Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-29
2002-06-11
Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S659000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06403871
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tone generation method for generating a tone by generating and interconnecting tone waveform data corresponding to a plurality of partial time sections and a tone-generating-data recording method for generating the tone waveform data, as well as a storage medium having the tone generating data recorded thereon.
Various waveform-memory-based tone generators are known today as tone generators for electronic musical instruments and the like, in which one or more cycles of tone waveform data corresponding to a predetermined tone color are prestored in a memory and a continuous tone waveform is generated by repetitively reading out the prestored waveform data at a readout rate corresponding to a pitch of a tone to be generated. Some of the known waveform-memory-based tone generators are constructed to not only merely read out the memory-stored waveform data for generation of a tone but also process the waveform data in accordance with selected tone color data before outputting them as a tone. For example, regarding the tone pitch, it has been known to modulate the waveform data readout rate in accordance with an optionally-selected pitch envelope to thereby impart a pitch modulation effect such as a vibrato. Regarding the tone volume, it has been known to add an amplitude envelope based on a given envelope waveform to the read-out waveform data or periodically modulate the tone volume amplitude of the read-out waveform data to thereby impart a tremolo effect or the like. Regarding the tone color, it has been known to perform a filtering process on the read-out waveform data for appropriate tone color control.
Further, as one example of the waveform-memory-based tone generators, there has been known the sampler which is constructed to form a tone using waveform data recorded by a user or supplied by a maker of the tone generator.
Also known is the digital recorder which collectively samples successive tones (i.e., a phrase) actually performed live and records the sampled tones or phrase into a single recording track and which then reproduces individual phase waveforms thus-pasted to a plurality of the tracks.
Furthermore, as a tone recording scheme for CD (Compact Disk) recording, it has been well known to record, in PCM data, all tone waveform data of a single music piece actually performed live.
Generally, in the above-mentioned waveform-memory-based tone generators, waveform data covering an attack portion through a release portion of a tone or attack and loop portions of a tone are stored in a waveform memory. Thus, in order to realize a great number of tone colors, it has been absolutely necessary to store a multiplicity of waveform data and it has been very difficult, if not impossible, to generate tones corresponding to various styles of rendition (performing techniques) employed by a human player.
Further, with such a sampler where no waveform data of a desired tone color are not stored in the memory, it has been necessary to either newly record such waveform data or acquire the waveform data from a CD or the like.
Furthermore, with the above-mentioned digital recorder storing the waveform data of all samples, there has been a need for a large-capacity storage medium.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To provide solutions to the above-discussed problems and inconveniences, the inventors of the present invention have developed an interactive high-quality tone making technique which, in generating tones using an electronic musical instrument or other electronic apparatus, achieves realistic reproduction of articulation and also permits free tone creating and editing operations by a user. The inventors of the present invention also have developed a technique which, in waveform generation based on such an interactive high-quality tone making technique, can smoothly interconnect waveform generating data corresponding to adjoining partial time sections of a desired tone. It should be understood that the term “articulation” is used herein to embrace concepts such as a “syllable”, “connection between tones”, “group of a plurality of tones (i.e., phrase)”, “partial characteristics of a tone”, “style of tone generation (or sounding)”, “style of rendition (i.e., performing technique)” and “performance expression” and that in performance of a musical instrument, such “articulation” generally appears as a reflection of the “style of rendition” and “performance expression” employed by a human player. Such tone data making and tone synthesizing techniques are designed to analyze articulation of tones, carry out tone editing and tone synthesizing processes using each articulation element as a basic processing unit, and thereby execute tone synthesis by modeling the tone articulation. This technique is also referred to as SAEM (Sound Articulation Element Modeling).
The SAEM technique, which uses basic data obtained by analyzing and extracting tone waveforms of partial time sections in correspondence with various tone factors, such as tone color, volume and pitch, can change or replace, as necessary, the basic data corresponding to the individual tone factors in each of the partial time sections and also can smoothly connect the waveforms of adjoining partial time sections. Thus, the SAEM technique permits creation of articulation-containing tone waveforms with good controllability and editability.
However, there has been a strong demand for minimization of a necessary storage capacity of storage means for storing the basic data and other tone-waveform generating data.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tone generation method which, in an application where a desired tone color is produced by combining tone waveforms of a plurality of partial time sections, can generate tones of an increased number of tone colors with a reduced quantity of data and a tone-generating-data recording method, as well as a storage medium having tone generating data recorded thereon.
In relation to the above object, the present invention also seeks to provide a data editing technique which affords an improved convenience of use in various applications.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a tone generation method for generating tone waveform data on the basis of given performance information, which comprises: a step of selecting wave part data suiting the given performance information from among wave part data that are to be used for generating tone waveform data corresponding to a partial time section of a tone, the wave part data designating a combination of template data indicative of respective variations of a plurality of tone factors in the partial time section; and a step of using the selected wave part data to generate tone waveform data corresponding to the partial time section of the tone, the tone waveform data corresponding to the partial time section of the tone being generated on the basis of respective template data for the plurality of tone factors contained in the wave part data.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a management method for use in a system for generating tone waveform data, which comprises a step of introducing a tone generating data file into the system for generation of tone waveform data, the tone generating data file being at least one of first-type and second-type tone generating data files. Here, the first-type tone generating data file includes: wave part data for generating tone waveform data corresponding to a partial time section of a tone, the wave part data including data designating template data that are indicative of respective variations of a plurality of tone factors in the partial time section; and a set of the template data designated by the wave part data and indicative of the respective variations of the plurality of tone factors in the partial time section. The second-type tone generating data file includes: the above-mentioned wave part data; information instructing that template dat
Shimizu Masahiro
Suzuki Hideo
Donels Jeffrey
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
Yamaha Corporation
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