CA2058303A1 - Multi-channel device for the digital recording and playback of audio-signals - Google Patents
Multi-channel device for the digital recording and playback of audio-signalsInfo
- Publication number
- CA2058303A1 CA2058303A1 CA002058303A CA2058303A CA2058303A1 CA 2058303 A1 CA2058303 A1 CA 2058303A1 CA 002058303 A CA002058303 A CA 002058303A CA 2058303 A CA2058303 A CA 2058303A CA 2058303 A1 CA2058303 A1 CA 2058303A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- digital
- main control
- system bus
- storage
- control circuit
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
- H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
- H04H60/02—Arrangements for generating broadcast information; Arrangements for generating broadcast-related information with a direct linking to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time; Arrangements for simultaneous generation of broadcast information and broadcast-related information
- H04H60/04—Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
- G11B27/02—Editing, e.g. varying the order of information signals recorded on, or reproduced from, record carriers
- G11B27/031—Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
- G11B27/02—Editing, e.g. varying the order of information signals recorded on, or reproduced from, record carriers
- G11B27/031—Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
- G11B27/034—Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals on discs
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
- G11B27/02—Editing, e.g. varying the order of information signals recorded on, or reproduced from, record carriers
- G11B27/031—Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
- G11B27/036—Insert-editing
Abstract
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Multi-channel device for the digital recording and playback of audio-signals ABSTRACT
It is disclosed a multi-channel device for the digital recording and playback of audio signals, with a plurality of digital or analogue inputs and outputs and with one or more digital stores. For providing, with a not limited number of channels for recording and playback, possibilities for recording and playback over an unlimited period of time, with instantaneous access to any desired position of the recording, and carrying out overdubbing and editing without risk and freely selecting the time duration of the cross-fading, a bidirectional interface circuit with inputs and outputs is connected via a system-bus which conducts groups of parallel data, to one or more parallel connected storage modules, wherein a main control circuit driven by an operating unit is coupled to the system-bus and to the storage module or modules, and wherein each storage module comprises at least one digital store, containing an exchangeable storage medium, and at least one digital buffer store such that the audio signals which are to be stored are kept available in the buffer store for their processing or during the exchange of the storage medium.
Multi-channel device for the digital recording and playback of audio-signals ABSTRACT
It is disclosed a multi-channel device for the digital recording and playback of audio signals, with a plurality of digital or analogue inputs and outputs and with one or more digital stores. For providing, with a not limited number of channels for recording and playback, possibilities for recording and playback over an unlimited period of time, with instantaneous access to any desired position of the recording, and carrying out overdubbing and editing without risk and freely selecting the time duration of the cross-fading, a bidirectional interface circuit with inputs and outputs is connected via a system-bus which conducts groups of parallel data, to one or more parallel connected storage modules, wherein a main control circuit driven by an operating unit is coupled to the system-bus and to the storage module or modules, and wherein each storage module comprises at least one digital store, containing an exchangeable storage medium, and at least one digital buffer store such that the audio signals which are to be stored are kept available in the buffer store for their processing or during the exchange of the storage medium.
Description
Description 2~ 5~3 The invention relates to a multi-channel device for the digital recording and playback of audio signals, with a plurality of digital or analogue inputs and outputs and with one or more digital stores.
In multi-channel recording technology for audio signals~ tape machines exist which operate in accordance with analogue and digital technology for the recording and playback of audio signals and which are provided with a plurality of digital or analogue inputs and outputs and a fixed number of channels.
In addition to the limited, predetermined number of channels, these devices have a limited playing time.
Additionally, access to a specific tape position requires a time consuming search in which the preaise tape position is not always reliably found. In the case of the re-recording of already recorded tape positions (overdubbing), after th~
re-recording i~ is no longer possible to shift the fade-in and fade-out points or to change the cross-fade time so that valuable original recordings can be partially destroyed.
For the assembly of individual music passages, mechanical editingj which destroys original recordings, is employed.
The aim of the present invention lS, whilst providing an unlimited number of channels for recording and playback, to make available recording and playback facilities of unlimited time duration whereby, with instantaneous access .
~c~
to any desired position of the recording, overdubbing and editing can be carried out without risk and the time duration of the cross fading can be freely selected.
For this purpose, in the device described in the introduction, it is provided in accordance with the invention that a bidirectional interface circuit provided with inputs and outputs is connected via a system bus, which conducts groups of parallel da~a, to one or more parallel connected storage modules, where a main control circuit driven by an operating unit is coupled to the system bus and to the storage module or modules, and that each storage module comprises at least one digital store, containing an exchangeable storage medium, and at least one digital buffer store, in such manner that the audio signals which are to be stored are kept available in the buffer store for their processing or during the exchange of the storage medium. An approximately full medium can be exchanged for an empty medium without interrupting the recording process as the items of audio information are received at the input of the buffer store at a lower rate than they can be written into the digital store containing the exchangeable storage medium at the output of the buffer store, and therefore the available recording time and, accordingly in the reverse direction of the data flow, the playback time is not limited by the characteristics of the device.
Expediently the main control circuit is connected to the storage modules via a communication ring which conducts 2~:t5~
control signals. It is also advisable to a6sign each storage module an independent controller which independently initiates, and monitors the execution of, the functions of the storage module triggered by the main control circuit.
~ he number of channels required for the recording can be extended as desired, in an expedient development of the invention, in that the device is assigned an appropriate number of storage modules which are connected in parallel to the system bus for the audio signals and are also controlled by the communication loop of the main control circuit. Each storage module can then be designed as a plug-in unit which can be plugged into a contact strip inside the device. It will be obvious that the contact strip is connected to the system bus.
It is advisable for the operating unit to be equipped with a remote control device, the keys of which have a mechanical action and are assigned, for example, to the record, playback and stop functions. It is also advisable to provide the operating unit with a display and a device for pointing to display elements of the display; in this case, in the operating unit, the function~ of the main control circuit can be assigned to a location or a sequence on the display or to a key sequence of the remote control device.
Suitable archive stores are exchangeable data carriers, such as magneto-optical, optical or magnetic disk stores or tape cassette stores.
~2r-5~3~3 Expediently, in the interface unit there are provided a plurality of parallel connected, bidirectional format converters which can read in and read out, at their inputs and outputs respectively, different, serial data formats with an internal or externally preset clock rate and on the other hand output onto the system bus and/or input from the system bus parallel data in groups with a standard, internal data format. Expediently the format converters are also designed as plug-in units and can be plugged onto a contact strip connected to the system bus.
Another advantage of significance in studio technology is achieved, in the case of the device comprising the features described in Claim 1, by means of the possibility of carrying out multiple track editing using all the available channels without therehy destroying the original recordings. In addition, the facility exists for repeated playback or recording without interruption for a fixed interval of time. Time-compressed or time-expanded playback of recorded audio ~ounds retaining the original sound level is possible without a high outlay in computing time as the storage modules contain independent controllers which can execute the necessary computing process in parallel.
Interventions into the organisation OI the device can be carried out particularly easily if assemblies of the controller and assemblies of the interface circuit are designed as multiply pxogrammable logic arrays, in which case the main control circuit preferably programmes the ;~5~3~
s multiply programmable logic arrays each time the device is switched on.
A particularly high level of flexibility in respect of administration, p~ocessing and transfer of the data within the deviae can be achieved if the controller and the main control cirauit are composed of a network of subcontrollers, where the network connections between the individual subaontrollers have a standard signal and data format and the data exchange between the subcontrollers is carried out in serial fashion.
In the following the invention will be explained in detail in the form of th exemplary embodiment illustrated in the Figure; reference will also be made to the Suh-Claims which describe preferred embodiments of the invention.
The device substantially comprises an interface unit 1, one or more storage modules 3, 30, a main control circuit 4 and an operating unit 6. A system bus 2 connects the interface unit 1 via multiple lines 32, 34, 36 to the storage modules 3, 30.
During the various function procedures, the main control circuit 4 controls the data flows of the system bus 2 and for this purpose is connected to the system bus 2 via a multiple line 38. The main control circult 4 also controls the function procedures of the storage modules 3, 30 and for this purpose is connected in serial fashion to the storage modules 3, 30 via a communication ring 5 which conducts control signals. The main contro~ circuit 4 ~s~
compris~s a system subcontroller 27 and a master subcontroller 2B, both of which are connected to the comr,tunication ring 5, although the system subcontroller is additionally connected to the system bus 2 via the multiple line 38.
The storage modules 3, 30 are of identical construction and therefore a description of the storage module 3 will su~fice. The storage module 3 comprises a controller 7 and one or more storage units which have been commonly referenced 8 and each of which is connected to the controller 7 via multiple llnes 42, 44, 46. In the described example the storage units 8 are designed as two magnetic disk drive units 24, 25 and a magneto-optical drive unit 26 containing a removable disk as data carrier 9. The storage modules 3, 30 are designed as plug-in units which are accommodated on a contact strip 29 of the system bus 2 and the communication ring 5 with the possibility of adding further units.
The controller 7 consists of a symmetrical network of subcontrollers 18...23. The network connections between the individual subcontrollers, similarly to the communication ring 5, have a standard signal and data format, the data exchang~e being carried out in serial fashion. The I/O-subcontroller 18 is connected to the system bus 2 via a multiple line 52. Network connections also exist to the two RAM- subcontrollers 19, 20 and to the communication ring 5.
Each of the RAM- subcontrollers 19, 20 contains a local ;~ S~L~
burfer store.
- The RAM- subcontroller 20 is connected to the SCSI-subcontroller 23, which is itself connected to the magnetic disk store 2S. The RAM- subcontrolle.r 1~ is connected to the SCSI- subcontroller 21, which is itself connected to the magnetic disk store 24. The SCSI- subcontroller 22 is connected to the two RAM- subcontrollers 19, 20 and to the magneto-optical disk store 26. All the SCSI- subcontrollers 21, 22, 23 are included in the communication ring 5.
The interface unit 1 accommodates bidirectional, parallel connected format converters 15, 16, 17, each of which is connected to the system bus 2 via plug-in points by means of the multiple lines 32, 34, 36. Each format converter 15, 16, 17 is provided with input- and/or output sockets 14 which allow the user to conneot external signal sources andJor receivers to the device.
The operating unit 6 is included in the communication ring 5 and comprises a personal computer 10 with a graphic display 12 and a remote control device 11, both of which are connected to the communication ring 5 by means of a controller 13. The keys of the remote control unit 11 have a mechanical action and are assigned, for example, to the playback, record and stop functions. The peraonal computer with graphic display represents function states, procedures and references of the device in graphic form and is equipped with a device for pointing to display elements of the display 12, here in the form of a trackball 13.
.. ~
. . .
~5~ 3 The function of the dzvice in the operating state will be described in detail in the following.
The interface unit 1 accommodates format converters 15 which can be combined in any desired fashion and which allow the device to be connected to equipment commonly used in studio technology (mixer desks, tape maahines, audio-processors etc~. Here the serial data streams received at the inputs of the format converters 15, 16, 17 are input with a selectable bit rate and, in a sequence, the bits which bear the audio information and additional control bits are differentiated, ordered and fed as parallel data words to the system bus 2. In the reverse direction of the data flow, parallel data words are received via the system bus 2 by the format converters 15, 16, 17 and the sequence composed of the bits which bear the audio information and additional control bits is ordered in such manner that the produced data streams, which are transmitted with a selectable bit rate from the outputs of the format converters 15, 16, 17, can be read and analysed by the equipment connected to the device.
The system bus 2 allows the device to be extended at any time by further inputs and outputs by the possibility of adding ~he format converters 15, 16, 17, which are designed as plug-in units and which are oonnected to the system bus 2 by the multiple lines 32, 34, 36 and the contact strip 29.
The system bus 2 also allows the device to be extended at any time by further recording and playback capacity both . , , ~
5~ 3 in respect of the available audio channels and also in respect of the available recording time, by the possibility of adding to the storage modules 3, which are designed as plug-in units and~which are connected to the system bus 2 by the multiple line 52 and the contact strip 29.
The systsm bus 2 transports audio data words between the format converters 15, 16, 17 themselves, between the format converters 15, 16, 17 and the storage modules 3 and vice versa, and between the storage modules 3 themselves.
The execution of the data transport on the system bus 2 is coordinated by the main control circuit 4. Here, in a periodically repeated sequence of data words, one position within this sequence corresponds to a specific audio channel. By predetermining the position within the sequence, each input or output of the format converters 15, 16, 17 and each channel of the storage modules 3 is allocated a channel number. The main control circuit 4 can change the sequence and thus influences the channel allocation within the device. In this way, by simple reprogramming, the need for very time consuming rewiring of the connected equipment, which would otherwise be required, is obviated.
The main control circuit 4 converts the functions of the device, specified by the operator via the operating unit 6, into corresponding data flow sequences within the device. For this purpose the storage modules 3 and the operating unit 6 are connected by a communication ring 5 to the main control circuit 4. The user~s commands input into the operating unit 5 are forwarded by means of the communication ring 5 to the main control circuit 4, which converts these commands into control sequences and forwards them again, by means of the communication ring 5, to the storage modulss 3.
The storage modules 3 comprise an independently operating controller 7 and one or more storage units 8. The controller 7 can obtain simultaneous access to all the storage units 8 assigned to the storage module 3. Here each controller 7 receives parallel data words from the system bus 2 via the I/O- subcontroller 18, transmits the received data words to the two RAM~ subcontrollers 19, 20 functioning as local buffer stores, and at a later time stores these data words by mean of the SCSI- subcontrollers ~1, 22, 23, in one of the storage units 8. In the reverse direction of data flow, by means of the SCSI- subcontrollers 21...23, the controller 7 returns the data words stored in the storage units 8 into the local buffer stores of the RA~-subcontrollers 19, 20 from where, at a later time, at the request of the main control circuit 4, they are fed by means of the I/O- subcontroller 18 to the system bus 2. The local buffer stores of the RAM- subcontrollers 19, 20 are designed in such manner that data streams can flow from or to the storage units 8 simultaneously and always at the maximum data flow speed determined by the storage units 8.
The storage modules 3, in accordance with the system .
bus 2, are electrically, functionâlly and mechanically designed such that at any time it is possible to add to the storage modules 3 in the device 3 in order to extend both the playing time and the number of available channels of the device.
Each storage module 3 is responsible for the recording of eight audio channels. For this purpose the items of audio information received by the I/O- subcontroller 18 and intermediately stored in the RAM- subcontrollers l9, 20 are firstly temporarily stored in the magnetic disk stores 24, 25. They are thus immediately available for playback. If ths user wishes to listen to a spPcific pa6sage of a pre-recording, the appropriate items of audio information are retrieved from the magnetic disk stores 24, 25 into the RAM- subcontxollers l9, 20 and rendered audible by means of the I/O- subcontroller 18, the system bus 2 and the format converters lS, 16, 17. Here the access times of the magnetic disk stores 24, 25 are so ~hort that they are imperceptible to the user, i.e. he can obtain instantaneous, direct access to any desired position of a pre-recording.
In a parallel process operating independently in the background, the items of audio information of a new recording, temporarily stored in the magnetic disk stores 24, 25, are read out again and are buffered by the RAM-s11bcontrollers l9, 20, whereupon they are finally written onto the data carrier 9 by means of the optical disk store 26. The recording can now be removed from the device and 5~3~
filed. Furthermore, ~ll the items of audio information are thus doubly stored - on the one hand in the magnetic disk stores 24, 25 and on the other hand in the optical disk store 26. In the case of overdubbing, i.e. the attempt to improve specific passages of a recording by re-recording this passage, the data of the new recording is firstly stored only in the magnetic disk stores 24, 25, and thus the data of the passage to be improved remains, unaffected, in khe optical disk store 26. The data of the new recording, and also the data o~ the recording which is to be improved, remain unchanged until confirmation is received from the user that the new recording is successful.
In order to judge whether the new recording is successful, the cross-fading to the improved passage and back is merely simulated for the user. He can then subsequently change the times and the duration of the cross-fading. If he rejects the new recording, the data of the passage to be improved is copied back ~rom the optical disk store into the magnetic disk stores and the new recording i5 thus cancelled. On the hand, if the user confirms that the new recording with the selected cross-fading is successful, the data of the new recording, including the correspbnding cross-fading, is copied from the magnetic disk stores into the optical disk store. As a result overdubbing can be carried out by means of the disclosed device without any risk.
In the case of editing, i.e. the assembly of completed .
~.
', 13 ~5-~3a~S
recordings in a new sequence desired by the user, the recording data again remains unaffected. Only the sequence and the cross-fading time with which the individual recordings are to~be played bac}c, are stored. The user can change the sequence and cross-fading time as required or can also return to the still unahanged version. In this way editing is completely risk-free.
To facilitate continuous recordings of arbitrary duration, the data carrier 9 c~n also be exchanged whilst recording is in progress. For this purpose the magnetic disk stores 24, 25 function as intermediate buffers with first-in-first-out characteristics. The items of audio information are written directly into the optical disk store 26 until the data carrier 9 is full. It can now be exchanged for an empty data carrier. The items of audio information received during the exchange procedure are now intermediately stored in the magnetic disk stores 24, 25, from which they are then written onto the new data carrier 9 in the aorrect time sequence. Within a given interval of time, fewer items of audio information are received at the input of the intermediate buffer, which is formed by the magnetic disk stores 24, 25, than are written lnto the magneto-optical disk store 26 at the output. As a result, the intermediate buffer is empty again within a sufficient length of time following the exchange of the data carrier 9, and the items of audio information can again be directly written into the optical disk store 26 until the new data carrier 9 is full again. This means that the exchange of a full data carrier 9 for an empty data carrier can be repeated as often as required. The information items recorded on the data carriers 9 are combined continuously to form a recording of any desired tlme duration.
In multi-channel recording technology for audio signals~ tape machines exist which operate in accordance with analogue and digital technology for the recording and playback of audio signals and which are provided with a plurality of digital or analogue inputs and outputs and a fixed number of channels.
In addition to the limited, predetermined number of channels, these devices have a limited playing time.
Additionally, access to a specific tape position requires a time consuming search in which the preaise tape position is not always reliably found. In the case of the re-recording of already recorded tape positions (overdubbing), after th~
re-recording i~ is no longer possible to shift the fade-in and fade-out points or to change the cross-fade time so that valuable original recordings can be partially destroyed.
For the assembly of individual music passages, mechanical editingj which destroys original recordings, is employed.
The aim of the present invention lS, whilst providing an unlimited number of channels for recording and playback, to make available recording and playback facilities of unlimited time duration whereby, with instantaneous access .
~c~
to any desired position of the recording, overdubbing and editing can be carried out without risk and the time duration of the cross fading can be freely selected.
For this purpose, in the device described in the introduction, it is provided in accordance with the invention that a bidirectional interface circuit provided with inputs and outputs is connected via a system bus, which conducts groups of parallel da~a, to one or more parallel connected storage modules, where a main control circuit driven by an operating unit is coupled to the system bus and to the storage module or modules, and that each storage module comprises at least one digital store, containing an exchangeable storage medium, and at least one digital buffer store, in such manner that the audio signals which are to be stored are kept available in the buffer store for their processing or during the exchange of the storage medium. An approximately full medium can be exchanged for an empty medium without interrupting the recording process as the items of audio information are received at the input of the buffer store at a lower rate than they can be written into the digital store containing the exchangeable storage medium at the output of the buffer store, and therefore the available recording time and, accordingly in the reverse direction of the data flow, the playback time is not limited by the characteristics of the device.
Expediently the main control circuit is connected to the storage modules via a communication ring which conducts 2~:t5~
control signals. It is also advisable to a6sign each storage module an independent controller which independently initiates, and monitors the execution of, the functions of the storage module triggered by the main control circuit.
~ he number of channels required for the recording can be extended as desired, in an expedient development of the invention, in that the device is assigned an appropriate number of storage modules which are connected in parallel to the system bus for the audio signals and are also controlled by the communication loop of the main control circuit. Each storage module can then be designed as a plug-in unit which can be plugged into a contact strip inside the device. It will be obvious that the contact strip is connected to the system bus.
It is advisable for the operating unit to be equipped with a remote control device, the keys of which have a mechanical action and are assigned, for example, to the record, playback and stop functions. It is also advisable to provide the operating unit with a display and a device for pointing to display elements of the display; in this case, in the operating unit, the function~ of the main control circuit can be assigned to a location or a sequence on the display or to a key sequence of the remote control device.
Suitable archive stores are exchangeable data carriers, such as magneto-optical, optical or magnetic disk stores or tape cassette stores.
~2r-5~3~3 Expediently, in the interface unit there are provided a plurality of parallel connected, bidirectional format converters which can read in and read out, at their inputs and outputs respectively, different, serial data formats with an internal or externally preset clock rate and on the other hand output onto the system bus and/or input from the system bus parallel data in groups with a standard, internal data format. Expediently the format converters are also designed as plug-in units and can be plugged onto a contact strip connected to the system bus.
Another advantage of significance in studio technology is achieved, in the case of the device comprising the features described in Claim 1, by means of the possibility of carrying out multiple track editing using all the available channels without therehy destroying the original recordings. In addition, the facility exists for repeated playback or recording without interruption for a fixed interval of time. Time-compressed or time-expanded playback of recorded audio ~ounds retaining the original sound level is possible without a high outlay in computing time as the storage modules contain independent controllers which can execute the necessary computing process in parallel.
Interventions into the organisation OI the device can be carried out particularly easily if assemblies of the controller and assemblies of the interface circuit are designed as multiply pxogrammable logic arrays, in which case the main control circuit preferably programmes the ;~5~3~
s multiply programmable logic arrays each time the device is switched on.
A particularly high level of flexibility in respect of administration, p~ocessing and transfer of the data within the deviae can be achieved if the controller and the main control cirauit are composed of a network of subcontrollers, where the network connections between the individual subaontrollers have a standard signal and data format and the data exchange between the subcontrollers is carried out in serial fashion.
In the following the invention will be explained in detail in the form of th exemplary embodiment illustrated in the Figure; reference will also be made to the Suh-Claims which describe preferred embodiments of the invention.
The device substantially comprises an interface unit 1, one or more storage modules 3, 30, a main control circuit 4 and an operating unit 6. A system bus 2 connects the interface unit 1 via multiple lines 32, 34, 36 to the storage modules 3, 30.
During the various function procedures, the main control circuit 4 controls the data flows of the system bus 2 and for this purpose is connected to the system bus 2 via a multiple line 38. The main control circult 4 also controls the function procedures of the storage modules 3, 30 and for this purpose is connected in serial fashion to the storage modules 3, 30 via a communication ring 5 which conducts control signals. The main contro~ circuit 4 ~s~
compris~s a system subcontroller 27 and a master subcontroller 2B, both of which are connected to the comr,tunication ring 5, although the system subcontroller is additionally connected to the system bus 2 via the multiple line 38.
The storage modules 3, 30 are of identical construction and therefore a description of the storage module 3 will su~fice. The storage module 3 comprises a controller 7 and one or more storage units which have been commonly referenced 8 and each of which is connected to the controller 7 via multiple llnes 42, 44, 46. In the described example the storage units 8 are designed as two magnetic disk drive units 24, 25 and a magneto-optical drive unit 26 containing a removable disk as data carrier 9. The storage modules 3, 30 are designed as plug-in units which are accommodated on a contact strip 29 of the system bus 2 and the communication ring 5 with the possibility of adding further units.
The controller 7 consists of a symmetrical network of subcontrollers 18...23. The network connections between the individual subcontrollers, similarly to the communication ring 5, have a standard signal and data format, the data exchang~e being carried out in serial fashion. The I/O-subcontroller 18 is connected to the system bus 2 via a multiple line 52. Network connections also exist to the two RAM- subcontrollers 19, 20 and to the communication ring 5.
Each of the RAM- subcontrollers 19, 20 contains a local ;~ S~L~
burfer store.
- The RAM- subcontroller 20 is connected to the SCSI-subcontroller 23, which is itself connected to the magnetic disk store 2S. The RAM- subcontrolle.r 1~ is connected to the SCSI- subcontroller 21, which is itself connected to the magnetic disk store 24. The SCSI- subcontroller 22 is connected to the two RAM- subcontrollers 19, 20 and to the magneto-optical disk store 26. All the SCSI- subcontrollers 21, 22, 23 are included in the communication ring 5.
The interface unit 1 accommodates bidirectional, parallel connected format converters 15, 16, 17, each of which is connected to the system bus 2 via plug-in points by means of the multiple lines 32, 34, 36. Each format converter 15, 16, 17 is provided with input- and/or output sockets 14 which allow the user to conneot external signal sources andJor receivers to the device.
The operating unit 6 is included in the communication ring 5 and comprises a personal computer 10 with a graphic display 12 and a remote control device 11, both of which are connected to the communication ring 5 by means of a controller 13. The keys of the remote control unit 11 have a mechanical action and are assigned, for example, to the playback, record and stop functions. The peraonal computer with graphic display represents function states, procedures and references of the device in graphic form and is equipped with a device for pointing to display elements of the display 12, here in the form of a trackball 13.
.. ~
. . .
~5~ 3 The function of the dzvice in the operating state will be described in detail in the following.
The interface unit 1 accommodates format converters 15 which can be combined in any desired fashion and which allow the device to be connected to equipment commonly used in studio technology (mixer desks, tape maahines, audio-processors etc~. Here the serial data streams received at the inputs of the format converters 15, 16, 17 are input with a selectable bit rate and, in a sequence, the bits which bear the audio information and additional control bits are differentiated, ordered and fed as parallel data words to the system bus 2. In the reverse direction of the data flow, parallel data words are received via the system bus 2 by the format converters 15, 16, 17 and the sequence composed of the bits which bear the audio information and additional control bits is ordered in such manner that the produced data streams, which are transmitted with a selectable bit rate from the outputs of the format converters 15, 16, 17, can be read and analysed by the equipment connected to the device.
The system bus 2 allows the device to be extended at any time by further inputs and outputs by the possibility of adding ~he format converters 15, 16, 17, which are designed as plug-in units and which are oonnected to the system bus 2 by the multiple lines 32, 34, 36 and the contact strip 29.
The system bus 2 also allows the device to be extended at any time by further recording and playback capacity both . , , ~
5~ 3 in respect of the available audio channels and also in respect of the available recording time, by the possibility of adding to the storage modules 3, which are designed as plug-in units and~which are connected to the system bus 2 by the multiple line 52 and the contact strip 29.
The systsm bus 2 transports audio data words between the format converters 15, 16, 17 themselves, between the format converters 15, 16, 17 and the storage modules 3 and vice versa, and between the storage modules 3 themselves.
The execution of the data transport on the system bus 2 is coordinated by the main control circuit 4. Here, in a periodically repeated sequence of data words, one position within this sequence corresponds to a specific audio channel. By predetermining the position within the sequence, each input or output of the format converters 15, 16, 17 and each channel of the storage modules 3 is allocated a channel number. The main control circuit 4 can change the sequence and thus influences the channel allocation within the device. In this way, by simple reprogramming, the need for very time consuming rewiring of the connected equipment, which would otherwise be required, is obviated.
The main control circuit 4 converts the functions of the device, specified by the operator via the operating unit 6, into corresponding data flow sequences within the device. For this purpose the storage modules 3 and the operating unit 6 are connected by a communication ring 5 to the main control circuit 4. The user~s commands input into the operating unit 5 are forwarded by means of the communication ring 5 to the main control circuit 4, which converts these commands into control sequences and forwards them again, by means of the communication ring 5, to the storage modulss 3.
The storage modules 3 comprise an independently operating controller 7 and one or more storage units 8. The controller 7 can obtain simultaneous access to all the storage units 8 assigned to the storage module 3. Here each controller 7 receives parallel data words from the system bus 2 via the I/O- subcontroller 18, transmits the received data words to the two RAM~ subcontrollers 19, 20 functioning as local buffer stores, and at a later time stores these data words by mean of the SCSI- subcontrollers ~1, 22, 23, in one of the storage units 8. In the reverse direction of data flow, by means of the SCSI- subcontrollers 21...23, the controller 7 returns the data words stored in the storage units 8 into the local buffer stores of the RA~-subcontrollers 19, 20 from where, at a later time, at the request of the main control circuit 4, they are fed by means of the I/O- subcontroller 18 to the system bus 2. The local buffer stores of the RAM- subcontrollers 19, 20 are designed in such manner that data streams can flow from or to the storage units 8 simultaneously and always at the maximum data flow speed determined by the storage units 8.
The storage modules 3, in accordance with the system .
bus 2, are electrically, functionâlly and mechanically designed such that at any time it is possible to add to the storage modules 3 in the device 3 in order to extend both the playing time and the number of available channels of the device.
Each storage module 3 is responsible for the recording of eight audio channels. For this purpose the items of audio information received by the I/O- subcontroller 18 and intermediately stored in the RAM- subcontrollers l9, 20 are firstly temporarily stored in the magnetic disk stores 24, 25. They are thus immediately available for playback. If ths user wishes to listen to a spPcific pa6sage of a pre-recording, the appropriate items of audio information are retrieved from the magnetic disk stores 24, 25 into the RAM- subcontxollers l9, 20 and rendered audible by means of the I/O- subcontroller 18, the system bus 2 and the format converters lS, 16, 17. Here the access times of the magnetic disk stores 24, 25 are so ~hort that they are imperceptible to the user, i.e. he can obtain instantaneous, direct access to any desired position of a pre-recording.
In a parallel process operating independently in the background, the items of audio information of a new recording, temporarily stored in the magnetic disk stores 24, 25, are read out again and are buffered by the RAM-s11bcontrollers l9, 20, whereupon they are finally written onto the data carrier 9 by means of the optical disk store 26. The recording can now be removed from the device and 5~3~
filed. Furthermore, ~ll the items of audio information are thus doubly stored - on the one hand in the magnetic disk stores 24, 25 and on the other hand in the optical disk store 26. In the case of overdubbing, i.e. the attempt to improve specific passages of a recording by re-recording this passage, the data of the new recording is firstly stored only in the magnetic disk stores 24, 25, and thus the data of the passage to be improved remains, unaffected, in khe optical disk store 26. The data of the new recording, and also the data o~ the recording which is to be improved, remain unchanged until confirmation is received from the user that the new recording is successful.
In order to judge whether the new recording is successful, the cross-fading to the improved passage and back is merely simulated for the user. He can then subsequently change the times and the duration of the cross-fading. If he rejects the new recording, the data of the passage to be improved is copied back ~rom the optical disk store into the magnetic disk stores and the new recording i5 thus cancelled. On the hand, if the user confirms that the new recording with the selected cross-fading is successful, the data of the new recording, including the correspbnding cross-fading, is copied from the magnetic disk stores into the optical disk store. As a result overdubbing can be carried out by means of the disclosed device without any risk.
In the case of editing, i.e. the assembly of completed .
~.
', 13 ~5-~3a~S
recordings in a new sequence desired by the user, the recording data again remains unaffected. Only the sequence and the cross-fading time with which the individual recordings are to~be played bac}c, are stored. The user can change the sequence and cross-fading time as required or can also return to the still unahanged version. In this way editing is completely risk-free.
To facilitate continuous recordings of arbitrary duration, the data carrier 9 c~n also be exchanged whilst recording is in progress. For this purpose the magnetic disk stores 24, 25 function as intermediate buffers with first-in-first-out characteristics. The items of audio information are written directly into the optical disk store 26 until the data carrier 9 is full. It can now be exchanged for an empty data carrier. The items of audio information received during the exchange procedure are now intermediately stored in the magnetic disk stores 24, 25, from which they are then written onto the new data carrier 9 in the aorrect time sequence. Within a given interval of time, fewer items of audio information are received at the input of the intermediate buffer, which is formed by the magnetic disk stores 24, 25, than are written lnto the magneto-optical disk store 26 at the output. As a result, the intermediate buffer is empty again within a sufficient length of time following the exchange of the data carrier 9, and the items of audio information can again be directly written into the optical disk store 26 until the new data carrier 9 is full again. This means that the exchange of a full data carrier 9 for an empty data carrier can be repeated as often as required. The information items recorded on the data carriers 9 are combined continuously to form a recording of any desired tlme duration.
Claims (12)
1. A multi-channel device for the digital recording and playback of audio signals, with a plurality of digital or analogue inputs and outputs and with one or more digital stores, characterised in that a bidirectional interface unit (1), which is provided with inputs and outputs (14), is connected via a system bus (2), which conducts groups of parallel data, to one or more parallel connected storage modules (3), where a main control circuit (4), driven by means of an operating unit (6), is coupled to the system bus (2) and to the storage module or modules (3), and that each storage module (3) comprises at least one digital store (26), containing an exchangeable storage medium (9), and at least one digital buffer store (24, 25), in such manner that the audio signals which are to be stored are kept available in the buffer store (24, 25) for their processing or during the exchange of the storage medium (9).
2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the main control circuit (43 is connected to the storage modules (3) via a communication ring (5) which conducts control signals.
3. A device as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each of the storage modules (3) comprises a respective, independent controller (7) and respective, independent storage units (8), where the storage units (8) are provided with at least one disk drive unit and/or a drive unit with an exchangeable data carrier and at least one digital FIFO-store (24, 25), where the controller (7) is controlled in respect of its function procedures by control signals received via a communication ring (5) from the main control circuit (4), and drives the storage units (3) independently of one another.
4. A device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the storage modules (3) are designed as plug-in units which are accommodated in a contact strip (37) with the possibility of adding further units, where the contact strip (37) is connected to the system bus (2) and both the storage modules (3) and the contact strip (37) are accommodated in a housing (31) with the possibility of adding further units.
5. A device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the main control circuit (4) controls the data flows of the system bus (2) and the communication ring (5).
6. A device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the operating unit (6) comprises a remote control device (11) with a display (12) and a device (13) for pointing to display elements of the display (12), where the keys of the remote control device (11) have a mechanical action and are assigned inter alia to the record, playback and stop functions, and where the display (12) graphically displays function states, sequences and references of the device, and in the operating unit (6) the functions of the main control unit (4) are assigned to a position on the display (12) or to a key sequence of the remote control device (11), and where functions of the main control circuit (4) can be triggered by means of the device (13) for pointing to display elements of the display (12).
7. A device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the storage modules (3) contain magneto-optical or optical disk stores or streamer drive units.
8. A device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the bidirectional interface unit (1) comprises plug points for a plurality of parallel connected, bidirectional format converters (15), where the bidirectional format converters (15) input and/or output, at their inputs and outputs respectively, different serial data formats with an internal externally preset clock rate and where the bidirectional format converters (15) output onto the system bus (2) and/or input from the system bus (2) parallel data in groups with a standard internal data format.
9. A device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the bidirectional interface unit (1) with one or more digital inputs and outputs, the system bus (2), at least one storage module (3), the main control circuit (4) and an operating unit (6) are accommodated in a housing (31) with mounting supports.
10. A device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the format converters (15, 16, 17) are designed as plug-in units which are accommodated in a contact strip (29) with the possibility of adding further units, where the contact strip (29) is connected to the system bus (2) and both the format converters (15, 16, 17) and the contact strip (29) are accommodated in a housing (31) with mounting supports.
11. A device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that assemblies of the controller (7) and assemblies of the interface circuit (1) are designed as multiply programmable logic arrays, where the main control circuit (4) programmes the multiply programmable logic arrays preferably each time the device is switched on.
12. A device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the controller (7) and the main control circuit (4) a network of subcontrollers (18...23, 27, 28), have a standard signal and data format, and the data exchange between the subcontrollers (18...23, 27, 28) takes place in serial fashion.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE19904008081 DE4008081A1 (en) | 1990-03-13 | 1990-03-13 | MULTI-CHANNEL DEVICE FOR DIGITAL RECORDING AND PLAYBACK OF AUDIO SIGNALS |
| DEP4008081.1 | 1990-03-13 | ||
| PCT/DE1991/000213 WO1991014317A1 (en) | 1990-03-13 | 1991-03-12 | Multichannel device for digital recording and reproduction of audio signals |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2058303A1 true CA2058303A1 (en) | 1991-09-14 |
Family
ID=6402148
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002058303A Abandoned CA2058303A1 (en) | 1990-03-13 | 1991-03-12 | Multi-channel device for the digital recording and playback of audio-signals |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0471814A1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH04505984A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU639769B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2058303A1 (en) |
| DE (2) | DE4008081A1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1991014317A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5253275A (en) | 1991-01-07 | 1993-10-12 | H. Lee Browne | Audio and video transmission and receiving system |
| WO1992022983A2 (en) * | 1991-06-11 | 1992-12-23 | Browne H Lee | Large capacity, random access, multi-source recorder player |
Family Cites Families (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1988002958A1 (en) * | 1986-10-16 | 1988-04-21 | David Burton | Control system |
| JP2840755B2 (en) * | 1989-04-27 | 1998-12-24 | ソニー株式会社 | Program sending device |
| DE4010324A1 (en) * | 1990-03-30 | 1991-10-02 | Mario Palmisano | Dynamic real time correction of music signals - uses digital storage and processing to provide desired response |
-
1990
- 1990-03-13 DE DE19904008081 patent/DE4008081A1/en not_active Withdrawn
-
1991
- 1991-03-12 WO PCT/DE1991/000213 patent/WO1991014317A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1991-03-12 JP JP50515891A patent/JPH04505984A/en active Pending
- 1991-03-12 CA CA002058303A patent/CA2058303A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 1991-03-12 AU AU74431/91A patent/AU639769B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1991-03-12 EP EP19910905116 patent/EP0471814A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1991-03-12 DE DE9116857U patent/DE9116857U1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU7443191A (en) | 1991-10-10 |
| DE4008081A1 (en) | 1991-09-19 |
| DE9116857U1 (en) | 1994-06-23 |
| WO1991014317A1 (en) | 1991-09-19 |
| AU639769B2 (en) | 1993-08-05 |
| EP0471814A1 (en) | 1992-02-26 |
| JPH04505984A (en) | 1992-10-15 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US3609227A (en) | Random access audio/video information retrieval system | |
| US5021893A (en) | High speed tape duplicating machine | |
| US5325238A (en) | Method and apparatus for high speed duplication of audio or digital signals | |
| CA2201911A1 (en) | System for distributing and selecting audio and video information and method implemented by said system | |
| US5732059A (en) | Synchronous dubbing system and method thereof | |
| DE3587182D1 (en) | CONTROL DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING A NUMBER OF VIDEO TAPE CASSETTE PLAYBACK DEVICES. | |
| US5517672A (en) | Multi-channel device having storage modules in a loop configuration with main control unit for controlling data rates and modifying data selectively and independently therein | |
| CN100414629C (en) | Multitone trace digital recording/playback device, method and program | |
| US5233477A (en) | High speed tape duplicating equipment | |
| JPH11353794A (en) | General purpose storage device | |
| CN100578642C (en) | Multi-track digital recording and reproducing device, method and programme | |
| CA2058303A1 (en) | Multi-channel device for the digital recording and playback of audio-signals | |
| CA1325385C (en) | Multiple audio signal processing system | |
| US5691966A (en) | Recording eight digital audio channels on a single magneto optical disk | |
| JPH06139697A (en) | Optical disk recording and reproducing device | |
| JPS58139315A (en) | Digital tape recorder | |
| EP0501792A2 (en) | Digital signal recording apparatus for analog/digital input | |
| JP3446896B2 (en) | Cassette auto changer controller | |
| JPH0612767A (en) | Device for automatic reproducing | |
| JP2650382B2 (en) | Digital signal processing method and circuit | |
| JP2000163867A (en) | Data processing device | |
| JPH01130689A (en) | Information offering system | |
| JPH0520763A (en) | Automatic disk reproducing device | |
| JPH087476A (en) | Portable audio apparatus | |
| JPS57193128A (en) | Tape driving system for automatic intercept service equipment |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Discontinued |