Yamaha Corporation

Yasutake Suzuki

Junichi Fujimori

Takeo Shibukawa

Akira Miki

Fukushi Kawakami

Satoshi Sekine

Shinichi Sawara

Satoshi Miyagishima

Sekine Satoshi

An electronic keyboard musical instrument which can realize natural sounds with favorable sound quality as an acoustic piano. A sound board () made of a plate member is vibrated so as to generate musical tones. A first performance signal generator () generates a first performance signal based on the operating state of a plurality of keys of a keyboard (). A second performance signal generator () generates a second performance signal, which is different from the first performance signal, based on the operation of the plurality of keys and the operation of a pedal (). Speakers (A-D) generate musical tones based on the first performance signal generated by the first performance signal generator (). Transducers (A-C) mounted to the sound board () vibrate the sound board () based on the second performance signal generated by the second performance signal generator ().

Electronic keyboard musical instrument

An electronic keyboard musical instrument which can realize natural sounds with favorable sound quality as an acoustic piano. A sound boardmade of a plate member is vibrated so as to generate musical tones. A first performance signal generatorgenerates a first performance signal based on the operating state of a plurality of keys of a keyboard. A second performance signal generatorgenerates a second performance signal, which is different from the first performance signal, based on the operation of the plurality of keys and the operation of a pedal. SpeakersA toD generates musical tones based on the first performance signal generated by the first performance signal generator. TransducersA toC mounted to the sound boardvibrate the sound boardbased on the second performance signal generated by the second performance signal generator

As an electronic tone is generated in response to performing operation, the electronic tone is picked up by microphones corresponding to left and right channels, and picked-up sound signals thus generated by the microphones are then subjected to signal processing, such as reverberation impartment utilizing acoustic conditions of the interior of a room. Picked-up sound signals having undergone such signal processing are audibly reproduced via rear speakers. Then, once an automatic adjustment instruction is given from a user, measuring tones are reproduced stereophonically, and contents of the signal processing of the individual channels are adjusted on the basis of measured results of picked-up sound signals generated by the microphones picking up the reproduced measuring tones.

Electronic tone generating apparatus and signal-processing-characteristic adjusting method

To obtain a sound-broadened image and a clear sound-image discrimination image when producing plural kinds of sounds, the electronic musical instrument and the like provides a sound-image position control apparatus. This apparatus at least provides a signal mixing portion (e.g., matrix controller) and a virtual-speaker position control portion. The signal mixing portion mixes plural audio signals supplied from a sound source and the like in accordance with a predetermined signal mixing procedure to output plural mixed signals. To control positions of virtual speakers which are emerged as sound-producing points as if each kind of sounds is produced from each of these points, the virtual-speaker position control portion applies different delay times to each of plural mixed signals to output delayed signals as right-side and left-side audio signals to be respectively supplied to right-side and left-side speakers. The sound-image positions formed by the virtual speakers are controlled well, so that the person can clearly discriminate and recognize each of the sound-image positions.

Sound-image position control apparatus

In order to obtain a sound-broadened image and a clear sound-image discrimination image when producing plural kinds of sounds, the electronic musical instrument and the like provides a sound-image position control apparatus. This apparatus at least provides a signal mixing portion (e.g., matrix controller) and a virtual-speaker position control portion. Herein, the signal mixing portion mixes plural audio signals supplied from a sound source and the like in accordance with a predetermined signal mixing procedure so as to output plural mixed signals. In order to control positions of virtual speakers which are emerged as sound-producing points as if each kind of sounds is produced from each of these points, the virtual-speaker position control portion applies different delay times to each of plural mixed signals so as to output delayed signals as right-side and left-side audio signals to be respectively supplied to right-side and left-side speakers. Thus, the sound-image positions formed by the virtual speakers are controlled well, so that the person can clearly discriminate and recognize each of the sound-image positions. When applying this apparatus to the game device providing a display unit which displays an animated image representing a visual image of the air plane and the like, by adequately controlling the sound-image position, it is possible to obtain a brand-new live-audio effect, by which the point of producing the sounds corresponding to the animated image can be moved in accordance with the movement of the animated image which is moved by the player of the game.

A sound localization control apparatus is used to localize the sounds, which can be produced from a synthesizer and the like, at a target sound-image location. The target sound-image location is intentionally located in a three-dimensional space which is formed around a listener who listens to the sounds. The sound localization control apparatus at least provides a controller, a plurality of sound-directing devices and an allocating unit. The controller produces a distance parameter and a direction parameter with respect to the target sound-image location. The allocating unit allocates acoustic data (e.g., two-channel binaural signals), representing the sounds to be localized, to the sound-directing devices in response to the distance parameter and the direction parameter. Each of the sound-directing devices is applied with each of predetermined sounding directions which are arranged in a horizontal plane with respect to the listener. Thus, each sound-directing device performs a data processing on the acoustic data allocated thereto so as to eventually localize the sounds in each of the predetermined sounding direction. At least three sounding directions are required when localizing the sounds. The sound-directing device can be configured by a finite-impulse response filter.

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Iwata, Japan

Yasutake Suzuki