Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-26
2001-11-13
Fletcher, Marlon T. (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S618000, C084S622000, C084S653000, C084S656000, C084S659000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06316711
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a musical sound signal generation apparatus for generating a sound corresponding to an operated key, more particularly to an apparatus for, when a plurality of keys are simultaneously depressed, generating musical sounds corresponding to each key.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An electronic instrument as typified by an electronic piano conventionally includes a pair of musical sound signal generation means for generating two musical sound signals for one key operation (key-on) for stereo performance. If such pair of musical sound signal generation means are provided as much as the number of the keys, musical sound signals for sound production can be securely generated. However, the increase in number of the musical sound signal generation means accompanies the increase in costs as well.
Therefore, the applicant has developed a musical sound signal generation apparatus to effectively utilize the musical sound signal generating means as disclosed in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-49159. Teaching of this Publication is that if a new key-on is made when all the musical sound generation means are in use, two pairs of the oldest musical sound signal generation means in order of sound production are selected from all the musical sound signal generation means in the sounding mode, and one of the musical sound signal generation means constituting each pair is truncated (rapidly attenuated), while the remaining musical sound signal generation means operate as they are. Thereby, since two musical sound signal generation means are changed into the silent mode (become free), they can be reused as the musical sound signal generation means for generating musical sound signals in stereo sounding, corresponding to a fresh key-on.
However, in case of the musical sound signal generation apparatus of the above Publication, when all of the musical sound signal generation means are in use and that the oldest musical sound signal generation means in order of sound production is generating one of the musical sound signals which constitute a chord (for example, a chord consisting of 3 or 4 different tones), if this musical sound signal generation means is silenced and reused as the musical sound signal generation means for stereo sounding corresponding to a fresh key-on, there is a fear that the players and/or the audience may feel uncomfortable for lack of the sound in the chord.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is, in a musical sound signal generation apparatus for producing a sound corresponding to an operated key, even though musical sound signal generation means for generating a musical sound signal are all in use, to secure musical sound signal generation means for sound production corresponding to a newly operated key, and when securing the musical sound signal generation means, to prevent the players and/or the audience from having a sense of incongruity derived from the change in sound production especially when a chord is being produced, to maintain the state of the chord production normally.
To attain the above object, the first aspect of the present invention provides a musical sound signal generation apparatus comprising a plurality of musical sound signal generation means and a generation mode storage means. The musical sound signal generation means generate musical sound signals, and the generation mode storage means stores information on whether the musical sound signal generation means are in the sounding mode or in the silent mode, and the order in which each of the musical sound signal generation means has changed into the sounding mode.
The musical sound signal generation apparatus further comprises an assigning means and output means. When a key is operated, the assigning means refers to storage contents of the generation mode storage means to select two of the musical sound signal generation means in the silent mode, assigns the selected two musical sound signal generation means to generate left and right musical sound signals for producing a predetermined sound in stereo sounding corresponding to the key in the selected two musical sound signal generation means, and updating the storage contents of the generation mode storage means. Then, the output means synthesize the left and right musical sound signals generated in the plurality of musical sound signal generation means and respectively output the synthesized left and right musical sound signals.
Specifically, the assigning means of the musical sound signal generation apparatus of the present invention is provided with a first generation mode determination means, a second generation mode determination means, a first signal generation ensuring means and output control means, which operate as follows.
When a key is operated, the first generation mode determination means refers to the storage contents of the generation mode storage means to determine whether there are musical sound signal generation means in the silent mode. When no musical sound signal generation means in the silent mode exist, the second generation mode determination means refers to the storage contents of the generation mode storage means, and from the musical sound signal generation means excluding a predetermined number of those which are the newest in order of sound production, determines whether there are at least two pairs of the musical sound signal generation means generating left and right musical sound signals in stereo sounding.
When two or more pairs of the musical sound signal generation means generating left and right musical sound signals in stereo sounding exist, the first signal generation ensuring means arbitrarily selects two pairs of the musical sound signal generation means from those in stereo sounding, changes one of each pair of the musical sound signal generation means into the silent mode, and updates the storage contents of the generation mode storage means. The output control means output musical sound signals generated in the other one of each pair of the musical sound signal generation means as left and right musical sound signals from each of the two musical sound signal generation means.
Accordingly, when a key is operated, even though the plurality of the musical sound signal generation means are all in use (that is, generating musical sound signals), by selecting two pairs of the musical sound signal generation means and silencing one of each pair of the musical sound signal generation means, the musical sound signal generation apparatus of the present invention can secure two musical sound signal generation means in the silent mode as those for stereo sounding corresponding to the key.
Additionally, since the musical sound signal generation means to be silenced are arbitrarily selected from the same excluding a predetermined number of those which are the newest in order of sound production, it is possible to prevent the players and the audience from having a sense of incongruity caused by silencing a sound of the key just operated. Thereby, when all the musical sound signal generation means are changed into the sounding mode upon the production of a chord and then another key is further operated, for example, the sound of the key operated prior to the chord is silenced and the chord reaches the ears of the players and the audience without being deteriorated. This means that it is difficult for the players and the audience to recognize the fact that the sound of the key previously operated has been silenced.
Specifically, if the musical sound signal generation means which are not generating musical sound signals for a chord are given precedence in arbitrary selection of the musical sound signal generation means to be silenced, it is possible to keep the state of the chord production normal at every moment.
In the two musical sound signal generation means maintained without being silenced, the generated musical sound signals are outputted as both left and right musical sound signals respectively so that the musical sound signals to be
Matsuda Eiji
Saito Tsutomu
Tanaka Jiro
Davis & Bujold, P.L.L.C
Fletcher Marlon T.
Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
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