On the importance of exact synchronization for distributed audio signal processing

Abstract

We propose a new paradigm for implementations of audio array processing algorithms on a network of distributed general-purpose computers. In contrast to currently existing DSP processor-based solutions, our approach offers new possibilities for advanced array signal processing by enabling the usage of general-purpose computing platforms with their superior computational and storage resources. We demonstrate that synchronization of sensors is essential for acoustic blind source separation (BSS) algorithms, and we propose a synchronization scheme that enables BSS on distributed, wirelessly networked computers and can easily be implemented on existing hardware.