JP4180548B2 - Karaoke device with vocal range notification function - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a karaoke apparatus, and more specifically, to a karaoke apparatus having a function of notifying a singer's voice range by evaluating a singing voice that a singer sings along with karaoke music.

  Many karaoke devices have a key control function for changing the range (key) of accompaniment music and performing. When the accompaniment music key and the singer's key (voice range) do not match, this function appropriately moves the accompaniment music key up and down to match the singer's key. When the user sings along with the accompaniment music and finds that his key does not match the accompaniment music key, the user adjusts the accompaniment music key using this key control function. Normally, the key can be set stepwise by a numerical value such as “+1”, “−1”, “+2”, etc., and if the numerical value is different by 1, it indicates that the key moves up and down by a semitone. According to the above notation, “+1” raises the accompaniment music key by a semitone.

  The key control function can match the key (tone) of accompaniment music to the key (voice range) of a singer that differs for each individual. However, when using this function, the key setting value must be determined by trial and error while singing karaoke music. For this reason, it is difficult to concentrate on singing following the key setting work, and karaoke cannot be enjoyed.

  In response to such a problem, Japanese Patent No. 2797648 discloses a technique relating to a karaoke apparatus that automatically adjusts key setting values in accordance with the vocal range of a singer. In this karaoke device, the singer utters a predetermined sound toward the microphone prior to singing, detects the vocal range of the singer, and sets the key setting value of the specified karaoke song so that it matches the detected vocal range. It is to set automatically. Also, by notifying the singer of the changed key setting value, the next time the same song is sung, it may be adjusted to the notified setting value.

  However, if all the people who are present at the karaoke hall using this karaoke device are performing the key detection work, the use time of the karaoke facility will be wasted, and for those who have completed the detection work, The time required for the detection work is useless time.

  Also, even if a single note 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 karaoke music. In other words, the sound of the same pitch appears many times in one piece of music, but the sound of a specific pitch in the melody flow, such as the sound before and after the sound of that pitch, the duration of the sound of that pitch, etc. There are various ways of appearing in the music.

  The present invention provides a highly reliable voice range measurement method without requiring a complicated operation for a user or making a companion feel bored.

=== Summary of invention ===
The inventors of the present application think that the key can be set to an optimum value without trial and error if the singer knows his / her vocal range, and a karaoke device having a function of notifying the user of the measured vocal range ( We decided to provide a karaoke device with a vocal range notification function.

  In order to realize a highly reliable vocal range announcement function, it was considered best to measure the singer's vocal range while actually singing a karaoke piece. However, if you use a song that the singer doesn't know at the time of measurement, you can't understand the melody, so you often utter at a pitch that is different from the pitch you should utter, and if you utter a sound with a different pitch, Naturally, the machine judges that “this pitch cannot be uttered”. Therefore, a karaoke apparatus with a voice range notification function that can measure the voice range with a karaoke piece arbitrarily designated by the singer was adopted. Furthermore, in order to ensure higher reliability, a method of statistically processing measurement records for each predetermined performance section, such as for each chorus (music No. 1, No. 2, etc.) was adopted.

The karaoke apparatus with a vocal range notification function according to the present invention is specified by the following items (1) to (8).
(1) A karaoke device that includes vocal pitch detection means, operation input means, control means, and display means, and that sequentially plays accompaniment music based on karaoke data of each music piece according to the music number registered in the performance reservation queue (2) The karaoke data includes the instruction pitch of the main melody to be uttered when singing. (3) The utterance pitch detection means sequentially detects the utterance pitch from the singing voice signal input from the microphone. (4) The operation input means is capable of accepting user input in which the vocal number notification function number is associated with the music number to be reserved for performance (5) The control means is a piece of music that is reserved for performance with the voice area notification function number Performing the first to third processing when playing the numbered music (6) The first processing is the instruction pitch and the utterance pitch acquired sequentially with the performance processing of karaoke data (7) The second process is based on the relationship between the instruction pitch and the error recorded in the first process. The error between the utterance pitch sequentially detected by the output means is sequentially acquired and the relationship between the instruction pitch and the error is recorded. (8) In the third process, the information indicating the treble limit pitch extracted in the second process is displayed on the display means by the display means. To notify

  According to the present invention, it is possible to measure the vocal range of a singer by playing a karaoke piece designated by the user. 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.

  In addition, by changing the key by a predetermined pitch in a predetermined direction every time one chorus performance passes, the vocal range is measured, so that it becomes difficult to sing due to extremely different performance keys between two consecutive choruses. And more reliable measurement results can be obtained.

  Also, in a karaoke device with a vocal range notification function that adopts a vocal range measurement method that shifts by a predetermined pitch in a predetermined direction, even if the vocal range is not required throughout the performance period of one song, the performance is returned to the beginning of the accompaniment music. By repeating, measurement can be continued without a sense of incongruity until the final voice range is obtained.

=== Basic configuration and operation of karaoke apparatus ===
FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of a karaoke apparatus in an embodiment of the present invention. The karaoke apparatus 1 is a karaoke apparatus 1 of a type that controls a sound source based on a MIDI format electronic musical score, which 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 inside, and controls the peripheral components to control the karaoke apparatus 1. The hard disk device 3 generates music generation data that is the origin of the karaoke accompaniment music described in MIDI format for the karaoke pieces of many songs, and the generation origin of the lyrics image that is displayed on the display 14 in synchronization with the music performance. And lyric rendering data.

  When the central control unit 2 receives 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 via the operation control unit 7, the central control unit 2 associates the input order with the music number. The performance reservation process for this music is performed by storing it in the RAM. When the performance order of the music is reached, the corresponding music generation data and lyrics rendering 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 output to the speaker 10. Is done. In addition, the lyric image data is processed to generate a lyric image that includes the lyric character string synchronized with the performance, and the lyric image that sequentially changes the color of each character in the lyric character string at a specified timing is generated. Then, the image is sequentially developed in the video RAM 12 as a bitmap.

  This karaoke apparatus 1 has a transposing performance function for variably controlling the keys of accompaniment music in addition to the basic performance function described above. As is well known, MIDI has the pitch (note number), size (velocity), note length (step time), sound duration (gate time), etc. for each accompaniment 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 so that the pitch is shifted by a predetermined pitch with respect to the pitch of each accompaniment sound according to the key setting value designated by the user. The karaoke apparatus 2 of the present embodiment has a vocal range notification function for measuring the vocal range of the singer using this transposing performance function and notifying the singer of the measurement result. In addition, the vocal range is measured while playing a karaoke piece arbitrarily designated by the user, and a highly reliable measurement result can be obtained.

=== Voice range measurement unit ===
The karaoke apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a vocal range measuring unit 15 in order to realize a vocal range notification function. In this embodiment, the vocal range measuring unit 15 is constituted by a dedicated DSP. FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of the 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 from the D / A converter 16 in real time to acquire the vocal pitch of the singer. And a pitch comparison unit 18 that compares the acquired utterance pitch and the pitch (instruction pitch) to be uttered in the accompaniment music currently being performed given by the note number, and outputs the difference as error data, as a functional element Built-in. Note that each pitch of data corresponding to the main melody in MIDI data is adopted as the instruction pitch.

=== Voice area notification function ===
The present invention measures the vocal range of a singer when playing any 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 music, 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 the outline of the method for specifying the vocal range. An instruction pitch is taken on the horizontal axis, and an error (speech pitch−instruction pitch = error) is plotted with respect to the instruction pitch with respect to the pitch actually uttered by the singer. Since the same designated pitch appears multiple 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 designated pitch is plotted. Then, the sound range where the error is below the reference is set as the voice range.

  Next, a procedure for actually measuring the vocal range in the present embodiment will be described. First, a predetermined number for starting the vocal range notification function is input to the karaoke apparatus 1 following the music number. Thereby, the central control unit 2 performs a performance reservation process for the corresponding karaoke music piece by adding a predetermined code to activate the vocal range notification function to the music piece number. When the central control unit 2 plays 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 lyric rendering 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 voice range measurement process in the present embodiment. First, the first chorus (No. 1) is played with a key (reference key) designated in advance for 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 it can detect a pitch with an error exceeding the reference (for example, more than a semitone), this pitch is set as the limit pitch. Remember. For example, if limit pitches on both sides of the high tone side and the low tone side are detected, the measurement ends at this point (s3 → s4 → s5 → s30).

  On the other hand, if the limit pitches on both sides of the high and low sides cannot be detected, the key is shifted by a predetermined pitch in either the up or down direction. In this embodiment, the key is raised by a predetermined pitch from the first chorus, and the limit pitch on the treble side is obtained first (s3 → s4 → s5 → s6 → s11). If the high pitch limit pitch is not detected in the second chorus (No. 2), the performance key is raised by a predetermined pitch every time one chorus ends (s12 → s13 → s14 → s15 → s16 → s11). If the treble limit pitch is detected, the next chorus is played with a key that 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 finished (s22.fwdarw.s23.fwdarw.s24.fwdarw.s25.fwdarw.s26.fwdarw.s27.fwdarw.s22) until the lower pitch limit pitch is detected in the same way as the treble side. When the chorus at the time when the critical pitches on both the high and low sides are finally detected is finished, the measurement is finished (s25 → s30). After that, the key is played until the end of the music. Of course, it may be performed appropriately, such as returning to the reference key and playing to the end.

  Note that there may be a case where the performance of one musical piece is finished before both the high and low limit pitches are detected. In the present embodiment, in such a case, it is assumed that the performance is repeated by returning to No. 1 (s16 → s17 → s11, s26 → s21).

  FIG. 5 shows a schematic example of the vocal range measurement procedure. In this example, vocal range measurement is performed using karaoke music pieces from No. 1 to No. 3. The first chorus is played with the reference key. In this case, it is not possible to detect the limit pitches on the high and low tones sides. In the second chorus, the accompaniment music is played half an octave up, and the high pitch limit pitch is detected. The third chorus (No.3: final chorus) is played with a half octave down from the reference key. However, the lower limit value cannot be detected. Then, returning to No. 1, the performance is performed by lowering the octave by a half octave from the third chorus key, the limit pitch on the bass side is detected, and the vocal range is finally specified.

=== Voice announcement ===
In order to notify the singer of the finally specified vocal range, various means and expressions can be employed. As the notification means, display output, audio output, print output, and the like can be considered. In addition, as a method of expressing the vocal range, it is possible to simply notify the limit pitch itself (A # 2, C ♭ 3, etc.) on the high and low sides, or display a keyboard such as a piano, and from which keyboard You may make it understand intuitively with a picture figure to which keyboard.

  It should be noted that the announced vocal range must be an index for setting a key of accompaniment music when actually singing karaoke music. Therefore, reference keys and singing ranges for each karaoke piece are listed in the table of contents. And it is desirable to match | combine the expression method of the reference | standard key for every karaoke music, and the vocal range, and the expression method of the vocal range announced by the karaoke apparatus of a present Example.

=== Other Embodiments / Modifications ===
In the above embodiment, the voice range measurement unit is configured by a dedicated DSP and measures the voice range by hardware. However, only the D / A converter is mounted, and other functional elements are determined by software executed by the central control unit. It may be configured to be realized.

  The vocal range measurement process is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and if the key is played with extremely shifted keys from the first chorus, either the high or low limit pitch can be detected for the time being. Thus, the variable control of the key may be performed as appropriate.

It is a functional block diagram of the karaoke apparatus in the Example of this invention. It is a functional block diagram of the vocal range measurement part in the said Example. It is the schematic for demonstrating the vocal range measuring method in the karaoke apparatus of this invention. The flowchart of the vocal range measurement process in the said Example is shown. The example of the vocal range measurement procedure by the karaoke apparatus of the said Example is shown as schematic.

Explanation of symbols

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

Claims (1)

A karaoke apparatus that includes vocal pitch detection means, operation input means, control means, and display means for sequentially playing accompaniment music based on karaoke data of each music piece according to the music number registered in the performance reservation queue. And
The karaoke data contains the pitch of the main melody that should be uttered when singing,
The utterance pitch detection means sequentially detects the utterance pitch from the singing voice signal input from the microphone,
The operation input means is capable of accepting user input in which a vocal number notification function number is associated with a music number to be reserved for performance,
The control means performs the first to third processes when playing the music of the music number reserved for performance with the voice range notification function number,
The first process sequentially acquires an error between the instruction pitch sequentially acquired along with the performance process of the karaoke data and the utterance pitch detected by the utterance pitch detection means, and records the relationship between the instruction pitch and the error,
In the second process, based on the relationship between the instruction pitch recorded in the first process and the error, the highest instruction pitch in the reference error portion is extracted as a high-pitched sound side limit pitch,
A 3rd process is a karaoke apparatus which displays the information which shows the treble side limit pitch extracted by the 2nd process by a display means, and notifies a singer.

Images