Electronic musical instrument

Abstract

In a keyboard musical instrument employing waveform memory, a user may program the number and order of waveforms to be sequentially read out from a waveform memory containing a plurality of different waveforms.

Description

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. first to Nth) first to Nth) period musical tone signals GD1 are resynthesized as above described with the Kth resynthesized tone signal corresponding to the Kth original tone signal (where N and K are positive integers and 1≦K≦N), the phases of the harmonic components constituting each period musical tone signal GD1 will become the same, thus completely eliminating noise described above.

In order to execute such processing it is necessary to read out, one after one, the period musical tone signals GD1 from the musical tone data memory device 1. To this end, as shown by dotted lines in FIG. 1, the period address information ZXA stored in the period address memory device 4 are utilized.

To read out the period address information ZXA from the memory device 4, the musical tone period detector 3 applies to the memory device 4, a mode control signal MD2 of "0" and an address information A2_RW designating the read out address. As a consequence, the musical tone period produces an address information A3_RW corresponding to the information ZXA and a mode control signal MD3 "0" which are supplied to the musical tone data memory device 1 via the memory control device 9, whereby a period musical tone signal GD1 corresponding to the period address information ZXA is read out from the musical tone data memory device 1. This read out period musical tone signal GD1 is subjected to the resynthesizing processing described above in the detector 3 and then supplied to and stored in the musical tone data memory device 1 through the memory control device 9 as a new period musical tone signal GD1' together with the address information A3_RW (having the same content as the period musical tone signal GD1 as it is read out) and a mode control signal MD3 of "1". When the processing of a period musical tone signal GD1 is completed as above described, the processing of the next period musical tone signal GD1 is executed in the same manner such processing being repeated until the processings of all period musical tone signals GD1 being stored in the musical tone data memory device are completed. The circuit is constructed such that these processings are executed at a step following the step 2005 in the flow chart shown in FIG. 3.

E. Another Embodiment of the Period Address Memory Device 4 Memory Device 4

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the read address information generator 8.

The read address information generator 8 shown in FIG. 15 is different from that shown in FIG. 12 in that it comprises a correcting information memory device 821 accessed by the key code KC to produce a correction information k corresponding to the tone pitch of a depressed key and a multiplier 822 which multiplies a repeating read number information R_n outputted from the repeat number information memory device 802 by the correction information k, the product k.R_n being supplied to the comparator 812 to be compared with a present read number information nRE produced by the counter 810. In other words, the repeating read number information R_n is modified according to the tone pitch of the depressed key. In this case, the correction information k is set such that each value is doubled each time the octave range rises one. For this reason, even when the musical tone data memory device 1 is accessed by a read address information RA whose speed varies gradually at a twice speed, for example, a the repeating read number information R_n is multiplied by a twice correction information k the period musical tone signal GD1 would be read out with a surplus corresponding to the correction information k with the result that the interval producing a musical tone can be maintained always constant regardless of the depressed key.

Another Embodiment of the Element Selection Setting Device 7 and the Read Address Information Generator 8

FIG. 16 shows another modification in which the designation of a desired period musical tone signal is effected directly by a corresponding address information where the memory positions of respective period musical tone signals GD1 stored in the musical tone data memory device 1 are already known. More particularly, different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, a start address information SA, an address length information AL, a repeating read number information R_n, a sustain address information CNA and an end address information EA are directly set and inputted. Accordingly, to read address information generator 8 of this embodiment corresponds to that shown in FIG. 12 except that the computation device 806 and the program memory device 807 are omitted.

With an electronic musical instrument according to this modification all period address information ZXA can be provided beforehand to the performer when all period address informations ZXA stored in period address memory device are printed out or displayed by a display device.

Then the performer sets the selection information SD corresponding to a desired period musical tone signal GD1 at each order of read out with a data setting keyboard of the element selection setting device 7 while observing printed letters or a list of the displayed period address informations ZXA.

In this modification, in the element selection setting device 7 are set the write address informations WA for designating the addresses for writing the selection informations according to the order of respecting read out operations, and the write address informations WA are sent to the start address memory device 801, the read out number information memory device 802, and the address length information memory device 805 as the address informations.

A signal obtained by inverting a performance mode signal OP₃ is applied to the musical tone data memory device 1 as a mode control signal MD4.

Advantageous effects similar to those of FIG. 12 can be obtained with the element selection setting device 7 and the read address information generator shown in FIG. 16.

G. Modifications of the Musical Tone Period Detector 3, the Element Selection Setting Device 7 and the Read Address Information 50 Generator 8

FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing these modified devices in which various processings of the musical tone period detector 3 are executed by the computing device 806 of the read address information generator 8, and the measurement and comparison processing by the counters and comparators of the read address information generator 8 are also executed by the computing device 806.

Accordingly, in this modification such selection information SD as a start address information SA is stored in a select information memory area, whereas the counters and the address counter corresponding to the counter 809 and 810 shown in FIG. 12 are formed in a counter area in a working memory device 824. The functions of the comparators 811 to 814 are performed by a computation processing program in a computation device 806. The phase angle information NqF is applied to the computation device 806 via an input buffer 825 as a flag signal FLG which increments a counter (corresponding to the counter 809 as shown in FIG. 12) provided in the working memory device 824 for counting the number of the stepping informations. The read address information RA is transferred to an output register 826 and then supplied therefrom to the musical tone data memory device 1 via the memory control device 9. The circuit is constructed such that a mode control signal MD4 for the musical tone data memory device 1 is produced by an output register 827. There are also provided a sine function memory device 823 for effecting the Fourier series development and a correction information memory device 821 for producing a correction information k.

With the electronic musical instrument shown in FIG. 17, when the mode switch OP-SW applies a period detection mode signal OP₂, the computation device 806 sequentially executes processings similar to those shown in the flow charts shown in FIGS. 9 through 11 according to a computation program stored in the program memory device 807. When a performance mode signal OP₃ is given and selection informations SD are sequentially inputted, processings similar to those at the steps 2006 to 2011 of the flow chart shown in FIG. 3 are sequentially executed according to a computation program stored in the program memory device 807. Thereafter, when a key-on signal KON is given, operations similar to those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 15 are executed according to a program stored in the program memory device 807 thereby forming a read address information RA.

Thus, with this modification too, the same advantageous effects as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 15 can be effected.

H. Another Embodiment of the Electronic Musical Instrument According to this Invention

Although the electronic musical instruments described in the foregoing embodiments the tone producing channel was of one series type, where the tone producing channel is N (N≧2) it is possible to designate and read out the period musical tone signals GD1 in a different manner for respective tone producing channels where the circuit is constructed in the following manner.

More, particularly, there are N each of the start address information memory device 801, the read out number information memory device 802, the sustain address information memory device 803, the end address information memory device 804, and the address length information memory device 805, corresponding to N tone producing channels. Furthermore, N period signal generators 6 are provided. Also, there are N each of the counters 809, 810 and the address pointer 808 shown in FIG. 12. The read access time for the musical tone data memory device 1 is divided into N time slots corresponding to the respective N tone producing channels, and such selection informations SD as start address informations corresponding to respective tone producing channels and the phase angle information NqF are used to form read address informations RA for respective tone producing channels in each divided time slot. The read address information RA thus formed on the time division basis is applied to the musical tone data memory device 1 as an address information. Then the period musical tone signal designated by the selection information for each tone producing channel is read out on the time division basis. In this case, the pitch of the musical tone signal in each tone producing channel is determined by the phase angle information NqF of a corresponding tone producing channel. This construction allows simultaneous generation of musical tones of a plurality of different series from the content of a single musical tone data memory device.

In the N tone producing channels, since the comparators 811 to 814 and the adder 815 shown in FIG. 12 are used on the time division basis, it is not necessary to provide N of them.

Although in the foregoing embodiments of the electronic musical instrument, a musical tone signal GD corresponding to an input musical tone coming from outside is continuously stored in the musical tone memory device 1, it is also possible to detect respective period musical tone signals GD1 out of the stored musical tone signal, to restore the period musical tone signals in predetermined memory areas and to designate a desired period musical tone signal by designating a corresponding memory area.

As above described, the invention provided a novel electronic musical instrument wherein among musical tone signals stored in a musical tone data memory device, desired period musical tone signals are sequentially designated and read out to produce a corresponding musical tone and wherein the number of repeatedly read out operations is corrected according to the tone pitch of a depressed key. Accordingly, it is possible to produce a musical tone signal having various complicated waveforms thus imparting a complicated tone color to the produced musical tone. Moreover, it is possible to maintain always constant the interval between the attack portion and the end portion of the produced musical tone regardless of the depressed key.

Claims

1. An electronic musical instrument comprising a keyboard including a plurality of keys;

a musical tone data memory device for storing a plurality of different tone waveforms constituting a musical tone to be generated;

an address designation memory device for storing information that designates starting addresses of said waveforms stored in said musical tone data memory device;

a phase angle information generator for generating a phase angle information having a period corresponding to a tone pitch of a depressed key;

selection information setting means for manually setting a selection information adapted to designate a sequence of selected ones of said starting addresses;

said selection information being programmable by means of said selection information setting means;

read out information generating means for generating readout address information for reading out sequentially each of said musical tone waveforms from said musical tone memory device according to said programmed selection information, said musical tone waveforms being successively varied according to said phase angle information; and

musical tone generating means for producing a musical tone based on the musical tone waveforms read out from said musical tone data memory device according to said selection information.

2. An electronic musical instrument comprising keyboard means having a plurality of keys;

phase angle information generating means for generating a phase angle information corresponding to a depressed one of said keys;

waveform memory means for storing a plurality of different waveforms each of which comprises a plurality of sample values;

selection information setting means for establishing selection information designating waveforms to be generated among said plurality of waveforms in said waveform memory means as well as order information designating an order of generation of each of said designated waveforms, said selection information and said order information being manually programmable by means of said selection information setting means;

read out means connected to said selection information setting means and said phase angle information generating means for reading out said designated waveforms designated by said selection information in the order of generation designated by said order information from said waveform memory means, each of said designated waveforms being read out in the form of said sample values in accordance with said phase angle information;

tone generating means for generating a musical tone based on said generated waveforms; and

wherein said read out means comprises read address information generating means for generating an address information in response to said selection information and said phase angle information and wherein said waveform memory means connected to said read address information generating means generates said designated waveform in accordance with said address information.

3. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 2 which further comprises a period address information memory device adapted to store leading addresses of respective waveforms stored in said waveform memory device.

4. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 2 wherein said read address information generating means comprises a start address information memory means for reading out a leading address of a waveform designated by said selection information and storing said read out leading address information;

computing means for calculating the number of addresses to be scanned in an address space from said leading address stored in said start address information memory means, and address length information memory means for storing the number of addresses to be scanned calculated by said computing means, said computing means calculating said number of addresses from a start address information in accordance with a key depression for generating a read address information in accordance with said selection signal and said phase angle information.

5. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 2 wherein said read address information generating means repeatedly reads out an output obtained by a computing device at a period determined by said phase angle information thereby generating an address information.

6. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 2 wherein said waveform memory means stores a waveform having a plurality of periods.

7. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 2 wherein said tone generating means comprises a digital-analog converter for converting a digital information read out from said waveform memory means into an analog information, an envelope control circuit responsive to a key-on signal generated when one of said keys is depressed for imparting an envelope to said analog information, and a loudspeaker for converting said analog information imparted with said envelope into a musical tone.

8. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 3 wherein said period musical tone detecting means synthesizes a period musical tone signal according to the equation ##EQU6## where i represents an order of harmonic component of the waveform and lies in the range 1 to m, m being an integer larger than 1 and θ represents a phase angle and a and b are constants.

9. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 2 which further comprises a memory input device connected to said waveform memory means for storing therein a musical tone received from outside.

10. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 2 wherein said phase angle information generating means comprises a frequency number memory device having a plurality of addresses for storing frequency numbers of tone pitches of respective keys of said keyboard, and an accumulator connected to said frequency number memory device for accumulating at a predetermined period the frequency numbers read out from said frequency number memory device.

11. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

memory means having a plurality of memory areas for storing a plurality of waveforms in said memory areas respectively in the form of sampled values, each of said memory areas being constituted by a plurality of storage positions identified by addresses respectively and said sampled values being respectively located in the storage positions of the memory areas in which the waveform constituted by said sampled values is stored;

waveform information generating means for generating sequentially waveform information representing respectively ones to be read out from among said plurality of waveforms;

readout means responsive to said waveform information for sequentially supplying said memory means with the addresses identifying the storage positions of the memory area corresponding to each of said waveform information and for reading out said sampled values from said memory means in response to said supplied addresses at a rate corresponding to a pitch of a musical tone to be produced; and

musical tone producing means for producing said musical tone in accordance with said sampled values read out from said memory means.

12. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

waveform generating means for generating first to Nth waveforms in a predetermined sequential order to form a single waveform, said waveforms including a kth waveform wherein n and K are positive integers and 1≦K≦N;

repetition number providing means connected to said waveform generating means for providing first to Nth repetition numbers, a kth repetition number representing the number of times to read out repeatedly the kth waveform, and said waveform generating means repeatedly generating each of said first to Nth waveforms by the number represented by the corresponding repetition number; and

tone producing means for producing a musical tone in accordance with the single waveform formed of said first to Nth waveforms sequentially generated by said waveform generating means.

13. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

memory means for storing first to Nth modified waveforms which respectively corresponds to first to Nth original waveforms which have been modified, said first to Nth modified waveforms including a kth modified waveform which corresponds to a modified kth original waveform, at least one of the harmonic components constituting the kth modified waveform being formed by phase-shifting the harmonic component having the same order number among harmonic components constituting the kth original waveform as said at least one, wherein n and K are positive integers and 1≦K≦N;

readout means for reading out said first to Nth modified waveforms in a predetermined sequential order at a rate corresponding to a pitch of a musical tone to be produced; and

musical tone producing means for producing said musical tone in accordance with said first to Nth modified waveforms sequentially read out from said memory means.

14. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

memory means having a plurality of storage positions identified by addresses respectively for storing a waveform in the form of sampled values which are located at said storage positions respectively;

detecting means for detecting a sampled value whose value is zero or in the vicinity of zero from among said sampled values and then for sending out an address of the storage position in which said detected sample value is located as a start address;

readout means responsive to said start address for supplying said memory means with said start address and addresses succeeding to said start address and for reading out the sampled values corresponding to said start address and said succeeding addresses from said memory means at a rate corresponding to a pitch of a musical tone to be produced; and

musical tone producing means for producing said musical tone in accordance with said sampled values read out from said memory means.

15. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

memory means having a plurality of storage positions identified by addresses respectively for storing a waveform in the form of sampled values which are located at said storage positions respectively;

portion designating means for manually designating a certain portion of said waveform;

readout means connected to said portion designating means for supplying said memory means with addresses of the storage positions in which said certain portion is located and for sequentially reading out the sampled values located in said storage positions identified by said supplied addresses at a rate corresponding to a pitch of a musical tone to be produced; and

tone producing means for producing a musical tone in accordance with said sampled values read out from said memory means.

16. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

means for sampling and storing an input musical sound waveshape,

musical tone period detector means for determining the periods of the stored sound waveshape and assigning to each such period a serial number,

element selection setting means for specifying by serial number a subset of said periods, said serial numbers being specified in a desired order of period readout,

means for reading out said periods of the stored sound waveshape as specified by said set of serial numbers, in the order specified thereby; and

means for utilizing said read out periods to recreate a musical sound.

17. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 16 wherein;

said element selection setting means also specifies the particular serial number of a certain period which is to be repeatedly read out during a sustain portion of said recreated musical sound, and wherein;

when said reading out means reaches said certain period specified by said particular serial number it repeatedly reads out said certain period for the entire duration of said sustain, and thereafter continues to read out the remaining periods of said subset in accordance with said specified serial numbers.

18. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a waveshape memory for storing sampled amplitudes of a musical tone,

means for assigning serial numbers to portions of the stored musical tone waveshape and for relating such serial numbers to the addresses in said memory at which each such portion is stored,

means for designating the serial numbers of portions of said musical tone to be reproduced, said serial numbers being specified in the order of desired reproduction,

means for reading out from said waveshape memory the portions so designated by serial number, in the order specified, each portion being read out beginning from the related address indicated by said assigning means, and

means for producing a musical sound from said read out portions. 19. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 18 wherein said designating means also specifies the number of times the portion of said musical tone designated by each serial number is to be repeatedly read out, and wherein said reading out means reads out each portion repeatedly for the designated number of times before beginning readout of the portion specified by the next in order serial number.

. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

means for sampling and storing an input musical sound,

means for determining periods of said stored musical sound,

means for analyzing the spectra of each of said periods of stored musical sound, and for resynthesizing and replacing said stored musical sound with a new musical sound having substantially the same content as said periods of stored musical sound but with all of the harmonics of each period of the new musical sound being at a substantially zero amplitude level at the ends of each of said periods; and

means for producing a musical tone by reading out said new stored musical sound, including sequential readout of different, noncontiguous periods thereof, phase discontinuities therebetween being eliminated since all of the harmonics of the periods of the new sound are at a substantially zero

amplitude level at the ends of each of said periods. 21. An electronic musical instrument, comprising:

analog-to-digital converting means for converting an analog external sound signal into a digital waveform signal which represents a waveform corresponding to the waveform of said analog external sound signal;

memory means for storing the digital waveform signal output from said analog-to-digital converting means;

digital-to-analog converting means for converting the digital waveform signal output from said memory means into an analog sound signal having a waveform determined by said digital waveform signal;

pitch designating means for designating a pitch of the sound produced based on the analog sound signal derived from said digital-to-analog converting means;

address control logic circuit means coupled to said memory means for designating memory addresses for writing and reading the digital waveform signal; and

control means coupled to said address control logic circuit means and to said pitch designating means for supplying to said address control logic circuit means record and reproduce commands for writing and reading said digital waveform signal in and from the memory means, and for instructing said address control logic circuit means to designate a memory address with a speed determined by said pitch designating means when the digital waveform signal is read out from said memory means, so that a sound having a waveform determined by the read out digital waveform signal and a frequency determined by said pitch designating means can be

reproduced. 22. An electronic musical instrument, comprising:

an analog-to-digital converting means for converting an external sound signal into a digital waveform signal;

memory means for storing said digital waveform signal;

address control logic circuit means for designating memory addresses for writing and reading the digital waveform signal; and

control means for supplying to said address control logic circuit means record and reproduce signals for writing and reading said digital waveform signal in and from said memory means;

wherein said address control logic circuit means includes address providing means for providing current addresses of said memory means, renewal means for renewing the address provided by said address providing means, pitch storage means for storing pitch data for determining the renewal speed of said renewal means, end storage means for storing the end address of said renewed address, means for controlling sustain loop designation of the address of said memory means, loop start storage means for storing the start address of the loop designation, loop end storage means for storing a value indicative of the end address of the loop designation, first comparing means for determining whether the current address provided by the address providing means coincides with or exceeds the end address of loop designation provided by the loop end storage means, and for providing a loop end signal in response to said determination to cause the start address of said loop start storage means to be provided by said address providing means, and second comparing means for comparing the current address provided by said address providing means and the content of said end storage means, and for providing an end signal to control the operation of the renewal means when the current address provided by said address providing means coincides with or exceeds the content of said end

storage means. 23. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

memory means for storing a waveshape having a plurality of periods;

designating means for manually designating a plurality of portions of said waveshape and sequential readout order of the designated portions by a performer;

pitch information generating means for generating pitch information representing a pitch of a musical tone to be produced;

readout means for reading out said designated portions in order of said readout order and in accordance with said pitch information; and

musical tone producing means for producing said musical tone which is based

on said designated portions. 24. An electronic musical instrument, comprising:

memory means for storing a waveshape having a plurality of periods;

designating means for designating a plurality of portions of said waveshape, sequential readout order of the designated portions and a repetition number corresponding to each of said designated portions;

pitch information generating means for generating pitch information representing a pitch of a musical tone to be produced;

readout means for reading out said designated portions in order of said readout order and in accordance with said pitch information, each of said designated portions being repetitively read out in accordance with its corresponding repetition number; and

musical tone producing means for producing said musical tone which is based

on said designated portions. 25. A tone information processing device for an electronic musical instrument, comprising:

analog-to-digital converting means for converting at least one analog external sound waveform signal into a digital waveform signal which represents a waveform corresponding to the waveform of said external sound waveform signal;

memory means for recording said digital waveform signal as outputted from said analog-to-digital converting means;

reading means for reading out said digital waveform signal recorded in said memory means at a rate corresponding to a designated tone frequency of a particular note;

digital-to-analog converting means for converting the digital waveform signal read out from said memory means into an analog sound signal which has the waveform determined by said digital waveform signal;

note frequency designating means coupled to said reading means for designating a pitch of the sound produced based on the analog sound signal derived from said digital-to-analog converting means; and

determining means coupled to said memory means and said reading means for determining start and end addresses of reading of said digital waveform signal recorded in said memory means in relation to the waveform of said

digital waveform signal. 26. A tone information processing device for an electronic musical instrument, comprising:

analog-to-digital converting means for converting an analog external sound waveform signal into a digital waveform signal which represents a waveform corresponding to the waveform of said external sound waveform signal;

record memory means for recording said digital waveform signal as outputted from said analog-to-digital converting means;

reading means for reading out said digital waveform signal recorded in said record memory means at a rate corresponding to a designated tone frequency of a particular note;

digital-to-analog converting means for converting the digital waveform signal read out from said record memory means into an analog sound signal which has the waveform determined by said digital waveform signal;

note frequency designating means coupled to said reading means for designating a pitch of the sound produced based on the analog sound signal derived from said digital-to-analog converting means; and

setting means coupled to said record memory means for setting start and end addresses of reading of said digital waveform signal recorded in said record memory means substantially at zero crossing points of said waveform

signal. 27. The tone information processing device according to claim 26, wherein said device includes designating means for designating start and end addresses of reading out said digital waveform signal in said record memory means and wherein said reading means includes means for repeatedly reading out a portion of the digital waveform signal by repeatedly designating addresses between said designated start and end addresses. 28. The tone information processing device according to claim 26, wherein said reading means includes a CPU, a work memory for storing data used for a control operation of said CPU and a waveform R/W controller coupled to said record memory means and said CPU. 29. The tone information processing device according to claim 28, wherein said waveform R/W controller has a multiple channel structure for providing address signals to said record memory means on a

time division basis. 30. A waveform generating apparatus for an electronic musical instrument, comprising:

waveform information storage means for storing musical tone waveform information as a series of waveform data:

interval setting means for selecting a plurality of intervals from said waveform information storage means and for setting start and end address data of each interval and a read sequence of each interval; and

reading means for repeatedly reading out the waveform data stored in said waveform information storage means in accordance with the interval, and for reading out the waveform data in accordance with the read sequence set

by said interval setting means. 31. A waveform generating apparatus for an electronic musical instrument comprising sampling means for sampling external sounds, storage means for storing waveform data of the external sounds sampled by said sampling means, reading means for reading out the waveform data stored in said storage means, and musical tone generating means for generating a musical tone corresponding to the waveform data read out by said reading means, comprising:

interval setting means for selecting a plurality of intervals from said waveform data storage means and for setting start and end address data of each interval and a read sequence of each interval; and

reading means for repeatedly reading out the waveform data stored in said waveform data storage means in accordance with the intervals and for reading out the waveform data in accordance with the read sequence set by said interval setting means. 32. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

memory means for storing digital waveform signals;

designating means for designating a plurality of loop intervals of the digital waveform signals stored in said memory means; and

output means for repeatedly reading the digital waveform signals in said plurality of loop intervals designated by said designating means from said

memory means and outputting tone waveform signals. 33. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 32, wherein said designating means comprises second designating means for designating loop duration for each of said plurality of loop intervals, and said output means repeatedly reads the digital waveform signals in said plurality of loop intervals for a period of the loop duration designated by said second designating means and outputs tone waveform signals.