Waves Audio Showcases AI-Driven Innovations Making Voice Calls Crystal-Clear In Any Noisy Environment

At CES 2024, Waves Audio demonstrated its latest DSP solutions applied to multiple consumer electronics and mobile products categories, now reinforced with AI/ML, adaptive and perceptual algorithms. An outstanding example of how Waves is leveraging AI-enhanced technologies is delivered in the new SoloMode audio filtering software, which makes the user's voice crystal-clear in smartphone audio or video calls, even in the presence of noise from multiple voices in the background.

This original circuit effectively removes the low-frequency impulses caused by air blasts from a person speaking or singing into a microphone, as well as "plosives." This analog circuit removes these irritating sounds in real time, directly at the source by applying a 24-stage all-pass filter to delay only the lower frequencies of the main audio stream. This original circuit for non-commercial use is available for licensing for commercial manufacture. This article was originally published in audioXpress, October 2023.

In the October 2023 issue of audioXpress, Jan Didden visits Dutch & Dutch, Reinhold Lutz shares a practical way to measure loudspeakers in any room with his AudioChiemgau Mode-Compensator, which is tested by Rens Tellers. We have two DIY open baffle projects from Perry Marshall and Charlie Laub, Richard Honeycutt writes about the Western Electric 91E, and Ethan Winer shares his Popping P Filter circuit. In the Sound Control column, Honeycutt explores Passive Variable Acoustics, and Chuck Hansen concludes his article series on Power Transformers. audioXpress October 2023 is now available in print, digital, and online.

The Chief Science Officer at AudioTelligence discusses the merits and challenges of using beamforming and blind source separation techniques to correctly process voice sources from the audio signals picked up by microphones in real-world situations. This article explains how these signal processing techniques can help deal with the noises that make it difficult to pick out and clearly hear voice, and how to obtain clean audio signals picked up by microphones contaminated with interference, noise, and reverberation. This article was originally published in audioXpress, November 2022.

When digital audio processing is performed in hearing aids, it’s meant to have a demonstrable impact on wearers’ lives. Therefore, doing it well is important. In this article, Dana Helmink, Senior Director, Audiology/Clinical Education at Widex USA, discusses the nuances of signal processing and filter bank design, exploring the most impactful decisions in filter bank types specific to hearing aids, and how ultimately each approach helps dealing with the hearing challenges that people face. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2022.

This article initiates a fascinating DIY journey through the world of synthesizers. More specifically, a guitar-controlled all-analog synthesizer project that includes a "time machine" sample & hold section, input signal detectors, noise gate, oscillators, envelope generators, filters, signal converters, and more. This first module is a sample and hold circuit designed to translate the guitar notes to equivalent oscillator frequencies.

Devialet announced a new product that explores all the technologies and engineering expertise from its previous cutting-edge designs, now applied to home cinema. The Devialet Dione soundbar is an all-in-one Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 home-entertainment system that is able to generate 101dB SPL at 1 meter, using 17 autonomous high-end drivers that fire from all sides, including 8 long-throw subwoofers. Its advanced sound processing generates a full immersive soundfield with elevation channels, adaptive sound levels and room compensation.

In this article, Vance Dickason highlights the possibilities for a two-way DSP filter design using the CrossLite+ software package. Under development by the Brazilian pro audio company since 2009, CrossLite+ is a dual-channel FFT analyzer that will function with basically any USB-type recording interface. CrossLite+ is intended primarily for product development of DSP-powered pro speakers and for use in live sound PA systems. And measured data can also be imported from other analyzers such as the CLIO or Klippel This article was originally published in Voice Coil, December 2021.

Eventide has released SplitEQ, an advanced equalization plug-in featuring a new Structural Split patented technology. At first glance, it’s a parametric EQ with 8-bands of filters, but the Structural Split engine divides the incoming audio into separate Transient and Tonal streams that feed the 8 bands. This approach makes common EQ problems easy to solve — even in a complex mix.

In this article for audioXpress, Bill Reeve helps us to make sense of a misunderstood circuit. A capacitance multiplier is useful as a power supply low-pass filter. It is commonly said that, like Miller capacitance, the capacitor’s value in this circuit is “multiplied” by the transistor gain (β) to lower the filter’s pole frequency. The transistor-enhanced filter does that and more, as the article explains in detail. This article, an excellent tutorial on analog circuit design, was originally published in audioXpress, August 2012.