Convolutional effects in transform coding with TDAC: an optimal window

Perceptual coders have proven to be highly efficient in the context of audio or video applications involving bit rate reduction. However, this efficiency is strongly limited in very low bit rate coding conditions. This paper studies the multiplicative effects of quantization in the frequency domain, when an overlapped filter bank (TDAC, time domain aliasing cancellation) is used to shape the quantization noise in a perceptually optimal way. The associated circular convolution operation generates aliased components in the time domain that are examined and subjected to minimization. A closed form expression is suggested to approximate an optimal transform window offering a desired tradeoff between the reduction of the time artifacts produced by a coarse quantization and the reduction of the stop-band leakage, relative to other transform windows commonly used.