Autonomous Multitrack Equalization Based on Masking Reduction

Hafezi S, Reiss JD. Autonomous Multitrack Equalization Based on Masking Reduction. J Audio Eng Soc. 2015;63(5):312-323. doi:10.17743/jaes.2015.0021

@article{Hafezi2015_17637,
  author = {Hafezi, Sina and Reiss, Joshua D.},
  title = {{Autonomous Multitrack Equalization Based on Masking Reduction}},
  journal = {Journal of the Audio Engineering Society},
  volume = {63},
  number = {5},
  pages = {312--323},
  year = {2015},
  month = may,
  publisher = {Audio Engineering Society},
  doi = {10.17743/jaes.2015.0021},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2015.0021}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Autonomous Multitrack Equalization Based on Masking Reduction
AU  - Hafezi, Sina
AU  - Reiss, Joshua D.
T2  - Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
J2  - J. Audio Eng. Soc.
VL  - 63
IS  - 5
SP  - 312
EP  - 323
PY  - 2015
DA  - 2015/05/06
DO  - 10.17743/jaes.2015.0021
UR  - https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2015.0021
PB  - Audio Engineering Society
LA  - en
AB  - In multitrack music production, some sounds get masked by other sounds and the listener has less ability to fully hear and distinguish the sound sources in the mix. The authors designed a simplified measure of masking based on best practices, and then implemented both an off-line and real-time, autonomous multitrack equalization system that reduces masking in multitrack audio. The system used objective measures of spectral masking in the resultant mixes. Listening tests provided a subjective comparison between the mix results of different implementations of the system, a raw mix, and manual mixes made by an amateur and a professional mix engineer. The results showed that autonomous systems reduce both the perceived and objective masking. The offline semi-autonomous system is capable of improving the raw mix better than an amateur and close to a professional mix by simply controlling one user parameter. The results also suggest that existing objective measures of masking are ill-suited for quantifying perceived masking in multitrack musical audio.
ER  -