Yamaha Corporation

Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha

Tetsuji Ichiki

Kazuhisa Okamura

Koichi Kozuki

Masahiro Shimizu

Tsutomu Yanase

Masaki Kudo

Hiroyuki Toda

Mamoru Kimpara

Tokio Ogi

A music apparatus is constructed for processing a music tone signal in response to a clock signal at each sampling period. In the music apparatus, a clock generator generates the clock signal. A signal processor is operable in synchronization to the clock signal for time-divisionally processing a plurality of music tone signals through a plurality of channels within one sampling period. A clock controller is operative during a supply duration allocated within one sampling period for supplying the clock signal to the signal processor from the clock generator to thereby operate the signal processor, and is operative during other than the supply duration within one sampling period for stopping the supplying of the clock signal to the signal processor to thereby suspend the signal processor.

Tone signal processing apparatus with intermittent clock supply

A tone generator chip is formed of a semiconductor substrate and is configurable under different operation modes in combination with memories accessible via external buses for generating a tone by using the memories. In the tone generator chip, a sound source block is controllable for generating a tone and includes a reading circuit for reading waveform data to generate the tone and a digital signal processing circuit for processing the waveform data to impart an effect to the tone. A central processing unit is integrated in the semiconductor substrate together with the sound source block for controlling the sound source block. A first access manager manages an access status from each of the reading circuit, the digital signal processing circuit and the central processing unit to a first external bus for access to a memory. A second access manager manages an access status from each of the reading circuit, the digital signal processing circuit and the central processing unit to a second external bus provided separately from the first external bus for access to another memory. A mode control designates a specific one of the different operation modes to enable the first access manager and the second access manager to set the respective access statuses, thereby configuring the reading circuit, the digital signal processing circuit and the central processing unit according to the specific operation mode in combination with the memories configured corresponding to the specific operation mode.

Configurable tone generator chip with selectable memory chips

A musical tone generation apparatus creates musical-tone-waveform samples based on waveform samples stored in a waveform memory by each sampling period. Herein, a high-speed bus such as a PCI bus is provided for data transfer with regard to the waveform memory. A waveform buffer is provided to temporarily and selectively store the waveform samples which are read from the waveform memory. A sound source operates in accordance with time-division-channel timings which are provided by dividing a sampling period by a number of channels. The sound source performs interpolation calculations on the waveform samples of the waveform buffer to create a musical-tone-waveform sample in accordance with each time-division-channel timing with respect to each channel. The apparatus generates a read address whose value is changed in response to a pitch of a musical tone. When the waveform buffer does not store the waveform samples which are necessary to create the musical-tone-waveform sample, the apparatus accesses the waveform memory in accordance with the read address to read out the waveform samples, which are then transferred to the waveform buffer via the high-speed bus. Herein, burst reading operations are performed on the waveform memory, regardless of the time-division-channel timing. Thus, it is possible to reduce an occupancy time of the high-speed bus by the sound source as well as a number of times to access the waveform memory.

Musical tone generation apparatus using high-speed bus for data transfer

A musical tone generating apparatus has an waveform memory which stores original waveform data. One or two tone generating chips are be able to fixed on a print circuit board as elements of the musical tone generating apparatus. Each tone generating chip, provided on the print circuit board, sequentially generates waveform data of a plurality of musical tones at sampling periods having a predetermined length under time division control. Each tone generating chip sequentially carries out tone generating operations to generate the waveform data based on the original waveform data during time division channels which are obtained by dividing each one of the sampling periods when the musical tone generating section is used for tone generation. In the case where one tone generating chip is employed on the print circuit board, N samples of the original waveform data are read out from the waveform memory during each one of the time division channels to be used by the tone generating chip. In the case where two tone generating chips are employed on the print circuit board, the number of the original waveform data read out from the waveform memory for each tone generating chip during each time division channel is decreased from N to M which is less than N.

Musical tone generating apparatus

A designating mechanism generates filtering designation data, which designate the contents of filtering, reverberating designation data, which designate the contents of reverberation, and characteristics data, which express the combined contents of filtering and reverberation. A parameters generating mechanism generates filtering parameters expressing filtering characteristics, and generates reverberating parameters expressing reverberation characteristics. A readout device reads out a first operating algorithm, which designates filtering designation data, and a second operating algorithm, which designates reverberating designation data, from a memory mechanism wherein a plurality of operating algorithms are stored. A computing mechanism creates a digital filter having characteristics corresponding to filtering parameters, based on the first operating algorithm, creates an operating unit having reverberation characteristics corresponding to reverberating parameters, based on the second operating algorithm, operates this digital filter and this operating unit in a time shared manner, and processes filtering and reverberation in parallel.

Digital signal processing apparatus for applying effects to a musical

An electronic musical tone synthesizing apparatus includes a damper pedal and an envelope generator. The envelope generator imparts an envelope to a musical tone to be produced. When the termination of the musical tone is designated, the envelope generator imparts a decaying envelope thereto. If the damper pedal is depressed during the processing of the decaying envelope, the decaying rate becomes slower. This leads to the performance of sustaining effects such as in an acoustic piano.

Electronic musical tone synthesizing apparatus generating tones with

A waveform-forming device has a waveform memory storing a plurality of blocks of waveform samples representative of a waveform of a musical tone. Each block is formed of at least one non-compressed waveform sample and a plurality of compressed waveform samples. A pitch of a musical tone to formed is taken in. The waveform samples are read out block by block from the waveform memory, based on the pitch taken in. The compressed waveform samples contained in each block are converted into non-compressed waveform samples. The waveform of the musical tone is formed from the at least one non-compressed waveform sample of each block and the non-compressed waveform samples obtained by the conversion.

Waveform-forming device having memory storing non-compressed/compressed

An envelope waveform generation apparatus comprises an envelope waveform signal generator for forming an envelope waveform signal, a specific position setting member for setting a specific position, a position comparator and a key OFF controller. When a key OFF event is detected, the position comparator compares a position and/or level on the envelope waveform with those of the specific position, and the key OFF controller decays the level of the envelope waveform signal in the shape of a predetermined key OFF waveform, or delays key OFF processing by the envelope waveform signal generator on the basis of the comparison result.

Envelope waveform generation apparatus

There are provided a waveform generating section for generating waveform sample data at a frequency corresponding a designated pitch, a coefficient generating section for generating n coefficients that correspond to a desired interpolation characteristic, a characteristic-controlling section for changing the coefficients to be generated in the coefficient generating section so as to variably control the interpolation characteristic, and an interpolation operation section for operating the coefficients with n digital waveform sample data generated sequentially from the waveform generating section and synthesizing operated data to produce one sample data. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to control the interpolation characteristic and therefore a resultant filter characteristic in accordance with a desired mode, when generating a tone signal of a smooth waveform by waveform interpolation operation utilizing digital filter operation. For example, the interpolation characteristic can be controlled in accordance with a pitch or tone range so that a filter characteristic to be obtained as the result of the interpolation operation can be prevented from shifting as a pitch or tone range changes. Further, by controlling the interpolation characteristic in correspondence with a specific tone range, such characteristic can be established as to reliably eliminate an aliasing noise.

Tone signal generating device for interpolating and filtering stored

A musical tone generating apparatus generates musical tones based on a signal outputted from a sound source and an envelope generator. The signal outputted from the sound source is processed by a digital filter in accordance with filter information responsive to a key-on signal. Filter information generating circuit generates delay time information corresponding to the time period which the digital filter needs to process and output an inputted data. The envelope is imparted to the signal outputted from the sound source with a delay from a key-on timing which corresponds to the delay time information to realize precise envelope rise portions.

Electronic musical instrument with a filter device having a relay

Two tone generators having different tone generation systems, e.g., PCM type and FM type, are provided. There are tone generation modes designating combination of tone generation in these tone generators and one can be selected from among them. There are, for example, a simple mixing mode, a delay mode in which start of tone generation in one tone generator is delayed from that in the other and a crossfade mode in which a tone signal is generated first in one tone generator and tone generation is switched to the other tone generator and envelope levels of output tone signals of the two tone generators are crossfaded during a switching period. Delay time in the delay mode and switching time in the crossfade mode can be variably controlled in accordance with a key scaling and/or other factors. A tone may be generated at a sampling frequency synchronized with a pitch in one tone generator and at a sampling frequency which is not synchronized with the pitch in the other tone generator. A phase of one cycle may be divided into plural sections and a complex waveform can be generated by converting the phase address signal in accordance with a function peculiar to each phase section and accessing a waveform memory with the converted address signal.

Electronic musical instrument having plural different tone generators

An automatic performance recording apparatus for storing performance data for an automatic performance in a performance data memory means such as a RAM is disclosed. In order to allow easy and appropriate recording and correction of performance data, according to this invention, a specific recording mode for starting recording in synchronism with generation of first key-on data indicating generation of a musical tone is set. The specific recording modes include a synchronous recording mode in which a recording operation of performance data is suspended in an operation stop state, and is started simultaneously with generation of the key-on data, a re-recording mode in which a recording operation of performance data is suspended in the operation stop state, and is restarted from the beginning of a previously recorded section simultaneously with generation of the key-on data, and a running recording mode in which a recording operation of performance data is suspended in a playback state, and is started simultaneously with generation of the key-on data.

Automatic performance recording apparatus

An electronic musical instrument of the sampling type is provided. The electronic musical instrument comprises a memory having a plurality of storage areas, and operates in one of full sampling, part sampling, full play and part play modes. Sampling data of waveform of a tone are stored into addresses of all the storage areas in the full sampling mode, and are stored into addresses of one of the storage areas in the part sampling mode. Thus, only one waveform is sampled and stored in the full sampling mode, whereas a plurality of waveforms can be sampled and stored in the part sampling mode. In the full play mode, the whole sampling data are read from the storage areas to form a tone, so that the tone can have a complicated waveform if the sampling data have been stored in the memory in the part sampling mode. In the part play mode, the sampling data are read from the corresponding storage area, so that the tone can be formed from a portion of a waveform if the waveform has been stored in the full sampling mode.

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Hamamatsu, Japan

Tetsuji Ichiki