ABSTRACT
The Source Separation model will be easier to explain if the mechanics of a “cocktail party” are first described. The cocktail party is an easily understood example of where the Source Separation model can be applied. There are many other applications where the Source Separation model is appropriate. At the cocktail party there are typically several small groups of speakers holding conversations. In each group, typically only one person is speaking at a time. At a cocktail party, there are p microphones that record or observe m partygoers or speakers at n time increments. This notation is consistent with traditional Multivariate Statistics. The observed conversations consist of mixtures of true unobservable conversations. A given microphone is not placed to a given speakers’ mouth and is not shielded from the other speakers. The microphones do not observe the speakers’ conversation in isolation. The recorded conversations are mixed.
