Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho

Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Yoshihisa Shimada

Shinya Konishi

Sadamoto Wakuda

An automatic performance apparatus with the concert magic function includes a memory for storing automatic performance data composed of a sequence of note data. Each note data includes a data of gate time and a data of step time. When it is detected that at least one of the keys corresponding to the sequence of note data is pushed, a current note data of the sequence is read out from the memory. Then, there are executed a sound generation stopping process for a previous note data and a sound generating process for the current note data. When it is detected that all of keys corresponding to the sequence of note data are released, a sound generation stopping instruction is issued and the sound generation for the current note data is stopped in the response to the sound generation stopping instruction. The sound generating process and the sound generation stopping process are executed using a reference time period which is determined based on a tempo. The tempo can be changed on the way of performance of a music.

Automatic performance device with sound stopping feature

In a method for automatically performing accompaniment in an automatic accompaniment apparatus, a plurality of system defining rhythm data patterns are provided. Each of the plurality of system rhythm data patterns is composed of a plurality of rhythm data for a plurality of parts. In a rhythm editing mode, one or more parts of the plurality of parts of the user rhythm data pattern is designated for a user defining rhythm data pattern, and the designated one or more parts are associated with the rhythm data of corresponding parts of one of the plurality of system defining rhythm data patterns so that the user defining rhythm data pattern can be produced. In an automatic accompaniment mode, accompaniment is automatically performed based on the user defining rhythm data pattern. Each of the plurality of rhythm data has a rhythm data identifier and a pattern identifier is allocated to each of the plurality of system defining rhythm data patterns. Each part of each system defining rhythm data pattern is related to the corresponding rhythm data using the rhythm delta identifier. Thus, by specifying a pattern identifier and one or more parts, the specified one or more parts of the user defining rhythm data pattern can be related to the rhythm data.

Method and apparatus for performing automatic accompaniment based on

An automatic performing system provided with a performance information output device that permits external sound sources or other to play a realistic performance by preventing delays in the performance. When the presently read performance data is control data and the MIDI output mode is set to an all data output mode or unrestricted output mode, if the presently read is control data coincides with the previously read control data, the present data is prevented from being transmitted to the external sound sources. If these control data do not coincide with each other, the present control data is converted to a MIDI signal and is transmitted. Although the present control data that coincide with the previous control data is not transmitted, the previous control data remains in the external sound sources. Therefore, the tone is the same as the tone that would be obtained if the present control data were transmitted. When the presently read data is control data and the MIDI output mode is set to output prohibition mode or restricted output mode, no control data is processed into MIDI output. In the restricted output mode, the quantity of MIDI signal to be serially transferred to the outside is restricted, thereby reducing the time period of transfer. Furthermore, delay in the performance of external sound sources can be eliminated.

Performance information output device and an automatic performing system

An automatic performance apparatus for an electronic musical instrument, which includes a change-instructing device for instructing alteration between first performance pattern and second performance pattern; a first controller for, when the readout device is reading out none of first to fourth automatic performance data at time alteration of a performance pattern is instructed by the change-instructing device, selecting the first automatic performance data or the second automatic performance data in accordance with an instruction of the change-instructing device, and causing a readout device to read out the selected automatic performance data in accordance with an instruction of a start-instructing device; and a second controller for causing the readout device, when reading out the first automatic performance data at a time alteration of a performance pattern is instructed by the change-instructing device, to stop reading out the first automatic performance data, read out the third automatic performance data and then read out the second automatic performance data, or causing the readout device, when reading out the second automatic performance data at a time alteration of a performance pattern is instructed by the change-instructing device, to stop reading out the second automatic performance data, read out the fourth automatic performance data and then read out the first automatic performance data, in accordance with an instruction from the change-instructing devices.

Automatic performance apparatus for an electronic musical instrument

An auto-play apparatus having an auto-play data memory for storing a note data string of an auto-accompaniment pattern, and a tone generator for generating tones on the basis of the note data string read out from the auto-play data memory. The auto-play apparatus includes an intonation pattern memory for storing intonation patterns of a plurality of levels corresponding to different degrees of tone-up of a performance. The intonation value is changed upon operation of an operation unit, and a note data string is read out from the auto-play data memory on the basis of intonation pattern data corresponding to the new intonation value. The readout note data string is supplied to the tone generator. The intonation pattern data of different levels includes at least designation information for designating different read positions in the auto-play data memory, and different tone volume information, different tone color information, and different instrument information to be provided to the readout note data. The intonation pattern data is partially rewritten in a data edit mode, thus changing the tone-up pattern of an accompaniment.

Auto-play apparatus for generation of accompaniment tones with a

An auto-play apparatus associated with a keyboard instrument is arranged for generating auto-accompaniment tones such as chord, bass drum lines to have a specific rhythm pattern. When a player determines tone-up of a music piece during a performance, he or she operates an intonation dial (22) arranged on an operation panel (2) or an expression pedal (23). Then, an intonation value representing a tone-up level of the music piece is generated as numerical value information. A corresponding play pattern is read out from an auto-accompaniment pattern ROM (6) according to the intonation value and a rhythm pattern selected in advance upon operation of an operation member of the operation panel (2), thus starting an auto-play operation. Auto-accompaniment pattern data corresponding to the intonation value is programmed to change the play pattern according to a tone-up state of a music piece during the performance of the music piece.

This invention discloses an electronic musical instrument incorporating an auto-accompaniment apparatus, which can desirably set a tempo of rhythm accompaniment tones (e.g., chord, bass, and drum accompaniment tones) using a tempo preset button or an increment/decrement button during a play operation. The read speed of an auto-accompaniment data memory is determined on the basis of the set tempo. A tempo controller for switching from the current tempo to a new tempo upon detection of a division of a bar of auto-accompaniment data is arranged, thereby eliminating uneasy feeling upon switching of tempo.

Method and apparatus for adjusting the tempo of auto-accompaniment tones

An automatic playing apparatus according to the present invention, stores, in an automatic playing pattern data memory, chord, bass, drum data for each of a plurality of intro, normal and ending patterns, and drum data for each of a plurality of fill-in patterns, and reads, when a fill-in is selected via an operation panel, chord data and bass data, stored for an intro, normal, or ending pattern data, and drum data, stored for a fill-in pattern, to perform automatic playing. Further, an automatic playing apparatus according to the present invention includes an automatic playing pattern data memory wherein loud fill-in pattern data and soft fill-in pattern data are stored, sets an intonation value using an intonation dial as the performance is developed, and performs automatic playing based on either loud fill-in pattern data, if the intonation value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, or based on the soft fill-in pattern data, if the intonation value is smaller than the predetermined value.

Automatic playing apparatus having reduced memory requirements

An auto-play apparatus for an electronic musical instrument having a plurality of auto-play phrase data stored in memory and accessible through corresponding keys. Note data corresponding to the auto-play phrase data being stored in a separate memory. The apparatus includes an editing function for collectively shifting the pitch of note data constituting a auto-play phrase up or down an octave for easy editing. A shift limit feature prevents the pitch shift function when the result would exceed a preset upper or lower limit.

Auto-play musical instrument with an octave shifter for editing phrase

An electronic musical instrument, in which a phrase for about one bar is assigned to each of keys across two octaves, a note data string of each phrase is read out from a memory in accordance with a one-finger key operation, and corresponding tones are generated. Key numbers, key depression velocities, and key depression timings of a series of key operations in a phrase play mode are recorded in a recording medium. In a playback mode, a note data string of a phrase corresponding to a playback key number is read out from the memory. Tone generation strength data in the note data are multiplied with the playback key depression velocity, thus obtaining a modified note data string. Playback tones of a phrase play close to an actual play can be generated by modifying key depression strengths of phrase tones pre-programmed in the memory.

Electronic musical instrument with record/playback of phrase tones

An electronic keyboard instrument includes note data memory (35) for storing note data strings of a plurality of different short phrases, and a tone generator (37) for generating tones on the basis of a note data string read out from the note data memory (35). In response to a key depression operation, a note data string of a short phrase assigned to the ON key is selected and read out. Tone strength data of the readout note data string are multiplied with a key operation strength value, and product data are output to the tone generator (37). A player performs an adlib play upon a combination of the phrases. The tone volume can be controlled in units of phrases according to key touch data.

Keyboard instrument with key on phrase tone generator

An auto-play electronic musical instrument stores note data of phrase tones for one bar corresponding to each of a plurality of keys of two octaves together with auto-accompaniment pattern data. Every time a key is operated, an adlib play is made by playing back corresponding phrase tones. When a key operation is interrupted during the adlib play, specific phrase tone are repetitively and automatically played back, thereby preventing a play from being interrupted halfway. The electronic musical instrument also stores fixed phrases such as introduction, fill-in, ending phrases, and the like, which are required according to the flow of a play. When one of the fixed phrases is played back by a selection button while the specific phrase is repetitively played back, the repetitive playback operation of the specific phrase is restarted when the playback operation of the fixed phrase ends. As a result, a user can play similar to a professional artist even with one finger in this key-on phrase play mode.

Auto-accompaniment instrument with switched generation of various phrase

In an electronic musical instrument, first performance data stored in a memory, including a note data string, are read, and are supplied to a tone generator to obtain tone signals. The first performance data are transferred to an edit area in a RAM. A user performs a keyboard operation at a desired timing while listening to playback tones based on the output from the tone generator, thereby additionally writing corresponding second performance data for one tone in the edit area using time base data common to the first performance data. Non-edited note data and additionally written note data are distinguished from each other on the basis of tag data, and one of these two data is erased to continue an edit operation.

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Hamamatsu, Japan

Yoshihisa Shimada