JP2004326133A - Karaoke device having range-of-voice notifying function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>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. <P>SOLUTION: In the karaoke device, karaoke data of specified karaoke musical piece are processed to generate accompaniment music, which is outputted from a speaker. The device is provided with a transposed musical performance means which plays the accompaniment music 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. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a karaoke apparatus, and more particularly, to a karaoke apparatus having a function of notifying a singer's vocal range by evaluating a singing voice sung by a singer along with a karaoke song.

  Many karaoke apparatuses are provided with a key control function for changing the range (key) of the accompaniment music to perform. If the key of the accompaniment music does not match the key (vocal range) of the singer, the key of the accompaniment music is appropriately moved up and down to match the key of the singer. When the user sings along with the accompaniment music and finds that his / her key does not match the key of the accompaniment music, the user adjusts the key of the accompaniment music using this key control function. Normally, keys can be set stepwise by numerical values such as "+1", "-1", and "+2". When the numerical value is different by one, it indicates that the key moves up and down a semitone. According to the notation, "+1" means that the key of the accompaniment music is raised by one semitone.

  The key control function can adjust the key (tone) of the accompaniment music to the key (vocal range) of a singer different for each individual. However, when using that function, it is necessary to determine the key setting values by trial and error while singing a karaoke song. For this reason, the user is not able to concentrate on singing because of the key setting operation, and cannot enjoy karaoke.

  To cope with such a problem, Japanese Patent No. 2797648 discloses a technique of a karaoke apparatus that automatically adjusts a key set value according to a singer's vocal range. In this karaoke apparatus, a singer performs a test utterance of a predetermined sound toward a microphone prior to singing, detects a vocal range of the singer, and sets a key setting value of a designated karaoke song so as to match the detected vocal range. It is to set automatically. In addition, by notifying the singer of the changed key setting value, the next time the same song is sung, the singer may be adjusted to the notified setting value.

  However, if all persons present at the karaoke venue using this karaoke device perform key detection work, the use time of the karaoke facility will be wasted, and for those who have completed the detection work, other people's The time required for the detection work is useless time.

  Even if a single tone having a different pitch (pitch) is simply uttered and the key is measured, the vocal range that is actually uttered when singing a karaoke song is often different. That is, the same pitch sound appears many times in one song, but the sound of the specific pitch in the melody flow, such as the sound before and after the pitch sound and the duration of the pitch sound. Appearances vary in music.

  The present invention provides a highly reliable vocal range measurement method without requiring a user to perform a complicated operation or causing a companion to feel bored.

=== The gist of the invention ===
The present inventors believe that a singer can set a key to an optimum value without trial and error if a singer knows his own vocal range, and a karaoke apparatus having a function of notifying a user of the measured vocal range ( Karaoke device with voice range notification function).

  In order to realize a highly reliable vocal range notification function, it was considered that it is best to measure the vocal range of a singer while actually singing a karaoke song. However, when using a song that the singer does not know well at the time of measurement, the melody is not known, so it often utters at a pitch different from the pitch to be uttered, if you utter a sound with a different pitch, Naturally, the machine judges that "this pitch cannot be spoken". Therefore, a karaoke device with a vocal range notification function that can measure the vocal range of a karaoke song arbitrarily specified by a singer is provided. Furthermore, in order to ensure higher reliability, a method of statistically processing a measurement record for each predetermined performance section, such as for each chorus (numbers 1, 2,..., Etc.), is adopted.

=== Disclosure of the Invention ===
A first invention is a karaoke apparatus that processes karaoke data of a specified karaoke song, generates accompaniment music, and outputs the accompaniment music to a speaker. Each time a performance section corresponding to one chorus divided by an interlude elapses. Transposition playing means for playing while appropriately changing the key of the accompaniment music, vocal pitch of the singer sampled from the voice signal of the singer input through the microphone, and instruction pitch to be uttered at each sampling point in the music progression A pitch error measuring means for measuring an error, and an evaluating means for statistically processing the error measurement result of the pitch error measuring means during a period of performing one piece of music to obtain a vocal range in which singing can be uttered with a pitch error below a reference as a vocal range. A karaoke device with a vocal range notifying function, comprising: a vocal range notifying device for expressing the vocal range obtained by the evaluation means in a predetermined format and notifying the singer. And the.

  In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the transposing performance means changes the key of the accompaniment music in a predetermined direction upward or downward by a predetermined pitch every time a performance section corresponding to the one chorus elapses. The playing means determines either the highest pitch or the lowest pitch at which the evaluation means can utter with a pitch error less than or equal to the reference, and the transposing performance means responds to the determination of the one pitch to obtain the next one. The chorus performs while changing the key of the accompaniment music in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction with respect to the reference key by the predetermined pitch, and the karaoke unit having a vocal range notification function in which the evaluation means obtains the other pitch in the vocal range. Equipment.

  In the second invention, if the vocal range is not determined by the evaluation means during the period of performing one song, the karaoke unit with a vocal range notifying function that returns to the first performance section of the accompaniment music and repeats the next one chorus. The device is a third invention.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to play a karaoke music piece designated by a user and measure the vocal range of the singer. In addition, since the vocal range is specified based on the result of singing through one chorus, a highly reliable vocal range measurement result can be obtained.

  Further, by changing the key by a predetermined pitch in a predetermined direction and measuring the vocal range each time a performance of one chorus elapses, it becomes difficult to sing due to extremely different performance keys between two consecutive choruses. And a more reliable measurement result can be obtained.

  Also, in a karaoke apparatus with a vocal range notifying function that employs a vocal range measurement method that shifts by a predetermined pitch in a predetermined direction, even if the vocal range is not obtained throughout the performance period of one song, the performance returns to the beginning of the accompaniment music. By repeating the above, the measurement can be continued without discomfort until the final vocal range is obtained.

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

  When the central control unit 2 receives the music number of the requested music specified and input through the user interface such as the remote control transmitter 5 or the operation panel 6 via the operation control unit 7, the central control unit 2 associates the input order with the music number. Thus, the performance reservation processing of the music is performed by storing the music in the RAM. Then, when the performance order of the music comes, the corresponding music generation data and lyrics rendering data are taken out 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 output to the speaker 10. Is done. It also processes lyrics rendering data to generate lyrics images containing lyrics strings synchronized with the performance, and sequentially generates lyrics images that change the color of each character in the lyrics strings at a specified timing. Then, the image is sequentially developed into a bit map in the video RAM 12.

  The karaoke apparatus 1 has a transposition performance function for variably controlling keys of accompaniment music in addition to the basic performance function described above. As is well known, MIDI is used to determine the pitch (note number), size (velocity), note length (step time), sounding duration (gate time), etc. of each accompaniment sound that constitutes the melody (instrument part) for each instrument. It is described by the note information shown. The karaoke apparatus 1 variably controls the keys of the accompaniment music according to the key set value specified by the user such that the pitch of each accompaniment sound is shifted by a predetermined pitch. The karaoke apparatus 2 of the present embodiment has a vocal range notification function of measuring the vocal range of a singer by using the transposition performance function and notifying the singer of the measurement result. In addition, the vocal range is measured when the user is playing a karaoke song arbitrarily designated, and a highly reliable measurement result can be obtained.

=== Voice range measurement part ===
The karaoke apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a vocal range measurement unit 15 to realize a vocal range notification function. In this embodiment, the vocal range measuring section 15 is constituted by a dedicated DSP. FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of this DSP. A D / A converter 16 for sampling a singing voice signal from the microphone 11, and a pitch acquisition unit 17 for analyzing sampling data output by the D / A converter 16 in real time to acquire a vocal pitch of a singer. And a pitch comparison unit 18 that compares the acquired utterance pitch with a pitch (instruction pitch) to be uttered in the accompaniment music currently being played given by the note number and outputs the difference as error data as a functional element. Built-in. The instruction pitch employs each tone pitch of data corresponding to the main melody in the MIDI data.

=== Voice range notification function ===
The present invention measures the singer's vocal range when playing any karaoke song. The central control unit 2 records the error data output from the vocal range measurement unit 15 in parallel with the performance processing of the karaoke music, and finally specifies the vocal range of the singer, and determines the highest pitch and the lowest pitch of the vocal range. Is displayed on the display 14 as appropriate. FIG. 3 is a graph showing an outline of the method of specifying the vocal tract. The designated pitch is plotted on the horizontal axis, and the difference between the designated pitch and the pitch actually uttered by the singer (vocal pitch−specified pitch = error) is plotted. Since the same instruction 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 with respect to the same instruction pitch is plotted. Then, the range in which the error is equal to or less than the reference is defined as the vocal range.

  Next, a procedure for actually measuring the vocal range in the present embodiment will be described. First, following the music number, a predetermined number for activating the vocal range notification function is input to the karaoke apparatus 1. Accordingly, the central control unit 2 performs a performance reservation process of the corresponding karaoke music by adding a predetermined code to activate the vocal range notification function to the music number. When playing the karaoke music of the music number to which the predetermined code is added, the central control unit 2 retrieves the corresponding music generation data and lyrics rendering data from the hard disk device 3 and recognizes the code to notify 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) specified in advance for the karaoke music (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 equal to or greater than a reference (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 sides of the treble side and the bass side are detected, the measurement ends at this point (s3 → s4 → s5 → s30).

  On the other hand, if both the upper and lower limit pitches cannot be detected, the performance is performed by shifting the key in one of the upper and lower directions by a predetermined pitch. In the present embodiment, the key is raised by a predetermined pitch from the first chorus to determine the upper limit pitch first (s3 → s4 → s5 → s6 → s11). If the high pitch limit is not detected in the second chorus (No. 2), the performance key is increased by a predetermined pitch every time one chorus is completed (s12 → s13 → s14 → s15 → s16 → s11). If the upper pitch limit is detected, the next one chorus is played with a key which is lower than the reference key by a predetermined pitch (s12 → s13 → s14 → s15 → s7). In this case as well, the performance key is lowered every time one chorus is completed, until the bass pitch limit is detected in the same manner as the treble side (s22 → s23 → s24 → s25 → s26 → s27 → s22). Finally, when the chorus at the time when the limit pitch on both sides of the height is detected ends, the measurement ends there (s25 → s30). Thereafter, the music is played with the key at that time until the end of the music. Of course, the user may return to the reference key and play until the end.

  In some cases, the performance of one piece of music may end before both the high and low limit pitches are detected. In this embodiment, in such a case, the performance returns to No. 1 and the performance is repeated (s16 → s17 → s11, s26 → s21).

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an actual example of the voice range measurement procedure. In this example, the vocal range measurement is performed using karaoke songs from No. 1 to No. 3. The first chorus is performed with the reference key. In this case, it is not possible to detect the critical pitch on the treble side and the bass side. In the second chorus, the accompaniment music is played half an octave higher and the higher pitch limit pitch is detected. The third chorus (3rd: final chorus) is performed half an octave below the reference key. However, the lower limit value cannot be detected. Then, returning to No. 1 and lowering the pitch by half an octave below the key of the third chorus to detect the lower pitch limit pitch, the voice range is finally specified.

=== Voice range announcement ===
In order to notify the singer of the finally specified vocal range, various means and expressions can be adopted. Display means, audio output, print output, and the like can be considered as the notification means. As a method of expressing the vocal range, the upper limit and the lower limit of the pitch may be simply notified by themselves (A # 2, C # 3, etc.), or a keyboard such as a piano may be displayed and any key may be displayed. Any key may be intuitively understood by a picture.

  The notified vocal range must be used as an index for setting the key of the accompaniment music when actually singing the karaoke music. Therefore, reference keys and singing ranges for each karaoke song are listed in a table of contents. Then, it is desirable that the method of expressing the reference key and the singing range for each karaoke song and the method of expressing the vocal range notified by the karaoke apparatus of the present embodiment match.

=== Other Embodiments / Modifications ===
In the above embodiment, the vocal range measuring unit is configured by a dedicated DSP and measures the vocal range by hardware. However, only the D / A converter is mounted, and the other functional elements are controlled by software executed by the central control unit. A configuration that realizes this is also possible.

  The vocal range measurement process is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and if the performance is performed with the key shifted extremely from the first chorus, either the upper or lower limit pitch can be detected for the time being. As described above, the variable control of the key may be appropriately performed.

It is a functional block diagram of a karaoke device in an example of the present invention. It is a functional block diagram of a voice range measuring part in the above-mentioned example. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a vocal range measuring method in the karaoke apparatus of the present invention. 3 shows a flowchart of a vocal range measurement process in the embodiment. An example of a voice range measurement procedure by the karaoke apparatus of the above embodiment is shown as a schematic diagram.

Explanation of reference numerals

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Karaoke apparatus 2 Central control part 8 Synthesizer 11 Microphone 15 Voice range measuring part

Claims (3)

A karaoke apparatus that processes karaoke data of a specified karaoke song, generates accompaniment music, and outputs the generated music to a speaker,
Transposition performance means for performing while appropriately changing the key of the accompaniment music every time a performance section of one chorus divided by the interlude elapses;
Pitch error measuring means for measuring an error between a vocal utterance pitch sampled from a singer's voice signal input through a microphone and an instruction pitch to be uttered at each sampling point during music progression,
Evaluating means for statistically processing the error measurement result of the pitch error measuring means during a period of performing one piece of music to obtain a vocal range in which a singing sound can be uttered with a pitch error equal to or less than a reference as a vocal range;
A vocal range notifying unit that expresses the vocal range obtained by the evaluation unit in a predetermined format and notifies the singer.
A karaoke device with a vocal range notification function, comprising:   2. The evaluation means according to claim 1, wherein the transposing performance means performs the performance while changing the key of the accompaniment music in a predetermined direction upward or downward by a predetermined pitch every time a performance section corresponding to the one chorus elapses. Determines the highest pitch or the lowest pitch that can be uttered with a pitch error equal to or less than the reference, and the transposition playing means responds to the determination of the one pitch and the next chorus is opposite to the predetermined direction. A karaoke apparatus with a vocal range notification function, characterized in that the karaoke device has a vocal range notification function, wherein the karaoke device performs while changing the key of the accompaniment music in the direction with respect to the reference key by the predetermined pitch, and the evaluation means obtains the other pitch in the vocal range.   3. The vocal gamut according to claim 2, wherein, if the vocal range is not determined by the evaluation means during a period of performing one tune, the next one chorus is returned to the first performance section of the accompaniment music and repeatedly performed. Karaoke device with notification function.

Images