Apparatus, system, and method for real-time collaboration over a data network

摘要

The present invention enables music performers and sound engineers to perform collaboratively over a data network such as the internet. Each musician creates musical signals which are processed at two points: Signals are processed at a central server to produce a mix, which mix is subsequently distributed to all participants; Signals are additionally processed at each musician's location whereby each musician's track is removed from the mix and replaced with a local, low-latency version of said musician's track. In this way, musicians play to a real-time mix that satisfies the strict requirements for low delay. Using records of each musician's tracks kept at the server, musicians or sound engineers can post-process the tracks to create one or more master mixes in which delays are eliminated entirely and tracks are synchronized.