Musical apparatus using multiple light beams to control musical tone signals
2010-03-25 00:00:00
parameter which varies among the parameters in the "UNCONDITIONALLY CONTROLLED OBJECT" column is outputted to the sequencer 18 and the sound source 20 based on the type of the parameter.

In other words, with regard to the parameter that is assigned to the source which has had the value that was stored in the buffer rewritten, a parameter value is output that corresponds to the value of the source that has been stored in the buffer.

At this time, with regard to the parameters that are changed continuously such as the "bend range" that is exemplified by FIG. 3, the parameter value that corresponds to the value that is stored in the buffer of the source to which that parameter is assigned is output. In addition, at this time, with regard to parameters other than the "bend range" that is exemplified by FIG. 3 that are switched between switchable states such as "effect on" and "effect off," the parameter value that indicates the state such as "effect on" and "effect off" that corresponds to the state following the switching is output.

When the processing in step S906 is finished, the procedure proceeds to step S908 wherein a "CONDITION" column in the control table is referred to, and such parameter in which the LED1 output value, the LED2 output value, and the operated values are in accord with a certain condition is searched, whereby a value of the parameter which is in accord with the condition of the type of parameter in the "CONDITIONALLY CONTROLLED OBJECT" column in the control table is outputted to the sequencer 18 and the sound source 20 in response to the type of parameter, the subroutine for the overall processing is completed, and the procedure returns to the timer interrupt routine shown in FIG. 6.

On the other hand, in the case when it is judged that automatic performance is not playing in step S904 (in other words, in the case of setting mode), the procedure proceeds to step S910 wherein the setting table is referred to, the types of parameters are successively switched one by one in accordance with an order which has been previously set in response to changes in the total value of an LED1 output value and an LED2 output value in the case where the cursor is either in "UNCONDITIONALLY CONTROLLED OBJECT column or in "CONDITIONALLY CONTROLLED OBJECT" column, and the types of parameters are switched by larger increments (i.e., not one at a time) through the order which has been previously set in response to changes in a ratio of the LED1 output value to the LED2 output value.

In this case, when a hand is held over the infrared sensor 30 and the hand is moved upward and downward, the total value of LED1 output value and LED2 output value varies, so that the types of parameters can be switched successively one by one in accordance with an order which has been previously set, whereas when the hand is held over the infrared sensor 30 and the hand is moved rightward and leftward, the ratio of LED1 output value to LED2 output value changes, so that the types of parameters can be switched by larger increments (i.e., not one at a time) through an order which has been previously set.

The order for switching parameters has been previously determined as described above, and the order is stored in the ROM 14, so that the switching order is decided by absolute position.

Furthermore, in the case when the setting table is referred to and the cursor is in the "CONDITION" column in step S910, the LED1 output value or LED2 output value is inputted as a parameter for the condition without any modification. More specifically, when an operator intends to set a condition, a position corresponding to the condition to be set can be sensibly set in accordance with such a simple manner that his (or her) hand is held over the infrared sensor 30, a desired position is specified by the hand, and then the fixation operating key 42 is touched.

Dependent upon a manner for setting the "CONDITION" column and the "CONDITIONALLY CONTROLLED OBJECT" column in the control table, a unique control becomes possible.

For instance, if "LED1 output valuen (n is an natural number) is set in the "CONDITION" column of "ASSIGNMENT 2" wherein the LED1 output value is in the "SOURCE" column, and if modulation has been set in the "CONDITIONALLY CONTROLLED OBJECT" column of the "ASSIGNMENT 2" corresponding to the "CONDITION" column of the "ASSIGNMENT 2, then pitch-bend functions in the case when the LED1 output value detected is less than n, while modulation functions in the case when the LED1 output value is more than n.

When the processing for the above described step S910 is completed, the procedure returns to the timer interrupt routine shown in FIG. 6.

It is preferred that parameters which vary in a continuous manner are generally assigned into the "UNCONDITIONALLY CONTROLLED OBJECT" column for the control table. For instance, it is preferred that parameters such as pan, volume, pitch-bend, cut-off resonance, modulation, low frequency oscillator ("LFO") depth, LFO rate, and expression are assigned into the "UNCONDITIONALLY CONTROLLED OBJECT" column.

Furthermore, when note number is set in the "UNCONDITIONALLY CONTROLLED OBJECT" column for the control table as a parameter, it becomes possible to carry out musical tone control simulating glissando performance.

Although a parameter changing continuously may be assigned into "CONDITIONALLY CONTROLLED OBJECT" column for the control table, a switch-like parameter which takes only two states (for example, ON/OFF states) may also be assigned. For instance, it is preferred that a parameter instruct...

Low profile keyboard device and system for recording and scoring music
2010-03-23 00:00:00
4,023,456, entitled "MUSIC ENCODING AND DECODING APPARATUS," to Groeschel, for yetanother example of how electronic switching to monitor keyboard action requires bulky circuitry and modification of the keyboard from within the instrument.

The sequencer is a viable alternative method of recording music which has been developed in the prior art, although early in its development, the sequencer was a massive network of electronics, often covering walls in a recording studio. Musicians are able to record and immediately play back music with the use of sequencers. A sequencer, in its simplest form, consists of a series of adjustable voltage memories stepped by a clock pulse. The typical analog sequencer uses potentiometersand variable resistors, each including a manually operable dial for establishing a certain DC voltage In order to load the sequencer, the musician manually sets each potentiometer. Thereafter, the bank of potentiometers is scanned sequentially and theDC voltages are read to a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) which then produces the melody or the rhythm. The sequencer thus enables the musician to repeatedly listen to the melody and make changes by varying the potentiometer dials. Sequencers areused to create the familiar insistent machine-beat that has been used in electronic organs. See Keyboard Synthesizer Library, Vol. 3, Synthesizers and Computers, p. 37 (1985). While the sequencer produces the accompaniment, a musician can play the leadline of the same or another keyboard, or even another instrument.

With the advent of solid state electronics, smaller and more efficient electronics have been combined in the prior art to produce a digital sequencer. Typical digital sequencers utilize a Read/Write memory storing a plurality of words, each wordbeing coded to represent a note played on the keyboard. Once the memory has been coded, the sequencer can be used to play the keyboard instrument by reading back the data words in the memory in time sequence. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,871, entitled,"APPARATUS FOR STORING SEQUENCES OF MUSICAL TONES," to Oberheim; U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,399, entitled, "AUTOMATIC SEQUENCE GENERATOR FOR A POLYPHONIC TONE SYNTHESIZER," to Deutsch; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,101, entitled "DIGITAL SOLID STATE RECORDING OFTHE SIGNALS CHARACTERIZING THE PLAYING OF A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT," to Ellen. While providing an improved and efficient means of recording music, sequencers do not provide a written means of preserving music on musical score sheets. More importantly,however, sequencers require an electronic musical instrument and have not been adapted to conventional acoustic keyboard instruments, such as the piano.

The electronic music revolution has led to the invention of the synthesizer, an electronic musical instrument. Sequencers, as described above, have been incorporated into the synthesizer, so that while the musician plays music on a synthesizerkeyboard, sequencers within the synthesizer plays back various accompaniments that the musician loaded previously into the sequencer. The use of sequencers allows the musician to compose and record various tracks of music. The electronic instrumentsgenerate musical data consisting of a series of binary digits, called bits. A number of digits representing a complete musical expression, such as which note has been played and the particular style, is called a data word. The words are then stored ina memory unit which can store only a finite number of these binary data words. The length of the recorded music, therefore, is limited by the amount of memory in the solid state chips used in digital sequencers. Microprocessor technology provides themeans for storing lengthy sequences by transferring the digitized musical data stored in memory to peripheral devices such as computer diskettes. Examples of electronic musical instruments which incorporate microprocessor technology include the EnsoniqMirage鈩? various Korg polyphonic synthesizers, and the Casio CZ 101鈩?

The computer, especially the personal home computer, further revolutionized the electronic music industry with the creation of software capable of interpreting the notes played on the keyboard and printing the music in musical scored form. Themusic industry desired a communication standard to be used among the multitude of electronic music manufacturers and the multitude of available home computers. The standard decided upon was MIDI, an acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. Inits simplest application, MIDI permits a musician to play two or more instruments from a single keyboard, in order to layer musical tone colors. In its most comprehensive application, MIDI provides the means for realizing a multi-track recorder or acomputer-based composing system by connecting several instruments to a master controller or computer. Computer software is available, furthermore, which can transform the music from digital format to a conventional musical score, both on the computerscreen and as printed out on paper in hard copy. Commercially available software which can convert MIDI data to scored music or to a format to be viewed on a computer terminal for editing purposes include the MIDI Performance Series鈩?by Passport,and the MPS鈩?written by Kentyn Reynolds for IBM-compatible personal computers.

The current limitation to the MIDI computer - musical interface is that it requires expensive and complex electronic musical instruments such as synthesizers or sequencers. MIDI was not designed to be adapted for the conventional non-electronicmusical instrument, s...

Automatic performance apparatus of an electronic musical instrument
2010-03-15 00:00:00
receives and stores registered content data RGD when tone color data detecting circuit 46 detects a detecting signal. The effect data detecting circuit 48 detects registered type data RGS indicating the state of effect switch 7. The latch circuit 49 stores registered content data RGD. The tone volume data detecting circuit 50 detects registered type data RGS indicating the state of tone volume switch 10. The latch circuit 51 stores registered content data RGD by inputting the detecting signal from tone volume data detecting circuit 50. The OR gate 52 executes the logical OR among the output signal of tone color data detecting circuit 46, effect data detecting circuit 48, or tone volume data detecting circuit 50 by every bit. Thus, each output data from the latch circuit 47, 49, and 51 is supplied to accompaniment tone generating circuit 44, then, the output signal of OR gate 52 is supplied to reading control circuit 22 as a signal RS.

The accompaniment tone generating circuit 44 generates an accompaniment tone signal whose tone color, effect, and tone volume respectively corresponds to tone color data, effect data, and tone volume data each outputted from registered data detecting circuit 42, in which accompaniment tone signal designates the accompaniment tone of a chord indicated by basic tone data CCD and type data TPD both supplied from latch circuit 43. Then, the accompaniment tone generating circuit 44 outputs its accompaniment tone signal to amplifier 5.

A tempo clock oscillator 54 generates a tempo clock TCL by which the tempo is generated. An autorhythm device 55 generates a rhythm tone signal of a waltz, mambo, or the like by operating the rhythm tone source incorporated therein. The auto-rhythm device 55 outputs its rhythm tone signal to amplifier 5. A melody auto-performance device 56 includes a memory 56a and a read-memory control circuit 56b, in which memory 56a stores performance data for automatically performing the melody tone, the read-memory control circuit 56b reads the melody tone data stored in memory 56a and then converts the data into a musical tone signal, then outputs its musical tone signal to the next circuit. Thus, the melody tone signal which is outputted from read-memory control circuit 56b is supplied to amplifier 5. The amplifier 5 mixes each musical tone signal inputted from manual musical tone generating circuit 2, accompaniment tone generating circuit 44, auto-rhythm device 55, and melody auto-performance device 56. This amplifier 5 amplifies the mixed musical tone signal and then outputs its amplified signal to speaker 57.

Next, the operation of the auto-performance apparatus is described in accordance with the above-described construction.

(1) WRITING DATA INTO THE CHORD SEQUENCE MEMORY CM

In the case where data is written into chord sequence memory CM, the record switch 12 is turned on. Turning on record switch 12 produces signal REC of "1", which causes chord sequence memory CM to be set in the writing mode. When the REC signal "1" is supplied to differentiation circuit 29 through OR gate 26 shown in FIG. 3, the differentiation circuit 29 generates a pulse signal to supply its signal to the reset terminal R of flip-flop circuit 30. Therefore, the flip-flop circuit 30 is reset, and subsequently, a signal "0"...

Wavetable-modification instrument and method for generating musical sound
2010-03-12 00:00:00
a modifierunit for combining two or more delayed data values from said wavetable unit to form a modified data value, and including selection means for selecting the modified data value as a stored value stored back into the wavetable unit for subsequent delaywhere the stored value forms the output signal,

an output unit responsive to said output signal to produce the musical sound.

44. A wavetable-modification generator for use with a musical instrument having an input unit for specifying a musical sound to be generated and having an output unit responsive to an output signal to produce musical sound said generatorcomprising,

a digital wavetable unit having a random access memory for cyclically storing data values for a delay period,

a modifier unit having an arithmetic unit for summing two or more delayed data values from said wavetable unit and for dividing the summed data value by a number greater than unity to form a modified data value, and

means for storing the modified data value back into the memory for subsequent delay where the modified data value forms said output signal representing the musical sound to be produced.DescriptionBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to musical instruments and more specifically to digitally controlled electronic instruments and methods for generating musical sound.

Digitally controlled methods of generating musical sound operate by producing a sequence of digital numbers which are converted to electrical analog signals. The analog signals are amplified to produce musical sound through a conventionalspeaker. Musical instruments which employ digital control are constructed with a keyboard or other input device and with digital electronic circuits responsive to the keyboard. The electronic circuits digitally process signals in response to thekeyboard and digitally generate oscillations which form the sound in the speaker. These digitally generated oscillations are distinguished from oscillations generated by analog oscillators and are distinguished from mechanically induced oscillationsproduced by conventional orchestral and other type instruments.

All musical sounds, whether of electronic or mechanical origin, can be described by Fourier spectra. The Fourier spectra describes musical sound in terms of its component frequencies which are represented as sinusoids. The whole musical soundis, therefore, a sum of the component frequencies, that is, a sum of sinusoids.

Under Fourier analysis, tones are classified as harmonic or inharmonic. A harmonic tone is periodic and can be represented by a sum of sinusoids having frequencies which are integral multiples of a fundamental frequency. The fundamentalfrequency is the pitch of the tone. Harmonic instruments of the orchestra include the strings, the brasses, and the woodwinds. An inharmonic tone is not periodic, although it often can be represented by a sum of sinusoids. The frequencies comprisingan inharmonic tone, however, usually do not have any simple relationship. Inharmonic instruments do not normally have any pitch associated with them. Instruments in the orchestra that are inharmonic include the percussion instruments, such as the bassdrum, the snare drum, the cymbal and others.

Electronically controlled musical instruments have relied upon forming selected Fourier spectra as a basis for producing musical sound. One known type of digital musical instrument employs a harmonic summation method of music generation. In theharmonic summation method, a tone is produced by adding (or subtracting) a large number of amplitude-scaled sinusoids of different frequencies. The harmonic summation method, therefore, requires a large number of multiplications and additions to formeach sample. That process requires digital circuitry which is both expensive and inflexible. Accordingly, the digital design necessary to carry out the method of harmonic summation is computationally complex and leaves much to be desired.

Another known type of musical instrument employs the filtering method of music generation. In the filtering method, a complex electrical waveform, such as a square wave or a saw-tooth pulse train, is filtered by one or more filters to select thedesired frequency components. Thereafter, the filtered frequency components are combined to form the electrical signal which drives the speaker. The filterin...

Electronic music system and stringed instrument input device therefor
2010-03-02 00:00:00
to test whether NP is greater than the highest offset voltage consists of a comparing operational amplifier 84 having NP supplied to its non-inverting terminal and a reference voltage supplied to itsnon-inverting terminal which reference voltage is greater than the highest offset voltage and less than the lowest fret voltage, the reference voltage in the illustrated case being taken to be 4.0 volts. Thus, it will be understood that when a string ispressed against a fret NP will be greater than the 4.0 volt reference voltage to produce a high output from the amplifier 84. Oppositely, when no string is pressed against a fret NP will be equal to the highest offset voltage of 2.4 volts, which is lessthan the 4.0 volt reference, to cause the output from the amplifier 84 to be low.

The outputs of the two test amplifiers 78 and 84 are connected to one another and to an output line 86 by two diodes 88, 88, as shown, to provide an AND gate circuit whereby a high or OK signal appears on the output line 86 only when the outputsfrom the two amplifiers 78 and 84 are high, thereby indicating that both conditions tested by the NP tester are satisfied. The OK signal appearing on the output line 86 is in turn transmitted through an AND gate 90, when enabled by control signal T1, tothe sample and hold circuit 42.

Before leaving the NP tester 40, it should also be noted that NP has a value greater than the highest offset voltage when at least one of the strings of the guitar is pressed against a fret. Therefore, the output of the amplifier 84 is anindication of whether or not a string is pressed into contact with a fret. When the output of the amplifier 84 is high it constitutes a string down or SD signal which is transmitted to the flip-flop 45 to indicate the string down condition.

The sample and hold circuit 42 includes a memory or holding capacitor 92 to which NP is transferred from the cycle peak detector 38 through a transfer gate TGD controlled by the illustrated TRAN signal provided by the AND gate 90. The voltageappearing on the storage capacitor 92 is in turn supplied by a voltage follower operational amplifier, preferably having dual FET input terminals as shown, to the line 96 for transmission to the synthesizer 10 as the input signal thereto.

As mentioned, the synthesizer 10 may be of any well known construction and basically is a tone generator for producing an output audio frequency signal having a fundamental frequency controlled in response to the voltage level of the inputvoltage signal. By way of illustration, the synthesizer 10 in FIG. 2 is shown in more detail to include an exponential amplifier 98 to which the input signal appearing on the line 96 is applied. The input signals appearing on the line 96 vary linearlywith tone values as measured by musical intervals between the tones. That is, the input signal, for example, increases by 100 mv. for each semi-tone increase in musical tone value. The frequencies of the tones, however, vary exponentially with changesin tone values, and amplifier 98 amplifies the incoming voltage signal by a gain varying exponentially with input voltage to produce an output signal therefrom directly related in voltage level to the desired output tone frequency.

The signal provided by the exponential amplifier 98 is in turn supplied to a voltage controlled oscillator 100. The output of the voltage controlled oscillator 100 is a signal having a basic or fundamental frequency directly related to the valueof the input voltage, but by manually adjustable controls in the synthesizer the signal may be selectively modified somewhat frequencywise to achieve various musical effects as, for example, by cyclicly varying the frequency about the fundamentalfrequency to provide a vibrato effect.

The output from the voltage controlled oscillator 100 is supplied to a voltage controlled filter 102 which in response to settings of various manually adjustable controls in the synthesizer conditions the signal input thereto to provide an outputsignal having ...

Generation of noise-like tones in an electronic musical instrument
2010-02-27 00:00:00
values for each successive harmonic being added to thevalues in the main register 34 by means of an adder 33. The Executive Control 16 includes a word counter and harmonic counter for addressing the sinusoid table 24 and harmonic coefficient memory 27 in the manner described in detail in theabove-identified application.

At the end of the computation cycle, a master data list is stored in the main register 34 consisting of 64 words corresponding to the amplitudes of 64 equally spaced data points defining one cycle of the waveform to be generated. The computationoperation takes place at a relatively high clock speed controlled by a master clock 15. The master clock pulses are applied to the main register 34 through a clock select circuit 42 during the computation operation, so as to synchronize the shifting ofthe main register 34 with the addressing of the sinusoid table 24 of the harmonic coefficient memory 27 and operation of the multiplier 30 and adder 33.

At the end of the computation cycle, the clock select circuit 42, under operation of the executive control 16, selects pulses from a Note clock source 37. The Note clock source 37 is a voltage controlled oscillator which is part of the assignedtone generator and has a frequency which is exactly 64 times the pitch or fundamental frequency of the note selected by operation of a key on the keyboard. Clock pulses from the Note clock 37 are also applied to a Note shift register 35 which is alsopart of the assigned tone generator. At the end of the computation cycle, the master data list in the main register 34 is shifted to the Note shift register 35 at a rate determined by the clock pulses from the Note clock 37. Once the master data listis transferred to the Note shift register 35, the executive control 16 can initiate a new computation cycle for loading a new master data list in the main register 34. At the end of the computation cycle, the new master data list may be transferredeither to the Note shift register 35 of the same tone generator, or may be transferred to the Note shift register of another tone generator (not shown), depending upon whether one or more keys have been depressed on the keyboard.

Once the master data list defining the waveshape of the tone t...

Electronic musical instrument with exponential keyboard and voltage controlled oscillator
2010-02-26 00:00:00
an oscillator for generating a signal at a frequency corresponding to that associated with a depressed key of the keyboard. The key selects a control voltage, from an exponential voltage divider, for controlling the frequency of a voltage controlled oscillator, which produces a frequency which is directly proportional to the control voltage and inversely proportional to a reference voltage. The reference voltage compensates for variations in the level of the supply voltage, so that the oscillator frequency is independent of the supply voltage.ClaimsWhat is claimed is:

1. An electronic musical instrument having a voltage controlled oscillator for producing a sound signal having a frequency proportional to a control voltage applied to it, akeyboard having a plurality of keys, a plurality of switches, one for each of said keys, each adapted to be operated by depression of its associated key, and a voltage divider connected with said switches for connecting a control voltage to saidoscillator which corresponds to the position of the key associated with an operated one of said switches, said voltage divider comprising a plurality of resistance elements connected in series, each of said elements having different resistance valueswhich bear an exponential relation to the resistance values of the adjacent connected resistors such that the voltage at successive junctions of said resistance elements correspond to a geometric series, said resistance elements being formed of the samematerial and being physically located in close physical juxtaposition with each other, so that all said resistors are maintained at approximately the same temperature, with approximately constant relative resistances.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said resistance elements are formed simultaneously as portions of a single integrated thick-film circuit.

3. In an electronic musical instrument having an electrical power supply, a voltage controlled oscillator for producing a sound signal having a frequency proportional to a control voltage applied to it, a keyboard having a plurality of keys, aplurality of switches, one for each of said keys, each adapted to be operated by depression of its associated key, and connecting means connected with said switches for connecting a control voltage to said oscillator which corresponds to the position ofthe key associated with an operated one of said switches, the combination comprising a reference voltage generator connected to said electrical power supply for producing a reference voltage, and means connecting said oscillator to said reference voltagegenerator, said reference voltage generator being adapted to produce a shift in the level of said reference voltage in response to a change in the level of voltage of said electrical power supply, said shift having a magnitude and direction tending tocompensate for said change in power supply voltage level, whereby said oscillator frequency is substantially independent of said change.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said reference voltage generator comprises an inverter having an input connected with said power supply.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said oscillator comprises an integrator for integrating a voltage derived from said voltage divider, a comparator connected to said integrator and operative to compare an output produced by saidintegrator with said reference voltage, and means connected with said comparator and operative upon a comparison of said integrator output and said reference voltage for resetting said integrator for a subsequent cycle of integration.

6. An electronic musical instrument having a voltage controlled oscillator for producing a sound signal having a frequency proportional to a control voltage applied to it, a keyboard having a plurality of keys, a plurality of switches, one foreach of said keys, each adapted to be operated by depression of its associated key, a voltage divider connected with said switches for connecting a control voltage to said oscillator which corresponds to the position of the key associated with anoperated one of said switches, said voltage divider comprising a plurality of resistance elements connected in series, each of sa...

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