Automatic parameter optimization for a perceptual audio codec

In audio codec design, often various parameters have to be fixed which may have a dramatic impact on codec performance. In this paper, we report on successful optimization of a codec based on perceptual criteria. Specifically, the PEAQ measure is used to determine the audio quality over a set of test items and search algorithms are used for optimization. First, simulated annealing is used for global search, then Rosenbrock´s method is used to further refine the result. As shown by an example, the improvements gained by optimization compared to an educated guess are substantial.