Spatial Audio Processing: MPEG Surround and Other Applications

8.5 Application to MPEG Surround

8.5.1 Binaural decoding mode

The MPEG Surround parameters aim at faithful perceptual multi-channel reproduction of the original sound stage at the encoder side. In other words, the normal operation mode of MPEG Surround is intended for multi-channel loudspeaker playback. However, the parameters that are transmitted represent identical statistical properties between audio channels to those required for the binaural analysis and synthesis approach described in Sections 8.3 and 8.4. It is therefore possible to integrate the binaural analysis and synthesis approach in a dedicated MPEG Surround binaural decoding mode for headphone playback. The architecture of this mode is visualized in Figure 8.2. Instead of directly applying the transmitted spatial parameters to the output signals to generate multi-channel output, the parameters are used in a binaural parameter analysis stage to compute binaural parameters that would result from the combined spatial decoding and binaural rendering process. Thus, the binaural parameter analysis stage estimates the binaural parameters p_yl, p_yr, IPD and IC for each parameter band and each newly transmitted parameter set. The binaural output signals are subsequently synthesized by the binaural parameter synthesis stage.

Figure 8.2 Overview of a binaural decoding mode for MPEG Surround.

Figure 8.3 Overview of a binaural ...