JP2005148627A - Karaoke device having feature in volume control of model vocal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a karaoke device with which a guide vocal function is provided so as not to output unnecessary model vocal sound even though timing of the start of singing is delayed at the leading of a phrase due to a "hold" or the like. <P>SOLUTION: The karaoke device is provided with a singing volume measuring means and a control means and reproduces karaoke music data having model vocal, mixes the data with singing input sound from a microphone and acoustically outputs them. The singing volume measuring means detects the volume of singing voice inputted from the microphone and outputs a singing volume value. The control means enables a phrase specifying process and a guide vocal volume control process. In the phrase specifying process, a phrase leading timing is specified based on the musical score information included in the karaoke music data. In the guide vocal volume control process, adding and subtracting control is conducted for the mixing volume of the guide vocal based on the singing volume value and during a prescribed interval from the phrase leading timing, the guide vocal mixing volume is controlled to be a minimum. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a karaoke apparatus, and more particularly, to a karaoke apparatus that can output an exemplary vocal sound so that a singer can easily follow accompaniment music.

  As an incidental function of the karaoke apparatus, there is a guide vocal function for outputting vocal sound by a model singer (for example, semi-pro). This function turns the singing voice of the model singer into ADPCM format recording data, prepares the recording data in association with karaoke music, and plays back the recorded data in synchronization with the performance of the karaoke music Then, the singing voice from the microphone, the karaoke accompaniment music, and the model vocal are mixed and outputted as sound.

In the first place, this guide vocal function is a voice output of the model vocal so that the singer can not follow the accompaniment music and the singing is not interrupted, assisting the singer to follow the song naturally, the singer is silent The purpose is to prevent the accompanying person from feeling uncomfortable. Thus, the exemplary vocals are in the way when the singer sings normally. Therefore, based on the singing voice collected from the microphone, for example, when the singing voice falls below a predetermined volume, when the singer is singing, the volume of the guide vocal is raised, and the model vocal There is a karaoke device equipped with a guide vocal function for controlling the volume. This exemplary vocal volume control technique is disclosed in the following patent document.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 03-29598 JP 04-298793 A JP 2000-47677 A JP 2000-267777 A

  In any of the guide vocal functions disclosed in each of the above patent documents, when the singing voice is interrupted or falls below a predetermined volume, an exemplary vocal is output as sound. However, there is a singing technique that deliberately delays the timing of singing, which is called “for” at the beginning of the phrase, such as the beginning of the phrase, and in the conventional guide vocal function, singing was cut off for the silent part of this “for” Judgment is made and the guide vocal outputs sound. Also, even if you do not knowingly “do”, singing is usually delayed in the singing part. For this reason, unnecessary guide vocals are often output at the beginning of the phrase, which sometimes hinders singing.

  The present invention has been created to solve the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a karaoke apparatus having a feature of a guide vocal function that prevents an extra model vocal voice from being output even if the timing of singing is delayed at the beginning of a phrase due to "for" or the like. Yes.

The karaoke apparatus of this invention shall be equipped with the following requirements (1)-(5).
(1) A karaoke apparatus that includes singing volume measuring means and control means, reproduces karaoke music data with an exemplary vocal, mixes with singing input sound from a microphone, and outputs sound.
(2) The singing volume detecting means detects the volume of the singing voice input from the microphone and outputs the singing volume value.
(3) The control means should enable phrase specifying processing and guide vocal volume control processing.
(4) The phrase specifying process specifies the phrase head timing based on the score information included in the karaoke music data.
(5) The guide vocal volume control process controls the mixed volume of the guide vocal based on the singing volume value and controls the guide vocal mixed volume to the minimum during a predetermined period from the phrase head timing.

  Further, the phrase specifying process may be a karaoke apparatus that specifies the phrase head timing based on any of guide melody data, scoring reference data, and lyrics rendering data in an electronic score.

  Alternatively, the phrase specifying process is based on the data if there is guide melody data, and based on the data if there is no guide melody data and there is scoring reference data. If it exists, it is good also as a karaoke apparatus which specifies phrase head timing based on the said data.

=== Basic configuration and operation of karaoke apparatus ===
FIG. 1 shows a functional configuration of a karaoke apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The karaoke apparatus 1 has a hardware configuration almost similar to that of a performance terminal of a known communication karaoke system. The central control unit 11 controls each peripheral component unit to control the karaoke device 1, and the hard disk device 12 is a generation source of music generation data mainly composed of MIDI data and lyrics images for many karaoke songs. Karaoke music data including lyrics rendering data is stored. Some karaoke music data is accompanied by guide vocal data that includes singing voices of model vocals. The hard disk device 12 also stores moving image data for a long time in a predetermined format and script data that defines the moving image data processing sequence (such as the storage location and processing order of moving image data to be processed). And the central control part 11 identifies the karaoke music data and script data of each music by a music number, and manages this as a karaoke database. The central control unit 11 communicates with a host device connected to the information communication network via the network interface 23, receives karaoke music data about new karaoke music, and updates the karaoke database as needed. ing.

  When the operation control unit 13 of the karaoke apparatus 1 receives the music number input by the remote control transmitter 24 via the light receiving unit 15 or receives the music number input by the operation panel 14, the operation control unit 13 receives the command. The data is transferred to the control unit 11, and the central control unit 11 stores the music number in an internal RAM and manages it in a performance processing queue. Then, the music numbers are sequentially extracted from the queue, the corresponding karaoke music data is read from the hard disk device 12, and the music generation data in the karaoke music data is transferred to the synthesizer 19 to generate accompaniment music.

  On the other hand, with regard to the lyric rendering data, the lyric image in which the portion to be sung is changed in color in synchronization with the accompaniment music is sequentially developed in the video RAM 16 as a bitmap. Also, predetermined moving image data is sequentially transferred to the video controller 17 in a predetermined order based on the script data, and the background moving image of the lyrics image is decoded.

  The mixing amplifier 20 mixes and amplifies the accompaniment music and the singing voice input to the microphone 22 and outputs the sound from the speaker 21. The video control unit 17 superimposes the lyric image on the decoded moving image and outputs it on the display 18.

  The karaoke apparatus 1 has a guide vocal function and an ADPCM decoder 25 for decoding guide vocal data. When the central control unit 11 receives a guide vocal output instruction input by the user through the remote control transmitter 24 or the operation panel 14 during the performance of the karaoke music piece, the central control unit 11 transfers the guide vocal data of the music piece to the ADPCM decoder 25. The voice signal of the guide vocal reproduced by the ADPCM decoder 25 is input to the mixing amplifier 20, mixed with the accompaniment music and the singing voice, and output acoustically from the speaker 21. It is also possible to receive an instruction to activate the guide vocal function together with the music number at the time of performance reservation, and manage the effect of the instruction to be associated with the music number in the performance processing queue. When the activation instruction is associated with the music number extracted from the queue, the guide vocal function may be activated when the corresponding music is played.

=== Guide vocal function ===
The guide vocal function of the karaoke apparatus 1 also includes a mode for controlling the volume of the guide vocal according to the singing volume input to the microphone 22. In this embodiment, there are ON / OFF / automatic modes as the operation mode of the guide vocal function, and the remote control transmitter 24 and the operation panel 14 are provided with buttons for switching between these modes. “ON” is a mode in which an exemplary vocal sound is continuously output at a predetermined volume along with the music performance. When switched to “OFF”, the active guide vocal function is stopped. Here, it is assumed that the “automatic” mode is selected.

  In the guide vocal function in the automatic mode, the volume measuring unit 26 measures the intensity of the audio signal from the microphone 22 and outputs a volume value corresponding to the intensity. Then, the central control unit 11 controls the mixing volume of the model vocal in the mixing amplifier 20 according to the output state of the volume value. In addition, control is performed so that unnecessary model vocals are not output at the beginning of the phrase in consideration of “for” and a slight delay in singing. The central control unit 11 specifies the phrase based on the guide melody data included in the music generation data. The guide melody data corresponds to the melody of the vocal part included in the MIDI data, and information about each note constituting the vocal part is described in association with the performance time series. Therefore, in the vocal part, if there is a silent part for a predetermined time or longer, it can be set as a section where no singing is performed (non-singing section), and the other section can be set as a section to be sung (singing section). . Then, when the non-singing section continues for a predetermined time or more, the continuation section can be defined as the interval between the phrases and the phrase can be specified.

  In this embodiment, the central control unit 11 extracts guide melody data in the music generation data and analyzes it prior to the performance process of the designated music, and when there is a non-singing section of 1 second or longer, The beginning of the singing section is the beginning of the phrase. Then, the elapsed time from the performance start time at the head is acquired as the phrase head timing and stored in the RAM or the like.

=== Volume control of model vocals ===
When the karaoke piece is played, the central control unit 11 transfers guide vocal data to the ADPCM decoder 25 to reproduce the voice signal of the model vocal. The voice input from the ADPCM decoder 25 in the mixing amplifier 20 is cut off until an instruction to start the guide vocal function is received by user input. Alternatively, the mixed volume of the exemplary vocal sound in the mixing amplifier 20 may be set to the minimum. It is also possible to acquire the performance elapsed time of the karaoke song at the time of receiving the guide vocal function activation instruction and reproduce the guide vocal data from the time corresponding to the performance elapsed time.

  When the central control unit 11 receives an instruction to start the guide vocal function during the performance of karaoke music, the central control unit 11 adjusts the mixed volume of the exemplary vocal sound in the mixing amplifier based on the output state of the singing volume value from the volume measuring unit 26. To do. FIG. 2 shows the correlation between the volume value of the singing voice and the volume value of the model vocal in association with the performance time series. In this embodiment, the upper limit of the volume measurement value is assumed to be 0 db, the lower limit is set to -95 db, and when the duration less than the threshold is continued for 400 msec (t2) with -40 db as the threshold, the exemplary vocal is 12 db every 100 msec. Fade in the mixed sound volume and increase it. In addition, if 500 msec (t3) or more continues for the threshold value, it is assumed that the singing is normal, and if the normal singing state is recognized in a state where the exemplary vocal is mixed and output, 12 db every 100 msec. Decrease the vocal mixing volume by fading it out. Also, 200 msec (t1) is sung from the start timing of the phrase, and the mixed volume of the exemplary vocal is unconditionally set to the minimum during this period. As a result, at the beginning of the phrase, allowance for delay and slight delay in singing is allowed so that extra model vocals are not output.

=== Data for specifying phrases ===
In the above embodiment, guide melody data is used to detect a phrase. Some music generation data includes scoring reference data in addition to guide melody data. In addition, karaoke music data always includes lyric drawing data. And a phrase can also be detected based on these scoring reference data and lyrics rendering data.

  The scoring standard data is data used for the singing scoring function in the well-known karaoke apparatus 1, and is the same as the guide melody data in that the vocal part in the singing section is described in the MIDI format, and the phrase is also the guide melody. It can be identified in the same way as the data. However, the guide melody data is for reproducing a melody close to an actual vocal, and is described so that the pitch change is smooth. Therefore, it is possible to specify a phrase strictly. On the other hand, the scoring standard data is not a melody that makes a smooth pitch change so that it can be easily compared with the singing pitch collected from the singing voice. In addition, there may be a singing section that is omitted as grading unnecessary.

  Lyrics rendering data is included in all karaoke music data, and the color change period for each character of the lyrics is described in association with the performance time series, and the performance time zone that is not in the color change period of the lyrics character is described. If it is a non-singing section, a phrase can be specified. The color change start timing of the lyrics characters may be set slightly earlier than the actual start timing of the phrase in consideration of the time difference from when the singer confirms the start of the color change until the start of singing.

  Therefore, when activating the guide vocal function in the automatic mode and performing music, the content of the data included in the karaoke music data may differ depending on the music, so the guide melody data is used as data for specifying the frame. Employing preferentially, scoring standard data may be employed when there is no guide melody data, and lyrics rendering data may be employed when there is no scoring standard data.

=== About Karaoke Music Data ===
In some cases, karaoke accompaniment music is recorded as digital recording data such as MP3 format, and the recording data is used as music generation data. The hybrid-type karaoke device that handles live-record karaoke software developed by the applicants of the present application reproduces the recorded data of karaoke music prepared as digital recording data in addition to the music generation data in the MIDI format. And karaoke accompaniment music can be output. Moreover, even if the music generation data is digital recording data, musical score information such as lyric rendering data, guide melody data, and scoring standard data that is processed synchronously with the recording data is prepared. Karaoke music data. Therefore, with this hybrid karaoke device, a phrase can be specified based on karaoke music data created for this karaoke device even if the music generation data itself is not described as musical score information.

It is a functional block diagram of the karaoke apparatus in the Example of this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the guide vocal function in the said karaoke apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Karaoke apparatus 11 Central control part 12 Hard disk drive 19 Synthesizer 20 Mixing amplifier 25 ADPCM decoder 26 Volume measuring part

Claims (3)

A karaoke apparatus comprising a singing volume measuring means and a control means for reproducing karaoke music data with an exemplary vocal and mixing it with a singing input sound from a microphone,
The singing volume detecting means detects the volume of the singing voice input from the microphone and outputs the singing volume value.
The control means enables phrase specifying processing and guide vocal volume control processing,
The phrase specifying process specifies the phrase head timing based on the score information included in the karaoke music data,
The guide vocal volume control process is a karaoke device that controls the mixed volume of the guide vocal based on the singing volume value, and controls the mixed volume of the guide vocal to a minimum during a predetermined period from the phrase head timing. The karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the phrase specifying process specifies a phrase head timing based on any of guide melody data, scoring reference data, and lyrics rendering data in an electronic score. The phrase identification process is based on the data if there is guide melody data, and if there is no guide melody data and there is scoring reference data, there is no guide melody data and scoring reference data, and there is lyric rendering data. The karaoke device according to claim 1, wherein the phrase head timing is specified based on the data.

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