Subject: [AUDITORY] The Second Cadenza Signal Processing Challenge to Improve Music for Those with Hearing Loss From: Trevor Cox <0000017832c3f089-dmarc-request@xxxxxxxx> Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2024 08:39:37 +0000--_000_AS1PR01MB101046B2392348336E4B50988EDA12AS1PR01MB10104eu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The Second Cadenza Signal Processing Challenge to Improve Music for Those w= ith Hearing Loss Open now Submission deadline: January 2025 The 2nd Cadenza Challenge (CAD2) is part of the IEEE SPS Challenge Program.= The SPS are funding cash prizes for the best entrants. Why are these challenges important? According to The World Health Organization, 430 million people worldwide ha= ve a disabling hearing loss. Hearing loss causes various problems such as q= uieter music passages being inaudible, poor and anomalous pitch perception,= difficulties identifying and picking out instruments, and problems hearing= out lyrics. While hearing aids have music programmes, the effectiveness of= these is mixed. 2nd Cadenza Challenge (CAD2) There are two tasks 1. Improving the intelligibility of lyrics for pop/rock music while not = harming audio quality. 2. Rebalancing the level of instruments within a classical music ensembl= e (e.g. string quartet) to allow personalised mixes. 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. We provide music signals, software tools, objective metrics and baselines. = The two tasks are evaluated using objective metrics. For lyric intelligibil= ity, there will also be perceptual tests with listeners who have hearing lo= ss. More details: 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 Please feel free to circulate this invitation to colleagues who you think m= ay be interested. Trevor Cox Professor of Acoustic Engineering Newton Building, University of Salford, Salford M5 4WT, UK. +44 161 518 1884 Mobile: 07986 557419 --_000_AS1PR01MB101046B2392348336E4B50988EDA12AS1PR01MB10104eu_ 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;} @xxxxxxxx {font-family:Aptos;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0cm; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; mso-ligatures:standardcontextual; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:#467886; text-decoration:underline;} span.EmailStyle17 {mso-style-type:personal-compose; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; color:windowtext;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; font-size:11.0pt; 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"#467886" vlink=3D"#96607D" style=3D"word-wrap:= break-word"> <div class=3D"WordSection1"> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><b><span style=3D"font-family:"Arial",sans= -serif;color:black">The Second Cadenza Signal Processing Challenge to Impro= ve Music for Those with Hearing Loss<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><b><span style=3D"font-family:"Arial",sans= -serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-family:"Arial",sans-se= rif">Open now<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 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">The 2nd Cadenza Challenge (CAD2) is part of the IEEE SPS Challenge Pro= gram. The SPS are funding cash prizes for the best entrants.<o:p></o:p></sp= an></p> <p><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif= ">Why are these challenges important?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif= ">According to The World Health Organization, 430 million people worldwide = have a disabling hearing loss. Hearing loss causes various problems such as= quieter music passages being inaudible, poor and anomalous pitch perception, difficulties identifying and picking out i= nstruments, and problems hearing out lyrics. While hearing aids have music = programmes, the effectiveness of these is mixed.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif= ">2nd Cadenza Challenge (CAD2)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif= ">There are 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.<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-serif">Rebalancing the level of instruments = within a classical music ensemble (e.g. string quartet) to allow personalis= ed mixes.<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= ">We provide music signals, software tools, objective metrics and baselines= . The two tasks are evaluated using objective metrics. For lyric intelligib= ility, there will also be perceptual tests with listeners who have hearing loss.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif= ">More details: </span> <a href=3D"http://cadenzachallenge.org/"><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;fo= nt-family:"Arial",sans-serif">http://cadenzachallenge.org/</span>= </a><span style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-seri= f"> <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"> </span><a href=3D"https://groups.google.com/g/cadenza-challenge"><span styl= e=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">https://gro= ups.google.com/g/cadenza-challenge</span></a><span style=3D"font-size:11.0p= t;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"font-family:"Arial",sans-se= rif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0cm;mso-ligatures:none= ">Please feel free to circulate this invitation to colleagues who you = think may be interested.</span><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_AS1PR01MB101046B2392348336E4B50988EDA12AS1PR01MB10104eu_--