Modular audio control surface

Abstract

A user-configurable modular audio control surface comprises master modules for controlling global surface properties and channel modules for controlling one or more individual audio channels. The modules are disposed in a two-dimensional spatial arrangement such that any module can occupy a location within the control surface not occupied by another module. The modules are connected to each other and to external platforms hosting media applications and plug-ins via a network. Control surface users can interact with external applications via remote graphical user interfaces displayed on modules within the surface, and can automate multiple external applications using an automation system built into the surface. Automation line graphs and metadata for both internal and external applications are displayed over the corresponding waveform displays that can include audio ahead of a current playback location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . An audio control surface comprising:
 a network interface for connecting the control surface to a network;   an output display for displaying one or more properties of a media processing application external to the audio control surface and in communication with the audio control surface via the network; and   wherein the audio control surface receives over the network data representing a graphical audio waveform corresponding to audio data being processed by the media processing application, and displays the audio waveform on the output display.   
     
     
         20 . The audio control surface of  claim 19 , wherein the data is pre-rendered from the audio samples from the audio data. 
     
     
         21 . The audio control surface of  claim 19 , wherein the displayed audio waveform corresponds to a temporal interval of the audio data spanning times before and after a current playback time of the audio data. 
     
     
         22 . The audio control surface of  claim 19 , wherein the audio control surface receives automation information from the media processing application via the network and displays a graphical representation of the automation information on the output display such that the displayed automation information is temporally aligned with the displayed audio waveform. 
     
     
         23 . The audio control surface of  claim 19 , wherein the audio control surface receives metadata pertaining to audio data that is represented by the audio waveform, and wherein the audio control surface displays the metadata in association with the audio waveform. 
     
     
         24 . The audio control surface of  claim 23 , wherein the audio data that is represented by the audio waveform corresponds to an audio clip. 
     
     
         25 . An audio control surface comprising:
 a network interface that connects the control surface to a network;   an output display for displaying one or more properties of a media processing application external to the audio control surface and in communication with the audio control surface via the network; and   wherein the audio control surface receives over the network time-based automation information from the media processing application and displays a graphical representation of the time-based automation information on the output display.   
     
     
         26 . The audio control surface of  claim 25 , wherein the time-based automation information is displayed as a line graph of a value of an automated parameter of the media processing application against time. 
     
     
         27 . The audio control surface of  claim 25  further comprising an internal automation system, and wherein the audio control surface displays a graphical representation of time-based automation information received from the internal automation system. 
     
     
         28 . The audio control surface of  claim 25 , wherein the audio control surface receives over the network data representing a graphical audio waveform of at least a portion of audio data being processed by the media processing application, and displays the audio waveform on the output display in temporal alignment with the displayed graphical representation of the time-based automation. 
     
     
         29 . The audio control surface of  claim 25 , wherein the audio control surface receives metadata pertaining to audio data that is being processed by the media processing application and wherein the audio control surface displays the metadata in association with the time-based automation information. 
     
     
         30 . The audio control surface of  claim 29 , wherein the audio data that is being processed by the media processing application corresponds to an audio clip. 
     
     
         31 . The audio control surface of  claim 25 , wherein the time-based automation information pertains to audio data being processed by the media processing application and represents automation of a temporal interval of the audio data spanning times before and after a current playback time of the audio data. 
     
     
         32 . The audio control surface of  claim 25 , wherein the audio control surface receives over the network automation information from a plurality of media processing applications external to the control surface including the first-mentioned media processing application, and displays a graphical representation of time-based automation information from the plurality of media processing applications on the output display. 
     
     
         33 . The audio control surface of  claim 32 , wherein the graphical representation of the time-based automation information from the plurality of media processing applications are displayed in temporal alignment with each other. 
     
     
         34 . An audio control surface comprising:
 a network interface for connecting the control surface to a network;   an output display for displaying one or more properties of a media processing application external to the audio control surface and in communication with the audio control surface via the network; and   wherein the audio control surface receives over the network metadata pertaining to an audio clip being processed by the media processing application, and displays the metadata on the output display.   
     
     
         35 . The audio control surface of  claim 34 , wherein the audio control surface receives over the network data representing a graphical audio waveform representing at least a portion of the audio clip, and displays the graphical audio waveform in association with the metadata on the output display. 
     
     
         36 . The audio control surface of  claim 34 , wherein the audio data further receives over the network:
 data representing a first graphical audio waveform representing the audio clip;   metadata pertaining to a second audio clip being processed by the media processing application;   data representing a second graphical audio waveform representing the second audio clip;   wherein the audio control surface displays on the output display:
 the first graphical waveform in association the metadata pertaining to the first-mentioned audio clip; and 
 the second graphical waveform in association with the metadata pertaining to the second audio clip. 
   
     
     
         37 . The audio control surface of  claim 34 , wherein the audio control surface receives automation information from the media processing application and displays a graphical representation of the automation in association with the metadata on the output display. 
     
     
         38 . The audio control surface of  claim 34 , wherein during playback of the audio clip by the media processing application, the metadata pertains to temporal locations within the audio clip before and after a current playback time.