After decades of research in processing audio signals, we’ve reached the point of so-called performance saturation. But recent advances in machine learning and signal processing algorithms have paved the way for a revolution in speech recognition technology and audio signal processing. Dr. Ivan Tashev, a Partner Software Architect in the Audio and Acoustics Group at Microsoft Research, is no small part of the revolution, having both published papers and shipped products at the forefront of the science of sound.

On today’s podcast, Dr. Tashev gives us an overview of the quest for better sound processing and speech enhancement, tells us about the latest innovations in 3D audio, and explains why the research behind audio processing technology is, thanks to variations in human perception, equal parts science, art and craft.