Rise Above the Jet Noise

1
Rise Above the Jet Noise

• AVX Adaptive Encoding
• Jeremy Hoenack,CAS, MPSE
• Sound Trax Studios
• jhoenack_at_avxsound.com

2
AVX Inflight Sound Overview 1

• Subtle dialog is clear and easy to understand
• Underscore and background effects that are
  normally lost are crisp and clear
• Film sound-track masks jet noise instead of
  reverse
• No high sound levels, no ear pain, no need to
  constantly adjust volume, natural sounding
• More immersion in film more positive flight
  experience
• No new equipment compatible with all IFE
  systems

3
AVX Inflight Sound Overview 2

• Psycho-acoustic adaptive encoding
• Parses, disassembles, restructures the dynamic
  range in real time constantly adapts to program
  content
• Enables full optimization of dynamic range to
  needs of human hearing without severe limitations
  of existing technology

4
AVX Inflight Sound Overview 3

• Adaptive Encoder vs. Compressor/Limiter
• DSP intensive vs. analog design
• Unlimited design possibilities vs. practical
  limitations
• AVX reverse-compression emulates how brain
  deals with high ambient noise like conversation
  on a jet

5
IFE sound system The Titanic

• Destined to cruise over sea of noise 75db SPL
  (From take-off to landing, like sitting next to
  a vacuum cleaner, a hair dryer, or standing in
  the shower.)
• Can not change course very quickly prohibitive
  costs
• Needs to accommodate all kinds of people and
  stuff variety of headphones, hardware, media

6
Film sound track The Iceberg
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
A AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
A

• Only the peaks are noticed
• Most of it obscured by sea of noise
• Big picture missing no context
• Tells how to perceive visual (picture)
• Controls emotional response eg. fear
• Conveying the emotional content is life or death
  matter to a film
• Low emotion low immersion

7
How much is hidden?
90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40

• Top of iceberg is 90db
• 15db is revealed
• Sea of noise level 75db
• 35db obscured by sea of noise
• Over 2/3 of sound (dynamic range) is buried
  beneath sea of noise
• Bottom of iceberg is gt40db

A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
A AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
A

8
Human hearing 1
75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35

• Normal range 35-72db for speech (intelligibility)
• Below 75db sea of noise in cabin
• 0 intelligibility
• Good news - No need to have foreign language
  tracks

AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAA
AAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
A AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

9
Human hearing 2
75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35

• Lose intelligibility if average speech less than
  15 db above noise 75 15 90db
• Narrow range for speech 15 db average at 90db
  (unsafe), peaks at 97db
• Bad news - Above 85db no increase in
  intelligibility instead oppression and
  discomfort

AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAA
AAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
A AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

10
How to uncover the iceberg?
125 120 115 110 105 100 95 90 85 80 75
painpainear damageear damage ear
damageunsafeunsafediscomfort
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
A AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
A

• Can not change noise level - 75db
• Iceberg is 50db high (dynamic range) 90db-40db
• Can not lift above noise level 5db75db125db
  !!!!!
• 90db beginning of unsafe levels (D.O.L.),
  discomfort
• 2 hours _at_ 100db hearing damage long flights?

11
Existing technology ineffective 1
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Squeezes to 30-40db range
• Ear discomfort from peaks
• Obscured mood fx / underscore
• Straining to understand low intelligibility
• Jet noise in front of sound track
• Like looking through dirty glass
• Constant volume adjustments
• Little or no immersion in film

12
Existing technology ineffective 2
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Operates from top down
• Characteristics of electronics
• Compressor
• Limiter
• Unnatural
• Real life is opposite
• Limited by artifact -claustrophobic

13
Human hearing psychology 1
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Decoding, decoding, decoding
• Sound into phonemes
• Phonemes into words
• Words into language
• Language into meaning
• Brain overwhelmed
• Sound buried in noise
• Playing catch-up -Trying to figure out what was
  missed while trying to continue in-the-moment
  decoding

14
Human hearing psychology 2
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Failure frustration
• No one likes to feel stupid
• Not knowing whats going on
• Missing vital information that others know
• Ability to make emotional associations is blocked
  by obsession to decode

15
Brainy brain has no problem
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
A

• Why we can have a normal conversation above the
  noise?
• Brain uses reverse-compression to raise bottom
  with little affect on top
• High intelligibility with acceptable levels
• Normal speech pattern -subconsciously adapt to
  ambient noise

16
AVX one-ups the brain 1
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Extreme reverse-compress/limitmicro-encodes
  detail
• Top is normal must be normal
• Comfortable levels
• Dynamic range fits

17
AVX one-ups the brain 2
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Raises bottom of sound track above noise
• Mask effect sound track is relentlessly
  dominant
• Mind tunes out and soon forgets subordinate jet
  noise (it wants to)

18
AVX one-ups the brain 3
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Enhanced aural cues 100 intelligibility
  including spatial cues
• Sound decoding easy relaxing
• Brain resources free to make deep emotional
  associations
• High level of immersion in film
• Tune out flying trip is shorter and more
  enjoyable

19
Film Clips from SECONDHAND LIONS comparing WAEA
1289-1 spec. audio with AVX encoded audio
75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Clips mixed with jet noise _at_73db for simulation
• All clips are at the same volume level
• Louder sounds are similar
• AVX raises quiet sounds

20
Per 1289-1 spec. 1
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Inaudible under bridge, cop, plane approach

21
AVX Encoded 1
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Distinct snoring ambience under bridge, plane
  approach

22
Per 1289-1 spec. 2
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Inaudible off camera speech, music and ambience

23
AVX Encoded 2
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Speech is intelligible, distinct music and
  ambience

24
Per 1289-1 spec. 3
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Inaudible lion growls, weak ambience, lack of
  presence

25
AVX Encoded 3
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Distinct lion growls, ambience is dominant,
  speech has good presence

26
Per 1289-1 spec. 4
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Inaudible bell-tree, no presence to music and
  ambience

27
AVX Encoded 4
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Distinct bell-tree, good presence of music and
  ambience

28
Per 1289-1 spec. 5
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Inaudible ambience, unclear speech at end

29
AVX Encoded 5
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Better ambience, distinct speech at end learn to
  do without uh-huh

30
Per 1289-1 spec. 6
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Speech is frustrating - unclear, music missing
  until end

31
AVX Encoded 6
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Speech is intelligible, music is marginally
  audible

32
Per 1289-1 spec. 7
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Speech is marginal, jet noise dominates

33
AVX Encoded 7
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Speech is crisp and present, music and ambience
  dominate over jet noise

34
Per 1289-1 spec. 8
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Jet noise dominates, missing/obscure lion
  sound,ambience very weak

35
AVX Encoded 8
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Sound track dominates,lion ambience clear,
• presence, in the movie

36
Per 1289-1 spec. 9
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAA
AAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA
AAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Jet noise dominates, speech lacks
  presence,ambience very weak

37
AVX Encoded 9
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• Track dominates, speech is intimate clear,
  ambience, reverb, presence, in the movie

38
Summary
AVX turns the iceberg into a breeze, giving IFE
a free ride
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• AVX solves the difficult noise problem for IFE
  films
• Film perceived as intended
• High immersion gt enjoyment gt successful
  distraction
• Greater satisfaction positive impression of
  flight

39
AVX 757 Simulator Demo
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• 5-8 after show, 10 minute drive west near Disney
  Warner Bros.
• Sound Trax Studios2815 West Burbank
  Blvd.Burbank 818-842-6300

40
AVX would like to thank
A AA AAA AAAA AAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45

• WAEA attendees
• John Salzman
• John Eargle Chris Foreman sound reinforcement
  research
• Avid Airline Products headphones
• Sound Trax Studios
• New Line Cinema