JP2003015672A - Karaoke device having range of voice notifying function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a karaoke device having a range of voice notifying function through which the range of voice of a singer is measured with high precision. SOLUTION: In the karaoke device, karaoke data of a specified karaoke music are processed and accompaniment music is generated and outputted from a speaker. The device having a range of voice notifying function is provided with a shifting intonation playing means which conducts a playing while appropriately changing the key of the accompaniment music every time a playing interval equivalent to one chorus, that is divided by an interlude, is passed, a pitch error measuring means which measures an error between the uttering pitch of the singer sampled from the singer's audio signals inputted through a microphone and the specified pitch to be uttered at the sampling points of the music being progressed, an evaluating means that statistically processes error measurement results of the pitch error measuring means in an interval during which one music is played and obtains a pitch extent where singing is conducted with a pitch error equal to or less than a reference as a range of voice and a range of voice notifying means which displays the range of voice obtained by the evaluating means in a prescribed format to notify the singer.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a karaoke device, and more particularly to a karaoke device having a function of notifying the vocal range of a singer by evaluating a singing voice sung by a singer in accordance with a karaoke piece.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many karaoke apparatuses have a key control function for changing the tone range (key) of accompaniment music and playing it. When the key of the accompaniment music and the key (vocal range) of the singer do not match, this function appropriately moves the key of the accompaniment music up and down to match the key of the singer.
When the user sings along with the accompaniment music and finds that his key does not match the key of the accompaniment music, the user adjusts the keys of the accompaniment music by using this key control function. Normally, the key can be set stepwise by numerical values such as “+1”, “−1”, “+2”, and if the numerical value is different by one, the key moves up or down a semitone. According to the above notation, "+1" raises the key of the accompaniment music by a semitone.

[0003]

The key control function can match the key (key) of the accompaniment music to the key (vocal range) of a singer that is different for each individual. However, when using that function, the setting value of the key must be determined by trial and error while singing a karaoke piece. Therefore, it is not possible to concentrate on singing due to the key setting work, and karaoke cannot be enjoyed.

To address this problem, Japanese Patent No. 27976
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 48 discloses a technique of a karaoke device that automatically adjusts key setting values according to the vocal range of a singer. This karaoke device, the singer utters a predetermined sound into the microphone prior to singing, detects the vocal range of the singer, and detects the vocal range of the singer. It is automatic setting. Further, by notifying the singer of the changed key setting value, when the same song is sung next time, the adjusted setting value may be adjusted to the notified setting value.

However, if all the people who are present at the karaoke venue are using the karaoke device to detect the key, the use time of the karaoke facility is wasted,
For the person who has completed the detection work, the time required for the detection work of another person is useless.

Further, even if a single tone having a different pitch (pitch) is simply uttered and the key is measured, it is often different from the vocal range actually uttered when singing a karaoke piece. . That is, a sound with the same pitch appears many times in one song, but the sound before and after the sound with that pitch, the duration of the sound with that pitch, etc. There are various ways to appear in the music.

The present invention provides a highly reliable vocal range measuring method without requiring the user to perform a complicated operation or causing an accompanying person to feel bored.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] === Essentials of the Invention === The inventors of the present application can set a key to an optimum value without trial and error if the singer knows his own vocal range. Considering this, it was decided to provide a karaoke device (a karaoke device with a vocal range notification function) having a function of notifying the user of the measured vocal range.

In order to realize a highly reliable vocal range notification function, it was considered that it is best to measure the vocal range of the singer in a state where the karaoke piece is actually sung. However, if you use a song that the singer is not familiar with at the time of measurement, the melody is not known, so in many cases you will utter at a pitch different from the one you should utter, and if you utter a different pitch, Naturally, the machine judges that "this pitch cannot be uttered." Therefore, a karaoke device with a vocal range notification function that allows the vocalist to measure the vocal range of a karaoke song arbitrarily specified by the singer is provided. Furthermore, to ensure higher reliability, every chorus (1st and 2nd song ...)
For example, a method of statistically processing the measurement record for each predetermined performance section is adopted.

=== Disclosure of the Invention === A first invention is a karaoke apparatus which processes karaoke data of a designated karaoke piece to generate accompaniment music and outputs the music to a speaker, which is divided by an interlude. A transposing means for playing while appropriately changing the key of the accompaniment music after each one-chorus performance section, a vocal pitch of the singer sampled from the voice signal of the singer input to the microphone, and a music progression. Above, pitch error measuring means for measuring an error from the designated pitch to be uttered at each sampling point, and statistically processing the error measurement result of the pitch error measuring means during a period of playing one song, the singing is below the standard. Evaluation means for obtaining a range that can be uttered by a pitch error as a range, and range notification means for expressing the range obtained by the evaluation means in a predetermined format and notifying the singer It was a karaoke device with a vocal range notification function.

In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the transposing performance means moves the accompaniment music key up or down by a predetermined pitch every time the performance section for one chorus elapses. By performing while changing the performance, the evaluation means obtains either the highest pitch or the lowest pitch that can be uttered with a pitch error below the reference, and the transposing performance means responds to the fact that one of the pitches has been obtained. The next one chorus is played in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction while changing the key of the accompaniment music by the predetermined pitch with respect to the reference key, and the evaluation means obtains the other pitch in the vocal range. It is a karaoke device with functions.

In the second invention, when the range is not obtained by the evaluation means during a period of playing one song, the next one chorus is repeated to return to the first playing section of the accompaniment music and repeatedly played. A karaoke device with a function is the third invention.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS === Basic Configuration and Operation of Karaoke Device === FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a karaoke device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This karaoke device 1 is a karaoke device 1 of a type that controls a sound source based on an electronic musical score in MIDI format known as a performance terminal of a communication karaoke system. The central control unit 2 has a CPU, a RAM,
It is a computer main body including a ROM, and controls the peripheral components to control the karaoke apparatus 1. The hard disk device 3 is a karaoke piece for many songs,
It stores music generation data that is the origin of the karaoke accompaniment music described in the MIDI format, and lyrics depiction data that is the origin of the lyrics image displayed on the display 14 in synchronization with the performance of the music.

When the central control unit 2 receives via the operation control unit 7 the music number of the requested music designated and input through the user interface such as the remote control transmitter 5 or the operation panel 6, the input order and the music number RAM associated with
The performance reservation processing of this music is performed by storing it in the. Then, when it becomes the performance order of the music, the corresponding music generation data and lyrics drawing data are extracted from the hard disk device 3 and processed.

The music generation data is sequentially transferred to the synthesizer 8, and the audio signal of the accompaniment music generated here and the audio signal input from the microphone 11 are input to the mixing amplifier 9, and the mixed audio signal is input to the speaker 10. Will be output. In addition, the lyrics image data is processed to generate a lyrics image that includes the lyrics character string that is synchronized with the performance, and a lyrics image that sequentially changes the color of each character in the lyrics character string is generated sequentially. Then, the image is sequentially developed in the video RAM 12 as a bitmap.

The karaoke apparatus 1 has a transposing performance function for variably controlling keys of accompaniment music in addition to the basic performance function described above. As is well known, MIDI uses pitches (note numbers), loudness (velocity), and note lengths (step time) of each accompaniment sound that constitutes a melody (instrument part) of each musical instrument.
-It is described by note information indicating the pronunciation duration (gate time). The karaoke apparatus 1 variably controls the keys of the accompaniment music so that the pitch of each accompaniment sound is shifted by a predetermined pitch according to the key setting value specified by the user. The karaoke apparatus 2 of the present embodiment has a vocal range notification function of measuring the vocal range of the singer using the transposing performance function and notifying the singer of the measurement result. In addition, the vocal range is measured while the user is playing a karaoke piece arbitrarily designated, and a highly reliable measurement result can be obtained.

=== Voice Range Measuring Unit === The karaoke apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a vocal range measuring unit 15 in order to realize a vocal range notifying function. In this embodiment, the vocal range measuring unit 15 is composed of a dedicated DSP. FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of this DSP. A D / A converter 16 for sampling the singing voice signal from the microphone 11, and a pitch acquisition unit 17 for analyzing the sampling data output by the D / A converter 16 in real time to acquire the vocal pitch of the singer. And a pitch comparing section 18 for comparing the obtained vocal pitch with the pitch (instructed pitch) to be vocalized in the accompaniment music currently being played, which is given by the note number, and outputs the difference as error data. Built-in. As the instruction pitch, each tone pitch of data corresponding to the main melody in MIDI data is adopted.

=== Voice Range Notification Function === The present invention measures the vocal range of the singer when playing an arbitrary karaoke piece. The central control unit 2 records the error data output from the vocal range measuring unit 15 in parallel with the performance processing of the karaoke piece, finally identifies the vocal range of the singer, and determines the maximum pitch and the minimum pitch of the vocal range. Is displayed on the display 14 and the like is appropriately notified. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the outline of the method for identifying the vocal range. The abscissa indicates the indicated pitch, and the error with respect to the indicated pitch and the pitch actually uttered by the singer (voice pitch-instructed pitch = error) is plotted. Since the same designated pitch appears a plurality of times during the performance of one piece of music, in this example, the average value of the error of the utterance pitch for the same designated pitch is plotted. The vocal range is the range in which the error is below the reference.

Next, the procedure for actually measuring the vocal range in this embodiment will be described. First, a predetermined number for activating the vocal range notification function is input to the karaoke apparatus 1 subsequently to the music number. Thereby, the central control unit 2 adds a predetermined code to the effect that the vocal range notification function is activated to the music number and performs the performance reservation process of the corresponding karaoke music. When playing the karaoke piece of the song number to which the predetermined code is added, the central control unit 2 takes out the corresponding music generation data and lyrics depiction data from the hard disk device 3, and recognizes the code to announce the vocal range. Activate the function.

FIG. 4 shows the flow of the vocal range measurement process in this embodiment. First, the first chorus (No. 1) is played with a key (reference key) designated in advance as a karaoke song (s1 to s2). At the end of the first chorus, the central control unit 2 analyzes the error data recorded so far, and if a pitch having an error of a reference or more (for example, a semitone or more) can be detected, this pitch is set as a limit pitch. Remember. For example, if the limit pitches on both the high tone side and the low tone side are detected, the measurement ends at this point (s3 → s
4 → s5 → s30).

On the other hand, when both the high and low limit pitches cannot be detected, the key is shifted up or down by a predetermined pitch to perform. In this embodiment, 1
The key is raised by a predetermined pitch from the chorus and the limit pitch on the treble side is obtained first (s3 → s4 → s).
5 → s6 → s11). If the treble side limit pitch is not detected in the second chorus (No. 2), the performance key is raised by a predetermined pitch each time one chorus ends (s12 → s13).
→ s14 → s15 → s16 → s11). When the treble-side limit pitch is detected, the next chorus is played with a key lower than the reference key by a predetermined pitch (s12 → s13 → s).
14 → s15 → s7). Also in this case, the performance key is lowered each time one chorus ends (s22 → s23 → s2) until the lower pitch limit is detected as in the treble side.
4 → s25 → s26 → s27 → s22). When the chorus at the time when the upper and lower limit pitches are finally detected, the measurement ends there (s25 → s30). After that, play with the key at that point until the end of the song. Of course, it may be played back properly by returning to the reference key and playing until the end.

There is a possibility that the performance of one musical piece will be completed before both the high and low limit pitches are detected.
In such a case, the present embodiment returns to the No. 1 and repeats the performance (s16 → s17 → s11,
s26 → s21).

FIG. 5 shows a practical example of the vocal range measurement procedure as a schematic diagram. In this example, the vocal range is measured using the karaoke songs No. 1 to No. 3. Perform the first chorus with the reference key. In this case, the upper pitch limit and the lower pitch limit cannot be detected. In the second chorus, the accompaniment music is raised by half an octave, and the treble side limit pitch is detected.
The third chorus (No. 3: final chorus) is played with a half octave lower than the reference key. However, the lower limit value cannot be detected. Therefore, returning to No. 1, the pitch is further lowered by half an octave from the key of the third chorus to play, the limit pitch on the bass side is detected, and the vocal range is finally specified.

=== Voice range notification === In order to notify the singer of the finally specified range,
Various means and expressions can be adopted. Display output, voice output, print output, etc. can be considered as the notification means.
In addition, as a method of expressing the vocal range, you may simply announce the limit pitch itself (A # 2, C ♭ 3, etc.) on the treble side and the bass side, or display a keyboard such as a piano and select which keyboard It may be possible to intuitively understand which keyboard, etc., by a pictorial diagram.

The announced vocal range must be an index for setting the key of the accompaniment music when actually singing a karaoke piece. Therefore, the reference key and singing range for each karaoke piece are posted in a table of contents.
Then, it is desirable to match the reference key or singing range expression method for each karaoke piece and the vocal range expression method announced by the karaoke apparatus of this embodiment.

=== Other Embodiments / Modifications === In the above-mentioned embodiment, the vocal range measuring unit is composed of a dedicated DSP, and the vocal range is measured by hardware.
Only the D / A converter may be mounted and the other functional elements may be realized by software executed by the central control unit.

The vocal range measurement process is not limited to the above embodiment,
By playing with the keys extremely shifted from the first chorus, it is possible to detect the upper or lower limit pitch for the time being. In this way, the variable control of the keys may be appropriately performed.

[0028]

According to the present invention, the vocal range of a singer can be measured by playing a karaoke piece designated by the user. Moreover, since the vocal range is specified based on the result of singing through one chorus, extremely reliable vocal range measurement result can be obtained.

Further, by changing the key by a predetermined pitch in a predetermined direction each time one chorus performance has elapsed, the vocal range is measured, whereby the singing is performed because the playing keys are extremely different between two consecutive choruses. It is possible to obtain a more reliable measurement result by preventing the difficulty.

Further, in a karaoke apparatus with a vocal range notification function that employs a vocal range measuring method in which a vocal range is shifted in a prescribed direction, even if the vocal range cannot be obtained during the performance period of one song, the accompaniment music is first recorded. By returning and repeating the performance, it is possible to continue the measurement without discomfort until the final vocal range is obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a karaoke device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a vocal range measuring unit in the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a vocal range measuring method in the karaoke device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of the vocal range measurement process in the above example.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an actual example of a vocal range measurement procedure by the karaoke apparatus of the above embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Karaoke device 2 Central control unit 8 synthesizer 11 microphones 15 Vocal range measurement unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A karaoke device for processing karaoke data of a specified karaoke piece to generate accompaniment music and outputting the music to a speaker, the accompaniment piece being performed each time a performance section for each chorus divided by an interlude elapses. An error between transposing means for playing while changing the music key as appropriate, the vocal pitch of the singer sampled from the voice signal of the singer input to the microphone, and the instruction pitch to be uttered at each sampling point in the progression of the music. And a pitch error measuring unit for statistically processing the error measurement result of the pitch error measuring unit during a period of playing one song to obtain, as a vocal range, a range in which a singing sound can be uttered with a pitch error below a reference. And a vocal range notifying unit for expressing the vocal range obtained by the evaluation unit in a predetermined format and notifying the singer of the vocal range. Intellectual function with a karaoke machine. 2. The transposing performance means according to claim 1, wherein each time the performance section for one chorus elapses, the key of the accompaniment music is changed up or down in a predetermined direction by a predetermined pitch. In this way, the evaluation means obtains either the highest pitch or the lowest pitch that can be uttered with a pitch error of not more than the reference, and the transposing means produces the next chorus in response to the one pitch being obtained. Vocal notification, characterized in that the accompaniment music key is played in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction while being changed by the predetermined pitch with respect to the reference key, and the evaluation means obtains the other pitch in the vocal range. Karaoke device with functions. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein during the period of playing one song, if the evaluation range is not obtained by the evaluation means, the next one chorus is returned to the first playing section of the accompaniment music and played repeatedly. Karaoke device with vocal range notification function.