DE4008081A1 - MULTI-CHANNEL DEVICE FOR DIGITAL RECORDING AND PLAYBACK OF AUDIO SIGNALS - Google Patents

Abstract

A multichannel device for digital recording and reproduction of audio signals has a plurality of digital or analog inputs and outputs and one or more digital storage units. In order to provide temporally unlimited possibilities for recording and reproducing with a non-limited number of recording and reproducing channels, to access any point of the recording instantaneously, to carry out risk-free overdubbing and editing and to select any desired duration of fading in and out, a bidirectional interface circuit with inputs and outputs is connected, through a system bus carrying groups of parallel data, to one or more storage modules connected in parallel, a main control circuit is connected to the system bus and to the storage module(s) and is controllable through an operating unit, and each storage module has at least one digital store with an interchangeable storage medium and at least one digital buffer memory. The audio signals to be stored are thus kept in the buffer memory for processing or during interchange of the storage medium.

Description

The invention relates to a multi-channel device for digital Record and play audio signals with multiple digital or analog inputs and outputs and with one or several digital memories.

There are multi-channel tape machines in analog and digital Technology as well as purely digital recording and playback devices with digital storage units for digital recording and Play audio signals with multiple digital or analog Inputs and outputs with a fixed number of channels.

These devices have in addition to the limited fixed default Number of channels a limited playing time. In addition, at Tape machines for access to a specific tape location time-consuming search required, the exact tape location is not always hit safely. When dubbing already recorded tape spots (overdubbing) is after the dubbing no shifting of the fade-in and fade-out times and none Changing the duration of the fade time more possible, so that valuable Original recordings can be partially destroyed.

The object of the invention is not one limited number of channels for recording and the Playback unlimited recording and To create playback options with less risk Feasibility of overdubbing and free choice of input and Fading out time and free choice of the duration of the fade.

According to the invention it is provided that a bidirectional Interface circuit with one or more digital inputs and Outputs is connected to a system bus, the system bus Groups of serial data leads and with a bidirectional Serial / parallel converter is connected, and where the bidirectional serial / parallel converters connected to a PCM bus and one or more memory modules are connected to the PCM bus are connected, and being a main control circuit with both  is connected to the PCM bus as well as to the system bus and by means of controlled by an operating unit or via an interface and during the recording or playback Memory module removable at least one removable disk and / or can be fed.

The memory modules within the device are electrically functional, interchangeable and work independently, whereby a memory module already provides sufficient storage space for a basic configuration if at least 8 audio channels are both read and output via the PCM bus and each has its own controller and each a separate memory unit is located within the memory module, the controller being controlled in its functional processes by control signals which are present on the PCM bus, and controlling the memory units. The change and expansion of memory modules in the device is then user-friendly, easy to carry out and the device can be subsequently expanded if the memory modules are designed as plug-in modules, each of which is arranged in a contact strip, the contact strip being connected to the PCM bus, and Both the memory modules and the contact strip are housed in a housing with brackets for stackable memory modules. The synchronization of all data flows can be carried out in a clear and constructively simple manner in that a central main control circuit controls the data flows of the system bus and the PCM bus. With the help of the tactile skills and the internalized movement sequences of the operating personnel in handling manual operating elements, the operating process can be carried out ergonomically and safely even in the hectic, time-critical environment of a recording studio, and without visual control if the operating unit has a keyboard, the keyboard of which Keys have a mechanical stroke and are assigned to the functions recording, playback and / or stop, among other things. Time-uncritical and highly complex operations can be carried out ergonomically favorably if the display of the control unit detects a touch-dependent location assignment and the functions of the main control circuit are assigned to a location on the display or a key sequence of the keyboard in the control unit. Long music recordings can be recorded or played back without changing the removable data medium if the memory modules contain optical disk storage or streamer drives. The usability of the device according to the invention together with various devices that use different data formats, as well as the possibility of being able to process future standards, is given if the bidirectional interface circuit has slots for several bidirectional format converters, the bidirectional format converters being part of the interface circuit and different serial ones Read in data formats with their own externally specified clock rate at their inputs and / or output them at their outputs, and the bidirectional format converters output serial data to the system bus in groups with a uniform internal data format and / or read them in from the system bus. An inexpensive and advantageous transportable version of the device according to the invention has the bidirectional interface circuit with one or more digital inputs and outputs and the system bus 2 and the bidirectional serial / parallel converter as well as the PCM bus and a memory module and the main control circuit and an operating unit and at least houses a format converter in a housing. Another advantage that is important for studio technology results in the device with the features of main claim 1 due to the possibility of performing multi-track cuts simultaneously with all available channels of the device, in this case the original recording is not destroyed. In addition, there is the possibility of repeatedly playing back or recording a fixed time interval without interruption during playback and / or recording. Time-shortened or stretched reproductions of recorded audio signals while maintaining the original pitches are possible without great expenditure of computing time, since the memory modules each contain at least 8 audio channels and are addressed in parallel by the main control circuit 9 via the PCM bus, and carry out the computing process in parallel. Hardware-related changes can be made without any intervention in the device, even far from the place of manufacture, if assemblies of the controller and assemblies of the interface circuit are designed as multiply programmable logic arrays, the main control circuit preferably programming the multiply programmable logic arrays each time the device is switched on.

The invention is described below with reference to the figure illustrated embodiment described in detail.

The device essentially consists of the memory modules 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , which hold a contact strip 20 , which is connected to the PCM bus 4 , the PCM bus 4 , which connects to the bidirectional serial / parallel converter 3 and the main control circuit 9 is connected.

The serial / parallel converter circuit 3 is connected to the system bus 2 in addition to the connection to the PCM bus 4 .

The main control circuit 9 is connected to the system bus 2 in addition to the connection to the PCM bus 4 . The main control circuit 9 is also connected to an operating unit 10 , which has a keyboard 11 and a touch-sensitive display 12 .

In addition to its connections to the bidirectional serial / parallel converter 3 and the connection to the main control circuit 9, the system bus 2 has a connection to the interface circuit 1 .

Bi-directional format converters 13 , 14 , 15 are accommodated in the interface circuit 1 .

Each of the memory modules 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 has at least 8 audio channels, which are both read and output via the PCM bus 4 , furthermore each of the memory modules 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 contains its own controller 16 and its own Storage units 17 , which preferably have a volatile local buffer memory 19 .

The storage units 17 contain at least one disk drive and / or a drive with an exchangeable data carrier 18 , which can consist of a streamer tape or an optical storage disk.

The controler 16 is controlled in its functional sequences by control signals which are present on the PCM bus 4 and controls the memory units 17 and the buffer memory 19 itself.

The memory modules 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 are designed as plug-in modules, each of which is accommodated in a contact strip 20 of the PCM bus 4 , both the memory modules 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 and the contact strip 20 being in a housing Brackets houses.

The main control circuit 9 controls the data flows of the system bus 2 and the PCM bus 4 during the various functional sequences.

In the exemplary embodiment disclosed here, the operating unit 10 is a remote control with a display 12 and a keyboard 11 , the keys of the keyboard 11 having a mechanical stroke and being assigned, among other things, to the functions recording, playback, stop, and the display 12 being one Touch-independent location assignment is detected and the functions of the main control circuit 9 are assigned to a location on the display 12 or a key sequence of the keyboard 11 in the operating unit 10 .

The bidirectional interface circuit 1 has slots for a plurality of bidirectional format converters 13 , 14 , 15 , the bidirectional format converters 13 , 14 , 15 being part of the interface circuit 1 and processing various serial data formats with their own externally predetermined clock rate at their inputs and outputs, these different Read and / or output serial data formats, the bidirectional format converters 13 , 14 , 15 output serial data in groups with a uniform internal data format on the system bus 2 and / or read them in from the system bus 2 .

The format converters 13 , 14 , 15 are designed as plug-in modules, each of which is accommodated in a contact strip 21 , the contact strip 21 being connected to the system bus 2 , and both the format converters 13 , 14 , 15 and the contact strip 21 in a housing with brackets for stackable format converters 13 , 14 , 15 are housed.

In the exemplary embodiment disclosed here, assemblies of the controller 16 and assemblies of the interface circuit 1 are designed as multiply programmable logic arrays, the main control circuit 9 preferably taking over the programming of the multiply programmable logic arrays each time the device is switched on.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention, the bidirectional interface circuit 1 with one or more digital inputs and outputs and the system bus 2 , and the bidirectional serial / parallel converter 3 as well as the PCM bus 4 and a memory module 5 and the main control circuit 9 and an operating unit 10 and at least one format converter 13 , 14 , 15 in its own housing.

The function of the device in the Operating state described.

The interface circuit 1 accommodates format converters 13 , 14 , 15 which can be combined in any way and which enable the device to be connected to devices customary in studio technology (mixing desks, tape machines, audio processors, etc.). The serial data streams arriving at the inputs of the format converters 13 , 14 , 15 are read in and buffered at a selectable bit rate, the sequence of the bits that carry the audio information and additional control bits are differentiated and arranged and supplied to the system bus 2 in uniform serial data packets , The delivery of these packets on the system bus 2 is controlled asynchronously by the main control circuit 9 .

In the reverse data flow direction, uniform, serial data packets are supplied to the format converters 13 , 14 , 15 via the system bus 2 , temporarily stored there, and the order of the bits that carry the audio information and additional control bits are arranged in such a way that the resulting bit rate is selectable the outputs of the format converters 13 , 14 , 15 can be read and evaluated by the devices connected to the device.

The system bus 2 transports uniform serial data packets from and to the format converters 13 , 14 , 15 and from and to the bidirectional serial / parallel converter. It enables the device to be expanded at any time by further inputs and outputs by means of the possibility of arranging the format converters 13 , 14 , 15 designed as inserts, which are connected to the system bus 2 by means of contact strip 21 .

The bidirectional serial / parallel converter converts the uniform serial data packets sent by the bidirectional format converters 13 , 14 , 15 via the system bus 2 into parallel data words, which in turn are fed to the PCM bus 4 .

At the same time, the bidirectional serial / parallel converter 3 can read parallel data words from the PCM bus 4 in the reverse direction of data flow and convert them into uniform serial data packets, which in turn are fed to the system bus 2 .

The PCM bus 4 transports parallel data words from and to the bidirectional serial / parallel converter and from and to the memory modules 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 . In addition to the data lines, it contains lines for selecting the data flow sources and the data flow destination, lines for controlling the chronological sequence of the data transports and lines for communication of the main control circuit 9 with the memory modules 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 . It enables the device to be expanded at any time by additional memory modules by virtue of the ability to attach the memory modules designed as plug-in modules, which are each connected to the PCM bus 4 by the contact strip 20 .

The memory modules 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 consist of an independently operating controller 16 and one or more memory units 17 . The storage units 17 are controlled by the controller 16 so that simultaneous access to all storage units 17 belonging to the storage module is possible. Each controller 16 receives parallel data words from the PCM bus 4 when it is selected by the main control circuit 9 , writes the received data words to a volatile, local buffer memory 19 and at a later point in time stores them permanently in one of the memory units 17 . In the reverse direction of data flow, the controller 16 retrieves data words stored in the storage units 17 into the local, volatile buffer memory 19 in order to send them to the PCM bus 4 at a later time on request of the main control circuit 9 . The volatile local buffer memory 19 is designed such that data flows from or to the storage units 17 can occur simultaneously and always with the maximum data flow speeds determined by the storage units 17 . The memory modules 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 are in accordance with the PCM bus 4 electrically functional and mechanically designed so that a series of the memory modules 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 in the device extension of the playing time and the number of channels provided the device can be changed at any time.

The main control circuit 9 can act centrally on all data flows of the device. It converts the functions of the device determined by the operator by means of the operating unit 10 into corresponding data flow sequences within the device. For this purpose, it sends and receives control signals of the system bus 2 and of the PCM bus 4 and, via communication lines of the PCM bus 4, causes the memory modules 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 to process their independently running functions. The control unit 10 consists of a keyboard 11 and a display 12 .

Claims (10)

1. Multi-channel device for digitally recording and reproducing audio signals with several digital or analog inputs and outputs and with one or more digital memories, characterized in that a bidirectional interface circuit ( 1 ) with one or more digital inputs and outputs with a system bus ( 2nd ) is connected, the system bus ( 2 ) carrying groups of serial data and being connected to a bidirectional serial / parallel converter ( 3 ) and the bidirectional serial / parallel converter ( 3 ) being connected to a PCM bus ( 4 ) and with the PCM bus ( 4 ) one or more memory modules ( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ) are connected and with a main control circuit ( 9 ) with both the PCM bus ( 4 ) and the system bus ( 2 ) is connected and is controlled by means of an operating unit ( 10 ) or via an interface, and the memory module ( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ) min an exchangeable data carrier ( 18 ) can be removed and / or fed. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the memory modules ( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ) at least eight audio channels via the PCM bus ( 4 ) both read in and output and each have their own controller ( 16 ) and each contain its own storage units ( 17 ), the storage units ( 17 ) consisting of at least one disk drive and / or a drive with an exchangeable data carrier ( 18 ), the controller ( 16 ) being triggered by control signals which are present on the PCM bus ( 4 ) its functional processes are controlled and controls the storage units ( 17 ). 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the memory modules ( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ) are designed as inserts, which are accommodated in a row in a contact strip ( 20 ), the contact strip ( 20 ) to the PCM -Bus is connected and both the memory modules ( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ) and the contact strip ( 20 ) are housed in a housing with brackets. 4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the main control circuit ( 9 ) controls the data flows of the system bus ( 2 ) and the PCM bus ( 4 ). 5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating unit ( 10 ) is a remote control with a display ( 12 ) and keyboard ( 11 ), the keyboard keys having a mechanical stroke and, inter alia, the functions recording, playback, Stop, are assigned, and the display ( 12 ) detects a touch-dependent location assignment and the functions of the main control circuit ( 9 ) are assigned to a location on the display ( 12 ) or a key sequence of the keyboard ( 11 ) in the operating unit ( 10 ). 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the memory modules ( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ) contain optical disk storage or streamer drives. 7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bidirectional interface circuit ( 1 ) has slots for a plurality of bidirectional format converters ( 13 , 14 , 15 ), the bidirectional format converter ( 13 , 14 , 15 ) being part of the interface circuit ( 1 ) and read various serial data formats with their own externally predefined clock rate at their inputs and / or output them at their outputs, and the bidirectional format converters ( 13 , 14 , 15 ) output serial data in groups with a uniform internal data format on the system bus ( 2 ) and / or read in from the system bus ( 2 ). 8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bidirectional interface circuit ( 1 ) with one or more digital inputs and outputs and the system bus ( 2 ), and the bidirectional serial / parallel converter ( 3 ) and the PCM bus ( 4 ) and a memory module ( 5 ) and the main control circuit ( 9 ) and an operating unit ( 10 ) and at least one format converter ( 13 , 14 , 15 ) are housed in a housing. 9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the format converter ( 13 , 14 , 15 ) are designed as inserts, which are accommodated in a row in each case in a contact strip ( 21 ), the contact strip ( 21 ) to the system bus ( 2nd ) is connected and both the format converters ( 13 , 14 , 15 ) and the contact strip ( 21 ) are housed in a housing with brackets for stackable format converters ( 13 , 14 , 15 ). 10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that modules of the controller ( 16 ) and modules of the interface circuit ( 1 ) are designed as multi-programmable logic arrays, the main control circuit ( 9 ), preferably each time the device is switched on, programmed the multi-programmable logic arrays.