Abstract: A system and method for real-time controlling of signal processors, synthesizers, musical instruments, MIDI processors, lighting, video, and special effects in performance, recording, and composition environments using images derived from tactile sensors, pressure sensor arrays, optical transducer arrays, chemical sensor arrays, body sensor arrays, and numerical computation. The invention provides for pressure sensor arrays and body sensor arrays as tactile control interfaces, for video cameras and light sensor arrays as optical transducers, for chemical sensor arrays, and for other numerical image generation from computer processing or numeric simulation. Tactile transducers may be put on instrument keys of conventional instruments, be attached to existing instruments, or be used to create entirely new instrument or controller configurations.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for making sample contents from music contents whereby server and user are connected with each other via a communication network, whereby the server supplies non-sample regular contents including at least performance information of a music piece and sound information pertaining to the music piece and sample contents including a sample of part of the non-sample regular contents. Thereafter, the user receives the sample contents and test-listens to the received sample contents. When the user has decided on acquiring the non-sample regular contents and performed a predetermined operation to acquire the contents, the non-sample regular contents are distributed from the server to the user via the communication network, at which time unique additional information, such as client information and serial number, is attached to the individual distributed contents.

Abstract: A karaoke system which can be conveniently used by children and youths and help to enhance their creative power and thinking power. The karaoke system includes a main unit connectable to a display unit through a wire or by wireless. The main unit feeds the display unit with image data for displaying words of a music piece on the display unit and music data for playing accompaniment music of the music piece, thereby a karaoke performance being carried out according to the words displayed on the display unit and the accompaniment music outputted from the display unit. In the karaoke system thus constructed, the main unit is constructed so as to permit the display unit to display images constituting at least one story in order and so as to output words and accompaniment music of a music piece associated with the story to the display unit during the course of the story.

Abstract: The present invention offers an adjustable, versatile windless windchime activation device, which can be modified to accept and activate many different varieties of windchime assemblies. The magnetic repulsive force between an electromagnet located within the windchime activation device and a permanent magnet positioned on a sail, which sail attaches to the sound inducing member of a windchime assembly, activates the windchimes in the absence of wind.

Abstract: A method of sampling a music selection to produce a music clipping suitable for super distribution. A computer readable music file is sampled by defining a starting point for the sample at a fixed time from the beginning of the music selection. The stopping point is similarly selected as a fixed time from the starting point for the sample. The actual fixed times can be varied based upon the genre of the music when another embodiment flags or headers can be used to define the starting and ending time of the sample. Once the sample has been defined, data from the sample is extracted and compressed to reduce the file size to a size suitable for super distribution.

Abstract: The transmission of sample or regular content such as audio data from a server to a single client over a communication network for test-listening or purchase is disclosed. A user may choose a musical selection for test-listening. The sample content may be a selected representative portion extracted from the regular content. If the user decides to purchase the sampled musical selection, the musical selection is transmitted from the server to the client computer. Additional information supplied along with the regular content identifies the musical selection and provides security. However, this additional information is not supplied when sample content is transmitted. Profile information may be supplied along with regular or sample content. The content may be classified, organized, and selected on a channel-by-channel basis. Regular content may be supplied to the client by downloading, while sample content may be supplied to the client by streaming.

Abstract: In an information service system whereby a server apparatus distributes music performance data to a telephony terminal apparatus through a network, the telephony terminal apparatus includes a storage section that stores an application program to be executed by a processing section for sending to the server apparatus a search query effective to specify target music performance data and acquiring the target music performance data from the server apparatus for exclusive use by the application program. In the server apparatus, a first distributing section responds to the search query in the form of contents that are dedicated for use by the application program. A second distributing section of the server apparatus responds to a request from the telephony terminal apparatus for distributing second contents of the same target music performance data to the telephony terminal apparatus such that the second contents can be treated by the telephony terminal apparatus independently of the application program.

Abstract: Multipliers respectively multiply a tone signal supplied from a sound source and a tone signal corrected by a filter according to hearing correction characteristics by balance control coefficients generated by a control coefficient generator based on tone volume control data, and an adder adds the products to adjust the tone volume balance. A multiplier multiplies the tone signal output from that adder by a tone volume control coefficient generated by the control coefficient generator based on the tone volume control data to adjust the tone volume. Frequency characteristics for correcting hearing characteristics are given to the tone signal in accordance with the tone volume of tones to be generated, thus maintaining tone volume balance upon hearing among tone colors of tones to be generated by an electronic musical instrument.

Abstract: A system and methods for matching media entities to associate closely related media entities are provided. In connection with a system that convergently merges perceptual and digital signal processing analysis of media entities for purposes of classifying the media entities, various means are provided match media entities using aggregation and non-aggregation matching. In an illustrative implementation, various factors representative of inherent characteristics of the media entities are employed and processed to generate data sets having closely related and/or similarly situated media entities. Once a media matching is performed on a library of media entities, the results of the media match may be persisted for the user from experience to experience.

Abstract: Supply section supplies performance data of a music piece, and a processor, coupled with a display device and the supply section, controls the display device to display a music score of the music piece using a predetermined basic display block. On the basis of the supplied performance data, the processor detects music score marks included in each of predetermined music piece sections of the music piece. Then, for each of the music piece sections, the processor sets the detected music score marks to be placed in a single basic display block or dividedly in a plurality of the basic display blocks. If any one of the music piece sections includes too many music score marks, the processor dividedly allocates the music score marks to two or more basic display blocks. Thus, for each of the music piece sections, the music score marks can be displayed using a variable number of the basic display block.

Abstract: An electronic musical apparatus assists a performance based on music performance data of a model music piece composed of a plurality of notes allocated to a plurality of channels. Each note is determined by a target pitch and timing. An indicator section visually indicates the target timings of the notes. An input section is operable by a user for sequentially inputting actual timings selectively allocated to one or more of the channels during the performance. A detecting section operates when the input section inputs an actual timing to one channel, for detecting a note having a target timing which matches the inputted actual timing and which is allocated to any one of the channels. An output section responds to the detecting section for outputting the music performance data to the respective channels for sounding all of the notes having the target timings coincident with the inputting of the actual timing.

Abstract: Many non-musicians enjoy listening to music, and would like to be able to play along with it, but do not have the talent or the time to learn to play a musical instrument. The system described herein allows non-musicians to follow along with a display that is based on the principles of musical notation, but is designed to be intuitive and require no training to use. The player is guided through the steps of playing a rhythm along with a musical performance, and the system provides the illusion that the player is actually playing a melodic part on an instrument. In addition, the system indicates how closely the player is following the guide, and it also scores the player's performance. The score is used to drive interactive feedback to the player. The system can be configured to work in local area networks or wide area networks with low latency or high latency in the network.

Abstract: The electronic musical instrument includes a keyboard 10 and an operation panel 20. The operation panel 20 includes a display 21 and a control operator 22 for selecting and setting various modes in the electronic musical instrument. Part of the control operator 22 is used for changing various modes in the electronic musical instrument by a combination with a display screen on the display 21. The display 21 is controlled by a display control circuit 23 having a screen data memory 23a, and displays a lyric screen, score screen, and various mode setting screens. An image data output circuit 51 having an image data memory 51a for outside, which is independent from the image data memory 23a, outputs an image data to outside and displays the lyric screen, score screen, and various mode setting screens on an external displayer 53 independently from the display 21.

Abstract: A wind controller is disclosed which provides glitch-free playing of the instrument by using key position sensors which produce tristate logic signals indicating released, held, or transition positions of each key. Logic circuitry processes the key position signals and prevents any note from sounding when any of the keys is in transition between the released and held positions. The controller also allows the player to select alternate fingering charts which avoid “mine field” fingerings and which are created and downloaded to the wind controller using a personal computer. A set of chord keys and a computer program allows the player to register, without sounding, a series of notes to make up a chord using a registration key and an enable/disable key which alternately activates the last registered chord for playing or deactivates it to return to monophonic mode. Another registration key is provided to register another chord whereby an endless progression of chords can be played in succession.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method (and system) for composing music, includes launching a menu based on an input from an input device, selectively inputting musical notation with the input device based on the menu items and unconstrained handwriting by a composer, and displaying the musical notation.

Abstract: An audio information reproducing apparatus reproduces one audio information and reproduces another audio information after said one audio information. The apparatus is provided with: a detecting device for detecting one time period required for one beat of said one audio information, and also detecting another time period for one beat of said another audio information; and a reproducing device for reproducing said another audio information continuously to said one audio information while controlling the detected another time period to be coincident with the detected one time period. Alternatively or additionally, the apparatus is provided with: a detecting device for detecting one beat timing which is a timing of a beat of said one audio information and also detecting another beat timing which is a timing of a beat of said another audio information, so that the reproducing device controls the detected another beat timing to be coincident with the detected one beat timing.

Abstract: A functional storage module is removably connectable to an electronic apparatus as a storage medium of data. The module is composed of a memory core block, a sequencer block and a tone generator block. The memory core block stores various data including-music performance data for use in the electronic apparatus. The sequencer block retrieves the music performance data from the memory core block, and sequentially outputs instructions for synthesis of music tones according to the retrieved music performance data. The tone generator block operates in response to the instructions for carrying out the synthesis of the music tones, thereby outputting waveform data representative of the music tones to the electronic apparatus.

Abstract: During mixing of two musical tracks, the variations in combined output volume are reduced by analyzing either the intrinsic amplitude at which each track was mastered or the output amplitude (i.e. subsequent to amplification of the audio signal), and modifying either the intrinsic amplitude or amplification during the mixing phase. Musical clashes during mixing are avoided by analyzing intrinsic amplitudes of the two tracks at similar frequencies to detect the likelihood of a clash, and in the event a clash is detected, reducing the output amplitude of one of the tracks at the relevant frequency.

Abstract: Style-of-rendition identification information representing a style of rendition of a performance tone is received, and reference is made to a predetermined table on the basis of the received style-of-rendition identification information to thereby obtain, from the table, style-of-rendition module data corresponding to the received style-of-rendition identification information. Waveform is produced on the basis of the obtained style-of-rendition module data. The style-of-rendition module data is data representing behavior of a waveform to be produced in accordance with a style of rendition and may include data representing characteristic behavior of vectors that control the waveform to be reproduced. The behavior of the waveform can be defined by various waveform factors. The vectors include, for example, vectors of various fundamental waveform factors for producing the waveform, such as a waveform shape, pitch, amplitude and time axis.

Abstract: A performance information analyzer wherein one of tone pitch information data applied thereto in response to progress of performance of a musical tune is analyzed into one of plural performance parts on a basis of a difference in tone pitch between the one of the tone pitch information data and a reference tone pitch information data previously assigned to a predetermined part of the plural performance parts during prior analysis of the tone pitch information and the other tone pitch information data are analyzed into the other performance parts on a basis of a difference in tone pitch between the analyzed tone pitch information data and each of the other tone pitch information data.