Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-26
2002-11-26
Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2857)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S626000, C084S629000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06486389
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for producing waveforms of musical tones, voices or other sounds on the basis of waveform data supplied from memory or the like, and more particularly to an improved waveform producing apparatus and method capable of producing waveforms that faithfully represent tone color variations affected by a player using various styles of rendition (i.e., performing techniques) or various sorts of articulation unique to a natural musical instrument. It should be appreciated that the basic principles of the present invention can be applied extensively to every type of equipment, apparatus and methods having the function of generating musical tones, voices or any other sounds, such as automatic performance devices, computers, electronic game devices and multimedia-related devices, not to mention electronic musical instruments. Also, let it be assumed that the terms “tone waveform” in this specification are not necessarily limited to a waveform of a musical tone alone and are used in a much broader sense that may embrace a waveform of a voice or any other type of sound.
The so-called “waveform memory readout” technique has already been well known, which prestores waveform data (i.e., waveform sample data) coded in a given coding scheme, such as the POM (Pulse Code Modulation), DPCM (Differential Pulse Code Modulation) or ADPCM (Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation), and then reads out the thus-prestored waveform data at a rate corresponding to a desired tone pitch to thereby produce a tone waveform. So far, various types of “waveform memory readout” technique have been proposed and known in the art, most of which are directed to producing a waveform covering from the start to end of a tone. As one specific example of the waveform memory readout technique, there has been known a scheme of prestoring waveform data of a complete waveform of a tone covering from the start to end thereof. As another example of the waveform memory readout technique, there has been known a scheme of prestoring waveform data of a complete waveform only for a particular portion, such as an attach portion, of a tone presenting relatively complex variations and prestoring a predetermined loop waveform for a sustain portion and the like presenting less variations. In this patent specification, the terms “loop waveform” are used to refer to a waveform to be read out repeatedly, i.e., in a looped fashion.
With the conventional waveform memory readout scheme of prestoring waveform data of a complete waveform of a tone covering from the start to end thereof or prestoring waveform data of a complete waveform only for a particular portion, such as an attach portion, of a tone, however, it has been necessary to prestore a great number of various waveform data corresponding to a variety of styles of rendition (or various sorts of articulation), which would undesirably require a large storage capacity.
Further, although the above-mentioned scheme of prestoring waveform data of a complete waveform of a tone can faithfully express tone color variations effected using various styles of rendition (or various sorts of articulation) unique to a natural musical instrument, it can only reproduce the tone in just the same way as the prestored waveform data and thus would afford very poor controllability and editability. For instance, with this waveform memory readout scheme, it has been extremely difficult to control time-axial and other characteristics of the waveform data, corresponding to a desired style of rendition (or sort of articulation), in accordance with performance data.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a waveform producing technique which can produce high-quality waveform data corresponding to a variety of styles of rendition (or various sorts of articulation) in a simplified manner with greatly increased facility and controllability. Particularly, the present invention seeks to provide a waveform producing method and apparatus using an improved technique of interlinking adjoining waveform-forming module data.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a method of producing a waveform using waveform-forming module data, which comprises the steps of: supplying preceding module data and succeeding module data; supplying a modifying rate; modifying the preceding module data and succeeding module data in accordance with the modifying rate; and producing a waveform on the basis of the modified preceding module data and succeeding module data.
In synthesizing high-quality style-of-rendition waveforms, it is necessary to appropriately interlink (interconnect) the plurality of style-of-rendition waveforms in accordance with the passage of time. In such high-quality style-of-rendition waveform synthesis, the above-mentioned module data are each organized as data for producing a style-of-rendition waveform, i.e. style-of-rendition module data, and there is a need to smoothly interlink every adjoining style-of-rendition module data. Thus, the present invention is arranged to supply a modifying rate, which indicates or determines which of the preceding module data and succeeding module data should be modified and at which rate the module data should be modified. The modification based on the modifying rate allows the preceding and succeeding module data to approach each other and thus provides for smooth link or connection between the two adjoining module data. In preferred embodiments to be described later, the modifying rate is referred to as a “mutual approaching rate”.
The present invention also provides a method of producing a waveform using waveform-forming module data, which comprises the steps of: supplying preceding module data and succeeding module data; designating a link starting point in the preceding module data; modifying data in the preceding module data at and after the link starting point; and producing a waveform on the basis of the modified preceding module data and the succeeding module data. For example, if there is a relatively great difference between the preceding and succeeding module data, an earlier link starting point is set so that the two modules can be interlinked as smoothly as possible. It is very effective to thus designate the link starting point appropriately depending on the situation.
Alternatively, a link ending point in the succeeding module data may be designated so to as modify data in the succeeding module data at and after the designated link ending point. If there is a relatively great difference between the preceding and succeeding module data, a later link ending point is set so that the two modules can be interlinked as smoothly as possible. It is also very effective to thus designate the link ending point appropriately depending on the situation. It should be appreciated that both, rather than just one, of the link starting and ending points may be designated appropriately independently of each other.
The present invention also provides a method of producing a waveform using waveform-forming module data, which comprises the steps of: supplying preceding module data and succeeding module data, the preceding module data including data of a plurality of vectors; thinning out the data of one or more of the plurality of vectors in the preceding module data in accordance with a evaluated time relationship between the preceding module data and the succeeding module data and; and producing a waveform on the basis of the thinned-out preceding module data and the succeeding module data. In this case, the preceding module data can produce a waveform by a combination of the plurality of vectors. Thinning out the data of one or more of the vectors will not adversely affect waveform reproduction corresponding to the preceding module data. If the trailing end of the preceding module data runs into or too close to the leading end of the succeeding module data, then the two module data could not be interlinked ap
Masuda Hideyuki
Suzuki Hideo
Donels Jeffrey
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
Yamaha Corporation
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