Yamaha Corporation

Masao Sakama

Hideo Suzuki

Masahiko Obata

Shunichi Matsushima

Akira Nakada

Eiji Akazawa

Eiichiro Aoki

Yoshimasa Isozaki

Takamichi Masubuchi

Shigehiko Mizuno

Teruo Hiyoshi

Shinji Kumano

Yutaka Tohgi

Mamoru Kimpara

Kunihiko Watanabe

Hiroyuki Ohba

Motoichi Tamura

Shinya Koseki

Suzuki Hideo

Hironori Osakabe

Umeyama Yasuyuki

Takamichi Masabuchi

Kinpara Mamoru

Maki Kamiya

The present invention is directed to a system and method for editing music on a computer. A preferred embodiment according to the present invention provides a score window display containing various types of execution graphical icon layers onto which graphical execution ions (representing musical symbols such as bend-up/down, grace-up/down, dynamics, glissando, tremolo) can be attached and arranged in conformity with a progression of a musical tune on a screen of the display. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, may select desired execution icons from an icon select palette that provides lists of execution icons and attach or detach them to the displayed layers via graphical drag-and-drop operations to edit the underlying musical score. In addition, a user may modify parameters of a specific icon.

Method and apparatus for editing performance data with modifications of icons of musical symbols

The present invention is directed to a performance data editing system embodied within a computer system (or electronic musical instrument) equipped with a display and a mouse. The present invention provides a score window containing various types of execution icon layers onto which execution ions representing exection-related data for adding articulation to a music tone are attached and arranged in conformity with a progression of a musical tune on a screen of the display. Each layer can be controlled in response to various commands. The present invention further allows a user (or music editor) to select desired execution icons from an icon select palette that provides lists of execution icons which are registered in advance. In addition, the present invention allows a user to modify parameters of a specific icon, as well as add icons to or delete icons from a prescribed display area (e.g., layer window) using drag-and-drop operations.

Method and apparatus for editing performance data with modification of icons of musical symbols

A performance data editing system is actualized by a computer system (or electronic musical instrument) which is equipped with a display and a mouse. The system initially provides a score window containing various types of execution icon layers onto which execution icons (representing musical symbols such as bend-up/down, grace-up/down, dynamics, glissando, tremolo) are attached and arranged in conformity with a progression of a musical tune on a screen of the display. Each of the layers is independently controlled in response to various commands such as display-on, small-scale display, display-off and vertical rearrangement. The system allows a user (or music editor) to select desired execution icons from an icon select palette that provides lists of execution icons which are registered in advance. In addition, the system also allows the user to modify parameters of a specific icon which is selected from among the execution icons attached onto the score window. That is, the user opens an icon modify window to change parameters of the specific icon with the mouse. Further, the system provides the user with a simple operation for deletion of execution-related data from performance data. That is, when the user performs drag-and-drop operations on a certain execution icon to move it outside of a prescribed display area (e.g., layer window) of the score window, the system automatically deletes the corresponding execution-related data from the performance data. Thus, it is possible to improve performability and efficiency in editing performance data by using icons with simple operations and without errors.

Rendition style parameters for realizing various release rendition styles and/or attack rendition styles are stored in a memory. Operation-related time lengths are detected which pertain to turning-on and/or turning-off operation of a pedal operator. Any one of the release rendition style parameters is selected from the memory on the basis of the detected operation-related time length, and the release of a tone is controlled with a characteristic of the selected rendition style parameter. Alternatively, any one of the release or attack rendition style parameters is selected from the memory on the basis of a velocity of the turning-on and/or turning-off operation of the pedal operator detected operation-related time length, and the release or attack of a tone is controlled with a characteristic of the selected rendition style parameter.

Tone control apparatus and method

The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing a score window containing various types of execution icon layers onto which execution icons are attached and arranged in conformity with a progression of a musical tune on a screen of the display. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, each layer is controlled in response to various display commands. The system allows a user to select desired execution icons from an icon select palette that provides lists of execution icons which are registered in advance. Specifically, the user may select and 'drag' an execution icon from the palette and place it at a position in correspondence with a particular point of progression of the music to be edited, causing the editing function corresponding to the execution icon to be effected at the point of progression of the musical piece. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the execution icons are displayed by categories in accordance with a category display layer, which may be controlled to be displayed or not displayed in the editing screen.

A method of generating musical tones and a storage medium storing a program for executing the method are provided. Musical piece data is decomposed into phrases, the musical piece data being formed of pieces of performance data arranged in the order of performance. The pieces of performance data of the musical piece data are analyzed for each of the phrases obtained by the decomposing step. Tone color control data is prepared for each of the phrases according to results of the analyzing. The pieces of performance data of the musical piece data are reproduced by sequentially reading the pieces of performance data at timing at which the pieces of performance data are to be performed to the order of performance. Tone color characteristics of musical tones to be generated based on selected ones of the pieces of performance data which are reproduced by the reproducing step, are controlled according to the tone color control data prepared for ones of the phrases to which the selected ones of the pieces of performance data belong, respectively.

Musical tone-generating method

Score of a given music piece is visually shown on a display. When a particular style of rendition is to be imparted to a desired note on the musical score, a user selects a desired one of style-of-rendition icons and designates a desired note location on the musical score as a pasting location of the selected style-of-rendition icon. Thus, the selected style-of-rendition icon is shown on the display in corresponding relation to the designated pasting location. The style-of-rendition icons are appropriately associated with sets of style-of-rendition parameters, so that performance data, i.e., tonal characteristics of the note, corresponding to the pasted location of the style-of-rendition icon is controlled, in accordance with the style-of-rendition parameters corresponding to the pasted style-of-rendition icon on the musical score, to thereby achieve a performance in the style of rendition corresponding to the pasted icon. On the display screen, at least one-row of style-of-rendition display areas are set in parallel relation to a musical score display area, and the pasted style-of-rendition icon is shown any one of the style-of-rendition display areas. Further, on the display screen, the style-of-rendition icon pasted to the desired note location is designated for editing of corresponding style-of-rendition information.

Apparatus for and method of inputting a style of rendition

Waveform data of a plurality of loop waveforms are prestored along with initial phase information corresponding to the loop waveforms. Two of the loop waveforms are selected and repeatedly read out to thereby form loop-reproduced waveforms corresponding to the selected two loop waveforms. These loop-reproduced waveforms are connected together, for example, through cross-fade synthesis, during which time the phases of the loop-reproduced waveforms are adjusted to match with each other using the corresponding initial phase information. Generation of loop read addresses is carried out in such a way that first and second address signals for reading out first and second loop waveforms, respectively, are caused to loop while maintaining a difference between the first and second addresses corresponding to a difference between the initial phases of the selected loop waveforms. With such arrangements, the loop waveforms can be smoothly combined together in a simplified manner without a need for prestoring waveform data in a previously phase-matched condition, and thus waveform formation rich in controllability and editability is achieved.

Waveform forming device and method

Input waveform data are processed by Fast Fourier Transform or otherwise to separate a harmonic wave component from the waveform data while a non-harmonic wave component is separated by subtracting the harmonic wave component from the waveform data. Vector quantization is performed on the harmonic wave component by selecting and using one of prestored harmonic vectors as a representative vector for the harmonic wave component, and vector quantization is performed on the non-harmonic wave component, independently of the harmonic wave component, by selecting and using one of prestored non-harmonic vectors as a representative vector for the non-harmonic wave component. Then, using harmonic and non-harmonic vectors indicated by vector information of a waveform to be reproduced, waveforms of harmonic and non-harmonic wave components are generated separately and then combined to thereby reproduce/generate the waveform. The non-harmonic wave component is divided, on the basis of detected periodicity of the corresponding harmonic wave component, into a plurality of sections each having a length corresponding to an integral or fractional multiple of the period of the harmonic wave component.

Method and apparatus for compressing and generating waveform

A performance date editing system is designed to efficiently convert normal performance data to execution-related performance data with simple operations and without errors. Herein, data portions which are subjected to conversion to execution-related data are extracted from input performance data corresponding to MIDI data. In addition, it is possible to further extract specific types of data, which are related to prescribed musical parameters (or events) such as attack, release, modulation and accent-plus-duration, from the extracted data portions. Hence, the extracted data portions or the specific types of data being further extracted are subjected to conversion to the execution-related data, which are supplied to an execution-related sound source. Herein, a remaining part of the input performance data excluding the extracted data portions is supplied to a normal sound source. Thus, the system is capable of selectively converting specific parts of the input performance data or the specific types of data to the execution-related data. This eliminates possibilities in that unwanted data are mistakenly converted to the execution-related performance data. Incidentally, the conversion is performed in accordance with a prescribed set of conversion rules, which are selected from among plural sets of conversion rules and are editable by users.

Method and apparatus for editing performance data using icons of musical symbols

Control data are extracted from tone waveforms obtained by actually playing acoustic musical instruments in various styles of rendition, and a plurality of these control data are stored in memory to provide databases. Automatic or manual music performance data are supplied in real or non-real time. Desired one or more notes are selected from among the supplied music performance data, and a desired style of rendition is selected in corresponding relation to the selected notes. Then, one or more control data corresponding to the selected style of rendition are read out from the memory so that generation of a tone corresponding to the selected notes can be controlled in accordance with the read-out control data. In this way, characteristics of the selected style of rendition can be imparted to any particular note or notes included in the music performance data. The control data are stored in the memory in association with partial sounding segments such as an attack, body and release. The partial sounding segments are subjected to tone generation control based on the control data, in accordance with the selected style of rendition.

Apparatus for and method of inputting music-performance control data

A performance data editing system is actualized by a computer system (or electronic musical instrument) which is equipped with a display and a mouse. The system initially provides a score window containing various types of execution icon layers onto which execution icons are attached and arranged in conformity with a progression of a musical tune on a screen of the display. The system provides an icon modify window that allows the user to modify parameters of a specific icon which is selected from among the execution icons attached onto the score window by double clicks of the mouse. Herein, the score window shows a part of a musical score (or a staff notation with notes), while the icon modify window shows an edited portion of the musical score by magnification, wherein a range of execution-related data being edited on the icon modify window is automatically indicated on the musical score of the score window. In addition, modification being effected on a note in the edited portion of the musical score is automatically reflected on note data and/or execution-related data in the performance data. The system also provides an icon select palette that shows latest selections of execution icons which are arranged in an up-to-date manner. The icon select palette shows a number of execution icons which the user frequently or lastly use. Thus, it is possible to improve performability and efficiency in editing performance data by using icons with simple operations and without errors.

Sets of waveform data of unit waveforms stored in a memory each include first and second loop waveform segments at both ends of a non-loop waveform segment and any one of the unit waveform data sets can be selectively readout from the memory. The waveform data set of a desired one of the unit waveforms is read out from the memory and is connected with another waveform preceding or following the read-out unit waveform using the first or second loop waveform segment in the read-out unit waveform. Thus, a smooth connection between the read-out unit waveform and the other waveform is achieved with ease. This is because the loop waveform can be smoothly connected with any other waveform through cross-fade synthesis or phase-matched connection technique performed at an appropriate point in the loop. With such arrangements, when a tone waveform is to be formed by reading out the loop waveform from the memory, it is possible to execute good-quality waveform formation rich in controllability and editability, taking articulation (style of rendition) of a sound into account, in a manner rich in controllability and editability.

Device and method for forming waveform based on a combination of unit waveforms including loop waveform segments

A succession of performance sounds is sampled, and the sampled performance sounds are divided into a plurality of time sections of variable lengths in accordance with respective characteristics of performance expression therein, to extract waveform data of each of the time sections as an articulation element. The waveform data of each of the extracted articulation elements are analyzed in terms of a plurality of predetermined tonal factors to thereby create template data of the individual tonal factors, and the thus-created template data are stored in a data base. Tone performance to be executed is designated by a time-serial sequence of a plurality of articulation elements, in response to which the respective waveform data of the individual articulation elements are read out from the data base to thereby synthesize a tone on the basis of the waveform data. Thus, it is possible to freely execute editing, such as replacement, modification or deletion, of the element corresponding to any desired time section. This arrangement facilitates realistic reproduction of the articulation (style-of-rendition) and control of such articulation reproduction, and achieves an interactive high-quality-tone making technique which provides for free sound making and editing operations by a user.

Growing community of inventors

Hamamatsu, Japan

Masao Sakama