Virage Logic announces Sonic Focus Adaptive Volume for PCs, DTVs, game consoles and telephony products

FREMONT, USA: Virage Logic Corp., the semiconductor industry's trusted IP partner, today announced the availability of its new Sonic Focus Adaptive Volume audio volume normalizing software.

Adaptive Volume normalizes audio levels of movies and music to reduce the need for frequent volume adjustments by the consumer and thereby enhances audio performance in consumer electronics. It has already been licensed for use in PCs, Phone Applications and USB peripherals.

Unlike other normalization techniques, Virage Logic’s Sonic Focus Adaptive Volume employs a predictive algorithm based on human perception of loudness. Adaptive Volume seamlessly adjusts the audio level when switching among DTV programs, movies, music and voice, both reducing uncomfortable loudness and boosting soft audio content.

For example, Adaptive Volume detects and corrects any volume fluctuation between a digital television (DTV) program and a commercial advertisement. Adaptive Volume also adjusts PC audio when a user transitions from a VoIP call to watching internet based content, a DVD or Blu-ray movie or listening to music.

Consumer electronics manufacturers can implement Adaptive Volume with the full range of Virage Logic’s Sonic Focus audio enrichment products to shorten time-to-market and time-to-volume of products that give consumers unsurpassed audio enjoyment. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) can also benefit from using the Sonic Focus product mastering tools and audio enrichment IP provided by Virage Logic.

These unique tools allow companies to customize audio quality and the magnitude of the volume normalizing effect, thus optimizing the whole audio chain, including audio transducers, speaker cavity and industrial design. This entire tool set provides companies with the ability to produce the very best audio quality and consumer experience in end products such as DTV and PCs.

“Consumers have been challenged by volume level changes for some time, especially with devices that access content on the internet. We see a clear need in the market for a solution that not only smoothes out audio volume levels, regardless of the source of the materials, but also does not crush the audio dynamics inherent in the content,” said Michael Franzi, vice president and general manager of Virage Logic’s Sonic Focus Group.

“Consumer electronics device manufacturers will now be able to easily integrate Adaptive Volume audio IP into multimedia products such as all-in-one PCs, laptops, DTVs, mobile devices and game consoles to differentiate their products and provide consumers a more pleasant and natural listening experience.”