Subject: [AUDITORY] Pre-announcement: The Second Cadenza Challenge to Improve Music for Those with Hearing Loss From: Trevor Cox <0000017832c3f089-dmarc-request@xxxxxxxx> Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2024 14:24:15 +0000--_000_AS1PR01MB10104D031A4E247863F86EAAEED062AS1PR01MB10104eu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Pre-announcement: The Second Cadenza Signal Processing Challenge to Improve= Music for Those with Hearing Loss Launching: July 2024 Submission deadline: January 2025 The Cadenza Challenges are improving the perceived audio quality of music f= or people with a hearing loss. According to The World Health Organization, = 430 million people worldwide have a disabling hearing loss. Hearing loss ca= uses various problems when listening to music such as making picking out ly= rics more difficult. The 2nd Cadenza Challenge (CAD2) starting in 2024 has two tasks: 1. Improving the intelligibility of lyrics for pop/rock music while not = harming audio quality. The scenario is listening over headphones. 2. Rebalancing the level of instruments within a classical music ensembl= e (e.g. string quartet) to match the preference of hearing aids users. For both tasks, a demix / remix approach could be used. Gains could be appl= ied to the demixed signals before remixing back to stereo to achieve the ai= ms of the challenge. For lyric intelligibility, a simple amplification of t= he vocals could increase intelligibility, but there are other ways to achie= ve this that might cause less harm to audio quality. It would also be possi= ble to use other machine learning approaches such as end-to-end transformat= ion. Cadenza will provide challenge entrants with music signals and targets that= represented the listener's preferences for an improved music experience. E= ntrants are asked to process the music signals to achieve the expected targ= et. The challenge is evaluated using objective metrics and with a perceptua= l tests with listeners who have hearing loss. We will provide software tool= s, metrics and baselines to aid your work. We also provided tools and knowl= edge to help those who haven't previously worked on hearing loss to partici= pate. Since listeners may be experiencing live or recorded music, CAD2 welc= omes both causal and non-causal approaches. http://cadenzachallenge.org/ To stay up to date please sign up for the Cadenza Challenge's Google group<= https://groups.google.com/g/cadenza-challenge> https://groups.google.com/g/= cadenza-challenge Trevor Trevor Cox Professor of Acoustic Engineering Newton Building, University of Salford, Salford M5 4WT, UK. +44 161 518 1884 Mobile: 07986 557419 --_000_AS1PR01MB10104D031A4E247863F86EAAEED062AS1PR01MB10104eu_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html xmlns:v=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o=3D"urn:schemas-micr= osoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns:m=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns=3D"http:= //www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dus-ascii"= > <meta name=3D"Generator" content=3D"Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"> <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @xxxxxxxx {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;} @xxxxxxxx {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0cm; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ligatures:standardcontextual; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:#0563C1; text-decoration:underline;} span.EmailStyle17 {mso-style-type:personal-compose; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; color:windowtext;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} @xxxxxxxx WordSection1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} /* List Definitions */ @xxxxxxxx l0 {mso-list-id:544752195; mso-list-template-ids:2077393946;} @xxxxxxxx l0:level1 {mso-level-tab-stop:36.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt;} @xxxxxxxx l0:level2 {mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt;} @xxxxxxxx l0:level3 {mso-level-tab-stop:108.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt;} @xxxxxxxx l0:level4 {mso-level-tab-stop:144.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt;} @xxxxxxxx l0:level5 {mso-level-tab-stop:180.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt;} @xxxxxxxx l0:level6 {mso-level-tab-stop:216.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt;} @xxxxxxxx l0:level7 {mso-level-tab-stop:252.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt;} @xxxxxxxx l0:level8 {mso-level-tab-stop:288.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt;} @xxxxxxxx l0:level9 {mso-level-tab-stop:324.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt;} ol {margin-bottom:0cm;} ul {margin-bottom:0cm;} --></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults v:ext=3D"edit" spidmax=3D"1026" /> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout v:ext=3D"edit"> <o:idmap v:ext=3D"edit" data=3D"1" /> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> </head> <body lang=3D"EN-GB" link=3D"#0563C1" vlink=3D"#954F72" style=3D"word-wrap:= break-word"> <div class=3D"WordSection1"> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><b><span style=3D"font-family:"Arial",sans= -serif">Pre-announcement: <span style=3D"color:black">The Second Cadenza Signal Processing Challenge = to Improve Music for Those with Hearing Loss<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></= p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-family:"Arial",sans-se= rif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-family:"Arial",sans-se= rif">Launching: July 2024<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-family:"Arial",sans-se= rif">Submission deadline: January 2025<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif= ">The Cadenza Challenges are improving the </span><strong><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial"= ;,sans-serif">perceived audio quality of music for people with a hearing lo= ss</span></strong><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial&q= uot;,sans-serif">. According to The World Health Organization, 430 million people worldwide have a disabling hearing loss. Hearing loss c= auses various problems when listening to music such as making picking out l= yrics more difficult.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif= ">The 2nd Cadenza Challenge (CAD2) starting in 2024 has two tasks:<o:p></o:= p></span></p> <ol start=3D"1" type=3D"1"> <li style=3D"mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-= family:"Arial",sans-serif">Improving the intelligibility of lyric= s for pop/rock music while not harming audio quality. The scenario is liste= ning over headphones.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li style=3D"mso-list:l0 level1= lfo1"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-s= erif">Rebalancing the level of instruments within a classical music ensembl= e (e.g. string quartet) to match the preference of hearing aids users.<o:p>= </o:p></span></li></ol> <p><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif= ">For both tasks, a demix / remix approach could be used. Gains could be ap= plied to the demixed signals before remixing back to stereo to achieve the = aims of the challenge. For lyric intelligibility, a simple amplification of the vocals could increase intelligibility, but t= here are other ways to achieve this that might cause less harm to audio qua= lity. It would also be possible to use other machine learning approaches su= ch as end-to-end transformation.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif= ">Cadenza will provide challenge entrants with music signals and targets th= at represented the listener's preferences for an improved music experience.= Entrants are asked to process the music signals to achieve the expected target. The challenge is evaluated using objective= metrics and with a perceptual tests with listeners who have hearing loss. = We will provide software tools, metrics and baselines to aid your work. We = also provided tools and knowledge to help those who haven’t previously worked on hearing loss to parti= cipate. Since listeners may be experiencing live or recorded music, CAD2 we= lcomes both causal and non-causal approaches.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><a href=3D"http://cadenzachallenge.org/"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt= ;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">http://cadenzachallenge.org/</sp= an></a><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-s= erif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif= ">To stay up to date please sign up for the </span><a href=3D"https://groups.google.com/g/cadenza-challenge" target=3D"= _blank"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-= serif">Cadenza Challenge's Google group</span></a><span style=3D"font-size:= 11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> <a href=3D"https://groups.google.com/g/cadenza-challenge">https://groups.go= ogle.com/g/cadenza-challenge</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal">Trevor<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-family:"Arial",sans-se= rif">Trevor Cox<br> Professor of Acoustic Engineering<br> Newton Building, University of Salford, Salford M5 4WT, UK.<br> </span><span style=3D"font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">+44 161 518= 1884</span><span style=3D"font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><br> Mobile: 07986 557419<br> <br> </span><span style=3D"font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p>= </span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> </body> </html> --_000_AS1PR01MB10104D031A4E247863F86EAAEED062AS1PR01MB10104eu_--