Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-19
2001-08-14
Witkowski, Stanley J. (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06274799
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a recording medium that is suitable for use in recording waveform data for electronic musical instruments or computer music, and a tone signal generating method that utilizes the recording medium of the waveforms.
2. Description of Related Art
Today, various types of waveform data are provided for use in electronic musical instruments or computer music. Standard formats such as DLS (Downloadable Sound) (Trademark) and Sound Font (Trademark) are proposed for transferring a set of timbre data through networks or recording media.
The data structure of a timbre set file in DLS is shown in FIG.
2
(
a
). As shown, reference numeral
100
denotes a timbre set file composed of an INFO chunk
101
, a WAVE DATA chunk
102
, and a PRESET DATA chunk
103
. The INFO chunk
101
contains various pieces of information about the timbre set file such as a timbre set name, a label of a creator, and the date of creation.
The WAVE DATA chunk
102
contains sampling values of various types of waveform data. The PRESET DATA chunk
103
contains specific information about timbres. The timbre set file
100
generally stores plural pieces of timbre data, each being associated to a program change event and a bank select event of the GM (General MIDI) standard.
FIG.
2
(
b
) shows an exemplary mapping of the timbre set file
100
. In the figure, the horizontal axis represents a program change event and the vertical axis represents a bank select event. The timbre data are stored in a hatched area
105
. In the above-mentioned PRESET DATA chunk
103
, data blocks called INST blocks are arranged in correspondence to the timbres.
FIG. 3
shows an INST block corresponding to a certain timbre. As shown, the INST block
110
is made up of a number section
111
, a parameter section
112
, and a pointer section
113
. The number section
111
stores the above-mentioned program change and bank select events. The parameter section
112
stores parameters such as envelope waveform, filtering characteristic, and LFO.
The pointer section
113
stores plural pointers for pointing plural region blocks
120
,
130
, . . . ,
190
. These region blocks are provided in correspondence to key regions (or pitch regions) and velocity regions of a key touch to generate different waveforms in correspondence to these key regions and velocity regions.
The region block
120
is made up of a region section
121
for storing the region information indicative of the above-mentioned key region and velocity region, a parameter section
122
for storing parameters such as envelope waveform, filtering characteristic, and LFO, and a pointer section
123
for storing pointers designating the waveform data corresponding to that region. It should be noted that the waveform data pointed by the pointer section
123
are stored in the above-mentioned WAVE DATA chunk
102
.
The remaining region blocks
130
through
190
are configured generally in the same manner as the above-mentioned region block
120
. As described above, in the parameter section
112
of the INST block
110
and in the parameter sections
122
,
132
, . . . ,
192
of the region blocks
120
,
130
, . . . ,
190
, parameters of the same types may be defined. If the parameters of different values are specified at plural locations for the same waveform data, high-order parameters as viewed from the INST block
110
are preferred. For example, if envelope waveforms are defined in the parameter section
122
and the parameter section
112
, the definition of the parameter section
112
precedes to the definition of the parameter section
122
.
This preference is given to secure the sense of integrity in the parameter section
112
when diverting a region block and waveform data originally created for one timbre to another timbre. Therefore, generally, the parameter section of the region block defines all parameters and the parameter section
112
of the INST block
110
defines only necessary parameters.
The following briefly describes an operation for generating a music tone signal in a tone generator (this may be a dedicated tone generator or a personal computer) by use of the above-mentioned timbre set file
100
. First, when a program change event or a bank select event of MIDI is supplied to the tone generator, its contents are stored in the tone generator, thereby identifying an INST block
110
to be accessed.
Next, when a note-on event (accompanied by a key code and a key velocity) is supplied to the tone generator, a corresponding region block is identified, thereby the pointer section thereof identifying the waveform data to be read out. These waveform data are read out at an amplitude corresponding to the key velocity and at a pitch corresponding to the key code, thereby imparting the pitch to the music tone.
The parameter section of the corresponding region block and the parameter section
112
of the INST block
110
are read, and parameter values to be applied to the waveform data are determined while the latter precedes to the former. When the determined parameter is applied to the waveform data, the music tone signal is synthesized.
However, in the above-mentioned technology, a variation of the timbres applied to the tone signals is limited and concluded in one timbre set file. Namely, even if the user obtains a plurality of timbre set files, the user can use only the parameters and waveform data that exist in one file. Therefore, it is impossible in the related-art technology to constitute timbres based on the plural timbre set files.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a recording medium and a tone signal generating method that can provide a variety of timbres.
In one aspect of the invention, a storage medium stores a mapping file defining a set of timbres and mapping a plurality of waveforms to the set of timbres according to performance information. The mapping file comprises a set of information blocks corresponding to the set of the timbres. The information block contains specification information for specifying waveforms associated to the corresponding timbre, and selection information for selecting one or more of the specified waveforms according to the performance information to thereby map the selected waveform to the timbre. The storage medium stores a first mapping file defining a first set of timbres and containing a plurality of waveforms originally mapped to the first set of timbres, and a second mapping file defining a second set of timbres and containing attribute information for linking the second mapping file to the first mapping file to enable mapping of the waveforms contained in the first mapping file to the second set of the timbres, such that the second mapping file may involve an information block containing specification information for specifying waveforms contained in the first mapping file.
Preferably, the second mapping file contains the attribute information indicating that the second set of the timbres is added as a supplement to the first set of the timbres.
Preferably, the information block contains the selection information for selecting different waveforms according to either of a key code and a key velocity contained in the performance information such that the different waveforms are dynamically mapped to the same timbre in response to a change of the key code or the key velocity.
Preferably, the information block contains individual parameter information for individually characterizing each of the specified waveforms when mapping each of the specified waveforms to the timbre, and common parameter information for commonly characterizing all of the specified waveforms. In such a case, the common parameter information precedes to the individual parameter information when a conflict occurs therebetween.
In anther aspect of the invention, a storage medium stores a mapping file defining a set of timbres and mapping a plurality of waveforms to the set of timbres according to performa
Morrison & Foerster
Witkowski Stanley J.
Yamaha Corporation
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