JPH0549995B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic performance device that automatically generates musical tone signals, and in particular controls the rise characteristics of the amplitude envelope of musical tone signals according to the length of each note (note length). By doing so, it is possible to obtain a performance sound with a rich natural feel.

Conventionally known automatic performance devices of this type apply a predetermined amplitude envelope to the musical tone signal when forming the musical tone signal based on the pitch data read from the memory. However, characteristics such as attack time (rise time constant) in the amplitude envelope were always fixed regardless of the length of the note to be sounded. For this reason, in fast songs or fast-playing parts, the rise of the musical tones is too slow, giving the impression of being delayed, while in slow songs or slow-playing parts, the rise of the musical tones is too fast, and the tones do not connect smoothly, which results in an unnatural sound. There were some flaws that gave it that feeling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a new automatic performance device that can provide natural-looking performance sounds.

The automatic performance device according to the present invention comprises: (a) data generation means for sequentially generating performance data regarding a series of notes of a piece of music to be played as the piece progresses; and (b) data generated from the data generation means. (c) detecting the note length of each note from the performance data generated by the data generating means, and generating the musical tone signal for each note based on the performance data; and control means for controlling the rise characteristic of the amplitude envelope of the musical tone signal generated by the means in accordance with the note length involved in detection.

According to the structure of the present invention, since the rise characteristics of the amplitude envelope of the musical tone signal are controlled for each note according to the note length, for example, when the note is short, a musical tone with a sharp and well-defined rise is obtained, and a long note is obtained. In the case of musical notes, a soft musical tone with a gradual rise can be obtained, and a musically preferable automatic performance sound that approximates the performance sound of a natural musical instrument can be obtained.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an automatic performance device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The data reading device 10 is for reading performance data from an external recording means (not shown) such as a magnetic tape, a punch card, a printed bar code, or the like. The performance data includes note data and timbre data related to the performance piece, and the note data consists of a series of pitch data and note length data corresponding to the note progression.

The read timbre data is provided in serial form to the timbre register 12 and stored therein. The timbre data sent out in parallel from the timbre register 12 is supplied to an envelope/timbre control data table circuit 14.

This table circuit 14 consists of a ROM (read-only memory) that stores envelope control data and tone control data for each tone color type. ) The envelope control data EC and timbre control data TC corresponding to the above are transmitted. The envelope control data EC includes reference increment data ID for setting the attack time, level data SL for setting the sustain level, and decrement data DE for setting the decay time. SL and decrement data DE are respectively supplied to an envelope generator 18.
Note that the tone control data TC is the musical tone signal forming circuit 2.
0.

A series of pitch data and note length data read by the data reading device 10 are stored in RAM (random memory).
access memory).

When a play start switch (not shown) is turned on, the time measurement circuit 24 outputs the first readout control signal RD.
occurs. This read control signal RD causes the R-S flip-flop 26 to be set while being supplied to the data read circuit 28.

The data read circuit 28 generates a first read address signal in response to the read control signal RD, and in response, pitch data PD corresponding to the first note is read from the data memory 22 and supplied to the pitch register 30. be done. The pitch data PD stored in the pitch register 30 is supplied to the musical tone signal forming circuit 20 and the OR gate 32.

The OR gate 32 is used to detect that the output data of the pitch register 30 does not correspond to a rest (the pitch data corresponding to a rest has all bits "0"), and is An output signal "1" is generated in accordance with the corresponding pitch data PD. This output signal "1" makes the AND gate 34 conductive.

The data read circuit 28 generates a second read address signal following the first read address signal, so note length data LD corresponding to the first note is read out from the data memory 22, and the note length register 3
6. The note length data LD stored in the note length register 36 is transferred to the data conversion table circuit 38.
and is supplied to the time measurement circuit 24.

The data conversion table circuit 38 consists of a ROM etc. that stores attack time correction data for each note.
LD is converted to modified data MD. As an example,
Assuming that the reference increment data ID mentioned above indicates the attack time increment value corresponding to a quarter note, the correction data MD will indicate a correction value of 0 if the note length data LD corresponds to the quarter note length, and long data
If the LD is longer than the quarter note length, for example, it corresponds to the half note length, it will indicate a specific positive correction value, and if the note length data LD is shorter than the quarter note length, for example, it corresponds to the eighth note length. Indicates a specific negative correction value, if any.

The modified data MD is supplied to an adder circuit 16 and added to the reference incremental data ID. Therefore, the adder circuit 16 outputs incremental data AT indicating an attack time increment value corresponding to the length of the note to be sounded, and is supplied to the envelope generator 18.

On the other hand, the time measurement circuit 24 measures the time corresponding to the note length by counting tempo clock pulses based on the note length data LD corresponding to the first note. In this case, a key-on end signal KO is generated before a predetermined time corresponding to the note length (this time is predetermined for each note), and the flip-flop 26 is reset in response. Therefore, a key-on signal KON as shown in FIG. 2 is supplied from the AND gate 34 to the envelope generator 18.

The envelope generator 18 generates a key-on signal.
Based on KON, incremental data AT, level data SL, and decrement data DE, the musical tone signal forming circuit 20 forms envelope data ED representing an amplitude envelope ENV as shown in FIG. 2, for example.
It is intended to supply In Figure 2, ATK
is attack time, SUS is sustain time,
DEC is the decay time, SLV is the sustain level, K is the duration of the key-on signal KON, and NL is the note length corresponding to the note length.
A specific example of the envelope generator 18 will be described later with reference to FIG.

The musical tone signal forming circuit 20 forms a musical tone signal based on pitch data PD, tone control data TC, and envelope data ED.The frequency of the formed musical tone signal is determined according to the pitch data PD, and the tone characteristics are The amplitude envelope is determined according to the timbre control data TC and the envelope data ED, respectively. In this case, the attack time ATK in the amplitude envelope is controlled according to the note length data LD, as is clear from the above. Note that various methods known per se can be used as musical tone signal forming methods, but depending on which method is used, the timbre control data TC
The contents of the instructions are different. For example, if the musical tone signal formation method is an arithmetic method such as frequency modulation (FM), the instruction content of the timbre control data is a calculation constant, if it is a waveform memory read method, it is a memory address, and if it is a filter method, it is a filter constant. It is.

The musical tone signal from the musical tone signal forming circuit 20 is supplied to a speaker 42 via an output amplifier 40 and converted into sound. Therefore, the speaker 42 produces the first musical tone corresponding to the first note.

The note period shown in Figure 2 after the first musical note decays
At the end of NL, time measuring circuit 24 generates a second read control signal RD. Therefore, in the same way as last time, pitch data PD and note length data LD corresponding to the second note are retrieved from the data memory 22.
are sequentially read out, and a second musical tone is generated based on these data. Similar musical tone generation operations are performed for each of the third and subsequent notes.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the envelope generator 18.

The envelope state detection circuit 50 receives the key-on signal KON from the AND gate 34 and the comparison circuit 52.
The envelope state of attack, sustain, or decay is detected based on the comparison output EQ from the EQ.

Now, assuming that the key-on signal KON becomes "1" as a result of reading the pitch data as described above, since the comparison output EQ is "0" at this time,
The detection circuit 50 sends the attack detection signal to the selector 54.
is supplied as the selection input SA. Therefore, the selector 54 selects the incremental data AT as input A and supplies it to the adder circuit 56.

The adder circuit 56 adds the output data of the register 58 and the output data of the selector 54, and supplies the added output data to the register 58. Therefore, the adder circuit 54 receives the incremental data.
When AT is supplied, this incremental data AT is cumulatively added, and the value of the output data of the register 58 increases over time so as to show a rising curve. The slope of the rising curve at this time is the incremental data AT
If the value of is small, it is gradual, and if it is large, it is steep.

The comparison circuit 52 compares the level data SL with the output data of the register 58. When the value of the output data of the register 58 reaches the sustain level indicated by the level data SL, the comparison output EQ becomes "1".

When the comparison output EQ becomes “1”, the detection circuit 50
selectively inputs the sustain detection signal to the selector 54
In response to this, the selector 54 supplies input B with all bits "0" to the adder circuit 56. Therefore, the output data of the register 58 maintains a value corresponding to the sustain level.

After this, as mentioned above, the key-on end signal KO
When the key-on signal KON becomes "0" due to the occurrence of , the detection circuit 50 supplies the decay detection signal to the selector 54 as the selection input SC, and in response, the selector 54 supplies the decrement data DE to the addition circuit 56. Therefore, the value of the output data of the register 58 gradually decreases and eventually becomes 0.

Therefore, the envelope data ED sent from the register 58 will represent an amplitude envelope as shown in Figure 4a if several short notes follow, and will represent an amplitude envelope as shown in Figure 4b in the case of a long note. It represents an envelope.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and may be implemented in modified forms, for example, as in the following (1) to (4).

(1) A removable memory device containing a ROM that stores performance data is prepared for each song to be performed, and the performer inserts the memory device corresponding to the desired song into the automatic performance device and then inserts the memory device into the automatic performance device. To automatically read performance data from and generate musical tones. In this way, it is possible to eliminate the need for a reading device for reading the performance data from the external recording means and a RAM for writing the performance data read by the reading device.

(2) A plurality of sequences for generating musical tones based on stored pitch data and note length data may be provided so that multiple tones can be generated simultaneously.

(3) In addition to the above-mentioned attack time, the decay time and the like may be controlled according to the note length data. Further, the amplitude envelope of the musical tone signal may have a shape different from that shown in the drawings, and the present invention can be applied to this case as well, if necessary.

(4) An analog circuit can also be used as the envelope generator, in which case a capacitor,
The attack time and the like can be changed by forming an envelope signal using a charging/discharging circuit including a resistor and controlling the charging or discharging time constant according to the note length data.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the rise characteristics such as the attack time in the amplitude envelope are controlled depending on the length of the note to be sounded, automatic performance with a natural feel is possible. In particular, when the present invention is applied to string instrument tones such as a violin or wind instrument tones such as a flute, extremely realistic performance sounds can be generated.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an automatic performance device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram showing the waveform of a key-on signal in relation to an amplitude envelope, and FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of an envelope generator. , FIGS. 4a and 4b are diagrams showing different amplitude envelopes for short notes and long notes, respectively. 10...Data reading device, 14...Envelope/timbre control data table circuit, 16...Addition circuit, 18...Envelope generator, 20...Musical tone signal forming circuit, 22...Data memory, 24...
...Time measurement circuit, 28...Data reading circuit, 38
...Data conversion table circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. (a) data generation means for sequentially generating performance data regarding a series of notes of a piece of music to be performed as the piece progresses; (b) performance generated from the data generation means; (c) a musical tone generating means that generates a musical tone signal for each note based on the data; (c) a musical tone generating means that detects the note length of each note from the performance data generated from the data generating means, and for forming the musical tone with respect to the note; 1. An automatic performance device comprising: control means for controlling the rise characteristic of an amplitude envelope of a musical tone signal generated by a tone signal according to a detected note length.