Our Future Car: Audio Bubbles, Sterile Cockpits, New Business Models

We probably listen to more music and podcasts in our cars than anywhere else. Which means this is where we’re pushing the boundaries of audio experience — less noise, personalized sound zones, and control. And we’re more aware of the safety implications, not distracting or tiring the driver. This article was published in audioXpress, June 2020.

Is it an understatement to say that echo cancellation has been a kind of “holy grail” ever since the first conference call? Nureva’s patented Microphone Mist technology rethinks that quest in innovative ways. In this article, Erica Yorga shares how the development process of a real-time calibration method for acoustic echo cancellation awarded surprising results. This article was originally published in AudioXpress, June 2020. This article was originally published in AudioXpress, June 2020.

audioXpress July 2020 is now available, and there's a quiet revolution happening in audio amplification. Essentially it is the direct result of strong innovation in Class-D technology, with incremental improvements introduced on multiple fronts. In this month's Market Update, J. Martins details a few of the "Class-D Products Getting Smarter" and then Stuart Yaniger discusses Class-D amplifiers from two of those companies: Purifi Audio and Orchard Audio. Also, Ward Maas details his visit to Purifi Audio. Dimitri Danyuk shares his "Fully Balanced Transconductance Preamplifier" project, Roger Russell is "Hunting the Elusive Transient," and Ed Simon concludes his "Powering Your Circuits" series. And there's much more valuable content in this edition. Download or view your issue online now.

This article by Hans W. Gierlich and Jan Reimes - two top experts in communication technologies from HEAD acoustics GmbH - details the expanded effort for understanding speech under noisy conditions, and addresses a new approach recently introduced by HEAD acoustics, resulting in a new model that can be used to test active noise cancellation (ANC) performance in complex scenarios where the system needs to distinguish between speech signals as part of the background noise and speech signals directed toward the users of these devices. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2020.

Pico Technology announced the further development of its PicoScope 6000E Series oscilloscopes with the launch of three new 4-channel models, each of which can be configured with 16 optional digital channels. With bandwidths of 300 or 500 MHz, 8-bit or 8/10/12-bit Flexible Resolution and up to 4 GS deep capture memory, these products enhance the existing PicoScope 6000E portfolio, adding to the 8-channel models that were introduced earlier in the year.

Sound Devices announced the NoiseAssist Noise Suppression Plugin for their 8-Series mixer-recorders. NoiseAssist is an advanced signal processing algorithm that reduces background noises such as traffic, generators, HVAC noise, and more. The plugin continuously monitors background noise to make sure only clean audio is recorded for the entire take. It features a simple user interface with only one adjustment, the amount of background noise to suppress. The plugin is available now for an introductory price of $600.

audioXpress June 2020 is now available, and for the first time in the publication's history, we have explored the fascinating world of automotive audio technology, and the relevant trends and opportunities. Elia Shenberger (CEVA) writes about Our Future Car and Birgit Bartel-Kurz (Fraunhofer IIS) discusses how to offer surround sound in cars. And Oliver Masciarotte reviews the Sennheiser AMBEO Immersive Soundbar, while Erica Yorga (Nureva) details a Real-Time Calibration Method for Acoustic Echo Cancellation. And there's so much more in this edition. Download or view your issue online now.

Adding to the momentum created by the CES 2020 launch of its new consumer-focused app, which drastically enhances the sound quality of any headphone, and the completion of a new $6-million investment round, Swedish sound processing and optimization pioneer Dirac announced that Agilent veteran Mats Oberg has joined the global leadership team as Chief Sales Officer, reporting to Dirac CEO Mathias Johansson.

Voice processing and recognition leading to the development of voice-based personal assistants is one of the decade’s greatest achievements and provides a unique opportunity for the audio industry. Leveraging those sophisticated technologies now available to the consumer electronics industry makes the investment on new designs much more exciting. In this article, Mike Klasco provides an introduction to the voice capture, signal processing and voice recognition challenges. This article was originally published in audioXpress, December 2018.

Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation (AKM) has developed a new 4-channel A/D converter (ADC) targeting automotive applications. The AK5734 is a complementary solution for microphones, aiming at active noise control systems (ANC) and road noise control systems (RNC), which are increasingly being installed in vehicles. By combining with the previously released 6-channel ADC the AK5736, the system can accommodate various microphone channels. Besides ANC and RNC, AKM says the solution is ideal for the microphone input of a wide variety of in-vehicle systems.