Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-23
2001-03-13
Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S613000, C431S307000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06201177
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a music apparatus for performing acoustic processing on externally supplied voice signals according to predetermined command information. More specifically, the present invention relates to a music apparatus capable of automatically switching to an adapted harmony type in the music apparatus having a capability of generating harmony voices on the basis of voice signal and chord signal.
2. Description of Related Art
Music apparatuses are known having an effect imparting capability of generating harmony voices on the basis of a voice signal and chord signal for the effect processing to be performed on a music piece. These music apparatuses provide a harmony type called “vocoder harmony” in which, when a voice is inputted and a keyboard is played, a harmony voice is generated at a pitch specified by the keyboard, and another harmony type called “chordal harmony” in which a chord played by the keyboard is detected to impart harmony voices having pitches of constituent notes of that chord. These harmony types are generically referred to as vocal harmonies.
On the other hand, music apparatuses are known having a capability of switching between a performance mode called “style mode” in which a keyboard play is executed by use of an automatic accompaniment capability for sounding accompaniment sounds based on automatic accompaniment data, and another performance mode called “song mode” that permits keyboard play while sounding tones based on song data recorded in advance.
When performing a music by use of the automatic accompaniment capability, chord specification permits automatic performance of an accompaniment suited to the specified chord. In this case, for a music apparatus having a harmony voice generating capability, the chordal mode is optimum for the harmony of music performance. Therefore, when switching the setting from the state where the song mode is set to the other state where the automatic accompaniment mode is adopted, the vocal harmony should be also switched to the chordal mode.
On the other hand, when performing a music in the song mode, under the state where the vocal harmony is set, it is desired to attach a harmony of the vocoder mode at the pitch specified by the key-on command. Furthermore, because no chord specification is made in the song mode, the chordal mode is not suitable for the vocal harmony. Therefore, when setting the vocal harmony under the song mode, mode switching of the vocal harmony must be executed manually whenever necessary.
Some commercially available recording media (floppy discs for example) recording song data representative of automatic performance signals may record settings of the vocal harmony, for example. With these recording media, however, various settings must be manually executed by users. Namely, these commercially available recording medium products differ from each other in the recording specifications for vocal harmony modes and other modes (with “TUNE
1000
” for example, the vocal harmony is recorded in track
15
). Therefore, the user must set which track is associated with which mode for the music performance processing according to each particular recording medium product to be used. If the user does not know the contents (corresponding tracks) of the data specifications corresponding to a particular recording medium product, the user may make erroneous settings, thereby failing to make an actually desired music performance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a music apparatus capable of generating a harmony voice by use of an external sound such as user's voice. The music apparatus according to the invention allows any users unfamiliar with harmony setting to make sufficient music performance by automatically switching the voice processing of the external sound to an appropriate mode according to a performance signal supplied from the apparatus main or a recording device coupled thereto. Furthermore, this music apparatus automatically executes the harmony setting of the voice so that appropriate harmonies are added to the music performance.
In a first aspect of the invention, the music apparatus is constructed for playing a music under different performance modes with processing of a voice signal according to a performance signal during the course of playing of a music. The music apparatus comprises an input section that provides the voice signal representative of a music sound and the performance signal indicative of how to process the voice signal in synchronization to the playing of the music, an identifying section that identifies a current performance mode under which the music is played, a processing section that processes the voice signal in accordance with the performance signal to determine a pitch of the music sound so as to adapt the pitch to the current performance mode, and an output section that outputs the processed voice signal adapted to the current performance mode during the course of the playing of the music. Further, in the first aspect, a recording medium is provided for use in a music apparatus having a processor, containing program instructions executable by the processor for causing the music apparatus to carry out a process of playing a music under different performance modes with processing of a voice signal according to a performance signal during the course of playing of a music, wherein the process comprises the steps of providing the voice signal representative of a music sound and the performance signal indicative of how to process the voice signal in synchronization to the playing of the music, identifying a current performance mode under which the music is played, processing the voice signal in accordance with the performance signal to determine a pitch of the music sound so as to adapt the pitch to the current performance mode, and outputting the processed voice signal adapted to the current performance mode during the course of the playing of the music.
In a second aspect of the invention, the music apparatus is constructed for playing a music under different performance modes with processing of a voice signal according to a performance signal during the course of playing of a music. The music apparatus comprises an input section that provides the voice signal representative of a music sound and the performance signal indicative of how to process the voice signal in synchronization to the playing of the music, an identifying section that detects whether or not chord information indicating a chord progression of the music is provided along with the performance signal for identifying a current performance mode of the playing of the music based on the detected results, a processing section that processes the voice signal in accordance with the performance signal to determine a pitch of the music sound so as to adapt the pitch to the current performance mode, and an output section that outputs the processed voice signal adapted to the current performance mode during the course of the playing of the music. In an expedient form, the identifying section detects the chord information contained in an automatic performance signal provided from the input section so as to identify the current performance mode. In another expedient form, the identifying section detects the chord information contained in a manual performance signal provided in real-time from a manual implement through the input section so as to identify the current performance mode. In a form, the input section contains a memory for storing the performance signal and the chord information.
In a third aspect of the invention, the music apparatus is constructed for playing a music according to an automatic performance signal while processing a voice signal during the course of playing of the music. The music apparatus comprises an input section that provides the voice signal representative of a music sound and the automatic performance signal together with specific information de
Donels Jeffrey
Morrison & Foerster
Yamaha Corporation
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