JP2000261391A - Bidirectional cascade connecting mixer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To take out a total output from a mixer at an optional position by making it possible to use a mixing signal by each mixer in cascade connection of a digital mixer. SOLUTION: A bi-directional cascade connecting mixer 11 adds plural input signals 1 to n (x, y)ch together by an adder 12 and adds a cascade signal Sc outputted from another mixer thereto by an adder 13 to output as a cascade output (CO). Switches 153 and 154 switch a signal to give mixing output stages 16 to 18 to an adding signal Si or the cascade signal Sc depending on a cascade master 11m or a cascade slave 11s. Based on setting of a controller 11C, the switches 153 and 154 are switch-controlled and a delay circuit 19 adjusts a phase difference between the mixing output signals of each of the mixers 11m and 11s.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a bidirectional cascade-connected mixer in which a plurality of digital mixers are cascaded in a digital audio device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a plurality of digital mixers having a function of processing and mixing a plurality of input signals are used in cascade connection,
Processes multiple input signals input from its own internal bus
In addition to mixing, the cascade output signal from the preceding digital mixer is mixed and supplied to the succeeding digital mixer.

FIG. 1 shows a prior art of this kind. For example,
When the digital mixers MA and MB are cascaded as shown in FIG. 1A, when the addition result of their own input signals at each mixer MA and MB is "SA" and "SB", the final total The addition result “SA + SB” is obtained only from the digital mixer MA, which is the cascade master.
From the digital mixer MB serving as a cascade slave, only its own addition result "SB" can be obtained.

FIG. 1B shows a block diagram of the signal processing by the cascade connection of FIG. 1A.
The digital mixer MA has x input channels 1, 2, 2,
, Xch, and the digital mixer MB has y input channels 1, 2,..., Ych. Since the addition result “SB” of the digital mixer MB is cascaded and input to the digital mixer MA in cascade, the master digital mixer MA adds this cascade input signal to its own addition result “SA”,
The addition result “SA + SB” is obtained. The delay element DL between the input adder AI of the digital mixer MA itself and the cascade adder AC of the cascade input signal from the slave digital mixer MB corrects the phase difference between the digital mixers MA and MB. It is provided for the purpose.

Next, a slave digital mixer M
Add digital mixer MA, MB, MC to Fig. 1
Even in the case of cascade connection as shown in (3), the final addition result “SA + SB + SC” can be obtained only by the digital mixer MA at the final stage, and from the digital mixers MB and MC at the previous stage, Only intermediate addition results "SB + SC" and "SC" (SC is the addition result of the input signal of the mixer MC itself) can be obtained.

As described above, in the prior art, when a plurality of digital mixers are connected in cascade, the total addition result to be mixed can be obtained only by the master digital mixer MA at the last stage.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of such inconveniences, the present invention can use a mixed signal in each digital mixer even when a plurality of digital mixers are connected in cascade, and can provide an arbitrary total output. It is an object of the present invention to provide a bidirectional cascade-connected mixer which can be taken out from a digital mixer at a position.

[0008]

According to the present invention, an input addition means for adding a plurality of input signals and outputting an input addition signal, and a cascade input means for inputting a cascade signal output from another digital mixer. Cascade output means for outputting an addition signal of the input addition signal and the cascade signal or an input signal as a cascade signal; switch means for switching and outputting either the input addition signal or the cascade signal; output from the switch means And a mixing output means for outputting a signal as a mixing output signal.

In the bidirectional cascade-connected mixer according to the present invention, the mixing output means is provided with a delay means for adjusting the phase of the mixing output signal.
Control means for switching the switching means and setting the delay amount of the delay means is also provided.

In short, the switch means for switching the output bus switches between outputting the result of addition by the digital mixer itself or outputting the addition result obtained by another digital mixer. The delay means provides a delay for adjusting the phase difference between the outputs of the digital mixers, and the memory device provided in the control means sets the switching of the bus and the amount of delay for each digital mixer.

[Operation] In the bidirectional cascade-connected mixer according to the present invention, an input addition signal obtained by adding signals from a plurality of input channels and a cascade signal output from another digital mixer are added and output as a cascade output. I do. Switching means controlled by the control means switches a signal given to the mixing output stage to either an input addition signal or a cascade signal, depending on whether the digital mixer is a cascade master or a slave.
The mixing output stage is provided with a switch delay circuit for adjusting the phase difference between the mixing output signals between the digital mixers based on the setting by the control means.

Therefore, according to the present invention, a function is provided in which the addition result signal of the cascade-connected bus is sent to another digital mixer, and each digital mixer receiving the signal switches to use the sent signal. That is,
By returning all the addition results to another digital mixer, each bus output can be handled in the same manner. Therefore, when using a cascade connection of a plurality of digital mixers, each digital mixer can be handled without having to consider which digital mixer is a cascade master or a cascade slave in signal processing, and the total output can be reduced. It can be extracted from the digital mixer at any position.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The following embodiment is merely an example, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[Basic Configuration of Mixer Unit] FIG. 2
Shows an example of a basic unit configuration serving as a base of the cascade connection mixer. The digital mixer 1 includes a plurality (n) of input signal terminals T1 to Tn, a cascade input terminal CI, adders 2 and 3, a delay circuit 4, a mixing output terminal BO, and a cascade output terminal CO. . The input signal terminals T1 to Tn are supplied with input signals of a plurality (n) of input channels 1ch to nch from an internal bus, and the cascade input terminal CI receives a cascade input signal Sc from a preceding digital mixer via a cascade bus. Given. Adder 2 is for channel 1ch
The n-channel input signals are added, and the adder 3 adds the addition result signal Si and the cascade input signal Sc from the cascade input terminal CI.

A delay circuit 4 provided between the adders 2 and 3
Has a function of correcting the phase difference between the input signals of the channels 1ch to nch of the digital mixer 1 itself and the cascade input signal from the previous stage digital mixer, as described above. The delay is set based on a signal delay amount inherent between the digital mixer and the digital mixer 1. This delay circuit 4
When the delay is “0”, the delay is bypassed by the switch element 5 and the delay function is turned off.

The addition result of the adder 3 is processed by a processing unit such as an equalizer 6, a fader 7 and an on / off element 8, and then output to its own internal bus BUS via a mixing output terminal BO. . The addition result of the adder 3 is
The signal is also output to the cascade output terminal CO to pass the signal to the next stage digital mixer.

[Case of Two Units] FIG. 3 shows an internal configuration and a connection relationship of a digital mixer of a bidirectional cascade connection mixer according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the 1st unit structural example of each digital mixer which comprises a bidirectional cascade connection mixer, and shows the internal structure of the digital mixer when only considering the cascade connection of two digital mixers.

The digital mixer 11 has a plurality (n) of input signal terminals T1 like the basic unit shown in FIG.
To Tn, cascade input terminal CI, input signal adder 1
2, cascade adder 13, first delay circuit 14, first
Switch element 151, equalizer 16 and fader 17
A mixing output signal processing unit 11P including an on / off element 18 and the like, a mixing output terminal BO, and a cascade output terminal CO are provided. Further, the example of FIG. 2 is improved, and the second to fourth switch elements 152 are provided. 154 and the second delay circuit 19.

The second delay circuit 19 provides a delay for adjusting the phase difference between the outputs of the digital mixers connected in cascade, and each switch element 151
154 and the delay circuits 14 and 19 are controlled by a switch constituted by a CPU and a delay control unit 11C. The switch and delay control unit 11C receives a control signal from the central device via the control line CL, and switches the bus and sets the delay amount for each digital mixer by using a memory device provided in the control unit 11C.

The two digital mixers 11 configured as described above are connected in cascade as shown in FIG. 3 (2), and each of the switch elements 151 to 154 is appropriately switched and set, whereby one digital mixer 11m is connected. (The number of input channels n = x) can be used as a cascade master, and the other digital mixer 11s (the number of input channels n = y) can function as a cascade slave. In general, a digital mixer that outputs the addition result of the addition result signal Si of the signal from the input channel and the cascade input signal Sc from the cascade input terminal CI to its own bus (BUS) is referred to as a “cascade master”. Good,
A digital mixer that outputs the addition result signal Si of the signal from the input channel to a cascade output bus (Cascade BUS) is called a “cascade slave”.

More specifically, when the digital mixer 11 shown in FIG. 3A is used as the cascade master mixer 11m shown in FIG.
1 to 154 are digital mixers 1 shown at the bottom of FIG.
Switching is performed within 1 m. That is, the third switch element 153 is connected to the adder 13 side (m), and is set in a state of adding the signal Si of the digital mixer 11m itself and the cascade input signal Sc. The fourth switch 154 is also connected to the adder 13 (m), and is set to a state of selecting Si + Sc as a result of the addition as described above. At this time, the second switch element 152
Of the output signal processing unit 1
A delay circuit 19 is used to correct the phase of the mixing signal output from 1P and the mixing signal of another digital mixer, ie, the cascade slave mixer 11s.

On the other hand, the digital mixer 11 shown in FIG.
Is used as the cascade slave 11s in FIG. 3B, the switch elements 151 to 154 are switched as in the digital mixer 11s shown in the upper part of FIG. That is, the third and fourth switch elements 15
3, 154 are connected to the opposite side (s) of the digital mixer 11m, and the cascade input signal Sc is set so as to be sent only to the mixing output terminal BO without passing through the adder 13. Also, the second switch element 152
Are basically connected to the common terminal side (s), and the second delay circuit 19 is turned off.

As described above, in the configuration of FIG. 3A, in addition to the basic function of adding the cascade input Sc, the third signal for sending the signal Sc input from the cascade to the processing of the bus BUS is used. And the fourth changeover switch element 15
3, 154 and a delay circuit 19 for correcting a phase difference generated when returning the addition result Si + Sc to another mixer. Although the configuration is limited to the two-unit cascade in FIG. 3A, the configuration in FIG. 5A described later allows two or more cascades.

As shown in FIGS. 3 (2) and 4, when two digital mixers 11m and 11s are connected in cascade, the signals of the input channels 1ch to xch of the cascade master mixer 11m are added as described above. , The addition result Si + Sc is output from the cascade output terminal CO, and the cascade input terminal CI of the cascade slave mixer 11s is output.
Enter from. Here, in the digital mixer 11m,
The cascade signal S from the digital mixer 11s is added to the addition result Si of the signals of its own input channels 1ch to xch.
c is adjusted by the delay circuit 14 to adjust the phase to the cascade input signal Sc.
Is added. Thereby, both digital mixers 11
The result of addition of m and 11 s is Si + Sc.

The addition result signal Si + Sc is used at the bus (BUS) output of the digital mixer 11m, and is sent from the cascade output terminal CO of the cascade master mixer 11m to the cascade input terminal CI of the digital mixer 11s. The addition result can also be used with the bus BUS output of the cascade slave mixer 11s via the fourth switch elements 153 and 154.

The delay circuit 19 of the digital mixer 11m is used to correct the phase difference between the bus (BUS) outputs of the digital mixers 11m and 11s. Further, by using a memory or the like, it is possible to set which of the digital mixers 11m and 11s in FIG. 4 should be operated for the two digital mixers 11 having the configuration of FIG. , Switch element 15 in each mixer
3, 154 can be switched in conjunction with each other.

FIG. 5 shows the internal structure and connection relationship of a digital mixer of a bidirectional cascade-connected mixer according to another embodiment of the present invention.
(1) is a second unit configuration example of each digital mixer constituting the bidirectional cascade-connected mixer, and shows the internal structure of the digital mixer in a case where three or more digital mixers are cascaded.

This digital mixer 21 has a plurality of (x) input signal terminals T1 to T, like the unit of FIG.
x, cascade input terminal CI, input signal adder 22, cascade adder 23, first and second delay circuits 24, 2
9, a mixing output signal processing unit 21P including a first and second switch elements 251, 252, an equalizer 26, a fader 27, an on / off element 28, a mixing output terminal BO, and a cascade output terminal CO. In order to pass the addition result obtained at the cascade output terminal CO to another digital mixer, a cascade return terminal CR and a cascade transmission terminal CS are provided, and a fifth switch element 255 is provided correspondingly. Further, each of the switch elements 251, 252, 255 and the delay circuits 24, 29
Are controlled by a switch and delay control unit 21C similar to the digital mixer 11 of FIG.

FIG. 5B shows an example of a connection state when three digital mixers 21 configured as described above are connected in cascade, and switch elements 252 and 255 are shown.
Are appropriately switched and set, so that one digital mixer 21m (the number of input channels n = x) is used as a cascade master and the remaining two digital mixers 21s
1 (the number of input channels n = y) and 21s2 (the number of input channels n = z) can function as a cascade slave.

More specifically, when the digital mixer 21 shown in FIG. 5A is used as the cascade master mixer 21m shown in FIG.
1, 252 and 255 are switched as in the digital mixer 21m shown at the bottom of FIG. That is, the third switch element 255 is connected to the adder 23 side (m).
And the result of adding the signal Si of the digital mixer 21m itself and the cascade input signal Sc is set to a state of selecting Si + Sc. At this time, the second switch element 252 is connected to the second delay circuit 29 side (m), and outputs the mixing signal output from the output signal processing unit 21P to the mixing output signals of the other cascade slave mixers 21s1, 21s2. Second delay circuit 2 for phase correction
9 is used.

On the other hand, the digital mixer 21 shown in FIG.
To the cascade slaves 21s1, 21s2 of FIG.
, The switch elements 251, 25
2, 255 are switched as in the digital mixers 21s1, 21s2 shown in the middle and top of FIG. That is, the cascade return terminal CR and the cascade transmission terminal CS provided to pass the addition result Si + Sc from the cascade output terminal CO of the cascade master mixer 21m to another digital mixer are used. Then, the signal input from the cascade return terminal CR is output from the cascade transmission terminal CS, and the digital mixers 21s1 and 21s2 serving as cascade slaves are set so as to send the signal from the cascade return terminal CR to the mixing output terminal BO. Is done.

Each cascade slave 21s1, 21s2
Of the cascade return terminal CR
Side (s), and a signal representing the addition result Si + Sc input from the cascade slave return terminal CR is set so as to be sent only to the respective mixing output terminals BO. In the first cascade slave 21s1,
The phase correction can be performed by the delay circuit 29.

In the connection example of FIG. 5B and FIG.
Cascade master mixer 21m input to cascade return terminal CR in first cascade slave 21s1
From the cascade transmission terminal CS to the cascade return terminal C of the second cascade slave 21s2.
Set to be passed to R. In the second cascade slave 21s2, as described above, the addition result signal is set so as to be sent from the cade return terminal CR to the mixing output terminal BO only via the fifth switch element 255. The element 252 is connected to the common terminal side of the fifth switch element 255, and the delay circuit 29
Turns off.

When three or more digital mixers are connected in cascade, cascade input / output terminals CI / CO (Cascade In / Ou) as shown in FIGS.
Since it is not feasible only by providing t), in another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a cascade reply / transmission terminal CR / CS (Cascade Retu).
rn / Send). Then, the final addition result obtained by the cascade master mixer 21m is connected to the cascade return transmission terminals CR and CS in the same manner as the connection of the cascade input / output terminals CI and CO, and the cascade slave mixers 21s1 and 21s2 are connected. Can use this addition result.

It should be noted that the signal flow at the cascade input / output terminals CI and CO is the cascade slave mixer 21s.
2, 21s1 to the cascade master mixer 21m, but the cascade return transmission terminals CR, C
S is configured to go from the master mixer 21m to the slave mixers 21s1 and 21s2. That is, the return signal from the master mixer 21m is selected by the slave mixers 21s1 and 21s2.

The third switch element 153 provided in the configuration examples shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 combines the cascade input terminal CI with the function of the cascade input terminal CI for receiving the return signal from the cascade master mixer 11m. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 6, the return terminal CR is shared as a cascade return terminal CR, and has a meaning as a function changeover switch. Note that two cascade connections can be realized with the digital mixer configured as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, but the cascade return transmission terminal C
Since the cost increases due to the addition of R and CS, if the function is limited to a cascade of two units, the configuration shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is better.

The cascade input / output terminals CI and CO and the cascade return transmission terminals CR and CS do not need to be independently provided, and by providing one connector with an I / O function, signals can be transmitted with one cable. Exchange becomes possible.

[Another Embodiment] FIGS. 7 and 8 schematically show an overall configuration example of a cascade-connected digital mixer according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 shows another example in which the total output output from the cascade master mixer 31m to the total output line TL is supplied to k cascade slave mixers 31s1 to 31sk. Each digital mixer includes first and second switch elements 32,
33 is provided. The illustration of the delay circuit and the mixing signal processing unit, the switch, and the delay control unit provided on the output side of the second switch element 33 is omitted.

The open / close state of each switch element 32, 33
It is controlled as shown in the figure depending on whether it is used as a cascade master or a cascade slave. That is,
In the case of the cascade master mixer 31m, the first switch element 32 is always turned on, and the second switch element 3
3 is turned on by the adder 31A, and a total output is obtained as the mixing output OUTm of the cascade master mixer 31m.

On the other hand, the cascade slave mixer 31s1
In the case of .about.31 sk, the first switch element 32 is always turned off, and the second switch element 33 is opened and closed arbitrarily according to the required mixing output. Therefore, an output according to the setting state of the second switch element 33 can be obtained as each of the mixing outputs OUT1 to OUTk of the cascade slaves 31s1 to 31sk.

FIG. 8 shows another example in which two terminals are added as in FIGS. 5 and 6 to increase the degree of freedom of the mixing output. Each digital mixer 41m, 41s1
41sk includes first and second switch elements 42 and 43 in addition to the cascade adding means 41A. FIG.
Also, a delay circuit and a mixing signal processing unit, and a switch and a delay control unit provided on the output side of the second switch element 43 are not shown, and the open / close states of the switch elements 42 and 43 are as follows. It is similar to that of FIG.

FIG. 9 shows an example of a connection arrangement of the switch and the delay control unit used in the present invention. Although a switch and a delay control unit are provided in the digital mixer of each embodiment, a dedicated control line CL may be provided and automatic control may be performed from a central device as in this example. Further, the control line CL may be provided in each digital mixer connection bus. Further, regarding the switch control, if the cascade output CO is a non-connected digital mixer, it is regarded as a cascade master to control each switch element in the digital mixer, and a bus is connected to the cascade output CO. In the case of a digital mixer, each switch element in the mixer may be controlled as a cascade slave.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, in the bidirectional cascade connection mixer of the present invention, an input addition signal obtained by adding input signals from a plurality of input channels and a cascade signal output from another digital mixer Is output as a cascade output, and a switch means controlled to be switched by the control means outputs a signal given to the mixing output stage to either the input addition signal or the cascade signal depending on whether the digital mixer is a cascade master or a slave. To the mixing output stage.
A switch delay circuit is provided for adjusting the phase difference between the mixing output signals between the digital mixers based on the setting by the control means.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the addition result signal of the cascaded bus is sent to another digital mixer, and each digital mixer receiving the signal is provided with a function of switching to use the sent signal. By returning the addition result to another digital mixer, each bus output can be handled in the same manner. Therefore, when using the cascade connection of a plurality of digital mixers, which
Without having to consider whether it ’s a master or a cascade slave,
Each digital mixer can be handled, and the total output can be obtained from the digital mixer at an arbitrary position.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cascade-connected mixer according to the related art.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a basic unit configuration serving as a base of a cascade connection mixer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an internal configuration and a connection relation of a digital mixer of a bidirectional cascade connection mixer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a specific connection diagram of a bidirectional cascade connection mixer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an internal configuration and a connection relation of a digital mixer of a bidirectional cascade connection mixer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a specific connection diagram of a bidirectional cascade connection mixer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a bidirectional cascade connection mixer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a bidirectional cascade connection mixer according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a connection arrangement of a switch and a delay control unit used in the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

11, 21, 31, 41 Digital mixer, 11C, 21C switch and delay control unit, 11P, 21P mixing output signal processing unit, 12, 22 input signal adder, 13, 23 cascade adder, 153, 154; 255; 32 , 33; 42, 43 switch elements, 19, 29 delay circuits, T1 to Tn, Tx, Ty, Tz input signal terminals, BO mixing output terminals, CI cascade input terminals, CO cascade output terminals.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An input addition means for adding a plurality of input signals and outputting an input addition signal, a cascade input means for inputting a cascade signal output from another digital mixer, and the input addition signal and a cascade signal Cascade output means for outputting the sum signal or the input signal as a cascade signal; switch means for switching and outputting either the input sum signal or the cascade signal; and a signal output from the switch means as a mixing output signal. And a mixing output means for outputting. 2. The bidirectional cascade mixer according to claim 1, wherein said mixing output means includes delay means for adjusting a phase of the mixing output signal. 3. The bidirectional cascade connection mixer according to claim 2, further comprising control means for switching said switch means and setting a delay amount of said delay means.