A Time-Domain Virtual Bass Enhancement Circuital Model for Real-Time Music Applications
Riccardo Giampiccolo, Alberto Bernardini, Augusto Sarti · 2022 IEEE 24th International Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing (MMSP) · 2022
In consumer electronics, the advent of ultra-thin devices has raised interest in Virtual Bass Enhancement (VBE) algorithms for enhancing the acoustic performance of their small-size loudspeakers. In fact, due to physical limitations, large volume velocities cannot be achieved, impairing thus the reproduction of low frequencies. VBE techniques exploit psychoacoustic effects originated by the sound signal processing happening in the inner ear and brain. In this paper, we propose a nonlinear circuital model of a generic time-domain VBE system, and we implement it in the discrete-time domain. As required by most applications of interest, the proposed VBE algorithm is able to operate in real-time. A MUSHRA-like test is then employed to evaluate the bass enhancement performance of the proposed algorithm using different nonlinear devices and parameter configurations.