Perceptual loudness compensation in interactive object-based audio coding systems

Changing the rendering through interactivity in object-based audio coding may change the overall signal loudness. This paper proposes a method for estimating the change in the overall loudness using loudness information of the partial mixes and the rendering description. The method has been designed for a dialogue enhancement application scenario. The results of the method are compared with reference values from measurements, and the results match well with the mean absolute error of 0.11 LU. A subjective listening test is conducted for studying the amount of amplification applied by the test participants on a probe signal simulating the result of an interactive rendering when comparing it with a reference signal of the default mix. The average level adjustment reflects the change in the signal loudness through the modification.