Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-14
2001-03-06
Martin, David (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S600000, C084S615000, C084S653000, C084S655000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198035
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a musical sound signal generation apparatus, particularly to an apparatus which can effectively utilize a musical sound generation channel.
(ii) Description of the Related Art
For example, an electronic keyboard instrument represented by an electronic piano includes a musical sound signal generation apparatus. The apparatus is provided with: a plurality of musical sound generation channels; a channel state storage unit for storing the operation state of each musical sound generation channel; an assigning unit for, when a key-on is detected, referring to the storage content of the channel state storage unit to select a pair of musical sound generation channels, assigning a left musical sound signal for stereo performance to one of the selected musical sound generation channels which is an L channel, and assigning a right musical sound signal for the stereo performance to the other channel which is an R channel; a left output system for outputting the left musical sound signal; and a right output system for outputting the right musical sound signal. A left speaker is driven in response to the musical sound signal from the left output system, and a right speaker is driven in response to the musical sound signal from the right output system so that the stereo performance is realized.
To realize the stereo performance, two musical sound generation channels (L/R channels) are necessary for one key operation (key-on). If the pairs of L/R channels are prepared for the number of keys, a shortage of channels is not caused. However, the increasing of the number of the musical sound generation channels increases costs. Therefore, a technique of suppressing the number of musical sound generation channels to some degrees (e.g., 32 channels), and effectively utilizing a limited number of musical sound generation channels has been researched.
As one of such techniques of effectively utilizing the musical sound generation channels, a musical sound signal generation apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 49159/1998. In this musical sound signal generation apparatus, when a new key-on is made during use of all the musical sound generation channels, two pairs of L/R channels are selected, one of the musical sound generation channels constituting the pair is truncated (rapidly attenuated), and the remaining channel is allowed to operate as it is. Thereby, since two musical sound generation channels become vacant, they can be used as the L/R channels for the key subjected to the new key-on.
In the technique of the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 49159/1998, however, since only the sounding of one-side channel remains out of stereo sounding, sound volume balance is lost on the left and right. To prevent this, the channel to be truncated needs to be controlled so that since the L channel was truncated the last time, the R channel is to be truncated this time. Such complicated control is necessary.
Moreover, the sounding of the one-side channel is completely eliminated by the truncation processing. For example, when the key-on is successively made with a damper pedal stepped on, the total sound volume is desired to gradually increase. However, the total number of channels cannot be increased to obtain the stereo sound volume or more volume.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Wherefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a musical sound signal generation apparatus in which stereo sounding is enabled, and a musical sound generation channel can effectively be utilized.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a musical sound signal generation apparatus in which one of the musical sound generation channels having emitted stereo sound is truncated, the truncated channel is used for sounding a key subjected to a new key-on, and the total sound volume can be increased in accordance with the key-on without deteriorating a left/right balance.
To attain these and other objects, a first aspect of the present invention provides a musical sound signal generation apparatus provided with: a plurality of musical sound generation channels for generating musical sound signals; a channel state storage unit for storing the operation state of each of the musical sound generation channels; an assigning unit for, when a key-on is detected, referring to the storage content of the channel state storage unit to select a pair of the musical sound generation channels, assigning a left musical sound signal for stereo performance to one of the selected musical sound generation channels which is an L channel, and assigning a right musical sound signal for the stereo performance to the other channel which is an R channel; a left output system for outputting the left musical sound signal; and a right output system for outputting the right musical sound signal.
The musical sound signal generation apparatus is characteristically provided with a monaural processing unit for, when the new key-on is detected, referring to the storage content of the channel state storage unit, selecting two pairs of the L channel and R channel corresponding to two keys previously subjected to the key-on, truncating the musical sound signal of one channel of each selected pair of musical sound generation channels, and setting the output destination of the musical sound signal of the other musical sound generation channel to both the left output system and the right output system.
In this musical sound signal generation apparatus, when the new key-on is detected, the monaural processing unit refers to the storage content of the channel state storage unit, selects two pairs of the L and R channels corresponding to two keys previously subjected to the key-on, and truncates the musical sound signal of one channel of each selected pair of musical sound generation channels. Therefore, the channel can be ensured for the new key-on.
Moreover, since the output destination of the musical sound signal of the channel left without being truncated is set to both the left and right output systems, the left/right balance can be maintained.
Furthermore, since the musical sound signal of the remaining channel without being truncated is outputted from both the left and right output systems, the total sound volume can be prevented from decreasing. For example, when the key-on is successively made with the damper pedal stepped on, the total sound volume can gradually be increased.
A second aspect of the present invention provides a musical sound signal generation apparatus characteristically provided with a gradual panning unit for, when the new key-on is detected, referring to the storage content of the channel state storage unit, selecting one pair of the L channel and R channel corresponding to the key previously subjected to the key-on, allowing the panning value of the musical sound signal of one channel of the selected musical sound generation channels to gradually approach zero (hereinafter referred to as the gradual approach to zero), and allowing the musical sound signal of the other musical sound generation channel to gradually approach the panning value based on a key scale during the key-on which is a cue to operate the musical sound generation channel (hereinafter referred to as the gradual approach to the key scale).
According to the second aspect of the invention, the musical sound generation channel whose panning value is allowed to gradually approach zero can be used as the musical sound generation channel corresponding to the new key-on.
Moreover, by allowing the panning value of the musical sound signal of the remaining musical sound generation channel to gradually approach the key scale, the decrease of the sound volume by the approach to zero can be decreased. For example, when the key-on is successively made with the damper pedal stepped on, the total sound volume can gradually be increased.
A third aspect of the present invention provides a musical sound signal generation apparatus characteristically provided wit
Saito Tsutomu
Tanaka Jiro
Davis and Bujold
Fletcher Marlon
Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
Martin David
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