JPH05341781A - Touch generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To generate a musical tone having an expressive touch response effect by evaluating an operating state of a peak of a musical performance operating state given from a musical performance input means, as a musical performance touch parameter. CONSTITUTION:An analog key displacing signal AS from an input device 1 is converted to a digital signal DS by an A/D converter 2, and a digital output TD is inputted to a microprocessor 6. On the other hand, in a memory 4, a program, a parameter, etc., required for generating a musical performance touch parameter and controlling a musical tone generated by a sound source unit 7 are stored, and, selection of a desired parameter is executed in accordance with a selecting signal SS from a switch 5. The microprocessor 6 extracts the musical performance touch parameter from the data TD for showing the key displacement from a data converter 3. Also, the microprocessor 6 generates musical tone control data TS, based on the extracted musical performance touch parameter and a musical tone parameter TA from the memory 4 and transfers it to the sound source unit 7, and controls it.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic musical instrument, and more particularly to a touch generation device used in an electronic musical instrument having a touch response function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electronic keyboard instrument with a touch response function, which evaluates an initial touch by pressing a key and uses the evaluated touch data to control a sound source, is already known. Generally, in this type of electronic keyboard musical instrument, one or more contact switches are arranged corresponding to each key of the keyboard. For example, in a model using a two-contact switch as a contact switch, the state of the two-contact switch changes as follows according to the key operation state. First, in the normal state where the key is released, the movable piece of the two-contact switch is in contact with the first fixed contact. As the key is pressed, the movable piece of the two-contact switch separates from the first fixed contact. When the key is further pushed and the displacement of the key exceeds a certain level, the movable piece of the two-contact switch comes into contact with the second fixed contact. The touch data generating device measures the time until the movable piece of the two-contact switch moves away from the first fixed contact and moves to the second fixed contact. This measurement result represents the key pressing speed, and is used as the initial touch data for controlling the sound source. Due to the structure of the contact switch, the key displacement when the movable piece of the two-contact switch starts to separate from the first fixed contact is almost constant, and the magnitude of the displacement is different, but the movable piece is the second.
The displacement of the key when it comes into contact with the fixed contact is almost constant.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional touch data generating device, only the key pressing speed is measured as the initial performance touch. However, it is clear that key depression speed is not the only performance touch. In other words, the key depression speed only represents one aspect or feature of the key depression touch. Therefore, by measuring data representing other aspects and controlling the sound source by using the data as a play touch or one parameter of the play touch, a musical tone with a touch response effect which has not been existent can be obtained. Is possible. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a touch generation device capable of extracting such performance touch parameters.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention achieves the above-mentioned object by continuously changing the performance operation state so as to draw a waveform profile of the performance operation during one performance operation cycle. Is used, and the peak evaluation means evaluates the peak operation state of the performance operation state given from the performance input means as a performance touch parameter. According to this configuration, since the peak operation state of the performance input means, which cannot be extracted by the conventional touch data generation device, can be used as the performance touch parameter, a touch response with a richer expression than previously possible. It is possible to give the electronic musical instrument the ability to generate effective musical sounds. The performance input means is composed of, for example, a keyboard composed of a plurality of keys and a key displacement detecting means arranged to correspond to each key and detecting the displacement of each key (when applied to an electronic keyboard musical instrument). .. In addition, when applied to electronic wind instruments, it is provided on the mouthpiece and mouthpiece,
It is composed of a breath sensor that detects the flow of air input from the mouthpiece, the state of exhalation, or the state of inspiration. When applied to an electronic stringed instrument, a vibration detector that detects the vibration state of the strings and the strings, a choking sensor that detects choking (string tension or the amount by which the strings bend) to the strings, or a tremolo arm and tremolo. It may be a tremolo sensor that detects displacement of the arm. Further, in one configuration example of the present invention, in addition to the basic configuration described above, a velocity parameter represented by a function of time from when the performance operation state exceeds a predetermined threshold to when it reaches the peak is performed by the performance parameter. A speed evaluation means for evaluating the touch parameter as another parameter is provided. In the case of this configuration, not only the peak of the performance operation state, but also the speed parameter depending on the time until the peak is reached can be used as the performance touch parameter for controlling the musical sound, so that the touch response performance with more expressiveness can be achieved. Will be possible.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram when the present invention is applied to an electronic keyboard instrument. This electronic keyboard instrument is provided as a performance input means corresponding to each key of the keyboard and the keyboard, and has an input device 1 for detecting the displacement of each key. The analog key displacement signal AS from the input device 1 is time-divisionally A / D scanned by the A / D converter 2 to be converted into a corresponding digital signal DS, and further averaged by the data converter 3 to output the digital output. The TD is input to the microprocessor 6 as the touch data generation device and the musical sound control means.

On the other hand, the memory 4 stores programs, parameters and the like necessary for generation of performance touch parameters and control of musical tones generated by the tone generator 7, and desired parameters are selected according to a selection signal SS from the switch 5. It is supposed to be.

The microprocessor 6 extracts performance touch parameters from the data TD representing the key displacement from the data converter 3. Further, the microprocessor 6 generates musical tone control data TS based on the extracted performance touch parameter and the musical tone parameter TA from the memory 4 and transfers the musical tone control data TS to the tone generator device 7, thereby controlling the tone generator device 7. The tone generator 7 generates MD of a tone signal according to the sent tone control data TS and outputs it to the output device 8 including an amplifier, a speaker and the like. The output device 8 sends the received musical tone signal M.
D is amplified and output as sound MT to the outside.

The mechanism and circuit configuration of the input device 1 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively. In FIG. 2, the key 2-1 of the keyboard
Can swing up and down about the fulcrum 2-2. A rack 2-3 is attached to the key 2-1 and a pinion 2-4 having teeth that mesh with the teeth of the rack 2-3 is provided as illustrated. A variable resistor 2-5 as a key displacement sensor is attached to the shaft 2-4a of the pinion 2-4.
Is attached, and the displacement of the key 2-1 is detected as the resistance value of the variable resistor 2-5.
That is, the variable resistor 2-5 for each key 2-1 is shown in FIG.
They are connected in a matrix as shown in, and time division A
During the / D scan, a constant power source is sequentially connected to each row 1 of this matrix circuit and added to one end of the variable resistor 2-5. As a result, an analog voltage corresponding to the key displacement is generated at the other end of each variable resistor 2-5. The analog voltage for one row is multiplexed through an analog multiplexer (not shown) and then input to the A / D converter 2 and converted into a digital value.

FIG. 4A illustrates the profile of the key displacement signal AS detected by the variable resistor 2-5. As shown, the displacement of the key changes continuously with time. A profile of the output TD of the data conversion unit 3 with respect to the key displacement signal shown in FIG. 4A is shown in FIG. 4B. In the figure, xl represents a threshold for identifying whether or not an operation on the key has started, and xh represents a peak displacement of the key displacement profile.

The data converter 3 illustrated in FIG. 4 (b).
The output data TD of FIG.
Processing is performed in accordance with the flow shown in, and performance touch parameters are extracted.

The microprocessor 6 has an arbitrary key 2
-1, when shifting to the key pressing start detection mode, S
Substitute zero for (A-1). Then, the key displacement data DATA related to the key is read and stored in D _i (A-
2) The value D _{i of} this data is the threshold value xl for starting key depression.
(See FIG. 4) is checked (A-3), and if the threshold value xl is not reached, the process returns to A-2.

At A-3, the key displacement data D _i is the threshold value xl.
When the above is detected, the microprocessor 6 shifts to the initial performance touch parameter generation mode. That is, as shown by A-4, every time the key displacement data DATA of interest is read, the counter S is incremented and the read key displacement data DATA is stored in D _{i + 1} . Then, this key displacement data D _{i + 1}
Is compared with the previous key displacement data D _i, and it is determined whether or not the key displacement has reached the peak by determining whether or not D _{i + 1} ≦ D _i is established. Since the displacement of the key is increasing and the peak xh is not reached while D _{i + 1} > D _i holds, D _i
The contents of _{i + 1} are moved to D _i (A-6), and the process returns to step A-4.

In step A-5, when D _{i + 1} ≤D _i is satisfied, it means that D _i is the peak key displacement data. At this point, the counter S has a key displacement of a threshold value xl.
It contains the data of the time from when it crosses to the peak.

Then, the microprocessor 6 proceeds to step A-7 to obtain the performance touch parameter, and sets the contents of the counter S as the first initial performance parameter R.
The key displacement peak data D _i is stored in VALUE as the second initial performance parameter. Therefore, RATE represents the key pressing speed, and VAL
UE will represent the magnitude of the keypress displacement.

The RATE and VALUE data are sent from the microprocessor 6 to the sound source device 7 with the corresponding key 2
-1 is directly or indirectly used in a sound generation processing routine (not shown) for instructing the start of sound generation of a musical sound, and as a result, extracted performance touch RATE, VA
A musical sound reflecting the LUE is generated in the sound source device 7,
A touch response effect with a rich expression will be produced.

Two initial performance touch parameters R
ATE and VALUE can be used in various forms for tone control. For example, in the application to volume control, the key depression peak displacement data VALUE can be used as the change data of the arrival level of the attack of the amplitude envelope of the musical sound, and the key depression speed data RATE can be used as the change data of the time to the arrival level of the attack. ..

Further, in the application to the tone color control, the key depression peak displacement data VALUE can be used as the mixture ratio of the tone spectrum. When applied to pitch control, VALUE can be used as the vibrato depth and RATE can be used as the vibrato speed parameter. Although the description of the embodiment has been completed, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications and timbres can be easily made.

For example, in the above embodiment, the keyboard and the sensor 2-5 for detecting the displacement of each key of the keyboard are used as the performance input means, but in the case of being applied to an electronic wind instrument, the mouthpiece and the breath passing through the mouthpiece are used. Alternatively, a breath sensor that detects inhalation can be used as a performance input means, and when applied to an electronic stringed instrument, a converter that picks up the strings and the vibration of the strings, or a choking sensor or a tremolo arm that detects choking to the strings. It can be configured with a tremolo sensor that detects the displacement of the tremolo arm. In short, the performance input means may be any means for inputting or detecting a continuously variable performance operation state.

Further, in the above embodiment, not only the peak of the performance operation state but also the time until the peak is reached are extracted as the performance touch parameters, but the latter extraction may not be performed. Alternatively, the parameter RATE may be any function of the time to peak. For example, at step A-7 in FIG. 5, the RATE data may be calculated using the value of the counter S and the peak value D _i as arguments. Alternatively, instead of the simple counting of the counter S shown in step A-4, counting processing that depends on the current value of the counter may be performed. Further, with regard evaluation of VALUE, instead of D _i, for example, a (D _i -X ₁₎ VALUE
May be used as the data.

[0020]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the peak operation state is evaluated as the performance touch parameter among the continuously variable performance operation states given from the performance input means. This kind of playing touch parameter represents the characteristics of playing touch that cannot be obtained by the conventional technique. Therefore, by utilizing this performance touch parameter for controlling the musical sound, it is possible to obtain a touch response effect which has not been achieved by the conventional technique. In the second aspect, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, a velocity parameter represented by a function of time from when the performance operation state exceeds a predetermined threshold to when it reaches a peak operation state is also evaluated as one of the performance touch parameters. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a more expressive touch response effect. Claim 3 shows an example of the configuration of the performance input means. In this case, it is possible to obtain a touch response that changes depending on the magnitude of the displacement of the key when the key is pressed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram when the present invention is applied to an electronic keyboard instrument.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a key mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a matrix circuit of a variable resistor as a key displacement sensor.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a profile of a key displacement signal input from an input device.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of touch data generation executed by a microprocessor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Input Device 2-1 Key 2-5 Variable Resistor 6 Microprocessor

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. Based on a continuously variable performance operation state,
A touch generation device for generating a performance touch parameter for controlling a characteristic of a musical sound, comprising a peak evaluation means for evaluating a peak operation state of the performance operation state as the performance touch parameter. 2. The touch generation device according to claim 1, further comprising a velocity parameter represented by a function of time from when the performance operation state exceeds a predetermined threshold to when it reaches the peak, wherein the performance touch parameter. A touch generation device having a speed evaluation means for evaluating as one of the above. 3. The touch generation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the performance input means is arranged corresponding to each of the keys and a keyboard composed of a plurality of keys, and detects the displacement of each of the keys. And a key displacement detection means for performing the key generation.