Patent ID: 8077883

Claim:
An intelligent solo-mute switching system for an audio signal processing device having a plurality of channels comprising: a plurality of multi-throw momentary switches, a switch interface, a channel state controller, and a channel gain matrix; wherein each of said plurality of multi-throw momentary switches is assigned to one of said plurality of channels to control a normal, solo, and mute function of the assigned channel; wherein said switch interface monitors each of said plurality of multi-throw momentary switches to detect at least four switch events of each switch substantially comprising a solo event, a mute event, a release short event, and a release long event; wherein a release short event occurs when a switch is released subsequent to being actuated and held for less than a pre-defined release-threshold time and a release long event occurs when a switch is released subsequent to being actuated and held for longer than said pre-defined release-threshold time; wherein said channel state controller responds to said switch events in directing said channel gain matrix to govern the plurality of channels; wherein said channel state controller responds to said solo event of each of said switches by directing said channel gain matrix to govern the channel, to which each of said switches is respectively assigned, by a solo function; wherein said channel state controller responds to said mute event of each of said switches by directing said channel gain matrix to govern the channel, to which each of said switches is respectively assigned, by a mute function; wherein said channel state controller responds to said release short event of each of said switches by directing said channel gain matrix to govern the channel, to which each of said switches is respectively assigned by the same function as the function that governs the channel at the time of the release short event, if the channel was governed by a normal function at the time of the actuation; wherein said channel state controller responds to said release short event of each of said switches by directing said channel gain matrix to govern the channel, to which each of said switches is respectively assigned, by the normal function if the channel was governed, at the time of the actuation, by the same function that governs the channel at the time of the release short event; and wherein said channel state controller responds to said release long event of each of said switches by directing said channel gain matrix to govern the channel, to which each of said switches is respectively assigned, by the normal function.