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Topic: Using Wavpack for wireless transmission (Read 8179 times) previous topic - next topic
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Using Wavpack for wireless transmission

Hi,
does WavPack contain functions suitable for transmitting and receiving primarily speach but also general audio over a wireless data link?
The stream must be "quick" in syncing to a new stream with low latency, as low as possible but less than 20ms delay between input and output signal so it can be used live in the same room.

Regards
Goran

Using Wavpack for wireless transmission

Reply #1
WavPack might be suitable for such an application. The scalability of the lossy mode in particular might be useful. WavPack has been used in low-latency streaming applications before as described here. There is also a low-latency version available, although it relies on a robust communication link.

Interestingly, Broadcom has recently announced that WavPack is part of their WICED SDK for tranmitting HD audio over wifi, although I have no idea what that support entails (or whether it might even be a mistake/joke). I've always thought, however, that the lossy mode of WavPack would be an ideal transport for HD audio under varying communication conditions.

Feel free to contact me if you have further questions (or just post here), and good luck with your project!

 

Using Wavpack for wireless transmission

Reply #2
WavPack might be suitable for such an application...


Many thanks!  Do you have any "feeling" for how high bitrate you would need for a "high quality" voice transmission? Would the math be possible to run on a "simple", low cost fixed point DSP?

Regards
Goran

Using Wavpack for wireless transmission

Reply #3
We use bryant's excellent fixed point wavpack encoder in rockbox if I'm not mistaken, and it is able to record to wavpack on very simple ARM processors.  A real DSP should be more than enough I think, although I don't know how easy it will be to port to your specific DSP system.

Using Wavpack for wireless transmission

Reply #4
Do you have any "feeling" for how high bitrate you would need for a "high quality" voice transmission?

In the WavPack test suite there is a folder called hybrid_bitrates that contains sample lossy files from 24 kbps to 1024 kbps that will give you a good idea of the quality potential of the lossy mode. Specifically, there are speech samples at 24 and 32 kbps. You may get slightly worse results than those depending on how you address your low-latency requirement, but they will give you an idea. It's obviously no where near as good as a dedicated speech codec (or Opus), but should be easier for a less powerful CPU.

Using Wavpack for wireless transmission

Reply #5
Do you have any "feeling" for how high bitrate you would need for a "high quality" voice transmission?

In the WavPack test suite there is a folder called hybrid_bitrates that contains sample lossy files from 24 kbps to 1024 kbps that will give you a good idea of the quality potential of the lossy mode. Specifically, there are speech samples at 24 and 32 kbps. You may get slightly worse results than those depending on how you address your low-latency requirement, but they will give you an idea. It's obviously no where near as good as a dedicated speech codec (or Opus), but should be easier for a less powerful CPU.


Thanks! Do you need to be a "DSP math expert" to use the lib's?

Using Wavpack for wireless transmission

Reply #6
Thanks! Do you need to be a "DSP math expert" to use the lib's?

Absolutely not. Obviously being a proficient C programmer would be useful.

Using Wavpack for wireless transmission

Reply #7
Thanks! Do you need to be a "DSP math expert" to use the lib's?

Absolutely not. Obviously being a proficient C programmer would be useful.


Good! Programming C/C++ is no problems. I am thinking about lab evaluations, would a PC Windows application be suitable to "feed" WavPack with audio and then send it out on the audio port? Are they written in "plain/ANSI C" or do they require specific compilers/dev. environments?

This will be for a commercial product, are there any legal problems or requirements for that?

Regards
Goran