JP5256817B2 - Port assignment device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a port assignment device for assigning an arbitrary port to an arbitrary track in a music processing device that performs multi-track recording using a plurality of tracks, and a program for causing a computer to execute the port assignment processing. About.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a digital recording system mainly composed of a computer, it is known to perform music processing operations such as recording of music performance data, editing of recorded material, and mixing by digital signal processing. The computer that is the core of the digital recording system has various hardware devices (audio interface, MIDI interface, etc.) necessary for digital recording, and the personal computer is installed with a dedicated software program that allows the computer to execute the digital recording function. ing. This type of digital recording system is generally called “Digital Audio Workstation (abbreviated as DAW)”. In this specification, the dedicated software program, that is, a software program that causes a computer to execute the DAW function is referred to as “DAW software”. MIDI is an abbreviation for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, and is a standard for digitally transferring performance data of electronic musical instruments between devices.

  As is well known, DAW software is an application program that runs on a computer operating system, and provides a computer with various music processing functions such as an audio signal multitrack recording function, MIDI sequencer function, mixing function, or mastering function. Is. In recent years, specifications that integrate the multi-track recording function and the MIDI sequencer function have become common. According to this specification, audio signals and MIDI signal sequences can be recorded for each recording track in the same environment. Audio tracks and MIDI tracks can be managed seamlessly in the same environment.

When recording in the digital recording system, the user sets a necessary recording environment such as connection of an audio signal generation device or MIDI device as a recording source, activation of DAW software, and one or more on the DAW software. The recording source is assigned to each of the recording tracks. The assigning operation is an operation of selecting one of a plurality of recording tracks on the DAW software as a recording destination, and then a recording source to be assigned to the selected recording track, such as a list window. It consists of two steps of using and selecting work. Thus, the selected recording source is assigned to the recording track, and a signal (audio signal or MIDI signal) output from the assigned recording source can be recorded on the recording track selected as the recording destination. The recording environment of DAW software has been set (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1 below).
http://www.zoom.co.jp/archive/Japanese_Manual/Getting_Started.pdf (Product name "Cube LE" instruction manual. 59 pages, 72 pages, etc.)

  In the above conventional technique, the operation of assigning a recording source to a recording track is performed by a user's manual operation. Therefore, the user needs to perform the recording source assignment work after grasping the physical connection state of which recording source is connected to which terminal and various settings such as the driver setting of the interface device. . Also, there are multiple recording tracks on the DAW software, and it is very troublesome to manually assign recording sources to all of these recording tracks. In other words, the conventional technique has a disadvantage that the preparation work before the start of recording is complicated and troublesome.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and aims to improve the efficiency of music processing work using a plurality of tracks, such as multi-track recording using a computer.

The present invention, a reportage over preparative enter an audio signal or MIDI signal from external, a assigned Lupo over bit assignments apparatus belt racks to process signals the input, in accordance with the instruction by the user, a plurality and any one of selecting selection means of said tracks, before Quito in response to the selection of the rack among the plurality of front Kipo over preparative and one determine different ports in the signal input discrimination It means, and allocation means for applying Ri previous SL-size split another the one port to the selected track, and control means for supplying a signal in which one port those have Ri before Symbol assigned to the selected track to enter It is a port allocation device characterized by comprising.

In response to the instruction selection of the track by a user, detects the input presence of a signal for each of a plurality of ports, to determine the one port in the signal input, automatically該判specific port to track said selected allocated, the recording track which is the selected port assigned to the track to supply an audio signal or MIDI signal input.

  The present invention is not only configured and implemented in the form of a dedicated hardware device for realizing the port assignment function, but also includes a process for automatically assigning ports to tracks in a music processing function executed by a computer. It may be configured and implemented in the form of a software program that is executed by a computer.

  According to the present invention, since a port where a signal is currently input can be automatically assigned to a selected recording track, for example, preparation work before recording start in multitrack recording is simplified, There is an excellent effect that music processing work using a plurality of tracks can be performed efficiently and comfortably.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a digital recording system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the digital recording system, a device 2 that generates an audio signal and a device 3 that generates a MIDI signal are externally connected to a personal computer (PC) 1 that is a recording source that supplies data to be recorded to the PC 1. Connected and configured. The audio signal generating device 2 may be any device that generates an audio signal to be recorded, such as a musical instrument or a record. The MIDI device 3 may be a MIDI signal to be recorded, such as a MIDI keyboard. Any device may be used as long as it is generated.

  In FIG. 1, a personal computer (PC) 1 is a general-purpose personal computer, and is implemented with a software program (DAW software) 4 for causing the PC 1 to execute a music processing function. The DAW software 4 is an application program that runs on the operating system (OS) 5 of the PC 1 and at least causes the PC 1 to execute a multitrack recording function and a MIDI sequencer function. The multitrack recording function is a function for recording audio signals on a plurality of recording tracks (audio tracks), and the MIDI sequencer function is a function for recording a sequence of MIDI data on a plurality of recording tracks (MIDI tracks). In this specification, both the multitrack recording function and the MIDI sequencer function are collectively referred to as an “audio / MIDI sequencer function”. With the audio / MIDI sequencer function, an audio track on which an audio signal is recorded and a MIDI track on which a MIDI signal sequence is recorded can be managed seamlessly in the same environment.

  The PC 1 includes an audio I / O terminal 6 for connecting the audio signal generating device 2 to the PC 1 and a MIDI I / O terminal 7 for connecting the MIDI device 3 to the PC 1. A plurality of audio I / O terminals 6 and MIDI I / O terminals 7 may be provided. In this case, a plurality of audio signal generating devices 2 and MIDI devices 3 can be connected to the PC 1.

  Also, the PC 1 incorporates an audio driver 8 for controlling the audio I / O terminal 6 and a MIDI driver 9 for controlling the MIDI I / O terminal 7. The OS 5 assigns a unique port number to each of the one or more audio I / O terminals 6 and the MIDI I / O terminal 7 by the audio driver 8 and the MIDI driver 9 to provide one or more audio I / O terminals. The O terminal 6 and the MIDI I / O terminal 7 are individually recognized. The DAW software 4 that runs on the OS 5 has an interface function provided by the OS 5 using the audio driver 8 and the MIDI driver 9, and an audio signal input from the audio I / O terminal 6 and a MIDI I / O terminal 7. The input MIDI signal can be used.

  As described above, the DAW software 4 running on the OS 5 provides an audio / MIDI sequencer function for recording audio signals and recording MIDI signal sequences on a plurality of recording tracks. When performing a recording operation using the audio / MIDI sequencer function of the DAW software 4, the user can connect one or more audio I / O terminals 6 or at least one of a plurality of recording tracks (audio track and MIDI track) or One of the MIDI I / O terminals 7 is assigned. The audio signal or MIDI signal output from the audio signal generating device 2 or the MIDI device 3 is input to the PC 1 from the audio I / O terminal 6 or the MIDI I / O terminal 7. The DAW software 4 assigns a recording track and an audio I / O terminal 6 or a MIDI I / O terminal 7 assigned to the recording track to each audio I / O terminal 6 and MIDI I / O terminal 7. Control based on the specified port number. Thereby, the transfer of the input signal can be controlled so that the signal input from a certain terminal 6 or 7 is supplied to the recording track assigned to the terminal. As will be described in detail later, according to the present invention, the process of assigning the audio I / O terminal 6 or the MIDI I / O terminal 7 to the recording track can be automatically performed.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical hardware configuration of the PC 1 shown in FIG. The PC 1 includes a CPU 10, a ROM 11, a RAM 12, an audio interface (audio I / F) 13, a MIDI interface (MIDI I / F) 14, a control circuit 15, a detection circuit 16 that detects an operation of an operator 18, and a display 19. The display circuit 17 is configured to control display, and each unit is connected via a data and communication bus 10B. The CPU 10 executes system software (OS5) stored in the ROM 11 or RAM 12, and controls the operation of each unit connected to the bus 10B. Further, the CPU 10 executes processing based on the DAW software 4 read into the RAM 12 to operate the PC 1 as an audio / MIDI sequencer.

  The audio I / F 13 is a device that inputs / outputs audio signals to / from a computer, and includes one or a plurality of audio I / O terminals 6. The audio I / F 13 may include various digital audio I / O terminals as well as analog audio signal input / output terminals. The MIDI I / F 14 is a device for inputting / outputting MIDI signals to / from a computer, and includes one or more systems of MIDI I / O terminals 7. The audio I / F 13 and the MIDI I / F 14 can be connected to a computer in various shapes, such as a sound board type that is directly attached to the main body of the computer or a type that is connected to a computer with a USB or Firewire (IEEE 1394) standard cable. There are types.

  The control circuit 15 controls data transfer between the audio I / F 13 and the MIDI I / F 14 and the DAW software 4 (see FIG. 1) executed by the CPU 10 based on the control of the CPU 10. The audio driver 8 and the MIDI driver 9 shown in FIG. The basic operation of the control circuit 15 when recording a signal by the audio / MIDI sequencer function provided by the DAW software 4 is input from a certain port (terminal 6 or 7) of the audio I / F 13 or the MIDI I / F 14. The recorded audio signal or MIDI signal is relayed to be transferred to an appropriate recording track among a plurality of recording tracks.

  The display device 19 is configured by, for example, an LCD display, and the display circuit 17 causes the display device 19 to display various screens corresponding to various functions provided by the DAW software 4 based on the control of the CPU 10. The operation element 18 includes a mouse, a keyboard, and the like. On the screen of the display 19, GUI (graphical user interface) parts such as a mouse cursor and various button images for displaying the position and state of the mouse are displayed, and the user operates the operator 18 to display the GUI parts. Can be operated. The operation of the operation element 18 is detected by the detection circuit 16, and the CPU 10 performs various instructions and control based on the detection result of the detection circuit 16.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a basic operation screen displayed on the display 19 by the audio / MIDI sequencer function provided by the DAW software 4. An overall overview of one project is graphically displayed on the operation screen shown in FIG. The user uses a GUI component on the operation screen to perform a recording operation for recording an audio signal or a MIDI signal input from a recording source (audio signal generating device 2 or MIDI device 3), an editing operation for recorded data, Operations related to arrangement work and the like can be performed. One project is a recording work environment composed of a plurality of recording tracks, and can be considered to correspond to one piece of music.

  On the operation screen, for each of a plurality of recording tracks constituting the project, a track number display area 20 for displaying a track number, a port name assigned to the recording track, a GUI part for performing various operations, and the like are displayed. A list display area 21 and a recording event display area 22 in which display objects representing recorded events (audio signals or MIDI signals) are arranged over time are provided, and a plurality of recordings constituting the project are provided. Track information is displayed in a vertical list. The track number displayed in the track number display area 20 is a number unique to each of a plurality of recording tracks in one project. In FIG. 3, since the display elements of the recording tracks are the same, only the display elements of one recording track (the recording track with the track number “1” arranged at the top of the operation screen) are representative. A reference numeral is assigned. Further, the display example of the operation screen in FIG. 3 shows a state in which no event is entered in the recording event display area 22 of any recording track.

  In the track list display area 21 of one recording track, a port name display field 23 for displaying the name of the port assigned to the recording track is provided. The user can know the correspondence between the recording track and the assigned port (terminal) by the port name displayed in the port display field 23. The port name displayed in the port name display field 23 includes, for example, an audio port or MIDI port distinction and a port number. The audio port corresponds to an audio signal input port, that is, the audio I / O terminal 6, and the MIDI port corresponds to a MIDI signal input port, that is, the MIDI I / O terminal 7. The port number is a numeric number unique to each port in each of one to a plurality of audio ports and one to a plurality of MIDI ports. For example, if “Audio 04” is displayed in the port name display field 23, it indicates that the audio port having the port number “4” is assigned to the recording track. For example, if “MIDI 01” is displayed in the port display field 23, it indicates that the MIDI port having the port number “1” is assigned to the recording track.

  In the track list display area 21 of each recording track, in addition to the port display field 23, a REC button 24 for instructing recording start, a playback button 25 for playing back only the contents recorded on the recording track, and the entire project A mute button 26 is provided for muting only the recording track when playing the sound, or a solo button 27 for playing only the content recorded on the recording track when playing the entire project. ing.

  When starting the recording, the user selects one recording track from which the audio signal or the MIDI signal will be recorded from among the plurality of tracks on the operation screen shown in FIG. As a method for selecting one recording track, an appropriate method is applied, for example, by using the operator 18 to point out the track number display area 20 corresponding to the recording track to be recorded with a pointer and performing a mouse click operation. You can do it. As a precondition for starting recording, the recording environment is ready, such as starting up the DAW software 4, connecting the necessary recording sources 2 and 3 (preparation for performance), and setting the audio I / F 13 and MIDI I / F 14 drivers. There must be.

  When a recording track to be recorded from now on is selected by the user, the display mode of the selected recording track, such as a display color, is changed to clearly indicate that the recording track is being selected. In FIG. 3, the currently selected recording track (recording track with track number “03”) is shaded. The recording track selected by the user is the recording track that is the target of the process of automatically assigning the port to the recording track according to this embodiment.

  When a recording track is selected by the user, the CPU 10 starts a process of automatically assigning a port to the selected recording track. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of the port assignment process executed by the CPU 10. When any one of a plurality of sound tracks is selected by the user as a signal recording destination on the operation screen, all audio ports (audio I / O terminals 6) are targeted by the processing in steps S1 to S3 in FIG. A process for determining whether or not an audio signal is input is performed. For example, the CPU 10 checks whether or not an audio signal is input in order from the young (small) audio port, one port at a time. If an audio signal is currently input from the check target port (YES in step S2), the check target port is assigned to the selected recording track (step S4). If no audio signal is input from the port to be checked (NO in step S2), the port number to be checked is advanced (step S3) to check whether or not an audio signal is input to the port of the next port number. To do. The method for determining whether or not an audio signal is input in step S2 is an appropriate determination method such as determining that an audio signal is input when an input signal having a level equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold is detected. May apply.

  If all audio ports (audio I / O terminal 6) have been checked (YES in step S1), that is, if no audio signal is input from any audio port, the processing in steps S5 to S7 is performed. Thus, processing for determining whether or not a MIDI signal is input to all MIDI ports (MIDI I / O terminal 7) is performed. For example, the CPU 10 checks the presence / absence of input of a MIDI signal in order of one port at a time from a young (small) MIDI port. If a MIDI signal is currently input from the check target port (YES in step S6), the check target port is assigned to the selected recording track (step S4). If there is no MIDI signal input to the port to be checked (NO in step S6), the port number to be checked is advanced (step S7) to check whether the MIDI signal is input to the port of the next port number. To do.

  Note that as the method for determining whether or not the MIDI signal is input in step S6, an appropriate determination method may be applied, such as determining whether or not a note-on command has been input.

  All MIDI ports are checked, and if no MIDI signal is input from any port (YES in step S5), the CPU 10 ends this process. Note that the CPU 10 may repeatedly execute the port assignment processing routine for the recording track until the selected recording track is released from the selected state.

  According to the processing of FIG. 4, one port to which the current signal is input is automatically assigned to the selected recording track. After the port intended by the user is automatically assigned to the selected recording track, the user can start recording music with the DAW software 4. That is, when the user presses the REC button 24 to instruct the start of recording, the recording operation of the DAW software 4 starts. An audio signal or a MIDI signal output from the recording source (the musical instrument 2 or the MIDI device 32 or 3) is input to the PC 1 from the audio I / F 13 or the MIDI I / F 14, and the CPU 10 performs the process in step S4 of FIG. As a recording content of the recording track to which the port is input, the input signal is written to an appropriate storage medium such as the RAM 12. Thereby, the output signal of a certain recording source can be recorded on an appropriate recording track among a plurality of recording tracks. In addition, it is also possible to perform recording on a plurality of recording tracks simultaneously by executing port assignment processing one by one on a plurality of recording tracks.

  Considering the work procedure according to the actual usage situation, first, the operator operating the DAW software 4 of the PC 1 selects the recording track to be recorded, and then the audio signal from the musical instrument 2 or the MIDI device 3 to be recorded. Alternatively, the player is requested to output a MIDI signal (this player may be the same person as the operator). When a signal is output from the musical instrument 2 or MIDI device 3 to be recorded, the signal output from the musical instrument 2 or MIDI device 3 to be recorded is one or more ports (audio I / O terminal 6 or MIDI I / O terminal 7). ) Is input to PC1. The PC 1 automatically detects the port to which the signal output from the musical instrument 2 or the MIDI device 3 to be recorded is input by the port assignment process illustrated in FIG. 4 (YES in step S2 or S6), The detected port (port to which the musical instrument 2 or MIDI device 3 to be recorded is connected) can be automatically assigned to the selected recording track (step S4). If a port unintended by the operator is assigned to the selected recording track, the process of automatically assigning the port to the recording track selected in the same procedure may be performed again.

  As described above, according to the above embodiment, since the process of assigning the port to the recording track is automated, the preparation work before the start of recording is simplified in the multitrack recording using the DAW software 4, so that the recording work It has an excellent effect that it can be performed efficiently and comfortably.

  Note that the user may arbitrarily set whether or not to use the function of automatically assigning ports to the recording tracks realized by the processing of FIG. For example, the user can change the port assignment function on / off setting from the port assignment function on / off setting window as shown in FIG. According to the port assignment function on / off setting window shown in FIG. 5, the user selects either the on radio button 28 or the off radio button 29, and uses the operator 18 to move the OK button 30 to the mouse. By clicking, it is possible to confirm the on / off setting of the port assignment function according to the current selection state of the radio button 28 or 29. If the cancel button 31 is clicked with the operator 18 by using a mouse, the on / off setting of the port assignment function according to the current selection state of the radio button 28 or 29 can be canceled. If the port assignment function is set to ON (the ON radio button 28 is selected), when a recording track is selected, the process shown in FIG. Processing is performed. On the other hand, if the port assignment function is set to ON (the ON radio button 28 is selected), when the recording track is selected, the port assignment process is not started, and the user Manually select the port to be assigned to the selected recording track.

  Note that when there are simultaneous inputs from a plurality of ports, a single port may be assigned to the recording track based on a predetermined rule. In the rule, for example, priority is given to a port in which signal input is detected first (first-come-first-served priority) or priority is given to a port in which signal input is detected later (first-come-first-served priority) There are things to choose. The processing procedure illustrated in FIG. 4 shows a configuration in which the signal input is checked first from the audio port in steps S1 to S3. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the signal input is checked first from the MIDI port. Thereafter, the processing configuration may be such that a signal input check from the audio port is performed. In other words, the processing configuration of FIG. 4 is merely an example, and any processing configuration can be implemented as long as one port can be automatically assigned to the recording track selected by the user. There is no problem.

  In the above embodiment, the function for automatically assigning a port to a recording track basically assumes that one monaural port is assigned to one monaural recording track. However, one recording track is a stereo track, and a set of stereo ports is assigned to this stereo track as two stereo channels together (however, a signal is treated as a stereo signal on the stereo track) Or a single recording track as a mono track, and two mono tracks can be assigned only one of a set of stereo ports, or two mono recording tracks can be assigned to a set of stereo. It can be regarded as a track, and two sets of stereo ports can be distributed and assigned to one set of stereo tracks.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the function of automatically assigning the port to the recording track according to the present invention is applied to the multitrack recording by the audio / MIDI sequencer function provided by the DAW software has been shown. The port assignment function according to the present invention may be applied to multitrack recording in a device, a sequencer device, or the like. That is, the present invention may be configured and implemented in the form of a dedicated hardware device for realizing the port assignment function, or the process of automatically assigning ports to tracks in a music processing function executed by a computer. It may be configured and implemented in the form of a software program that is executed by a computer. In addition, the present invention is not limited to a device for digital recording. For example, when a port is assigned to a track in music processing other than recording, such as when an input port (input terminal) is assigned to a channel in a digital mixer. It is also possible to apply a port assignment function.

The block diagram for demonstrating the functional structure of the digital recording system to which the port allocation apparatus which concerns on one Example of this invention is applied. The block diagram which shows an example of the electrical hardware constitutions of the personal computer which comprises the digital recording system shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display example of an operation screen of an audio / MIDI sequencer function provided by DAW software in a personal computer constituting the digital recording system shown in FIG. 1. The flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the process which allocates a port to a recording track automatically. The figure which shows an example of the on / off setting window of the function which assigns a port to a recording track automatically.

Explanation of symbols

1 personal computer, 2 audio signal generating device, 3 MIDI device, 4 DAW software, 5 operating system, 6 audio I / O terminal, 7 MIDI I / O terminal, 8 audio driver, 9 MIDI driver, 10 CPU, 11 ROM, 12 RAM, 13 audio interface, 14 MIDI interface, 15 control circuit, 16 detection circuit, 17 display circuit, 18 operator, 19 display, 20 track number display area, 21 track list display area, 22 event display area, 23 port Name display field, 24 REC button, 25 Play button, 26 Mute button, 27 Solo button



Ten

Claims (2)

The reportage over preparative enter an audio signal or MIDI signal from external, a assigned Lupo over bit assignments device track for processing a signal wherein the input,
Depending on the instruction by the user, a selection unit configured to select one of a plurality of said tracks,
Depending on the choice of prior Quito rack, of the ports of the multiple, one determine another discriminating means the port in the signal input,
And split Ri shed allocation means the port that was different before SL-format to track said selected,
Port assignment apparatus characterized by the split port abuts have a track that the selected and control means that to supply a signal to be input. The reportage over preparative enter an audio signal or MIDI signal from external, the split Ri shed processing belt racks to process the signals obtained by the input, a program to be executed by a computer,
Depending on the instruction by the user, a selection procedure to select any one of a plurality of said tracks,
Depending on the choice of prior Quito rack among the plurality of ports, the determination procedure to one determine different ports in the signal input,
And the allocation procedure to assign one of the ports were separately before SL-format to track said selected,
A program characterized by executing a control procedure for supplying a signal that has one port the split abuts have to track said selected is input to the computer.

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