On April 17, 2008, the US Patent & Trademark Office published Apple’s patent application titled Off-stage control of on-stage digital audio processing . Apple’s patent generally relates to audio systems, and particular, to audio system playback to an audience during a live musical performance. Apple’s proposed stage-box is a mechanism for consolidating multiple electrical connections between audio input and output devices and a mixer through a multi-core cable. A multi-core cable comprises of a bundle of wire connections for carrying audio signals between audio input and output devices and mixer. Specifically, a multi-core cable connects each of on-stage audio input devices to a mixer. Audio input devices include vocal microphone, drum microphones and electrical guitar.

Apple’s patent FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams of an audio system that connects microphones and instruments to a mixer via a stage-box and a composite cord running from the stage-box through an audience area to a mixer.

Apple’s patent FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams of a digital processing stage-box that may be located on a stage and may be controlled remotely via a network, which may be wireless, according an embodiment of the present invention.

Remote Control Device

A Remote control device [illustrated as point 230 in the box found in FIG 2B] controls the operation of digital processing stage-box. The remote control device sends via its LAN connection to digital processing stage-box 210 control messages that specify how digital processing stage-box should process audio input and generate audio output. A message may instruct digital processing stage-box 210 to alter the volume, bass, or treble of audio output generated for the audio input received via a particular analog input port 212 or digital input port 214.

Preferably, the LAN is a radio frequency wireless network connection, such as wireless network connection 232. The network wireless connection can use any radio frequency wireless protocol suitable for LAN, such as those that comply with IEEE standards 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g.

The use of a wireless connection eliminates the need to connect a remote control device 230 to digital processing stage-box 210 using a cable that must be run through the audience area 203. Further, the connection need not be a low latency network connection. The response time between when an operator provides input to remote control device 230 and when the digital processing stage-box 210 responds to the input may be greater than that required for a musician singing into microphone or playing an instrument.

Alternatively, control signals may be sent via a wire-based network connection. While a wire-based network connection may require a protected cord that runs through audience area 203, such a cord has far less wires and is far less unwieldy and expensive than a multi-core cable.

The remote control device may take many forms. It may be a device with mechanically operated controls that are manipulated by a user to control the operation of digital processing stage-box. The slider bars and knobs on the device serve as an interface that may be mechanically manipulated by the human to control the input or output of digital processing stage-box 210. For example, a user may move a slider bar on remote control device 230 to cause remote control device 230 to transmit a message, sent via wireless network connection 232, that instructs digital processing stage-box 210 to alter the output volume generated for an audio input received via a particular analog input port 212 or digital input port 214. Remote control device 230 is placed within or behind the audience area 203 to allow an operator to monitor output of audio system 201 and make adjustments to the operation of digital processing stage-box 210 as needed to produce the desired playback properties.

The remote control device may be a notebook or handheld computer running a graphical user interface used to control digital processing stage-box. With the portability offered by the particular combination of a wireless network and handheld computer, a user may monitor the sound generated by a particular configuration of digital processing stage-box 210 at various locations throughout audience area 203 and make on-the-spot adjustments to that configuration.

Individual Control by On-Stage Musicians

As shown above, there are various key features of an embodiment of a digital processing stage-box, which include that all digital audio processing may be performed on-stage in the digital processing stage-box, that the only information that needs to be transmitted from off-stage to this unit is control information (e.g. control signals), and that only a small number of audio streams need be sent from the digital processing stage-box as audio output. These key features enable very complex musician monitoring configurations on-stage.

For example, every musician on-stage may have access to a personal remote control device, preferably a device that is wireless, that controls the digital processing of the musician’s monitoring mix by the digital stage-box. The digital processing stage-box can digitally process each musician’s monitoring output separately, so each musician can adjust the audio the musician hears through monitoring boxes or headphones to the musicians’ personal needs. Only a single audio output per musician is needed to deliver the personal monitor mix. With traditional analog equipment, such a system requires a very large number of cables on stage, as every input audio signal has to be sent to every personal monitor mixer of every musician.

Apple lists Gerhard Lengeling (Los Altos, CA) and Nikolaus Gerteis (Horst, DE) as the inventors of this patent which was originally filed in October 2006.

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Written and researched by Neo.