JP3700680B2 - Portable mixing recorder - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has a built-in microphone and a built-in speaker, and can mix and store a sound signal stored in memory means such as a flash memory and a sound signal input from the built-in microphone. -It relates to a mixing recording device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a music production digital recorder having a multitrack function for recording on a plurality of tracks and a mixing function for mixing and storing a plurality of input sound signals is known. As such a digital recorder, a portable small-sized portable mixing recording device has also appeared, and by using such a device, it is possible to easily record and edit audio data such as music even on the go. In addition, there is also known a device in which a microphone is incorporated so that a recording operation can be easily performed. In addition, portable digital recorders that do not have a mixing function or a multitrack function are also known that incorporate both a microphone and a speaker.
However, even when both a microphone and a speaker are built in, howling is likely to occur if they are operated simultaneously. If recording is performed in this state, the recording quality of the sound is deteriorated. Therefore, conventionally, the internal microphone is turned on only when the recording button is pressed and the operation is performed in the recording mode, and in that case, the internal speaker is turned off to prevent howling.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, a device having a mixing function and a multi-track function is particularly small when overdubbing in which an already recorded audio signal and an audio signal input from a microphone are mixed and overwritten on the original audio signal is repeated. Since howling is accumulated even in howling and the deterioration of sound quality becomes significant, prevention of howling is important. On the other hand, however, when mixing or overdubbing, it is necessary to finely adjust the level of the recorded audio signal and the input audio signal before recording to balance the level of the audio signal used for mixing. There is also.
In response to such a request, if the recording button, the built-in microphone and the on / off of the speaker are linked and controlled as in the past, the level cannot be adjusted by operating the built-in microphone before recording. There was a problem.
The present invention solves such a problem, and in a portable mixing recording apparatus, prevents howling, prevents deterioration of sound quality even when repeatedly overdubbing, and operates a built-in microphone even before recording. It is an object of the present invention to make it possible to adjust the level of an input audio signal.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a portable mixing recording apparatus of the present invention includes a built-in microphone for converting sound into a sound signal, a built-in speaker for converting sound signal into sound, memory means for storing the sound signal, Reproduction means for reading out the audio signal stored in the memory means, switch means having an operation element for switching on / off of the microphone, audio signal input from the microphone, and reproduction by the reproduction means When the microphone is turned on by the means for mixing the audio signal and stored in the memory means, and when the microphone is turned on by the switch means, and the microphone is turned off by the switch means Are provided with speaker on / off control means for turning on the speaker.
In such a portable mixing recording apparatus, input level adjusting means for adjusting the level of the audio signal input from the microphone and a level meter for displaying the level of the audio signal after the adjustment may be further provided.
[0005]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1A and 1B are views schematically showing the appearance of a portable mixing recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a plan view, FIG. 1B is a front view, and FIG. 1C is a right side view. 2 is a block circuit diagram schematically showing a circuit configuration of the portable mixing recording apparatus, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the portable mixing recording apparatus, and FIG. 4 is an operation of a microphone switch button in the portable mixing recording apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the switch and the operation of the switch shown in FIG. 2.
This portable mixing recording device has a built-in microphone and speaker, and reproduces and outputs the audio signal stored in the memory card, or mixes the reproduced audio signal and the audio signal input from the microphone to the memory card. By using this portable mixing recording device, it is possible to produce music by sequentially inputting and overdubbing each part. And it is configured as a portable device so that it can be easily handled even when away from home.
[0006]
The appearance of the portable mixing recording apparatus 20 is approximately as shown in FIG.
That is, first, a DC power terminal 51, a memory card slot 54, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal 55, and a power switch 56 are provided on the upper surface shown in the plan view of FIG.
The DC power supply terminal 51 is a terminal for supplying DC power to drive the apparatus, and is connected to an adapter that converts household AC power into DC. However, this device can also be operated by a built-in battery.
The memory card slot 54 is a slot for inserting a memory card 10 to be described later, which is a memory by flash memory, smart media, etc., and reading / writing data. The USB terminal 55 is connected to a personal computer (PC) (not shown). Interface for transmitting and receiving data such as audio signals. The power switch 56 is a switch for turning on / off the power of the apparatus when pressed.
[0007]
On the front side shown in the front view of FIG. 6B, speakers 57 and 58, microphones 59 and 60, display unit 61, microphone switch button 66, input fader operation element 69, source fader operation element 70, input level meter 72, A source level meter 73, a play / stop button 75, a recording button 76, a mixing button 77, a pause button 78, a plus button 79, and a minus button 80 are provided.
The speakers 57 and 58 are speakers built in the portable mixing recording apparatus 20, and are units that convert an audio signal into sound and output it. And it can sound based on the audio | voice signal memorize | stored in the memory card, or can generate various operation sounds. The two speakers, L and R, are provided in order to perform 2-channel stereo sound generation.
The microphones 59 and 60 are microphones built in the portable mixing recording apparatus 20 and are units for converting sound into an audio signal based on an electric signal for recording and mixing processing. This microphone is also provided with two, L and R, in order to obtain a two-channel stereo audio signal.
[0008]
The display unit 61 is configured by a liquid crystal display device, and is a unit that displays various information such as a song title, time, performance time, mode, and setting information according to the situation.
The microphone switch button 66 is an operator for switching the microphones 59 and 60 on and off. By pressing this button, the switch SW1m shown in FIG. 2 is switched and the microphones 59 and 60 are turned on and off. Can be controlled. In response to this, the switch SW1s is also switched, and the on / off of the speakers 57 and 58 is controlled. This point will be described later.
The input fader operation element 69 is an operation element for operating an input fader 67 which is an input level adjustment means for adjusting the input level of the audio signal input from the input unit 40 including the microphones 59 and 60 shown in FIG. . The source fader operator 70 is an operator for operating the source fader 68 that adjusts the reproduction level of an audio signal stored in the memory card 10 to be described later.
[0009]
The input level meter 72 is a level meter that displays the level of the input audio signal after adjustment by the input fader 67. The input level meter 72 includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), and the higher the level of the input audio signal is, the more LEDs are lit from the position indicated by the central black circle toward the left side. In FIG. 1, double circles indicate LEDs that are lit, and single circles indicate LEDs that are not lit. The source level meter 73 is a level meter that displays the level of the reproduced audio signal that has been adjusted by the source fader 68. The display format is the same as that of the input level meter 72 except that the number of LEDs that light up toward the right side increases. .
Note that the display format of these level meters is not limited to that shown here, and it is configured by one LED so that the brightness changes according to the signal level, or when the signal level exceeds a threshold, May be changed.
[0010]
The play / stop button 75 is a key used as an instruction to start and stop playback and as a determination key for various settings. When the play / stop button 75 is pressed, the audio signal of the selected file is played, and when it is pressed again, it is stopped.
The record button 76 is a key for instructing the start of digital recording of the input voice. When the button is pressed, recording starts, and a voice signal input from the microphones 59 and 60 or an external microphone described later is recorded in the memory card 10. The When the play / stop button 75 is pressed during recording, the recording is stopped.
The mixing button 77 is a key for instructing the start of overdubbing by mixing. When the mixing button 77 is pressed, the audio signal of the selected file is reproduced, and this audio signal is output from the microphones 59 and 60 or an external microphone described later. The incoming audio signal is mixed and overwritten with the name of the file being played. This overdubbing will be described in detail later.
[0011]
The pause button 78 is a button for pausing playback and recording, and resumes when pressed again during the pause.
The plus button 79 and the minus button 80 are keys for selecting a file to be played back. Each time these keys are pressed, the display on the display unit 61 is switched to display the file name of the next or previous file. The The file with the file name displayed here is the selected file. When the play / stop button 75 is pressed, the audio data of the file is played. The display order of the files may be appropriately determined such as alphabetical order, recording date order, etc., and it is assumed that the first file is selected when the power is turned on.
[0012]
Further, the right side shown in the right side view of (c) is provided with a headphone terminal 81, a volume operator 82, and an external microphone terminal 85.
The headphone terminal 81 is a terminal for connecting an external output device such as a headphone. The external output device connected to the headphone terminal 81 is a reproduced audio signal, an audio signal resulting from mixing, or an input unit shown in FIG. The audio signal input from 40 can be output. If headphones or a speaker are connected here, the voice based on the audio signal can be heard, and if the recorder is connected, the audio signal can be recorded.
The volume operator 82 is an operator for operating the volume adjuster 88 of the output unit 50 shown in FIG. 2 to adjust the output level of the audio signal to the speakers 57 and 58 and the external output device.
The external microphone terminal 85 is a terminal for connecting an external input device such as a microphone, and instead of the built-in microphones 59 and 60, an audio signal used for recording or mixing can be input from the external input device connected here. Is possible.
[0013]
As shown in FIG. 3, the portable mixing recording apparatus 20 having the above-described appearance includes a CPU 91, a RAM 92, a ROM 93, an input / output unit 94, a decoding / encoding unit 95, an operation unit 96, a display unit 97, a memory card interface (I / F) 98, USB I / F 99, which are connected by a system bus 90.
The CPU 91 is a control unit that performs overall control of the entire portable mixing recording apparatus 20, and performs its control operation by executing various control programs stored in the ROM 93. Also, processing such as calculation when mixing the audio signal, setting of the destination of the audio signal when performing reproduction and mixing, and switching control of each unit according to the operation of the operation unit 96 are performed.
The RAM 92 is a storage means for temporarily storing various data or used as a work area for the CPU 91, and the ROM 93 is a storage means for storing various programs executed by the CPU 91.
[0014]
The input / output unit 94 is a unit related to input and output, and includes the microphones 59 and 60, speakers 57 and 58, terminals 81 and 85, and the like shown in FIG. The decoding / encoding unit 95 includes the decoder 37 and the encoder 38 shown in FIG. 2, and outputs digital audio signals for output and mixing and audio data (MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-III in this example) to be stored in the memory card 10. ) Format) to mutually convert the data format.
The operation unit 96 is a unit related to the operation, and includes the microphone switch button 66, operation elements 69 and 70, switches 75 to 80, and the like shown in FIG. The display 97 is a unit related to display, and is the display unit 61 and the level meters 72 and 73 shown in FIG.
The memory card I / F 98 is an interface for reading / writing data from / to the memory card 10, and the USB I / F 99 is an interface for transmitting / receiving data to / from a device connected by USB. These are provided inside the memory card slot 54 and the USB terminal 55, respectively.
[0015]
The outline of the circuit configuration in such a portable mixing recording apparatus 20 is as shown in FIG. 2 shows a state in which the memory card 10 is inserted into the memory card slot 54. Further, the signal lines shown as a set of two lines correspond to L and R in the stereo system, and the corresponding switches provided on the two signal lines operate in the same manner.
First, in the input unit 40, built-in microphones 59 and 60 and an external microphone terminal 85 are provided as means for inputting an audio signal. Of the signals from the microphones 59 and 60 and the signal from the external microphone terminal 85, the signal selected by the switch SW2m is input to the AD converter 26 and converted into a digital audio signal, and the level is adjusted by the input fader 67. Is input to the output line 34. At this time, the input level meter 72 performs display based on the audio signal after level adjustment.
[0016]
Here, the switch SW2m operates to select the external microphone terminal 85 side when an external input device is connected to the external microphone terminal 85, and to select the microphones 59 and 60 side when not connected. It is not operated by the operation of the operator.
Further, a switch SW1m having a microphone switch button 66 as an operator is provided as a switch for controlling on / off of the microphones 59 and 60. This switch operates independently of the switch SW2m, and is switched on and off each time the microphone switch button 66 is pressed as described above. Therefore, the audio signal from the microphones 59 and 60 is input to the AD converter 26 only when the switch SW1m is on and the external input device is not connected.
[0017]
On the other hand, in the memory card 10, an audio signal is stored in the source file 11 or the mix file 12 as MP3 format audio data. The source file 11 is a file storing audio signals to be used for output and mixing. The source file 11 is supplied from a PC (not shown) connected via the USB I / F 99, or the memory card 10 is previously attached to another device. Then, the existing data may be stored. The mix file 12 is a file for storing audio data obtained by recording or mixing in the portable mixing recording apparatus 20. However, once this mix file 12 is also created, it can be used as a source file 11 for playback and the like, so that the distinction from the source file 11 is convenient.
[0018]
When reproducing the audio signal stored in the memory card 10, the audio signal stored as MP3 format audio data is sequentially read from the source file 11 to be reproduced and converted into an audio signal for output by the decoder 37. Is done. Here, the decoder 37 and the CPU 91 that controls the reading of the audio data function as reproducing means.
The converted audio signal is subjected to level adjustment by the source fader 68 and then input to the output line 34. At this time, the source level meter 73 performs display based on the audio signal after level adjustment. The audio signal input to the output line 34 is input to the DA converter 42 of the output unit 50 and converted into an analog audio signal for output to the speakers 57 and 58 and the headphone terminal 81, and the signal is output by the volume adjuster 88. The level of is adjusted.
[0019]
The output unit 50 is provided with built-in speakers 57 and 58 and a headphone terminal 81 as means for outputting a sound signal. The sound signal after level adjustment is switched between the speakers 57 and 58 and the headphone terminal 81. It is output to the one selected by SW2s. Here, the switch SW2s operates to select the headphone terminal 81 side when an external output device is connected to the headphone terminal 81, and to select the speaker 57, 58 side when not connected. It does not operate by the operation of the operator.
[0020]
In addition, a switch SW1s is provided as a switch for controlling on / off of the speakers 57 and 58. This switch operates independently of the switch SW2s, and is linked to the switch SW1m every time the microphone switch button 66 is pressed. The on / off switches. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the switch SW1m and the switch SW1s are not turned on at the same time so that the switch SW1s is turned off when the switch SW1m is turned on and the switch SW1s is turned on when the switch SW1m is turned off. Here, the CPU 91 that controls the operation of this switch functions as a speaker on / off control means. By performing such control, the microphones 59 and 60 and the speakers 57 and 58 are prevented from being turned on at the same time, and both the microphone and the speaker are built in. However, since the apparatus is small, the distance can be greatly increased. Even in such a case, howling can be prevented.
[0021]
Thus, the output destination of the audio signal is controlled by the switches SW1s and SW2s, and the audio signal is input to the speakers 57 and 58 only when the switch SW1s is on and no external output device is connected. It is converted into sound and output. If an external output device is connected, the audio signal is output to the external output device via the headphone terminal 81.
In this way, the audio signal stored in the memory card 10 can be reproduced and output.
[0022]
In the case of mixing, in the same way as in the case of reproduction, in addition to the audio signal decoded by the decoder 37 and subjected to level adjustment by the source fader 68, the audio input from the input unit 40 and subjected to level adjustment by the input fader 67 A signal is also input to the output line 34. These audio signals are subjected to mixing calculation processing (mainly addition processing) by the CPU 91. The mixed audio signal obtained by this calculation process is converted into MP3 format audio data by the encoder 38 and stored in the mix file 12 of the memory card.
[0023]
By such processing, the audio signal stored in the memory card 10 and the audio signal input from the microphone 59, 60 or the external input device connected to the external microphone terminal 85 are mixed and stored in the memory card 10. be able to. At this time, when overdubbing is performed, the file name of the mix file 12 is changed to the file name of the read source file 11 when mixing is completed. In this way, the original audio signal is substantially overwritten with the audio signal after mixing. At this time, if the file name of the original source file 11 is changed and left as an undo file, if the overdubbed mixing result is not liked, the original state can be easily restored. be able to.
Of course, it is possible to output the mixed audio signal by the output unit 50 also when mixing. At this time, as described above, since the built-in microphone and the built-in speaker are not turned on at the same time, howling can be prevented and deterioration of sound quality can be prevented. This point is particularly effective when overdubbing is repeated.
[0024]
When performing a new recording that is not mixed, the audio signal input from the input unit 40 and input to the output line 34 after being subjected to level adjustment by the input fader 67 is converted into MP3 format audio data by the encoder 38, It is stored in the mix file 12 of the memory card. Here, mixing is not performed, but it is referred to as a mix file 12 for convenience. When an instruction to stop recording is given, the file name of the mix file 12 is changed to the file name of the new source file 11, and the recording process is terminated. Therefore, apparently, a new file is created in the memory card 10 and recording is performed on the file.
During recording, the audio signal input from the input unit 40 can be output by the output unit 50. However, since the microphone and the speaker are not turned on at the same time, howling is prevented and sound quality is improved. Deterioration can be prevented as in the case of mixing.
[0025]
Here, in the portable mixing recording apparatus 20, the microphones 59 and 60 can be switched on and off by pressing the microphone switch button 66 regardless of operations such as reproduction, recording, and mixing. Therefore, before recording or mixing, the microphones 59 and 60 are turned on to input the sound to be used for recording or mixing, and the input fader operator 69 is operated while checking the level of the audio signal with the input level meter 72. As a result, the input level can be easily adjusted. In this adjustment, the microphone and the speaker are not turned on at the same time, so that appropriate level adjustment can be performed without howling.
[0026]
In the portable mixing recording apparatus described above, an example in which only the built-in microphones 59 and 60 and the external microphone terminal 85 are provided as means for inputting an audio signal has been described, but in addition to these, an AUX terminal for receiving line input An instrument terminal for connecting an electric guitar or the like may be provided, and a terminal used for input may be arbitrarily selected from these. Further, the type of memory and the data format for storing the audio signal are not limited to those described above. In addition, it goes without saying that the embodiment described above can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the portable mixing recording apparatus of the present invention, the built-in microphone and the built-in speaker are not turned on at the same time, so that howling is prevented and the sound quality when recording or mixing is performed. Can be prevented. Also, since the built-in microphone can be switched on and off regardless of playback, recording, mixing, etc., the input level can be easily adjusted by turning on the microphone before recording or mixing. be able to. In this adjustment, the microphone and the speaker are not turned on at the same time, so that appropriate level adjustment can be performed without howling.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1A and 1B are views schematically showing an appearance of a portable mixing recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view, FIG. 1B is a front view, and FIG. 1C is a right side view;
FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram schematically showing a circuit configuration of the portable mixing recording apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the portable mixing recording apparatus.
4 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the operation of a microphone switch button and the operation of the switch shown in FIG. 2 in the portable mixing recording apparatus. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Memory card, 20 ... Portable mixing recording device, 34 ... Output line, 40 ... Input part, 50 ... Output part, 57, 58 ... Speaker, 59, 60 ... Microphone, 61 ... Display part, 66 ... Microphone switch button, 67 ... Input fader, 68 ... Source fader, 69 ... Input fader operator, 70 ... Source fader operator, 72 ... Input level meter, 73 ... Source level meter, 81 ... Headphone terminal, 85 ... External microphone terminal, 91 ... CPU 92 ... RAM, 93 ... ROM

Claims (2)

A built-in microphone that converts audio to audio signals;
A built-in speaker that converts audio signals to audio;
Memory means for storing audio signals;
Reproducing means for reading out an audio signal stored in the memory means;
Switch means having an operator for switching on and off the microphone;
Means for mixing an audio signal inputted from the microphone and an audio signal read by the reproduction means and storing the mixed signal in the memory means;
Speaker on / off control means is provided for turning off the speaker when the microphone is turned on by the switch means and turning on the speaker when the microphone is turned off by the switch means. A portable mixing recording apparatus characterized by that. The portable mixing recording apparatus according to claim 1,
A portable mixing recording apparatus comprising: input level adjusting means for adjusting the level of an audio signal input from the microphone; and a level meter for displaying the level of the audio signal after the adjustment.

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