Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha

Yamaha Corporation

Tetsuo Nishimoto

Toshiyuki Iwamoto

Kosei Terada

Toru Kitayama

Akira Yamauchi

Yutaka Tohgi

Masahiro Kakishita

Shimaji Okamoto

Yohei Nagai

Norio Suzuki

Yasuyoshi Nakajima

Akane Iyatomi

User enters information of a melody or other musical material and, when necessary, desired parameters. The input information and parameters are transmitted to a server via a network or other communication media. On the basis of the received musical material and parameters, the server creates content by imparting the musical material with an additional value corresponding to the parameters. For example, in the case where the musical material is a melody of a music piece, the server creates, as the content, harmony information, backing information, accompaniment information, musical score picture information, or the like. There may also be created test-listening or test-viewing sample content corresponding to the regular content. The user receives the sample content from the server, and purchases the regular content when the sample content has been found to be satisfactory as a result of the test listening or test viewing.

Apparatus and method for converting and delivering musical content over a communication network or other information communication media

Electronic toy receives control information via an input interface and stores the received control information in memory. The electronic toy includes at least one sensor for detecting an external stimulus applied to the toy, and control information is read out from the memory in response to an external stimulus detection signal generated by the sensor so that the electronic toy is controlled to perform a predetermined operation in accordance with the read-out control information. It is possible to readily renew operations that can be performed by the electronic toy, by, for example, downloading desired control information from a server via a communication line and then storing the desired control information in an internal memory of the toy.

Electronic toy and control method therefor

There is provided a musical tone generating apparatus that is capable of generating more natural musical tones even when musical tone waveform data is generated at a recording sampling frequency lower than a sampling frequency, by recovering harmonic components missing in the musical tone waveform data. All frequency components included in musical tone waveform data read out from a tone color data memory are shifted in a positive direction by a predetermined frequency lower than half the recording sampling frequency. The lower frequency components of the shifted frequency components than the half the recording sampling frequency are cut off by an HPF. The amplitude of the musical tone waveform data from which the frequency component is cut off is adjusted by a multiplier. Then, the musical tone waveform data adjusted in amplitude and the original musical tone waveform data read out are added together, and a musical tone is generated based on a result of the addition.

Musical tone generating apparatus, musical tone generating method, and program for implementing the method

There are provided a performance data generating apparatus and method which is capable of automatically converting original performance data providing an expressionless performance into performance data that enable a variety of musically excellent performances, by means of a novel expression adding converter using various modularized rules and procedures to add expressions based on temporal changes such as tempo and timing, as well as a storage medium that stores a program for executing the method. Performance data are supplied, characteristic information is obtained from the supplied performance data, generating method information is stored which corresponds to predetermined characteristic information and representative of at least one method of generating musical tone control information, generating method information corresponding to the obtained characteristic information is obtained from the stored generating method information, the musical tone control information from the obtained characteristic information and generating method information corresponding to the obtained characteristic information is obtained, and the generated musical tone control information is added to the supplied performance data.

Performance data generating apparatus and method and storage medium

A physical motion state evaluation apparatus is configured by a foot switch unit for detecting user's step motions, physical motion state detectors for detecting motions of prescribed parts (e.g., hands, foot) of a user's body, a display and a musical tone generator. Herein, the physical motion state detector is configured by a projector unit for projecting optical beams along optical axes and a receiver unit for receiving the optical beams respectively, so that the receiver unit detects a shutoff event in which the prescribed part of the user's body shuts off at least one of the optical beams. Physical motion state instructions request a user to move the prescribed parts of the user's body to instructed positions at instruction timings respectively, so that the physical motion state detectors provide detection timings at which the prescribed parts of the user's body are precisely moved to the instructed positions in conformity with the instruction timings. Based on deviation values between the instruction timings and detection timings, the apparatus produces evaluation results on user's physical motion states in comparison with the physical motion state instructions. The evaluation results can be visually presented on a screen of the display as scores being marked for the user's physical motion states, or they can be subjected to auditory presentation in which the musical tone generator sequentially generates musical tones corresponding to constituent notes of a melody in response to the detection timings that belong to tone generation ranges of the instruction timings.

Physical motion state evaluation apparatus

There are provided an electronic musical instrument having a performance guidance function and a performance guidance method which enable a player to easily carry out a smooth and ideal performance even if the player is a beginner, and a storage medium storing a program for executing the same method. The electronic musical instrument has a plurality of display devices arranged in association with the performance operating elements, respectively, each comprising a pair of display elements corresponding to left and right hands of the player, respectively. Automatic performance data of a musical composition is input, for which the player is guided for performance. A position of each of the performance operating elements to be operated by the player and one of the left and right hands to be used in operating the each of the performance operating elements are indicated the player by driving a corresponding one of the pair of display elements of a corresponding display device in a manner corresponding to the one of the left and right hands, in response to the input performance data.

Electronic musical instrument having performance guidance function, performance guidance method, and storage medium storing a program therefor

The electronic musical instrument has synthesis means operative according to given tone control parameters for effecting a musical tone synthesis to generate a musical tone. Register means is provided for registering first data of a lower class and second data of an upper class in hierarchical data structure so as to constitute the tone control parameters. The first data is effective, at least, to define a timbre of a musical tone to be generated. The second data designates a plurality of the first data, effective to control the musical tone synthesis according to different timbres which are defined by the plurality of the first data. Edit means is provided for revising selectively the registered first data. Display means is provided for selectively indicating the second data which is associated to the first data to be revised in order for management of the hierarchical data structure.

Electronic musical instrument with programmable synthesizing function

A formant tone generating apparatus provides n (where n=1, 2, . . . ) systems each capable of generating a pitch control signal by a timing of which period is n times longer than a fundamental pitch period of a musical tone including a formant tone to be generated. Then, a periodic function such as a sinewave function having a formant center frequency is modulated by use of a window function under control of the pitch control signal, so that a modulated signal is formed with respect to each system. Such modulated signals are synthesized together with respect to one or more systems, so that a synthesized signal is obtained. Based on the synthesized signal, the formant tone can be generated without forming unnecessary spectrum.

Formant tone generating apparatus for an electronic musical instrument

A control waveform generating apparatus for an electronic musical instrument generates a control waveform having at least a rising portion and a falling portion whose levels vary in a lapse of time. The control waveform is divided into a plurality of segment waveforms each of which includes a constant level portion (an interval portion) and at least one of the rising portion and the falling portion therein. The rising rates and falling rates and interval durations of the respective segment waveforms are selected by a player so that the control waveform having an arbitrary waveform can be obtained. When generating the control waveform, each of the plural segment waveforms is sequentially designated and outputted as a part of the entire control waveform. When the present segment waveform next to the preceding segment waveform is designated, the last level of the preceding segment waveform is maintained in a selected interval period. After this predetermined interval period is passed, the level of the present segment waveform increases or decreases according to a selected rising rate or falling rate.

Control waveform generating apparatus for an electronic musical

A parameter setting system for an electronic musical instrument has a predetermined number of panel switches to which desired parameters can be selectively assigned by the player. The system comprises a RAM having a parameter area in which a group of parameters determining characteristics of a tone are stored, the number of parameters being greater than the number of the panel switches. The RAM also has an identification-number area for storing identification numbers of those parameters which are assigned respectively to the panel switches. When a reassignment switch is depressed with an entry switch, the system is brought into a reassignment mode. In this condition, the player selects a desired one of the parameters using up and down switches for changing the identification number and a display unit for displaying the identification number. The player then depresses one of the panel switches to which the selected parameter is to be assigned, whereupon the displayed identification number is stored into the identification-number area of the RAM at a position corresponding to the depressed panel switch.

Parameter setting system for electronic musical instrument

In a musical tone synthesizer in which an amplitude-modulated carrier wave delivered from an amplitude modulator is used to form a musical tone signal, the amplitude-modulated carrier wave is fed back to the input side of the amplitude modulator as a modulation signal, a portion thereof, a portion of a carrier wave or a composite signal of the modulation signal and the carrier wave. The amount of feedback may be controlled by multiplying the amplitude-modulated carrier wave with a predetermined modulation index. Furthermore, the modulation index may be charged with time so that the control of spectrum construction of the musical tone signal is readily performed. According to a modified embodiment, a plurality of amplitude-modulators are provided which are connected in a ring form feedback loop in which the modulated outputs of preceding amplitude modulators are supplied respectively to succeeding amplitude modulators.

Electronic musical instrument using amplitude modulation with feedback

The generating function cos[Z(t).multidot.sin(.omega.'t)] of Bessel functions is utilized as a modulating function for a fundamental function sin(.omega.t) in synthesis of a musical tone including many harmonic (over tone) components, wherein Z(t) is used as a modulating index. The modulating frequency .omega.' in sin(.omega.'t) of the modulating function cos[Z(t).multidot.sin(.omega.'t)] is selected relative to the fundamental frequency so that w'=n.omega. wherein n is a half integer or an irrational number.

Method of synthesizing musical tones

This electronic musical instrument has plural operation units respectively performing a predetermined basic waveform generation operation (e.g., frequency modulation operation) using a phase signal representing a pitch of a tone to be produced or a waveform signal generated by the operation unit. There is further provided a setting section for variably setting a combination of input and output connections between the respective operation units as freely as the performer desires. The input and output connections between the operation units are switched according to the set combination. An operation algorithm for tone synthesis is determined according to the combination of connections between the operation units set in this manner whereby a free tone synthesis as desired by the performer is realized. A display is provided for visually indicating the set combination of connections and a state of connection between the respective operation units is indicated as a graphic pattern on this display.

Electronic musical instrument capable of varying a tone synthesis

An automatic performance apparatus for use in combination with a manually operable musical tone generating instrument. The automatic performance apparatus includes a tempo signal generator, a reference timing signal generator, a tempo setting circuit and a tempo controller. The tempo controller measures the number of manual operations of the manual tone generating instrument in respective predetermined intervals before and after generation of the reference timing signal from the reference timing signal generator. The generation of the tempo signal from the tempo signal generator is controlled in accordance with the measured number obtained from the tempo controller, so that the tempo of the automatic performance is controlled.

Automatic performance apparatus for use in combination with a manually

Each one of a plurality of harmonic components is multiplied with a first amplitude coefficient to form a plurality of harmonic components corresponding to a musical tone signal having a desired waveform. Each of the harmonic components is varied with time by a first envelope waveform signal in accordance with a second amplitude coefficient corresponding to each harmonic to form a harmonic component of a spectrum varying with time in a desired manner. By using a second envelope waveform signal, amplitudes of respective harmonic components are varied in a predetermined manner and then the harmonic components are synthesized to form a musical tone.

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Hamamatsu, Japan

Tetsuo Nishimoto