, said interface further comprising an encoder and decoder, said encoder performing an encode process upon said local signal prior to sending, and said decoder performing a decode process upon the inbound signal after receipt, said encode process comprising a transform of said local signal, said decode process comprising an inverse transform of said transform, said synthesizer interacting with said decoder to provide a patch for a late one of said first plurality of packets, said patch being computed from at least one of said first plurality of packets previously received; said audio output converting the local signal and the inbound signal for said performer to hear.