JPH0428319B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic accompaniment device that reads waveform data and automatically generates accompaniment sound signals such as chords, arpeggios, bass notes, etc. By storing data and reading out the stored waveform data at a rate determined in accordance with a chord designation operation, a live performance effect can be obtained with as little memory capacity as possible.

Conventionally, in the case of electronic musical instruments, there is a technology in which the entire waveform of one musical instrument sound from its rise to its extinction is stored in a memory, and the musical instrument sound is reproduced by reading out the waveform data from the memory in response to a sound generation start command. is known (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 121313/1983).

By applying this technology to automatic accompaniment devices such as autochord, autoarpegillo, and autobass, it is possible to make the individual accompaniment sounds generated according to the accompaniment pattern approximate the sounds of natural instruments. . However, since the sequentially reproduced sounds are generated by repeatedly reading waveform data for one note, the sound quality is exactly the same, and subtle differences in sound quality in the progression of the accompaniment and/or in relation to other instruments are reproduced. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that a good live performance effect cannot be obtained.

In addition, the first problem to be solved in realizing this type of digital recording automatic accompaniment device is
The second purpose is to make it possible to change the tempo without pitch change or deterioration of sound quality, and the second purpose is to reduce the capacity of the waveform data memory as much as possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a variable tempo automatic accompaniment device that can provide good live performance effects with as little memory capacity as possible.

In the automatic accompaniment device of the present invention, waveform data representing waveforms of accompaniment tones to be sequentially generated is stored in a memory, and waveform data regarding sequential accompaniment tones are determined from this memory in response to a chord designation operation. Accompaniment sound signals are sequentially generated in accordance with the waveform data related to the successive accompaniment sounds that have been read out. In this case, the readout start timing of the waveform data regarding the sequential accompaniment sounds is determined in synchronization with the sequential timing pulses generated according to the variable tempo.

According to one feature of the invention, means are provided for modifying the waveform data for successive accompaniment notes read out from the memory, by means of which:
The continuous shape of the waveform of successive accompaniment sounds is controlled to be changed into a musically preferable shape.

According to another feature of the present invention, a plurality of groups of waveform data are stored in a memory, each corresponding to a plurality of predetermined tempo ranges, and a group of waveform data to be read from the memory corresponds to a set tempo. selected accordingly.

According to still another feature of the present invention, a plurality of groups of waveform data are stored in a memory, each corresponding to a plurality of predetermined ranges, and a group of waveform data to be read from the memory corresponds to a specified chord. Selected according to the root note.

According to yet another feature of the invention, the first waveform data storage/readout system is for accompaniment tones with relatively short envelopes, and the second waveform data storage/readout system is for accompaniment tones with relatively long envelopes. These storage/readout systems are controlled by a common variable tempo setting device.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

First Embodiment FIG. 1 shows an automatic accompaniment device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The start/stop control switch 10 is turned on and off when accompaniment starts and stops, respectively, and is connected to a "1" signal source. When the control switch 10 is turned on, the play mode signal PLAY becomes "1".

The tempo oscillator 12 outputs a play mode signal PLAY.
When it becomes "1", it becomes enabled and a tempo clock pulse TCLK is generated as shown in FIG.

The variable tempo setting device 14 includes a volume operated by hand or the like, and is adapted to supply tempo control data indicating a set tempo to the tempo oscillator 12. The frequency of the tempo clock pulse TCLK generated from the tempo oscillator 12 is:
It is controlled according to tempo control data from the variable tempo setting device 14, and determined according to the set tempo.

The tempo counter 16 is made up of a flip-flop whose number of stages corresponds to the length of one bar, for example, and is designed to count the tempo clock pulse TCLK and generate a count output CNT and a carry-out pulse CO. Before turning on the control switch 10, the tempo counter 16 is set so that all bits of the count output CNT become "1" in response to the output signal "1" of the inverter 18 which receives the play mode signal PLAY="0". ing. and,
When the play mode signal PLAY becomes "1" in response to the ON operation of the control switch 10, the tempo counter 16 changes all bits of the count output CNT to "0" in response to the first tempo clock pulse TCLK from the tempo oscillator 12. At the same time, the first carry-out pulse CO is generated.

Thereafter, the tempo counter 16 sequentially counts the second and subsequent tempo clock pulses TCLK and sequentially increases the count value. The tempo counter 16 indicates the tempo clock pulse TCLK for one measure.
When counting, all bits of the count output CNT become “1”
become. Then, in response to the first tempo clock pulse TCLK of the second bar, the tempo counter 16 causes all bits of the count output CNT to become "0" and generates the second carry-out pulse CO. After this, the same sequential counting operation as described above is repeated, and the tempo counter 16 repeatedly generates a sequential counting output CNT and a carry-out pulse CO at the end of each bar.

The accompaniment selection switch circuit 20 includes accompaniment selection switches corresponding to accompaniment types such as waltz and rock, and in response to accompaniment selection operations by these accompaniment selection switches, accompaniment type designation data ASD indicating the selected accompaniment type is generated. It is beginning to be sent out.

The timing pattern memory 22 stores timing patterns representing successive accompaniment sound generation timings for each accompaniment type as described above. In addition to being supplied as an addressing signal, the count output CNT from the tempo counter 16 is also supplied as a dynamic addressing signal.

When a specific accompaniment type is designated by the accompaniment type designation data ASD, a timing pattern corresponding to the designated accompaniment type is repeatedly read out in accordance with the count output CNT. Therefore, timing pulses TPTN are sequentially sent out from the timing pattern memory 22 in accordance with a timing pattern corresponding to a specific type of accompaniment, as shown in FIG.

The address counter 24 receives the timing pulse TPTN as the clock input CK and the carryout pulse CO as the reset input R. When the clock input CK and the reset input R are supplied at the same time, the reset input R is given priority. It's starting to work. Before turning on the control switch 10, the play mode signal PLAY
The tempo counter 16 outputs a count in response to the output signal "1" of the inverter 18 which receives ="0".
All bits of CNT are set to "1". When the control switch 10 is turned on as described above, the tempo counter 16 generates the first carry-out pulse CO. After being reset in response to this first carry-out pulse CO, the address counter 24 sequentially counts the timing pulses TPTN and supplies the counting output to the address storage device 26 as a dynamic addressing signal.

The address storage device 26 has a start address memory A and an end address memory B, and the start address memory A stores start address data indicating readout start addresses for accompaniment tones to be sequentially generated, as described above. In the end address memory B, end address data indicating read end addresses for accompaniment tones to be generated sequentially is stored for each accompaniment type as described above. There is. Accompaniment type designation data ASD is supplied from the accompaniment selection switch circuit 20 to the start address memory A and the end address memory B as a static address designation signal.

When a specific accompaniment type is designated by the accompaniment type designation data ASD, start address data corresponding to the designated accompaniment type is sequentially read out from the start address memory A in accordance with the count output of the address counter 24. , are supplied to the adder 28, while the end address data corresponding to the designated accompaniment type is sequentially read out from the end address memory B according to the count output of the address counter 24, and is supplied to the comparator 30. .

The chord keyboard 32 includes a plurality of keys for playing chords, and is configured to supply key press data indicating pressed keys to the chord detection circuit 34.

The chord detection circuit 34 temporarily stores key press data from the chord keyboard 32 and detects the root note and chord type of a chord based on the stored data. It is designed to send type specification data CSD. There are two types of chord detecting operation of the chord detecting circuit 34, and one of the chord detecting operations is performed depending on whether the mode changeover switch 36 is set to contact a or b. That is, switch 36
When set to contact a, chord detection operation in finger chord mode is performed, and when switch 36 is set to contact b, single chord detection is performed.
A finger mode chord detection operation is performed.

In chord detection in the finguard chord mode, a chord to be generated is specified by simultaneously pressing multiple keys corresponding to a desired chord on the chord keyboard 32. For example, when you press a key corresponding to the three notes C-E-G, data specifying the root note "C" is sent as the root note specification data, and data specifying the chord type "Mejiya" is sent as the chord type specification data. Data specifying is sent.

In single finger mode chord detection, the chord type specified is different depending on whether one key is pressed on the chord keyboard 32 or when multiple keys are pressed. That is, when one key is pressed, "Mejiya" is designated as the chord type, and the note of the pitch name corresponding to the pressed key is designated as the root note. In addition, when multiple keys are pressed, the root note is specified by the lowest note (or the highest note) among the multiple keys pressed, and the root note is specified by the number of other pressed keys or the type of key (white key). (or black keys) determines the chord type.

The chord latch circuit 38 is connected to each timing pulse.
The chord type designation data CSD from the chord detection circuit 34 is latched in response to TPTN. Among the latched data, the root note designation data RT is supplied to the variable frequency divider 40, and the chord type designation data CSD is supplied to the variable frequency divider 40.
CT is supplied to waveform data memory 42. The reason why the chord latch circuit 38 is provided is to generate the next accompaniment tone in synchronization with the timing pulse TPTN when a key for the next accompaniment tone is pressed while a certain accompaniment tone is being generated.

The variable frequency divider 40 variably divides the frequency of the system clock signal φ according to the root note specification data RT, and the frequencies of the divided output pulses corresponding to the root notes C, C#, . . . The frequency ratio for each sound is controlled to be 2 ^1/12 .

The R-S flip-flop 44 is set in response to each timing pulse TPTN, and its output Q="1" makes the AND gate 46 conductive. When AND gate 46 conducts, it provides the divided output pulse from variable frequency divider 40 to read address counter 48 as clock input CK.

The read address counter 48 is a variable frequency divider 40
It counts the divided output pulses supplied from the AND gate 46 and sequentially generates an address signal indicating an address value that changes at a rate determined by the frequency of the divided output pulse. It is designed to be reset in response to the carry-out pulse CO or timing pulse TPTN from. When the control switch 10 is turned on, the OR gate 50 generates the first output signal "1" in response to the first carry-out pulse CO and the first timing pulse TPTN. After the read address counter 48 is reset in response to the first output signal "1" from the OR gate 50,
The frequency-divided output pulses from the AND gate 46 are sequentially counted and reset in response to the second timing pulse TPTN, and the same counting and resetting operations are repeated thereafter. Then, at the end of one measure, the read address counter 48 is reset by the second carry-out pulse CO. After this, the counting and resetting operations described above are repeated in the same manner. Read address counter 4
Sent from 8. The address signal is fed on the one hand to adder 28 and on the other hand to comparator 30.

The comparator 30 compares the end address data from the end address memory B and the address signal from the read address counter 48, and when they match, sends out a match output EQ. This match output EQ causes flip-flop 44 to be reset, and in response to this reset, AND gate 46 becomes non-conductive.
The supply of frequency-divided output pulses to the read address counter 48 is stopped. Therefore, the counting operation (ie, address progression) of the read address counter 48 is stopped.

This stopping of the counting operation continues until the flip-flop 44 is set in response to the next timing pulse TPTN.

The adder 28 adds the start address data from the start address memory A and the address signal from the read address counter 48, and the added output is supplied to the waveform data memory 42 as an address signal for reading waveform data.

The waveform data memory 42 stores waveform data representing waveforms of accompaniment tones to be sequentially generated for each accompaniment type and for each chord type as described above. One measure of digital waveform data consisting of digital words representing sample values of the waveform is used for each accompaniment note. Such digital waveform data is obtained by recording the actual accompaniment performed by a musician, sampling the recorded signal at a certain sampling rate, and converting each sample value into analog/digital (A/D) data.
Obtained by converting.

The accompaniment type designation data ASD is supplied from the accompaniment selection switch circuit 20 to the waveform data memory 42 as a static address designation signal, and the waveform data to be read is the accompaniment type designation data.
The selection is made according to the ASD and the aforementioned chord type designation data CT.

The waveform data memory 42 becomes enabled when the play mode signal PLAY becomes "1" in response to the ON operation of the control switch 10, and in this state, the selected waveform data is stored in the adder 28.
It is read out in response to an address signal from. The readout rate in this case is determined according to the root note of the chord specified on the chord keyboard 32.

Waveform data related to sequential accompaniment tones read out from the waveform data memory 42 are supplied to a data modification circuit 52. The data modification circuit 52 modifies the waveform sample values in order to make the waveform concatenation shape of successive accompaniment sounds into a desired shape, and the details thereof will be described later.

The waveform data regarding the sequential accompaniment sounds sent from the data correction circuit 52 is sent to the digital filter 54.
supplied to As mentioned above, since the reading rate of waveform data differs depending on the specified root note, the present invention basically forms musical tones using moving formants. Therefore, a digital filter 54 is provided to give the data a fixed formant tendency, and the waveform data undergoes some waveform correction by passing through this digital filter 54.

Waveform data relating to successive accompaniment sounds sent out from the digital filter 54 is supplied to a digital/analog (D/A) conversion circuit 56 and converted into an analog accompaniment sound signal OUT. And D/A
Accompaniment sound signals sequentially sent from the conversion circuit 56
OUT is supplied to the speaker 60 via the output amplifier 58 and converted into accompaniment sound. Therefore, automatic accompaniment sound is produced from the speaker 60.

Accompaniment Sound Generation Operation Here, the accompaniment sound generation operation will be explained with reference to FIG. The stored waveforms shown in FIG. 2 are a group of waveform data selected according to accompaniment type designation data ASD and chord type designation data CT from among the waveform data stored in the waveform data memory 42, and are converted into analog signals for convenience. It is shown in the form below.

The waveform data P ₀ , P ₁ , P ₂ ... represent the waveforms of accompaniment sounds to be generated sequentially, and the waveform data corresponding to each accompaniment sound is from the rise of that accompaniment sound to just before the rise of the next accompaniment sound. consists of a number of digital words representing sample values of a consecutive waveform. This kind of digital waveform data includes chords,
It is obtained by digitally recording an actual accompaniment with arpeggio sounds, bass sounds, etc. In digital recording, accompaniment is performed by changing various chord types for each accompaniment type, with the root note being a G note, for example, and the waveform data memory 42 stores waveforms corresponding to a plurality of chord types for each accompaniment type. Store data.

The waveform of the accompaniment sound represented by the waveform data P ₀ , P ₁ , P ₂ . . . may be that of a single sound or that of a mixed sound. For example, in the case of a chord, a mixture of three notes that make up the chord is generated sequentially, but the waveform data
Both P ₀ and P ₁ may represent the waveform of a chord, and the waveform data P ₂ may represent a waveform of a mixed sound of the chord and the bass note. In addition, in the case of an arpeggio, the first, second, and third notes constituting the chord are generated in a distributed manner, and the waveform data P ₀ and P ₁ indicate the waveforms of the first and second notes, respectively. Waveform data P ₂
may indicate a waveform of a mixed sound of the third note and the bass note.

Now, assume that the variable tempo setting device 14 is used to set the same tempo as during recording. Further, when a specific accompaniment type is selected using the accompaniment selection switch circuit 20 and a specific chord whose root note is G is specified using the chord keyboard 32, a group of waveform data representing the stored waveforms shown in FIG. 2 are stored in the waveform data memory. is selected to be read.

When the control switch 10 is turned on, the tempo oscillator 12 generates a tempo clock pulse TCLK at a frequency corresponding to the set tempo as shown in FIG. Tempo counter 16 generates the first carryout pulse CO in response to the first tempo clock pulse, as described above. At the same time, all bits of the count output CNT become "0", and accordingly, the timing pattern memory 22 generates timing pulses as shown in FIG. 2 according to the timing pattern corresponding to the selected accompaniment type.
Start generating TPTN.

The first carry-out pulse CO and the first timing pulse TPTN are input to the address counter 24 at almost the same time, but as described above, reset has priority, so the address counter 24 is reset in response to the first carry-out pulse CO. , the counting output is all bits "0". Therefore, start address data indicating the readout start address of the waveform data P ₀ corresponding to the first accompaniment tone is read out from the start address memory A.

In addition, the first carry-out pulse CO and the first timing pulse TPTN are inputted to the OR gate 50 almost simultaneously, and the OR gate 50 responds accordingly.
0 generates the first output signal "1". Since this first output signal "1" resets the read address counter 48, the count output of the counter 48 becomes all bits "0".

The first timing pulse TPTN causes flip-flop 44 to set and AND gate 46 conducts in response. Further, the chord latch circuit 38 latches the chord type designation data CSD from the chord detection circuit 34 in response to the first timing pulse TPTN. The data latched at this time includes root note specification data RT indicating the root note G and chord type specification data CT indicating a certain chord type.

The variable frequency divider 40 generates a frequency-divided output pulse at a frequency corresponding to the root note G in accordance with the root note designation data RT, and supplies it to the read address counter 48 via an AND gate 46. Read address counter 48
sequentially counts the frequency-divided output pulses and sequentially sends out address signals. Therefore, address signals are sequentially generated from the adder 28 so as to indicate address values that increase at a rate corresponding to the root note G from the readout start address, and in response, the waveform data memory 42 generates address signals that indicate the address value increasing at a rate corresponding to the root note G. Waveform data P ₀ corresponding to the accompaniment sounds are sequentially read out.

The waveform data read from the waveform data memory 42 is supplied to a D/A conversion circuit 56 via a data correction circuit 52 and a digital filter 54.
The first accompaniment sound signal is output from the D/A conversion circuit 56.
OUT is generated. And this accompaniment sound signal
The first accompaniment sound is produced from the speaker 60 in response to OUT. In this case, if the first accompaniment note is a chord, a chord whose root note is G is generated.

Next, when the second timing pulse TPTN is generated from the timing pattern memory 22,
The count value of the address counter 24 becomes 1, and in response, the start address data for the waveform data _P1 is read from the start address memory A.
Further, after being reset in response to the second timing pulse TPTN, the read address counter 48 sequentially counts the frequency-divided output pulses and sequentially generates address signals as before.

Therefore, the waveform data _P1 corresponding to the second accompaniment tone is sequentially read out from the waveform data memory 42 at a rate corresponding to the root note G, and in response, the second accompaniment tone is read out from the speaker 60. It is played out.

Thereafter, each time the timing pulse TPTN is generated, the waveform data reading operation is performed sequentially in the same manner as described above, and accompaniment sounds corresponding to the waveform data P ₂ , P ₃ . . . are sequentially produced.

When the reading of waveform data for one measure is completed, the tempo counter 16 outputs the second carry-out pulse.
CO is generated to reset the address counter 24 and read address counter 48. Therefore, waveform data corresponding to successive accompaniment notes are read out for the next bar in the same manner as described above.
Thereafter, similar operations are repeated for each sliding contact. Therefore, the automatic accompaniment sound is produced from the speaker 60 at the same tempo as when recording.

By the way, suppose that while accompaniment notes are being automatically generated as described above, another chord whose root note is, for example, an F note is specified on the chord keyboard 32.
Chord type specification data corresponding to this specified chord
The chord latch circuit 38 responds to the first timing pulse TPTN after the CSD specifies the other chords mentioned above.
is latched to. Therefore, the frequency of the divided output pulse from the variable frequency divider 40 is controlled to be changed to a value corresponding to the root note F of the newly designated chord. Therefore, the stored waveforms of FIG. 2 are sequentially read out at a rate corresponding to the root note F, and accompaniment tones are sequentially played in accordance with the read data. In this case, if the accompaniment note is a chord, a chord whose root note is F note is generated. Note that if the chord type is also changed in the other chord designation operation described above, the group of waveform data to be read from the waveform data memory 42 is selected in accordance with the newly designated chord type.

Next, accompaniment sound generation operations with different address control modes will be described with reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b. Third
Figure a shows the operation when an address jump occurs,
This kind of operation is performed firstly when a faster tempo is set than during recording using the variable tempo setting device 14, and secondly when a chord whose root note is lower than the G note is played on the chord keyboard 32. This is the case when specified.
Moreover, FIG. 3b shows the operation when the address progress is stopped, and this operation is performed as follows.
The first case is when the variable tempo setting device sets a tempo that is slower than that during recording, and the second case is when a chord whose root note is higher than the G note is specified on the chord keyboard 32.

In the case of Figure 3 a, for example, the waveform data
The next timing pulse TPTN is generated before reading _P0 to the end address. This also applies to other waveform data P ₁ , P ₂ , P ₃ , etc. Therefore, in the address progression seen at the output side of the adder 28, addresses are skipped at portions such as F ₁ , F ₂ , F _{3 ,} etc., and waveform data corresponding to the skipped addresses are not read out. Therefore,
The accompaniment sound signal OUT is the accompaniment sound signal P ₁₀ , P ₁₁ , with a part of the attenuation waveform deleted for each accompaniment sound.
P ₁₂ , P ₁₃ . . . are generated sequentially. In this case, since the waveform of the rising portion, which is important for musical tones, is faithfully reproduced, deterioration in sound quality hardly becomes a problem.

On the other hand, in the case of FIG. 3b, for example, when the waveform data _P0 is read out to the end address, the comparator 30 generates a coincidence output EQ, resets the flip-flop 44, and in response, the read address counter 48 is reset. Counting operation is the next timing pulse
Suspended until TPTN occurs. This also applies to other waveform data P ₁ , P ₂ , P ₃ , etc. Therefore, the address progression seen at the output side of the adder 28 is stopped at ST ₁ , ST ₂ , ST ₃ and the like. Therefore, as the accompaniment sound signal OUT, accompaniment sound signals P ₁₀ , P ₁₁ , P ₁₂ , P ₁₃ . . . are sequentially generated in a form indicating a silent state after the end of attenuation for each accompaniment sound.

In either of the cases shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b above, the frequency of the divided output pulse of the variable frequency divider 40 does not change due to changing the tempo, so the reading rate of the waveform data does not change. Therefore, the pitch of the reproduced accompaniment sound does not change as the tempo changes.

Incidentally, when it is desired to stop the automatic accompaniment, the control switch 10 is turned off. Then, the tempo oscillator 12 and the waveform data memory 42 are disabled, and reading of waveform data is stopped. Therefore, automatic accompaniment is stopped. Further, the accompaniment sound generation operation as described above is performed in the same manner for other types of accompaniment selected by the accompaniment selection switch circuit 20.

Data Modification Circuit The data modification circuit 52 is composed of, for example, an amplitude control circuit. In this case, the timing pattern memory 22 contains a pattern for generating a decay start timing pulse EDP a predetermined time T of several milliseconds in advance of each of the second and subsequent timing pulses TPTN, as shown in FIG. Memorize the timing pattern.

If the tempo is increased as mentioned above, the fourth
As shown in the figure, while the first accompaniment tone signal P ₁₀ is slowly attenuating according to the envelope E ₁ , the second accompaniment tone signal P ₁₁ is generated in response to the second timing pulse TPTN. Sometimes.
In such a case, if there is a large difference between the sample value indicated by the first waveform data read in response to the second timing pulse TPTN and the sample value indicated by the waveform data read immediately before, a clicking sound may occur. There is. The data correction circuit 52 is provided to prevent the occurrence of such click sounds.

The amplitude control circuit constituting the data correction circuit 52 starts multiplying the waveform data and the attenuation envelope data in response to the attenuation start timing pulse EDP that precedes the second timing pulse TPTN. This multiplication process is performed by, for example, a bit shift method to reduce the waveform sample value by 1/2, and is stopped when the second timing pulse TPTN arrives. As a result, the first accompaniment sound signal _P10 is forcibly attenuated according to the envelope _E2 , thereby preventing the occurrence of click sounds. Such forced attenuation control is similarly applied to waveform data corresponding to each of the second and subsequent accompaniment tones. Note that the attenuation control may be performed by detecting the amplitude level and increasing the attenuation rate as the amplitude level increases.

The data correction circuit 52 is configured by an interpolation circuit as another example. This interpolation circuit always has a register to store the past seven sample values, and calculates the 14 sample values from the generation of each timing pulse TPTN by calculating the following equations (1) and (2). This is to correct.

In these equations (1) and (2), Aj, Bk and Ci are all at the joint J- of the waveforms as shown in Figure 5.
Among the sample values near J′, A ₁ to _{A 7} are sample values before the joint, B ₁ to _{B 14} are sample values after the joint, and C ₁ to C ₁₄ are corrected sample values, respectively. In FIG. 5, the horizontal axis indicates time t, and illustrations of B ₈ to B ₁₄ and C ₈ to _{C 14} are omitted.

According to the above equation (1), for example, the corrected sample value C ₁
is obtained by dividing the sum of the sample values A ₁ to A ₇ and the sample value B ₁ by 8, and the corrected sample value C ₇ is obtained by dividing the sum of the sample values A 1 to A 7 and the sample value B ₁ by 8. It is obtained by dividing the sum of B ₁ to B ₇ by 8. In this way, C ₁ to C ₇ are obtained by averaging eight sample values before and after the joint JJ'.

Furthermore, according to the above equation (2), for example, the corrected sample value C ₈ is obtained by dividing the sum of the sample values B ₁ to B ₈ by 8, and the corrected sample value C ₁₄ is obtained by dividing the sum of the sample values B 1 to B 8 by 8. It is obtained by dividing the sum of sample values B ₁₃ and B ₁₄ by 2. in this way
C ₈ to _{C 14} are obtained by averaging a gradually smaller number of sample values so as to gradually reduce the influence of past sample values.

When the above-mentioned interpolation circuit is used, as shown in FIG. 5, the waveforms which were discontinuous at the waveform joint JJ' become almost continuously connected, making it possible to prevent the generation of clicking noise.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the automatic accompaniment is repeated every bar, but it may be repeated every other desired section, such as every two bars. Further, the timing pattern memory 22, the address storage device 26, and the waveform data memory 42 are all constituted by RAM (random access memory), and the memory 22, the storage device 26 are configured from an external recording device 62 such as a floppy disk or magnetic tape. The necessary data may be transferred to the memory 42 and the memory 42, respectively.

Second Embodiment FIG. 6 shows an automatic accompaniment device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and the same parts as in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals and detailed explanations are omitted. .

The device of FIG. 6 has three features. The first feature is that when the tempo variable range becomes larger, the portion of the waveform that is deleted becomes larger and the sound quality deteriorates, so the tempo variable range is divided into multiple parts, and waveform data is stored and played back for each tempo range. This is what I decided to do.

The second feature is that if the range of change in the root pitch is large, the portion of the waveform that is deleted will be large and the sound quality will deteriorate. Therefore, the range of change in the root pitch is divided into multiple ranges, and each range is The idea is that the waveform data is stored and played back every time.

The third feature is that when multiple accompaniment sounds are recorded as a mixture, the waveform of the bass sound with a long sustain time will have a large portion deleted, resulting in deterioration of sound quality. Another feature is that waveform data can be stored and played back.

The tempo range determination circuit 64 determines which of the predetermined tempo ranges the tempo set by the variable tempo setting device 14 belongs to, and uses tempo range designation data TRD indicating the determined tempo range. It is beginning to be sent out. As an example, the tempo variable range is 4 per minute.
If the number of diacritics is 60 to 200, set this to 60 to 200.
Three tempo ranges: 99, 100-149, 150-200,
, can be divided into .

The first storage/readout system 66A is for chords and arpeggio notes, and the second storage/readout system 66B is for bass notes. In these first and second storage/readout systems 66A and 66B, blocks with reference numbers appended with "A" or "B" have substantially the same functions as blocks with corresponding reference numbers in FIG. It has the following.

In the first storage/readout system 66A, the timing pattern memory 22A stores timing patterns representing the timing of generation of sequential chords and arpeggios for each type of accompaniment. Accompaniment type designation data ASD is supplied as a static address designation signal. From the timing pattern memory 22A, sequential timing pulses TPTN11 corresponding to the selected accompaniment type are sent out in accordance with the count output CNT from the tempo counter 16.

The address storage device 26A includes a start address memory Aa and an end address memory Ba. The start address memory Aa has first, second and third storage units Aa ₁ , Aa 2 and Aa ₃ corresponding to the first, _second and third ranges, respectively. As an example, if the range of change in root pitch ranges over 12 notes C, C#...B, this is divided into three ranges, the first range is from C to D#, and the second range is from C to D#. The first range can be in the range E to G, and the third range can be in the range G# to B.

The first storage unit Aa ₁ stores the aforementioned tempo range,
and three memory blocks respectively corresponding to the chords and arpeggios, and each memory block contains a memory block for chords and arpeggios to be generated sequentially at a tempo belonging to the corresponding tempo range and with a note belonging to the first range as the root note. Start address data is stored for each accompaniment type. The second storage unit Aa ₂ has three memory blocks corresponding to each tempo range, and each memory block has a tempo that belongs to the corresponding tempo range and a note that belongs to the second range as the root note. Start address data for chords and arpeggios to be generated sequentially is stored for each type of accompaniment. The third storage unit Aa ₃ has three memory blocks corresponding to each tempo range, and each memory block has a tempo that belongs to the corresponding tempo range and a note that belongs to the third range as the root note. Chords that should be generated in sequence
Start address data for arpeggio sounds are stored for each type of accompaniment.

The end address memory Ba includes the first and second addresses mentioned above.
and a third storage range Ba ₁ , Ba ₂ and Ba ₃ respectively corresponding to the above-mentioned tempo range and three storage blocks respectively corresponding to the above-mentioned tempo range. has. Each storage block stores end address data for chords and arpeggios, similar to the case of the start address memory Aa described above.

The chord latch circuit 38A latches the chord type designation data CSD from the chord detection circuit 34 in response to the timing pulse TPTN11.Among the latched data, the root note designation data RT1 is transmitted to the variable frequency divider 40A and range discrimination. The chord type designation data CT1 is supplied to the circuit 68, and the chord type designation data CT1 is supplied to the waveform data meli 42A.

The range determination circuit 68 determines which of the first to third ranges the root note indicated by the root note designation data RT1 belongs to, and sends the range designation data PS1 indicating the determined range. It's getting old. The range designation data PS1 is supplied to the address storage device 26A and the waveform data memory 42A.

The address storage device 26A stores pitch range designation data.
The start address data and end address data to be read are selected according to PS1, tempo range designation data TRD, and accompaniment type designation data ASD, and the selected start address data and end address data are output from the address counter 24A. It is read out according to the For example, range specification data
Assuming that PS1 indicates the first range, tempo range specification data TRD indicates the tempo range, and accompaniment type specification data ASD indicates a specific accompaniment type.
The start address data corresponding to a specific accompaniment type is read out from the memory block corresponding to the tempo range in the first storage section Aa ₁ of the start address memory Aa, and the first address data of the end address memory Ba is read out.
End address data corresponding to a specific accompaniment type is read out from a memory block corresponding to a tempo range in the memory unit _Ba1 .

The waveform data memory 42A includes the first and second waveform data memory 42A.
and a third storage range A11, A12, and A13, respectively, and each storage part has three storage blocks corresponding to the above-mentioned tempo range and, respectively.

In the first storage unit A11, each memory block stores waveform data representing the waveforms of chords and arpeggios to be generated sequentially at a tempo belonging to the corresponding tempo range and with a note belonging to the first pitch range as the root note. It is stored for each accompaniment type and for each chord type. In the second storage unit A12, each memory block stores waveform data representing waveforms of chords and arpeggios to be generated sequentially at a tempo belonging to the corresponding tempo range and with a note belonging to the second range as the root note. It is stored for each accompaniment type and for each chord type. In the third storage unit A13, each memory block stores waveform data representing the waveforms of chords and arpeggios to be generated sequentially at a tempo belonging to the corresponding tempo range and with a note belonging to the third range as the root note. It is stored for each accompaniment type and for each chord type.

In the waveform data memory 42A, the range specification data
PS1, chord type specification data CT1, tempo range specification data TRD, accompaniment type specification data
Waveform data to be read is selected in response to ASD, and the selected waveform data is read in response to the address signal from adder 28A in the same manner as described above with respect to FIG. For example, range specification data PS
1 indicates the first range, chord type specification data
Assuming that CT1 indicates a specific chord type, tempo range specification data TRD indicates a tempo range, and accompaniment type specification data ASD indicates a specific accompaniment type, a memory block corresponding to the tempo range in the first storage unit A11 is stored. Waveform data corresponding to a specific chord type and a specific accompaniment type are read out at a rate corresponding to the designated root note. in this case,
When only the chord type is changed on the chord keyboard 32, for example from C major to C minor, waveform data corresponding to the newly designated chord type is read from the same storage block.

The waveform data regarding sequential chords and arpeggio notes read from the waveform data memory 42A is sent to the adder 72 as waveform data OUT11 via the data correction circuit 52A and the digital filter 54A.
supplied to

In the second storage/readout system 66B, the timing pattern memory 22B stores timing patterns representing sequential bass sound generation timings for each accompaniment type. Specified data ASD
is provided as a static addressing signal. From the timing pattern memory 22B, sequential timing pulses TPTN12 corresponding to the selected accompaniment type are sent out in accordance with the count output from the tempo counter 16.

The address storage device 26B includes a start address memory Ab and an end address memory Bb. The start address memory Ab has first and second registers corresponding to the first, second and third ranges, respectively.
and third memory sections Ab ₁ , Ab ₂ and Ab ₃ , each memory section having three memory blocks respectively corresponding to the above-mentioned tempo range. Each storage block stores start address data for a bass tone in the same manner as in the case of the start address memory Aa described above.

The end address memory Bb has first, second and third registers corresponding to the first, second and third ranges, respectively.
It has storage sections Bb ₁ , Bb ₂ and Bb ₃ , and each storage section has three storage blocks corresponding to the tempo range and tempo range, respectively. Each memory block has
End address data for the bass tone is stored in the same manner as in the case of the start address memory Aa described above.

The chord latch circuit 38B latches the chord type designation data CSD from the chord detection circuit 34 in response to the timing pulse TPTN12.Among the latched data, the root note designation data RT2 is transmitted to the variable frequency divider 40B and range discrimination. The chord type designation data CT2 is supplied to the circuit 70, and the chord type designation data CT2 is supplied to the waveform data memory 42B.

The range determination circuit 70 determines which of the first to third ranges the root note indicated by the root note designation data RT2 belongs to, and sends the range designation data PS2 indicating the determined range. It's getting old. The range designation data PS2 is supplied to the address storage device 26B and the waveform data memory 42B.

In the address storage device 26B, the range designation data
The start address data and end address data to be read are selected according to PS2, tempo range designation data TRD, and accompaniment type designation data ASD, and the selected start address data and end address data are output from the address counter 24B. It is read out according to the For example, range specification data
Assuming that PS2 indicates the first range, tempo range specification data TRD indicates the tempo range, and accompaniment type specification data ASD indicates a specific accompaniment type.
The start address data corresponding to a specific accompaniment type is read out from the memory block corresponding to the tempo range in the first memory section _Ab1 of the start address memory Ab, and the first address data of the end address memory Bb is read out.
End address data corresponding to a specific accompaniment type is read out from a memory block corresponding to a tempo range in the memory section _Bb1 .

The waveform data memory 42B includes the first and second waveform data memory 42B.
and a third storage range B11, B12, and B13, respectively, and each storage part has three storage blocks corresponding to the above-mentioned tempo range and, respectively.

In the first storage unit B11, each memory block stores waveform data for each type of accompaniment, which represents the waveform of a bass note that should be generated sequentially with respect to the root note that belongs to the first pitch range and has a tempo that belongs to the corresponding tempo range. and is stored for each chord type.
In the second memory unit B12, each memory block contains a tempo that belongs to the corresponding tempo range and a second memory block.
Waveform data representing the waveform of a bass tone to be sequentially generated with respect to root tones belonging to the range of is stored for each accompaniment type and for each chord type. In the third storage unit B13, each memory block stores waveform data for each type of accompaniment, which represents the waveform of a bass note that should be generated sequentially with respect to the root note that belongs to the third range and has a tempo that belongs to the corresponding tempo range. and is stored for each chord type.

In the waveform data memory 42B, the range specification data
PS2, chord type specification data CT2, tempo range specification data TRD, accompaniment type specification data
Waveform data to be read out is selected in response to ASD, and the selected waveform data is read out in response to the address signal from adder 28B in the same manner as described above with respect to FIG. For example, range specification data PS
2 indicates the first range, chord type specification data
Assuming that CT2 indicates a specific chord type, tempo range specification data TRD indicates a tempo range, and accompaniment type specification data ASD indicates a specific accompaniment type, a memory block corresponding to the tempo range in the first storage unit B11 is stored. Waveform data corresponding to a specific chord type and a specific accompaniment type are read out at a rate corresponding to the designated root note. in this case,
When only the chord type is changed on the chord keyboard 32, for example from C major to C minor, waveform data corresponding to the newly designated chord type is read from the same storage block.

The waveform data related to the sequential bass notes read out from the waveform data memory 42A are sent to the data correction circuit 5.
2B and the digital filter 54B, it is supplied to the adder 72 as waveform data OUT12.

Adder 72 receives waveform data OUT11 and OUT1
2 is added and supplied to the D/A conversion circuit 56. Therefore, the accompaniment sound signal OUT is sequentially sent out from the D/A conversion circuit 56 as in the case of FIG.
Then, from the speaker 60, accompaniment sound signals are sequentially transmitted.
Automatic accompaniment sound is played in response to OUT.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 described above, the waveform data stored in the waveform data memories 42A and 42B is the same as in the case of FIG. However, for sounds that occur infrequently, such as bass notes, it is possible to use digital waveform data that shows the sample values of the waveform from rise to decay for each note in memory. The silent state may be reproduced by storing the waveform data and controlling the reading operation of the waveform data to stop. In this way, it is not necessary to store waveform data corresponding to the silent state in the memory, so that the memory capacity can be reduced.

FIG. 7 is for explaining the bass sound generation operation when digital waveform data indicating waveform sample values from rise to decay for each bass sound is stored in the waveform data memory 42B as base sound waveform data. It is.

In the waveform data memory 42B, the range specification data
According to PS2, chord type designation data CT2, tempo range designation data TRD, and accompaniment type designation data ASD, waveform data S ₁ , S ₂ , S ₃ . . . representing stored waveforms as shown in FIG. 7 are selected to be read out. shall be In Figure 7, waveform data OUT12 and
S ₁ , S ₂ , S ₃ . . . are shown converted into analog signals for convenience.

When flip-flop 44B is set in response to the first timing pulse TPTN12, address signals are sequentially sent out so that read address counter 48B indicates an address value that increases at a rate corresponding to the designated root note. Therefore, the waveform data _S1 corresponding to the first bass note is sequentially read out from the waveform data memory 42B, and the waveform data OUT
As 12, data corresponding to the first bass sound signal _S11 is sent out.

Thereafter, when the value of the address signal from the read address counter 48B matches the end address value indicated by the end address data from the end address memory Bb, the comparator 30B generates a match output EQ to reset the flip-flop 44B. Therefore, the read address counter 48B stops its counting operation, and the address progression seen at the output side of the adder 28B is determined by the next timing pulse as shown in FIG.
It stops during the period _ST1 until the occurrence of TPTN12. By not reading data from the waveform data memory 42B during this reading stop period _ST1 , the _second
The silent state up to just before the rise of the base sound signal _S12 is reproduced.

Next, the second timing pulse TPTN12
is generated, the waveform data _S2 corresponding to the second bass sound is sequentially read out from the waveform data memory 42B in the same manner as described above, and as the waveform data OUT12, the second bass sound signal Data corresponding to _S12 is sent out.

After this, the read address counter 48B stops counting operation in the same manner as described above, and the stop period
ST ₂ continues until the third timing pulse TPTN12 is generated. Then, the waveform data _S3 is read out in response to the third timing pulse TPTN12, and data corresponding to the third base sound signal _S13 is sent out as the waveform data OUT12.
Thereafter, the above operations are repeated. Therefore, from the speaker 60, the base sound signals S ₁₁ ,
Bass sounds corresponding to S ₁₂ , S ₁₃ . . . are played in sequence.

Third Embodiment FIG. 8 shows an automatic accompaniment device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and similar parts to those in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals and detailed explanations are omitted. .

The feature of the device shown in Fig. 8 is that the configuration of the waveform data reading circuit is simplified by using a frequency divider, counter, etc., in view of the fact that accompaniment sounds may be generated at a constant cycle depending on the type of accompaniment pattern. That's what I did.

The tempo frequency divider 74 is composed of a counter that divides the frequency of the tempo clock pulse TCLK from the tempo oscillator 12, and generates the first to third series of timing pulses TP1 to TP3. Also, a carry out pulse CO is generated every bar. The first series of timing pulses TP1 are sequentially generated at time intervals corresponding to quarter notes, and the second series of timing pulses TP2 are sequentially generated at time intervals corresponding to eighth notes. The third series of timing pulses TP3 are sequentially generated at time intervals corresponding to sixteenth notes.

The selector circuit 76 is the accompaniment selection switch circuit 2.
1st according to the accompaniment type specification data ASD from 0.
- Any one series of timing pulses from among the third series of timing pulses TP1 to TP3 is selected and transmitted.

The sequential timing pulses TP sent out from the selector circuit 76 act in the same manner as the sequential timing pulses TPTN explained in FIG.
OR gate 50 and starting address counter 78
and the data correction circuit 52.

The start address counter 78 is controlled by the control switch 1.
After being reset in response to the first carry-out pulse CO generated when 0 is turned on, successive timing pulses TP are counted and start address data is sequentially sent out. The same reset and counting operations are repeated each time the second and subsequent carry-out pulses CO are generated.

The address signal AD for reading waveform data from the waveform data memory 42 is based on its upper bits.
UB is configured by the start address data from the start address counter 78, and its lower bits are
LB is configured by the address signal from read address counter 48. Therefore, waveform data regarding successive accompaniment tones are sequentially read out from the waveform data memory 42 at readout start timings synchronized with successive timing pulses TP and at a rate corresponding to the designated root note.

Unlike the case of FIG. 1, the device shown in FIG. 8 described above does not have a readout stop control section, so that it is only possible to make the tempo faster than during recording and to lower the readout rate. Therefore, the waveform data stored in the waveform data memory 42 is digitally recorded with the tempo as slow as possible and the root note as the B note.

In the above embodiments, a digital word indicating the sample value of the waveform was used as the stored waveform data, but instead, a digital word indicating the difference in amplitude at each adjacent sample point of the waveform was used.
The waveform signal may be reproduced by arithmetic processing.

As described above, according to the present invention, waveform data representing the waveforms of successive accompaniment notes is stored in the memory, and the waveform data is read out at a specified rate for each accompaniment note. Subtle differences in sound quality in the progression and/or in relation to other instruments can be reproduced, and a good live performance effect can be obtained.
Furthermore, since the waveform data is read out by changing the readout rate each time the root note of a chord differs, it is sufficient to store waveform data related to a specific root note in the memory. It requires less memory capacity. Furthermore, since the timing to start reading out the waveform data for successive accompaniment sounds is determined according to the sequential timing pulses generated according to the variable tempo, the pitch of the played accompaniment sounds will change even if the tempo is changed. In addition, the waveform portion corresponding to the rise of the accompaniment sound is not deleted. Therefore, it is possible to reproduce accompaniment sounds with high fidelity, and the live performance effect is further improved.

When data modification means for controlling the waveform connection shape is provided, clicks will not occur between accompaniment tones that are successively reproduced, and deterioration in sound quality can be avoided.

When waveform data is stored and reproduced by tempo range, tone range, or envelope length, accompaniment sound can be reproduced with even higher fidelity.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an automatic accompaniment device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a time chart for explaining the accompaniment sound generation operation of the device in FIG. 1, and FIGS. b is a time chart for explaining the accompaniment sound generation operation with different address control modes, where a shows the case with an address jump, and b shows the case with an address progress stop; The figure is a time chart showing an example of sample value correction using an amplitude control circuit, FIG. 5 is a time chart showing an example of sample value correction using an interpolation circuit, and FIG. 6 is a time chart showing an example of sample value correction using an interpolation circuit. FIG. 7 is a time chart for explaining the bass sound generation operation of the device shown in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an automatic accompaniment device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12... Tempo oscillator, 14... Variable tempo setting device, 16... Tempo counter, 20... Accompaniment selection switch circuit, 22... Timing pattern memory, 24... Address counter, 26... Address storage device, 28... ... Adder, 32 ... Chord keyboard, 34 ... Chord detection circuit, 40 ... Variable frequency divider, 42 ... Waveform data memory, 48 ... Read address counter, 52 ... Data correction circuit, 56
...D/A conversion circuit, 64...Tempo range discrimination circuit, 66A...Storage/readout system for chords and arpeggio sounds, 66B...Storage/readout system for bass sounds.
Reading system, 68, 70... tone range discrimination circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1 (a) storage means for storing waveform data representing waveforms of accompaniment tones to be sequentially generated; (b) variable tempo setting device; (c) timing for sequential generation of accompaniment tones. (d) a chord specifying means; (e) a pulse generating means for generating sequential timing pulses respectively instructing according to a tempo set by the variable tempo setting device; (d) a chord specifying means; (f) address generation means for sequentially generating address signals so as to indicate address values that change at a rate corresponding to the chord specified by the chord specification means; (g) readout means for reading out data in response to the address signal for each accompaniment note at readout start timings synchronized with the timing pulses of the respective accompaniment tones; and means for generating an accompaniment sound signal. 2. In the automatic accompaniment device according to claim 1, the storage means stores a plurality of groups of waveform data respectively corresponding to a plurality of chord types, and accompaniment tones to be generated sequentially for each group. In response to the chord specification operation, the chord specification means stores root note specification data indicating the root note of the specified chord and chord type specification data indicating the type of the specified chord. The address generation means includes means for determining the rate according to the root note designation data, and the readout means sends a group of waveform data to be read from the storage means to the chord. An automatic accompaniment device characterized by comprising means for selecting according to type designation data. 3. In the automatic accompaniment device according to claim 1, the pulse generating means includes a pattern memory that stores a timing pattern representing the sequential accompaniment sound generation timing, and a tempo set by the variable tempo setting device. a tempo clock generation circuit that sequentially generates tempo clock pulses at a frequency corresponding to the timing pattern; and a counter that counts the tempo clock pulses and reads the timing pattern from the pattern memory, An automatic accompaniment device characterized in that it is configured to send out timing pulses. 4. In the automatic accompaniment device according to claim 1, the pulse generation means comprises a tempo clock generation circuit that sequentially generates tempo clock pulses at a frequency corresponding to the tempo set by the variable tempo setting device. , and a frequency divider for dividing the frequency of the tempo clock pulse, and the automatic accompaniment device is configured to transmit the sequential timing pulses from the frequency divider. 5. In the automatic accompaniment device according to claim 1, the readout means includes an address memory that stores address data indicating a readout start address of waveform data for each accompaniment note, and a memory for counting the timing pulses. An automatic accompaniment device comprising: an address counter for reading address data from the address memory; and means for reading waveform data from the storage means in accordance with the read address data and the address signal. 6. In the automatic accompaniment device according to claim 1, the reading means includes a first address memory that stores start address data indicating a reading start address of waveform data for each accompaniment note, and a second address memory that stores end address data indicating a read end address of the waveform data for each time, and a start address data and end address data are read from the first and second address memories, respectively, by counting the timing pulses. means for reading waveform data from the storage means in accordance with the read start address data and the address signal; and control to stop the read operation by comparing the read end address data and the address signal with each other. An automatic accompaniment device characterized by having a means for performing. 7. In the automatic accompaniment device according to claim 1, the pulse generation means comprises a tempo clock generation circuit that sequentially generates tempo clock pulses at a frequency corresponding to the tempo set by the variable tempo setting device. , a frequency divider that divides the frequency of the tempo clock pulse and sends out the sequential timing pulses, and the reading means includes a counter that counts the timing pulses from the frequency divider, and a count output of the counter. and means for reading out waveform data from the storage means in accordance with the address signal. 8. The automatic accompaniment device according to claim 1, wherein the waveform data stored in the storage means is composed of digital words representing sample values of the waveform for each accompaniment note. Automatic accompaniment device. 9. In the automatic accompaniment device according to claim 1, the waveform data stored in the storage means is continuous waveform sample values from the rise of each accompaniment note to just before the rise of the next accompaniment note. An automatic accompaniment device characterized in that it consists of digital words representing. 10. In the automatic accompaniment device according to claim 1, the waveform data stored in the storage means is composed of digital words representing sample values of the waveform from the rise to the decay for each accompaniment note. An automatic accompaniment device characterized by: 11 (a) storage means for storing waveform data representing waveforms of accompaniment tones to be sequentially generated; (b) variable tempo setting device; and (c) sequential timing for instructing sequential accompaniment tone generation timings. pulse generating means for generating pulses according to the tempo set by the variable tempo setting device; (d) chord specifying means; and (e) pulse generating means for generating pulses according to the tempo set by the variable tempo setting device; (f) address generation means for sequentially generating address signals indicative of address values changing at a rate corresponding to the chords; (g) receiving waveform data regarding successive accompaniment tones read from the storing means, and determining whether the waveform indicated by the received data is desired; (h) data modifying means for modifying a part of the received data so that the received data are connected in the form and sequentially transmitting the received data; an automatic accompaniment device comprising means for generating an accompaniment sound signal. 12 (a) A variable tempo setting device; (b) A tempo range that determines which of a plurality of predetermined tempo ranges the tempo set by the variable tempo setting device belongs to and indicates the determined tempo range. (c) storing a plurality of groups of waveform data that respectively correspond to the plurality of tempo ranges and represent waveforms of accompaniment tones to be sequentially generated for each group; (d) pulse generating means for generating sequential timing pulses instructing sequential accompaniment tone generation timings according to the tempo set by the variable tempo setting device; (e) chord specifying means. (f) address generating means for sequentially generating address signals to indicate address values that change at a rate corresponding to the chord specified by the chord specifying means each time each timing pulse is generated; ) Selecting a group of waveform data to be read from the storage means according to the tempo range designation data, and starting reading waveform data regarding sequential accompaniment sounds belonging to the selected group in synchronization with the sequential timing pulses. (h) means for sequentially generating accompaniment sound signals in accordance with waveform data regarding sequential accompaniment sounds read from the storage means; Automatic accompaniment device equipped with 13 (a) a variable tempo setting device; (b) a chord specifying means; (c) determining to which of a plurality of predetermined ranges the root note of the chord specified by the chord specifying means belongs; (d) a plurality of groups of waveform data corresponding to the plurality of ranges, each of which is a waveform of an accompaniment sound to be generated sequentially for each group; (e) pulse generating means that generates sequential timing pulses indicative of sequential accompaniment tone generation timings in accordance with the tempo set by the variable tempo setting device; f) address generating means for sequentially generating address signals so as to indicate an address value that changes at a rate corresponding to the root of the chord specified by the chord specifying means each time each timing pulse is generated; ) selecting a group of waveform data to be read from the storage means according to the range designation data, and starting reading waveform data regarding sequential accompaniment tones belonging to the selected group at timings synchronized with the sequential timing pulses; and (h) means for sequentially generating accompaniment sound signals in response to waveform data regarding sequential accompaniment sounds read from the storage means. Equipped with an automatic accompaniment device. 14 (a) a variable tempo setting device; (b) a chord designation means; (c) a first storage means for storing waveform data representing a waveform of relatively short envelope accompaniment tones to be sequentially generated; (d) A first pulse that is generated in accordance with the tempo set by the variable tempo setting device; (e) generating an address signal so as to indicate an address value that changes at a rate corresponding to the chord specified by the chord specifying means each time each timing pulse is generated from the first pulse generating means; (f) readout start timing synchronized with sequential timing pulses from the first pulse generating means, respectively, for waveform data regarding sequential accompaniment sounds from the first storing means; and (g) representing a waveform of an accompaniment tone with a relatively long envelope to be sequentially generated; (h) a second storage means for storing waveform data; and (h) sequential timing pulses respectively instructing sequential accompaniment sound generation timings at relatively long time intervals in accordance with the tempo set by the variable tempo setting device. (i) indicating an address value that changes at a rate corresponding to the chord specified by the chord specifying means each time each timing pulse is generated from the second pulse generating means; (j) a second address generation means for sequentially generating address signals as shown in FIG. (k) a second readout means that reads data at synchronized readout start timing and in response to an address signal from the second address generation means for each accompaniment note; means for sequentially generating accompaniment sound signals in accordance with waveform data regarding accompaniment sounds, and means for sequentially generating accompaniment sound signals in accordance with waveform data regarding sequential accompaniment sounds read from the second storage means. Automatic accompaniment device.