JP2001092457A - Electronic piano - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily impart an expression and a pitch bend when an organ sound and a synthesizer sound is selected in an electronic piano. SOLUTION: A tone color selection switch for changing a tone color is provided on a panel operation part 8. When the organ sound or the synthesizer sound is selected by this switch, one of plural foot pedals provided in a pedal operation part 10 functions as an expression pedal or a bender. For example, when the organ sound is selected, and the pedal function imparted as the expression pedal is stepped on, the strength of the sound while pronouncing is changable.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic piano, and more particularly to an electronic piano capable of emitting musical tones other than piano sounds, such as organ sounds and synthesizer sounds.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Electronic pianos capable of electronically synthesizing the tone of a piano and producing sound are widely known. In recent years, with the development of computer technology, there is also an electronic piano that can be produced with a tone other than a piano, for example, an organ or a synthesizer.

[0003] In an electronic piano, the generated sound can be given strength by changing the strength of depressing a key (key) of a keyboard, that is, the strength or speed of a touch. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 61-172192 discloses an electronic musical instrument capable of controlling touch data in accordance with an operation amount of an operation element (in the case of a pedal, a depression amount).
According to this electronic musical instrument, the volume or the like can be changed in multiple stages according to the operation amount of the pedal or the like.

An electronic organ has an expression pedal for increasing or decreasing the sound to be produced, and a synthesizer has a vender wheel for continuously changing a pitch.

[0005]

In a conventional electronic piano, even when an organ sound or a synthesizer sound can be selected, effects such as expression, pitch bend, and the like for changing the intensity of the sound being generated and for giving inflection are provided. Could not. Therefore, even if the user selects an organ sound or a synthesizer sound, it is not sufficient to perform a performance with a pipe organ sound having a religious music atmosphere or to enjoy a band feeling with the synthesizer sound.

[0006] In order to impart strength or inflection to the sound, it is conceivable to assign one of the pedals provided on the electronic piano as an expression pedal or a pitch bender. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-181964 discloses a method in which a plurality of jacks into which a plug of a pedal can be inserted are provided, and a predetermined pattern is determined according to which jack is plugged in. There is described an electronic musical instrument which provides a pedal with a predetermined function based on each jack. According to this electronic musical instrument, the functions assigned to the plurality of pedals can be changed by selecting the plug insertion pattern of the pedals. However, this device has a problem that the operation for assigning functions is complicated.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide an electronic piano which can have an expression function or the like for advanced performance while sufficiently considering operability by a user.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and to achieve the object, the present invention provides an electronic piano having a plurality of pedals for giving a playing effect. Effect imparting means for imparting any one of pitch bend, tone color selecting means for selecting one of a plurality of tone colors, when a tone color is selected by the tone color selecting means, one of the plurality of pedals, A first feature is that a function setting means is provided which is assigned as an input means for setting a level of an expression and a pitch bend which are associated in advance with a selected tone color.

Further, according to the present invention, the plurality of timbres include at least a piano sound, an organ sound, and a synthesizer sound, and the function setting means selects the organ sound by the timbre selection means. In this case, one of the plurality of pedals functions as an input unit for setting an expression level, and when a synthesizer sound is selected, one of the plurality of pedals sets a pitch bend level. The second feature lies in that it is configured to be assigned as.

According to the above feature, when the player selects an organ sound or a synthesizer sound by the timbre selecting means in order to change the timbre, one of the plurality of pedals sets its level to provide expression or pitch bend. Functions as input means.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic piano according to one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a CPU 1 controls each part of the electronic piano according to a control program stored in a program memory 2. The musical tone waveform memory 3 stores waveform data corresponding to a plurality of timbres and timbre parameters for controlling the waveform data to generate a musical tone. The timbre parameters include address information of the waveform data, envelope control information, and the like.

The automatic performance data memory 4 stores recorded performance data, and the performance data can be reproduced as musical tones in accordance with the supplied tempo information. The program memory 2, the automatic performance data memory 4, and the musical tone waveform memory 3 can be realized by a ROM. Note that the recording data is stored in the automatic performance data memory 4.
Instead of or in addition to this, a CD-RO that can be detachably mounted from the outside via an interface (not shown)
M or a card-type ROM can be used. RAM5
Is used as a work area and a buffer of the CPU 1, and may be backed up by a battery, for example. The timbre parameter is RA
It may be stored in M5.

The keyboard device 6 has a plurality of keys, and includes, for example, two switches for detecting key event information indicating key on / off of each key and touch information indicating key pressing strength, that is, velocity. Means. The keyboard interface 7 generates key event information and touch information based on the state of the detection means.
These pieces of information are stored in the RAM 5 in association with the key numbers.

The panel operation section 8 has various operation switches such as a tone color selection switch, a reproduction start switch of performance information stored in the automatic performance data memory 4, and a mode switch for instructing a sound quality adjustment mode. . The panel interface 9 generates switch event information indicating whether each switch on the panel operation unit 8 is on or off. The switch event information is stored in the RAM 5 in association with each operation switch. The panel operation unit 8 can have a display (not shown) composed of, for example, a liquid crystal screen.
The control result at U1 can be displayed.

The pedal operation section 10 has a plurality of pedals (for example, three pedals) and means for detecting an operation amount in conjunction with operation of the pedals. A potentiometer can be used as the pedal operation amount detecting means. The pedal interface 11 has an A / D converter and a buffer amplifier, converts the output of the potentiometer connected to the pedal into digital data, and outputs the digital data to the data bus 12 as pedal data.

The sound source, that is, the tone generation circuit 13 includes a digital control oscillator (DCO), a digital control filter (DCF), a digital control
It has an amplifier (DCA) and an effector, and outputs a tone signal based on the waveform data read from the tone waveform memory 3. The tone signal output from the sound source 13 is D / A
The signal is converted into an analog signal by the converter 14, amplified by an amplifier circuit (amplifier) 15, and then emitted through a speaker 16.

The above components are connected to each other through a data bus 12 except for a D / A converter 14, an amplifier 15, and a speaker 16. In order to obtain performance information, a MIDI interface can be provided as needed, and a memory card interface circuit, a floppy disk device, and the like can be provided for the automatic performance data memory 4.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing three pedals included in the pedal operation unit 8. The three pedals constituting the pedal operation unit 8 are provided when the tone of the electronic piano is selected.
The left pedal PD1 is a soft pedal and the middle pedal P
D2 is assigned to a sostenuto pedal and right pedal PD3 is assigned to a damper pedal.

The soft pedal PD1 has an effect of weakening sound. The sostenuto pedal PD2 gives a sustain effect for extending the sound. When the pedal PD2 is depressed before the finger is released after the key is pressed, sustain is applied only to the sound. The damper pedal PD3 also provides a sustaining effect of extending the sound, but unlike the sostenuto, the damper pedal PD3 is used to apply sustain to all sounds being generated. Among these pedals, a potentiometer for detecting at least the operation amount is connected to the soft pedal PD1.

FIG. 3 is a main flowchart showing the overall processing of the electronic piano. First, when the power is turned on, the CPU 1, the RAM 5, the LSI constituting the sound source 13, and the like are initialized in a step S1. In the panel switch event process in step S2, the state of each switch on the panel operation unit 8 is read and processed. The panel switch event process also includes a pedal function setting process using a tone selection switch (described later with reference to FIG. 5). Step S
In the pedal event process of No. 3, the operation of the pedal is detected, and a predetermined process is executed according to the operation amount. Step S4
In the keyboard event processing, the key code detected by each key detecting means provided in the keyboard device 6, velocity information corresponding to the strength of touch, and the like are read and processed. In the automatic performance processing in step S5, processing for automatic performance is performed based on the performance information read from the automatic performance data memory 4.

Next, the pedal event process (step S3) will be described in detail. In FIG. 4, step S3
At 0, it is determined whether or not the scheduled interrupt time (tm seconds) has elapsed. If this determination is negative, the following step S
Steps S31 to S35 are skipped, and the process jumps to keyboard event processing (step S4). If step S30 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S31 to read the pedal port. That is, the operation amount of each of the pedals PD1 to PD3 is read and written as pedal data (NEW) in a predetermined area of the RAM 5.

In steps S32 to S34, the pedal PD
3, damper pedal processing, soft pedal processing, and sostenuto pedal processing are respectively executed based on the pedal data of the pedal PD1 and the pedal PD2. In step S35, the pedal data (NEW) is stored in the RAM 5 as pedal data (OLD).

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the pedal function setting process. In step S100, it is determined whether or not the tone color selection switch is set to the piano. If this is the case, the process proceeds to step S101, and the timbre is set to "piano". In step S102, the pedal PD1 is assigned to a soft pedal, the pedal PD2 is assigned to a sostenuto pedal, and the pedal PD3 is assigned to a damper pedal.

If step S100 is negative, step S
Proceeding to 103, it is determined whether the tone color selection switch is set to organ. If step S103 is affirmative, the timbre is set to "organ" in step S104.
In step S105, the pedal PD1 is assigned to the expression pedal, the pedal PD2 is assigned to the sostenuto pedal, and the pedal PD3 is assigned to the damper pedal.

Further, if step S103 is negative, the process proceeds to step S106, and it is determined whether or not the tone color selection switch is set to the synthesizer. Step S10
In step 7, the timbre is set to "synthesizer". Step S
At 108, the pedal PD1 is assigned to the vendor, the pedal PD2 is assigned to the sostenuto pedal, and the pedal PD3 is assigned to the damper vendor.

If the pedal PD1 is assigned as an expression pedal or a damper in the pedal function setting process, an expression pedal process or a damper process is performed in the soft pedal process in step S33.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the expression pedal process. In step S200, it is determined whether or not pedal PD1 is on. This determination is based on the pedal P
This is done by the value of a potentiometer coupled to D1.
If the pedal PD1 is depressed, since the potentiometer has changed from the initial value, step S200 becomes affirmative, and the process proceeds to step S201. In step S201, the difference between the potentiometer value (NEW) and the previous data (OLD) is calculated to determine the volume change amount. In step S202, the amount of change in the sound volume is
The signal is sent to the volume change circuit provided above.

Processing for detecting a change in volume provided for pedal operation and applying an expression is as follows.
Various modifications can be made without being limited to those shown in FIG. For example,
The volume control described in JP-B-7-43590 can be applied.

As described above, in the present embodiment, one of a plurality of pedals is provided with a function as an expression pedal or a vender wheel in conjunction with the tone color selection.

[0030]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, when a player selects a timbre, one of a plurality of pedals has an effect peculiar to the timbre. It functions as a pedal for giving For example, according to the invention of claim 2, an expression or pitch bend function unique to an organ or a synthesizer is provided.
It can be easily realized by a simple panel operation called tone selection.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an electronic piano according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an essential part perspective view of the electronic piano showing an arrangement of a foot pedal.

FIG. 3 is a main flowchart showing processing of the electronic piano according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a pedal event process.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a pedal function setting process.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing event processing of an expression pedal.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... CPU, 4 ... Automatic performance data memory, 8 ... Panel operation part, 10 ... Pedal operation part, 11 ... Pedal interface

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An electronic piano having a plurality of pedals for imparting a performance effect, an effect imparting means for imparting one of expression and pitch bend to a musical tone being sounded, and selecting one of a plurality of tone colors. And selecting a tone from the plurality of pedals and setting a level of an expression or a pitch bend that is associated in advance with the selected tone in the expression and pitch bend. A function setting means for assigning as an input means for performing the operation. 2. The plurality of timbres include at least a piano sound, an organ sound, and a synthesizer sound. The function setting means, when an organ sound is selected by the timbre selection means, One of the pedals functions as input means for setting an expression level, and when a synthesizer sound is selected by the tone color selecting means, one of the plurality of pedals serves as an input means for setting a pitch bend level. The electronic piano according to claim 1, wherein the electronic piano is configured to be assigned.