Tools
Patent
1996-05-23
1997-11-04
Shoop, Jr., William M.
Tools
84657, 84660, G10H 500
Patent
active
056842627
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an audio reproducing apparatus, and more particularly to an audio reproducing apparatus for mixing and outputting a reproduced accompaniment signal and an inputted audio signal.
BACKGROUND ART
Heretofore, there have been developed various music reproducing apparatus called a "karaoke" system which outputs a musical accompaniment signal reproduced from a compact disk or a video disc, picks up and adds a voice signal produced by a singer who sings to the reproduced accompaniment, to the musical accompaniment signal, and outputs the sum signal from a loudspeaker.
The "karaoke" system generally has a built-in reverberation adding device for adding a reverberation to the voice signal, picked up by a microphone, from the singer and adding the resultant audio signal to the musical accompaniment signal. The added echo produces an effect which makes the singing voice reproduced from the loudspeaker sound as if the singer sang very well.
There are demands for more sophisticated audio effects to be added to audio signals. However, no highly sophisticated processing has been effected on audio signals because singers' voice signals picked up by microphones need to be processed on a real-time basis and outputted from loudspeakers.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing demands, it is an object of the present invention to provide an audio reproducing apparatus capable of imparting sophisticated audio effects to voice signals.
According to a first aspect of the invention, an audio reproducing apparatus comprises at least one tone converting means for converting an inputted voice signal into a voice signal having a tone spaced a given pitch from the tone of the inputted voice signal, first mixing means for mixing the voice signal converted by the tone converting means with the inputted voce signal, and second mixing means for mixing a voice signal outputted from the first mixing means with an accompaniment signal. With this arrangement, a voice signal having a tone spaced a given pitch from the tone of the inputted voice signal is added to the inputted voice signal, and they are mixed with an accompaniment signal. The audio reproducing apparatus therefore imparts a so-called unison effect to the inputted voice signal, thereby producing a sophisticated audio effect.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the audio reproducing apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention further comprises sound level detecting means for detecting a sound level of the inputted voce signal, and control means for controlling the tone converting means based on a detected result from the sound level detecting means. With this arrangement, the audio reproducing apparatus carries out appropriate tone conversion depending on the sound level.
According to a third aspect of the invention, the audio reproducing apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention further comprises a feedback loop for feeding the voice signal outputted from the first mixing means back to an input terminal of the tone converting means. With this arrangement, the audio reproducing apparatus can carry out tone conversion in a plurality of steps for thereby producing a more sophisticated audio effect.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the audio reproducing apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention further comprises control means for controlling the tone converting means based on a genre of the accompaniment signal. With this arrangement, the audio reproducing apparatus can establish a pitch for appropriate tone conversion depending on the genre of the accompaniment signal, for imparting a sound that is effectively converted in tone.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, an audio reproducing apparatus comprises playback means for playing back a recording medium on which a plurality of accompaniment signals and identification information indicative of respective genres of the accompaniment signals are recorded, at least one tone converting means fo
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patent: 5286912 (1994-02-01), Yamaguchi
patent: 5296643 (1994-03-01), Kuo et al.
patent: 5446238 (1995-08-01), Koyama et al.
patent: 5477003 (1995-12-01), Muraki et al.
Nakamura Jun-ichi
Nakamura Masakazu
Donels Jeffrey W.
Maioli Jay H.
Shoop Jr. William M.
Sony Corporation
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