JPH08272360A - Musical sound signal generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To naturally and automatically connect phrases while continuously playing plural phrases on a musical sound signal generator. CONSTITUTION: The generator is provided with a phrase instructing means 101 which instructs more than one kind of playing phrases, a playing mode setting means 102 which sets the playing mode that shows the mode connecting between playing phrases and a playing phrase generating means 103 which generates more than one playing phrase instructed by the means 101 in accordance with the playing mode set by the means 102. The means 103 detects the end of every phrase being generated and when a playing phrase completion information is detected, a phrase completion information generating means 104 generates a phrase completion information and generates a playing phrase that connects to a next phrase.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tone signal generator for continuously playing one or more performance phrases.

In recent years, there has been a method of producing music by sampling a phrase of about 1 to 2 measures from an existing record using a sampler and connecting or sampling the phrase. In this method, if one phrase is simply looped endlessly, or if phrase data is created in advance by determining the order in which the phrases are played, then there is little problem in playing. But,
Especially in dance music, DJs (disc jockeys) have no fixed playing time or phrase playing order.
While the performer called, while watching the state of the dancing person,
The operation of connecting phrases is performed in real time.
This joining process must be performed smoothly so as not to disturb the rhythm at the joints of phrases, and in the past, such performance requires a high level of skill and skill and cannot be learned without extensive practice. Therefore, it is desired to be able to do this simply.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Since a great deal of skill is required when a person joins a phrase with his or her intuition, it is desirable that the electronic musical instrument can automatically connect the phrases one after another. . In other words, due to the nature of connecting multiple phrases, the phrases that the sampler wants to play are sampled in advance and these phrases are assigned to the keys of the keyboard. It is effective to use this together with the arpeggiator.

This arpeggiator has a function of playing an arpeggio. It should be noted that the arpeggio performance is essentially a rendition style in which the constituent sounds of chords (chords) are dispersed and pronounced, but with the above method, a rendition style similar to this arpeggio performance,
In other words, it refers to a rendition style in which musical tones other than chord constituent tones are dispersed and pronounced.

In this type of arpeggiator, the notes (phrases corresponding to) designated by key depression are sequentially sounded according to the designated arpeggio mode (indicating a mode of looping). For example, three phrases A, B, and C are sampled, and these are set on the keyboard so as to correspond to the keys E1, F1, and G1, respectively. In addition, a selection operator for the arpeggio mode is provided so that the pronunciation order of “high → low”, “low → high”, and “random” can be designated.

By using these keyboard and mode selection operator, for example, the following performance can be performed. If you press E1, F1 and G1 at the same time to set to “Low → High” mode, you will play the phrase repeatedly in the order of A, B, C, A, B, C, A. If you press F1 and G1 at the same time to set to “High → Low” mode, you can play the phrase repeatedly in the order of C, B, A, C, B, A, C, ..., E1, F1, When G1 is pressed at the same time to set to "random" mode, phrases are played in a random order such as B, A, B, C, A, C, C ..., F1 and G1 are simultaneously played. If you press the key and set it to "High to Low" mode, repeat the phrase in the order of B, C, B, C, B, C, ..., and press F1 to "Low → High". When set to mode, you can play the same phrase as B, B, B, B, B, B ... repeatedly. That.

[0007]

However, in the conventional arpeggiator in which the notes (phrases) designated by the key depression are sequentially sounded, the sounding times assigned to the respective notes have the same fixed time length. Therefore, the following problems occur.

(1) As shown in FIG.
If you do not adjust the playback time of the phrase so that it matches the pronunciation time assigned by the arpeggiator when you play the phrase, if the sampled phrase is too long, the phrase will be cut off and you will move to the next phrase. It gets lost.

(2) As shown in FIG.
If phrases with different measures are mixed, if there are many measures, the whole phrase will not be played, and if the measures are small, the phrase will be cut off, and if the number of measures is small, the same phrase will be played multiple times. To relax.

(3) Even if all phrases have the same number of measures, phrases having a groove feeling (smoothness) have subtly different playing times. For example, the phrase is cut off and the sense of rhythm collapses, and it does not hold as music.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to automatically connect the phrases with a natural feeling when a plurality of phrases are continuously played. To do.

[0012]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a musical tone signal generating apparatus according to the present invention. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the tone signal generator according to the present invention has a phrase designating means 1 for designating one or more types of performance phrases.
01, a performance mode setting means 102 for setting a performance mode indicating a mode of connecting performance phrases, and one or more performance phrases designated by the phrase designating means 101 are generated in accordance with the performance mode set by the performance mode setting means 102. The performance phrase generating means 103 is provided with the phrase ending information generating means 104 which detects the occurrence of the performance phrase each time one phrase ends and generates the performance phrase ending information. When the performance phrase end information is detected, the performance phrase to be connected next is generated.

In this musical tone signal generating device, the performance phrase generating means 103 is provided with a storage means for storing the waveform signal data of the performance phrase, and the performance phrase is generated by reading the stored waveform data.
The phrase end information generating means 104 can be configured to output information indicating that the reading of the waveform signal data for one performance phrase being sounded is completed as the performance phrase end information.

[0014]

The phrase designating means 101 designates one or more types of performance phrases, and the performance mode setting means 10
2 sets a performance mode showing a mode of connecting performance phrases. Then, the performance phrase generating means 103 generates one or more performance phrases designated by the phrase designating means 101 in accordance with the performance mode set by the performance mode setting means 102. At this time, the performance phrase generating means 103 detects the occurrence of each performance phrase generated by the phrase end information generating means 104 each time the phrase ends, and when the performance phrase end information is detected, the performance phrase to be connected next is generated. To do so.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A musical tone signal generator according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows a musical tone signal generator as an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the musical tone signal generator of the present invention is incorporated in an electronic musical instrument having the functions of a sampler and an arpeggiator.

In FIG. 2, a CPU 3 has a ROM 4 in which an operation program is stored via a bus 10,
RAM 5 storing variables, keyboard 2 and panel switches (various mode selection operators, etc.) 1, sound source 6
Etc. are connected. The sound source 6 generates a musical tone signal by reading the waveform data of the waveform memory 7 connected to it, and outputs this musical tone signal as a musical tone from a speaker or the like via the D / A converter 8 and the low-pass filter 9. . An interrupt signal INT described later is input from the sound source 6 to the CPU 3.

When the program runs, the CPU 3 generates arpeggio information (note number) from the depressed state of the keyboard 2 and the state of the mode selection operator of the panel 1 and sends it to the sound source 6. Further, the interrupt signal INT is configured to be received from the sound source 6, and as will be described later, this interrupt signal I
Control performances based on NT.

A waveform memory 7 (ROM or RAM) for storing sampling data and the like in the sound source 6.
Are connected. In this case, as shown in FIG.
The waveform memory 7 is composed of a memory management area having a table for managing phrase data and a phrase data area in which waveform signal data of phrases A, B, C ... Is stored.

The waveform signal data stored in the phrase data area is the data of the waveform of the musical tone itself corresponding to each of the phrases A, B and C as shown in FIG. 4, for example.
In FIG. 4, the start address of the waveform signal data in each phrase is SA1, SA2, SA3, and the end address is EA1, EA2, EA3, respectively.

As the management information stored in the memory management area, the pitch for reproducing the waveform signal data stored in the phrase data area of the corresponding phrase is set for each phrase. Pitch information P for that purpose, and the start address SA and end address EA of the waveform of the phrase.

The pitch information P is a parameter for setting what pitch is to be reproduced when the stored waveform signal is reproduced. For example, the value of the pitch information P is “1”
In the case of, the pitch is the same as that of the sampled original waveform signal, when it is smaller than "1", it is lower than the original waveform signal, and when it is larger than "1", it is higher than the original waveform signal. Played at pitch.

The function of the apparatus of this embodiment has a sampler function. An electronic musical instrument called a sampler is conventionally known, and in this embodiment, the sampler obtains necessary sampling waveform signal data by sampling the waveform signal, editing the waveform signal data, etc. Technology is used. Therefore,
In the present embodiment, description of the configuration for sampling, storing and editing the waveform signal or the procedure for sampling is omitted, and only the configuration for playing is shown here. However, the characteristics of the waveform signal data sampled and stored are shown below.

Description of Sampling Waveform When a means for sampling a waveform signal and editing the stored waveform signal data into a waveform suitable for reproduction is provided, an electronic device called a sampler is used. Use techniques already implemented in the instrument.
The waveform signal data stored in the waveform memory 7 using the sampler technique is, for example, data in which a performance phrase of a desired length is sampled and stored from a performance waveform signal such as a CD. As a matter of course, the waveform signal data may be data obtained by editing the memory waveform data implemented in the sampler. Examples of this editing include erasing waveform data, cutting and pasting, synthesizing a plurality of waveforms, and filtering.

Further, the waveform signal data obtained by using the sampler technique as described above also needs information for reproducing the data. As described above, these information are stored in the waveform memory 7. It is stored in the memory management area. In the memory management area, for example, a start address SA indicating the beginning of the waveform signal data, a final address EA indicating the end of the waveform signal data, and pitch information P that is a parameter for instructing the reproduced pitch of the waveform signal data. I remember.

A concrete configuration example of the sound source 6 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, for simplification of description, the constituent parts of the sound source 6 relating to the case of the “phrase arpeggiator mode” described later and the “playing mode” are shown.
As illustrated, the control unit 61, the memory management information reading unit 63, the address generating unit 64, the phrase data reading unit 6
5, a comparison unit 66 and the like.

The input terminal (input) to the control unit 61 is C
From PU3, control information such as information for setting a mode and performance information (note number) for musical tone generation are input.
The sound source 6 is generated by the CPU 3 according to the setting of the operator on the panel.
It is possible to set two performance modes of "normal performance mode" and "phrase arpeggiator mode" by the control information from. These modes will be described below.

[Normal Play Mode] This is a play mode that is known in conventional samplers and electronic keyboard instruments, and is a play mode in which a musical tone signal having a pitch corresponding to the operated key is generated. Performs like a so-called organ.

[Phrase Arpeggiator Mode] This mode is a performance mode according to the present invention. Also in this mode, there are two modes of "playing mode" and "setting mode". These modes are also selected and set by the controls on the panel.

(Setting Mode) This is a mode for setting the combination of the keys of the keyboard 2 and the sound signal waveform data, which is set prior to the performance in the "performance mode" described later. This setting mode is a mode for setting the note number / phrase assignment table shown in FIG. The "setting mode" is not necessary if the combination of the keys of the keyboard 2 and the waveform signal data to be sounded (such as the above-mentioned allocation table) is decided from the beginning.

Since the operation of setting the note number / phrase assignment table is not an essential part of the present invention,
The configuration of the setting means is omitted, and only the operation procedure will be described below. Here, it is assumed that waveform signal data that can be identified by phrase information (phrase A, phrase B, ...) Is stored in the waveform memory 7 like the waveform memory 7 in FIG.

(1) First, desired phrase information is selected by the operator on the panel, and the phrase information is displayed on the display means (not shown). Then, the display means confirms whether the selection is correct.

(2) Next, the key to be assigned is depressed. By the operation, in the storage area corresponding to the key,
The phrase information displayed on the display means is written. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the E1 key corresponds to the note number “28”, the F1 key corresponds to the note number “29”, and the G1 key corresponds to the note number “31”. That the phrase A is selected and the phrase information is displayed on the display means, the phrase A is desired to be assigned, the key E1 on the keyboard 2 is operated, and the note number "28" in the note number / phrase assignment table is displayed. The phrase information of the phrase A is stored in the storage area.

Below, the setting operation of
Also perform phrase C, note number "2
The phrase information is stored in the storage areas "9" and "31", respectively, and the setting mode ends (shifts to "performance mode").

(Performance Mode) After the combination of the keys of the keyboard 2 and the generated waveform signal data is set in the "set mode", the "operator mode" is set by the operator on the panel. Also, set the "Arpeggio Mode" that indicates the order of sound generation. In this mode, the sound source 6 has a structure as shown in FIG.

Next, each component of the sound source 6 will be described in detail. (Control unit 61) The control unit 61 receives control information such as information for setting a mode from the CPU 3 via an input terminal (input) and performance information (note number) for musical tone generation.
Here, the function of inputting performance information (note number) and controlling sound generation will be described. Note number / phrase assignment table set in the "Setting mode" (see Fig. 5)
have.

Upon receiving the note number from the CPU 3, the control section 61 reads out phrase information corresponding to the note number from the note number / phrase assignment table. Based on the phrase information, the memory management information reading unit 63
The pitch information P of the phrase information, the start address SA, and the end address EA are read from the memory management area of the waveform memory 7 via. Then, the head address SA and the pitch information P are output to the address generator 64, and the final address EA is output.
Is output to one input terminal of the comparison unit 66. At the same time, the address generator 64 and the phrase data reader 65 are also provided.
Then, the read control signal RCON is supplied to control ON / OFF of the read processing in the phrase data reading unit 65.

(Waveform Memory 7) This waveform memory 7 is the one described above, and data is stored in the structure as shown in the memory map of FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of types of sampling waveform signal data are stored in the phrase data area of the waveform memory 7.

(Memory Management Information Reading Unit 63) The memory management information reading unit 63 is a functional portion for reading the memory management area of the waveform memory 7 (see the memory map in FIG. 3). The pitch information P of the phrase corresponding to the phrase information read from the note number / phrase assignment table of FIG. 5, the head address SA, and the last address EA are read from the waveform memory 7 and passed to the control unit 61.

(Address Generator 64) Address Generator 6
In 4, the address generation processing is turned on / off according to the read control signal RCON. Start address S from control unit 61
A, pitch information P is input, and an address ADD for reading out phrase data is generated. Specifically, an address ADD that starts from the head address SA and changes according to the change width of the pitch information P is sequentially generated. As a specific example, if the start address is SA1, the pitch information is P ₁ , and the end address is EA ₁ , SA ₁ , SA 1 + P ₁ , SA 1 + 2.
P _1, SA1 + 3P _1, to generate an address ADD changes ··· SA1 + mP _1. SA1 + mp ₁ ≤
It is EA1.

(Phrase data reading unit 65) The phrase data reading unit 65 performs a process of reading the waveform signal data from the phrase data area of the waveform memory 7 according to the address ADD supplied from the address generating unit 64, and the read waveform signal. The data is output to the D / A converter 8. The phrase data reading unit 65 turns on / off the reading of phrase data according to the read control signal RCON.
Turned off.

Incidentally, in recent electronic musical instruments, the address for reading the waveform signal data uses the address of decimal point expression, and the waveform signal data which does not actually exist is calculated by the interpolation operation from the waveform signal data of the integer address. There is. The address ADD of this embodiment also employs a decimal point representation, and the phrase data reading unit 65 is provided with a means for performing an interpolation calculation.

(Comparison unit 66) The address ADD supplied from the address generation unit 64 is compared with the final address EA previously read from the memory management area, and the waveform memory 7 is compared.
It is detected whether reading of one phrase from is completed.
This detection signal is output to the CPU 3 as an interrupt signal INT. The detection signal is also input to the control unit 61, so that the read control signal RCON supplied to the address generation unit 64 and the phrase data read unit 65.
To stop the phrase data reading process.

Next, the arpeggio performance processing by the apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of the processing of the arpeggiator function including the processing of the sound source 6, the flow of the blocks shown by the diagonal lines in the figure is the processing on the side of the sound source 6, and the normal block is C
The processing on the PU (arpeggiator) side is shown.

1. Step S1 (key on?) First, in the CPU 3, the key of the keyboard 2 is pressed (key on).
It is determined whether or not it has been done. If the key is not pressed, the determination in step S1 is repeated until the key is pressed.

When a key on the keyboard 2 is depressed, a key depression table storing key depression note numbers as shown in FIG. 7 is created. This key depression table has a number of storage areas n corresponding to the maximum number of sounds that can be produced by the sound source 6. Then, the note numbers corresponding to the plurality of keys that are pressed at the same time are arranged in ascending order (lowest pitch) and written in the key pressing table. Further, (the number of key presses-1) is stored as n _max to complete the key press table.

The creation of the key depression table will be specifically described. The maximum number of pronunciations of the sound source 6 is 32, and n is "0" to "3".
It has a storage area of up to 1 ". Therefore, if the keys E1, F1, and G1 are pressed at the same time, "28", "29", and "31" are stored in the storage areas n = 0, 1, and 2 in ascending order of note numbers. Since a key of three notes is pressed, 3-1 = 2 is calculated, and n _max
= 2 is memorized. This completes the key depression table.

2. Step S2 (first note) When the key-depression table is created by depressing a key on the keyboard 2, the CPU 3 side produces note information (note number) to be sounded first according to the key-depression table and the set arpeggio mode. ) Is selected and output to the sound source 6. Details of the method of selecting the first note will be described later.

3. Step S3 (Refer to Table) Upon receiving the note information (note number) from the CPU 3, the sound source 6 refers to the note number / phrase assignment table and reads the phrase information of the received note number.

4. Step S4 (reads ADD data) Further, using this phrase information, the memory management information reading unit 63 uses the phrase management information (pitch information P, start address SA, end address) of the corresponding phrase from the memory management area of the waveform memory 7. Read EA). The address generator 64 generates a read address ADD based on the pitch information P corresponding to the phrase information, the head address SA, and the end address EA, and the waveform signal data of the corresponding phrase information is read from the waveform memory 7. The head address SA is output as the first read address ADD of the phrase.

5. Step S5 (ADD ≧ LAST) Further, it is determined whether or not the read address ADD is equal to or higher than the final address EA of the phrase, that is, whether ADD ≧ LAST. Here, LAST = EA. This judgment is made by giving the final address EA from the control unit 61 to the comparison unit 66, and the comparison unit 66 compares the final address EA with the address ADD of the address generation unit 64.

6. Step S6 (ADD = ADD + P) If the address ADD generated by the address generator 64 does not reach the final address EA, the address generator 64
The pitch information P is added to the current read address ADD to generate the next read address ADD.

This process is repeated until the current read address ADD becomes the final address EA (step S4,
S5, S6). As a result, the phrase waveform signal is sequentially read from the waveform memory.

7. Step S7 (interrupt) When the comparison unit 66 detects that the current read address ADD has become the final address EA (ADD ≧ LAST affirmative judgment in step S5), this detection signal is CP.
It is output to U3 as an interrupt signal INT.

8. Step S8 (Sound production stop processing) Further, the output of the comparison unit 66 (interruption signal INT) causes the control unit 61 to control the read control signal RCON to stop the phrase data reading unit 65 from reading the waveform memory 62 to produce a sound. Stop.

9. Step S9 (key on?) In the CPU 3, after confirming reception of the interrupt signal INT,
Then, it is determined whether or not the key on the keyboard 2 is depressed. If no key is pressed, the process ends. If the key has been pressed, and the key-depressed state has not changed, the above-mentioned key-depression table is not changed. When the key-depression state is changing, the above-mentioned key-depression table is updated corresponding to the new key-depression state.

10. Step S10 (next note) In the CPU 3, the key pressing table and the set arpeggio
The note information (note number) to be pronounced next is selected according to the mode and is output to the sound source 6. Details of this selection method will be described later.

While the key is depressed, steps S3 to S10 are repeated.

In this flow chart, the CPU 3
When is interrupted, the next note is immediately pronounced. However, if a counter for counting the number of interrupts is provided before step S10 (next note) and the value of this counter is within a predetermined number of times, By returning to step S3 (see table) without proceeding to step S9, it is possible to start reading the next phrase after repeating the reading of the same phrase a predetermined number of times.

The details of the phrase selecting method in step S2 (first note) and step S10 (next note) are as shown in FIG. In this method, each arpeggio is played with different processing depending on the set arpeggio mode. The arpeggio modes include “low → high”, “high → low”, and “random” modes. The processing in each of these modes will be described below. In the following description, the number of the storage area of the key pressing table is n, the key pressing note number stored therein is K (n), and (the number of key pressing-1) is n _max .

(1) "Low->High" Mode In this mode, starting from n = 0 for the first note,
In the next note, add 1 to the current n
_{The process is} repeated up to _max , and when it reaches n _max , it returns to the original “0” and repeats the same operation. Therefore, n is 0, 1, 2,
It changes from 0, 1, 2 ... At this time, the key depression note number K (n) read out
Is K (0), K (1), K (2), K (0), K
(1), K (2) ... In the case of the example of the key depression table of FIG. 7, “28” is entered from the key depression table,
"29", "31", "28", "29", "31",
... and the note number are sequentially read and output to the sound source 6.

(2) "High → Low" Mode In this mode, the first note starts from n = n _max , the next note subtracts 1 from the current n, and this is repeated until "0". When it becomes “0”, the original n _max is restored and the same operation is repeated. Therefore, n is 2, 1,
0, 2, 1, 0 ... Repeats from high to low. At this time, the key depression note number K read out
(N) is K (2), K (1), K (0), K (2), K
(1), K (0) ... In the case of the example of the key depression table of FIG. 7, “31” is entered from the key depression table,
"29", "28", "31", "29", "28",
... and the note number are sequentially read and output to the sound source 6.

(3) "Random" mode In this mode, the key depression note number K (n) is read with the function RND (n _max ) as n. This RND (n _max ) is a function that randomly generates a value between 0 and n _max . Therefore, for example, in the key depression table of FIG. 7, note number “28” stored between n and 0,
“29” and “31” are output at random.

In the above embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to an electronic musical instrument having the functions of an arpeggiator and a sampler has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this and is also applied to an electronic musical instrument such as a sequencer. It is possible.

[0064]

As described above, according to the present invention, even when a plurality of performance phrases having different lengths are continuously played, the joints between the phrases have a natural feeling and the arpeggio performance is smooth. Can be done.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a musical tone signal generator according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a musical tone signal generator as one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a memory map in a waveform memory in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating waveform signal data stored in a waveform memory according to an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a note number / phrase assignment table in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration example of a sound source in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a key pressing table in the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a note selection method.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a conventional problem.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 panel 2 keyboard 3 CPU (central processing unit) 4 ROM 5 RAM 6 sound source 7 waveform memory 8 D / A
Converter 9 Low-pass filter 61 Control unit 63 Memory management information reading unit 64 Address generation unit 65 Phrase data reading unit 66 Comparison unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claims: 1. Phrase instructing means for instructing one or more types of performance phrases, performance mode setting means for setting a performance mode indicating a mode for connecting performance phrases, and one or more instructed by the phrase instructing means. A performance phrase generating means for generating a performance phrase in accordance with the performance mode set by the performance mode setting means, wherein the performance phrase generation means detects the performance phrase each time one phrase is completed, and plays the performance phrase. A musical tone signal generator having phrase end information generating means for generating phrase end information and configured to generate a performance phrase to be connected next when the performance phrase end information is detected. 2. The phrase generating means includes storage means for storing waveform signal data of a performance phrase, and generates a performance phrase by reading the stored waveform data. The phrase end information generation 2. The musical tone signal generator according to claim 1, wherein the means outputs information indicating that the reading of the waveform signal data for one performance phrase being sounded is completed as the performance phrase end information.