ARC® SONIC FOCUS™ SOFTWARE
Products
 ARC's Sonic Focus™ products are award-willing audio enrichment software that help overcome the negative effects of data compression by refining audio to its near-original characteristics. They include Virtual Bass™, Adaptive Dynamics™, X-Matrix™ and Extrapolator™. Unlike alternatives, ARC's Sonic Focus products were born in the studio and refined by artisans and engineers over decades of partnerships with music industry luminaries. Using ARC Sonic Focus products can save OEMs millions of dollars in system costs by reducing system components, such as fewer speakers and smaller amplifiers.
ARC's Sonic Focus products are an integral part of ARC's Sound-to-Silicon solutions which also include a low power hardware platform, optimized codecs and related software, and development and mastering tools and services. ARC's solutions are an industry first and provide consumers superior audio experiences for music, movies, and games.
Virtual Bass™
Virtual Bass software, part of ARC’s Sound-to-Silicon solutions, significantly enhances bass response of speakers with limited ability to produce bass without compromising voice integrity or detail. Virtual Bass flattens the speaker's frequency response resulting in audio that more accurately reflects the original performance. Virtual Bass differs from typical bass enhancement techniques that add artificial signals. These approaches can muffle voice articulation and audio clarity, which alter the artist’s intent. Learn More.
Virtual Bass™
- Adds bass information without compromising voice integrity or detail
- Magnifies existing bass information already in the audio signal
- Extends perceived bass response
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Other Techniques
- Limits voice articulation and muffles audio clarity while boosting bass with equalization
- Based on artificial signals such as square or triangle waves to simulater bass
- Significantly alters the tonality, distorting the sound characteristics
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Adaptive Dynamics™ (Stereo)
Adaptive Dynamics software, part of ARC’s Sound-to-Silicon solutions, recreates the clarity and detail commonly lost in today’s music, movies and games using a “look-ahead” process to master the audio waveform. Current data compression algorithms remove critical audio information, leaving a flat, thin, and lifeless sound. Adaptive Dynamics is an ideal component for companies looking to provide product differentiation by offering a superior audio experience for home and portable consumer electronic devices.
Adaptive Dynamics™
- Restores information that may have been lost in compression
- Adds clarity to the entire audio spectrum
- Preserves original tonality of voice
- Limits listener fatigue
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Frequency-domain EQ Compensation
- Does not reduce compression artifacts
- Muffles one frequency to emphasize another
- Alters the tonality of the vocals or dialog
- Creates listener fatigue
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X-Matrix™ (2.0, 2.1 or 3.1 channels)
X-Matrix software, part of ARC’s Sound-to-Silicon solutions, expands the soundstage while adding a virtual center channel to emphasize vocals or solo instruments. The result is a full, rich, and natural surround-sound experience with increased vocal clarity for headphones or stereo speakers. The X-Matrix design approach solves the creation of the virtual surround sound field in a unique manner, alleviating the common problem of obscured dialog.
X-Matrix™
- "Natural" surround sound
- No "Picket Fence" side-effects
- Expands audio "sweet spot"
- Vocal clarity enhanced
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HRTF-based techniques
- "Exaggerated" surround sound
- "Picket fence" drop-outs
- Reduces audio "sweet spot"
- Loss of vocal clarity and depth
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Extrapolator™ with Acoustical Modeling (5.1 or 7.1 channels)
Extrapolator, part of ARC’s Sound-to-Silicon solutions, utilizes advanced physical modeling techniques to expand stereo source material and create a lifelike multi-channel environment. Vocals and solo instruments become more pronounced in the front, while background effects and ambient details are emphasized in the rear. Extrapolator brings music, movies and gaming environments to life.
Extrapolator™
- Uses physical modeling to create two virtual spaces
- Additive process that increases dynamics
- No pre-encoding required; works with music, movies, or games
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Phased-based sound spreaders
- Relies on phase differences and delay techniques
- Subtractive process that lowers dynamics
- Works best of surround-encoded movie content
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