Re: [Sursound] UHJ decoding and shelf filters

2011-12-14 Thread Roger James

Hi Fons,

Thank you for your comprehensive response.

On 13/12/11 22:31, Fons Adriaensen wrote:

On Tue, Dec 13, 2011 at 09:31:27PM +, Roger James wrote:


My current decoding workflow is as follows.

1. Recover B format from UHJ using convolvers and the impulse responses
provided by Angelo Farina.

You could also use jconvolver / fconvolver. An UHJ decoder preset
is provided.


I used jconvolver on my last experiments with good results.

2. Pass the recovered B format into Fons Adriaensen's Ambdec decoder
using his ITU speaker layout configs.
3. Encode the resulting speaker feed outputs into AC3 using "aften".

My questions are.

1. Should I experiment with shelf filters between steps 1 and 2, or does
the Ambdec decoder already do that internally (I saw a reference to it
doing this somewhere).

If you are using 'itu5.1-ord1-optim.ambdec', you have the
equivalent of a decoder with shelf filters. The actual
implementation is different, but the result is the same.

I thought so. Thanks for confirming that.

2. If the Ambdec decoder does this how should I configure it to account
for the original source material being UHJ?

I don't have any information as to what would be required.
OTOH I suspect the differences will be small. Also any
special 'UHJ' shelf filter, if you can find it, has probably
been computed for some regular layout (e.g. a square).
In this case the layout is irregular, and the shelf filters
are already optimised for that layout. Just adding those
for UHJ on a regular layout will not produced the correct
result. The information you need is the *difference* between
shelf filterers for standard B-format and those for UHJ.
Yes, the "difference" is the nub of the matter! The only data I found 
was the graphs and diagrams for the "Integrex" hardware decoder, Table 
3.2 and Figure 3.3 in the http://ambisonic.info/info/ricardo/shelfs.html 
reference. These are difficult to read but assuming that HF is to the 
right appear to show that the UHJ W filter has about 3dB more HF gain 
and a more curved shelf than the B W filter. The UHJ XY filter looks the 
same apart from having a "straighter" shelf.

If you look in the preset file, there are two matrices
defined, one for LF and one for HF. There are also
'order_gain' values for each matrix. Only the first two
of these matter (the others are for higher order). The
first is applied to the W column of the matrix (the first
column), the second to X and Y (the second and third column).

By changing these 'order_gain' values you can obtain the same
effect as would be provided by additional or modified shelf
filters. But I have no idea which changes would be optimal for
a B-format input derived from UHJ.
I guess that these values have no influence on the "straightness" of the 
shelf, but that lifting the HF gain of the UHJ W filter might be an 
interesting experiment. But this really depends on whether I have 
interpreted the diagram correctly :-) (and I suppose on how the Integrex 
decoder performed).

With the values defined in the preset you get a 'systematic'
decode at LF, and one that hase been optimised for rE magnitude
and direction accuracy at HF.

Ciao,


Roger
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Re: [Sursound] UHJ decoding and shelf filters

2011-12-14 Thread Dave Malham
The best references for stuff on the shelf filters is probably the BLaH Trilogy at 
http://www.ai.sri.com/ajh/ambisonics/BLaH.html


Dave

On 14/12/2011 10:46, Roger James wrote:

Hi Fons,

Thank you for your comprehensive response.

On 13/12/11 22:31, Fons Adriaensen wrote:

On Tue, Dec 13, 2011 at 09:31:27PM +, Roger James wrote:


My current decoding workflow is as follows.

1. Recover B format from UHJ using convolvers and the impulse responses
provided by Angelo Farina.

You could also use jconvolver / fconvolver. An UHJ decoder preset
is provided.


I used jconvolver on my last experiments with good results.

2. Pass the recovered B format into Fons Adriaensen's Ambdec decoder
using his ITU speaker layout configs.
3. Encode the resulting speaker feed outputs into AC3 using "aften".

My questions are.

1. Should I experiment with shelf filters between steps 1 and 2, or does
the Ambdec decoder already do that internally (I saw a reference to it
doing this somewhere).

If you are using 'itu5.1-ord1-optim.ambdec', you have the
equivalent of a decoder with shelf filters. The actual
implementation is different, but the result is the same.

I thought so. Thanks for confirming that.

2. If the Ambdec decoder does this how should I configure it to account
for the original source material being UHJ?

I don't have any information as to what would be required.
OTOH I suspect the differences will be small. Also any
special 'UHJ' shelf filter, if you can find it, has probably
been computed for some regular layout (e.g. a square).
In this case the layout is irregular, and the shelf filters
are already optimised for that layout. Just adding those
for UHJ on a regular layout will not produced the correct
result. The information you need is the *difference* between
shelf filterers for standard B-format and those for UHJ.
Yes, the "difference" is the nub of the matter! The only data I found was the graphs and diagrams 
for the "Integrex" hardware decoder, Table 3.2 and Figure 3.3 in the 
http://ambisonic.info/info/ricardo/shelfs.html reference. These are difficult to read but assuming 
that HF is to the right appear to show that the UHJ W filter has about 3dB more HF gain and a more 
curved shelf than the B W filter. The UHJ XY filter looks the same apart from having a 
"straighter" shelf.

If you look in the preset file, there are two matrices
defined, one for LF and one for HF. There are also
'order_gain' values for each matrix. Only the first two
of these matter (the others are for higher order). The
first is applied to the W column of the matrix (the first
column), the second to X and Y (the second and third column).

By changing these 'order_gain' values you can obtain the same
effect as would be provided by additional or modified shelf
filters. But I have no idea which changes would be optimal for
a B-format input derived from UHJ.
I guess that these values have no influence on the "straightness" of the shelf, but that lifting 
the HF gain of the UHJ W filter might be an interesting experiment. But this really depends on 
whether I have interpreted the diagram correctly :-) (and I suppose on how the Integrex decoder 
performed).

With the values defined in the preset you get a 'systematic'
decode at LF, and one that hase been optimised for rE magnitude
and direction accuracy at HF.

Ciao,


Roger
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