Source-oriented localization control of stereo audio signals based on blind source separation

We propose methods to analyze and control source localization of stereo audio signals using blind source separation (BSS) based on independent component analysis (ICA). Although an inverse system of separation compensates distortion caused by ICA as reconstruction of stereo spatial characteristics, this technique is insufficient to analyze localization because it achieves compensation of distortion and reconstruction of spatial characteristics simultaneously. Thus we analyze spatial characteristics effectively by dividing the compensation into two steps: monaural-output compensation of distortion and its reconstruction of spatial characteristics. Additionally, we control the localization of each source by modifying the analyzed spatial characteristics. It is shown that the proposed method can be applied to stereo signals consisting of more than two sources.