Audio Lossless Coding

Abstract: This paper describes the cascaded recursive least square-least mean square (RLS-LMS) prediction, which is part of the recently published MPEG-4 Audio Lossless Coding international standard. The predictor consists of cascaded stages of simple linear predictors, with the prediction error at the output of one stage passed to the next stage as the input signal. A linear combiner adds up the intermediate estimates at the output of each prediction stage to give a final estimate of the RLS-LMS predictor. In the RLS-LMS predictor, the first prediction stage is a simple first-order predictor with a fixed coefficient value 1. The second prediction stage uses the recursive least square algorithm to adaptively update the predictor coefficients. The subsequent prediction stages use the normalized least mean square algorithm to update the predictor coefficients. The coefficients of the linear combiner are then updated using the sign-sign least mean square algorithm. For stereo audio signals, the RLS-LMS predictor uses both intrachannel prediction and interchannel prediction, which results in a 3% improvement in compression ratio over using only the intrachannel prediction. Through extensive tests, the MPEG-4 Audio Lossless coder using the RLS-LMS predictor has demonstrated a compression ratio that is on par with the best lossless audio coders in the field. In this paper, the structure of the RLS-LMS predictor is described in detail, and the optimal predictor configuration is studied through various experiments.

Abstract: Lossless coding is to become the latest extension of the MPEG-4 audio standard. In response to a call for proposals, many companies have submitted lossless audio codecs for evaluation. The codec of the Technical University of Berlin was chosen as reference model for MPEG-4 audio lossless coding (ALS), attaining working draft status in July 2003. The encoder is based on linear prediction, which enables high compression even with moderate complexity, while the corresponding decoder is straightforward. The paper describes the basic elements of the codec, points out envisaged applications, and gives an outline of the standardization process.

Abstract: Lossless coding will become the latest extension of the MPEG-4 audio standard. The lossless audio codec of the Technical University of Berlin was chosen as reference model for MPEG-4 Audio Lossless Coding (ALS). The MPEG-4 ALS encoder is based on linear prediction, which enables high compression even with moderate complexity, while the corresponding decoder is straightforward. The paper describes the basic elements of the codec as well as some additional features, gives compression results, and points out envisaged applications.

Abstract: This paper describes a new search algorithm that quickly finds interchannel relationships between a coding channel and a reference channel in the multichannel coding tool of the MPEG- 4 Audio Lossless Coding (ALS) international standard. The algorithm has tree structure and can reduce data size with significantly smaller computation load than that of the conventional one. The devised method is based on a restricted greedy algorithm. It chooses the most efficient branch which does not make any loops in the existing path. The results of comprehensive evaluations show that this method maintains the compression performance (compression to around 1/3) and performs 1000 times as fast as the conventional method for the 512-channel magnetoencephalography signals. This algorithm enables practical lossless compression of biomedical data by the ALS, and at the same time, opens the way to a new multichannel analysis tool that may be used for purposes other than compression. The continual maintenance of this standard will make it possible to perfectly reconstruct encoded files even 100 years from now.