Abstract: Performance event data designating rendition style modules are supplied in order of time. When a given performance event data at a given time is to be processed in accordance with the supplied performance event data, another performance event data related to one or more events, following the given performance event data, is obtained in advance of a predetermined original time position of the other performance event daata. Control data corresponding to a rendition style module designated by at least one of the given performance event data and the other performance event data obtained in advance is generated on the basis of the given and the other performance event data, and a waveform corresponding to the designated rendition style module is synthesized on the basis of the control data.

Abstract: A music apparatus has a central processor, a plurality of generator modules, and a program memory storing instructions for causing the central processor to execute a process of synthesizing a musical tone signal with the generator modules. The process includes the steps of commanding each of the generator modules to generate a predetermined number of samples of the musical tone signal at a common sampling period, and collecting the samples from each of the generator modules and processing the collected samples at the common sampling period to thereby synthesize the musical tone signal. The generator modules include a synchronous generator module that does generate the predetermined number of the samples at the common sampling period, and an asynchronous generator module that does not generate the predetermined number of the samples at the common sampling period.

Abstract: A method is designed for selectively transferring sound data representative of waveforms of various musical sounds from a first storage device to a second storage device. The first storage device stores the sound data accessibly at a first access rate. The second storage device caches the sound data accessibly by a processor at a second access rate faster than the first access rate for instantly providing sound data representative of a target waveform of a musical sound to be processed by the processor. The method carries out the steps of receiving timbre specification information which specifies a timbre of the musical sound, predicting sound data representative of candidate waveforms matching the specified timbre and possibly containing a target waveform, and transferring the predicted sound data from the first storage device to the second storage device for caching so that the processor can hit the target waveform among the cached candidate waveforms.

Abstract: A method is designed for controlling a plurality of tone generating drivers by an integrating driver installed in an operating system to generate music tones according to performance data created by a music application software. In the method, the performance data created by the music application software is inputted into the integrating driver through an application program interface provided by the operating system. The performance data is distributed from the integrating driver to one or more of the tone generating drivers provisionally registered to the integrating driver. The registered tone generating driver is operated to generate waveform data of a music tone at a specific sampling frequency based on the distributed performance data. The waveform data is streamed back from the registered tone generating driver to the integrating driver. The specific sampling frequency of the streamed waveform data is converted into a common sampling frequency by the integrating driver.

Abstract: Tone generating processing is executed on an operating system having no full multitask function. The tone generating processing is activated a plurality of times, i.e., at a plurality of activating times, within each predetermined time period. Thus, even when the tone generating processing fails to be activated at some of the activating times, a predetermined number of samples of tone data can be belatedly formed within the predetermined time period, by tone data forming operations being effected only at the other activating times when the tone generating processing is actually activated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating musical tones are provided. Musical tones are generated based on musical tone waveform samples generated through a plurality of channels, and performance information is input. Control information is input depending on an amount of operation of an operating element operated by a user. Musical tone waveform samples are generated for each of the channels corresponding to the performance information input within a predetermined time period, in a number corresponding to the input control information, whenever the predetermined time period elapses. Musical tones are generated based on the generated musical tone waveform samples.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating musical tones are provided. Musical tones are generated based on musical tone waveform samples generated through a plurality of channels, and performance information is input. Control information is input depending on an amount of operation of an operating element operated by a user. Musical tone waveform samples are generated for each of the channels corresponding to the performance information input within a predetermined time period, in a number corresponding to the input control information, whenever the predetermined time period elapses. Musical tones are generated based on the generated musical tone waveform samples.

Abstract: Tone generating processing is executed on an operating system having no full multitask function. The tone generating processing is activated a plurality of times, i.e., at a plurality of activating times, within each predetermined time period. Thus; even when the tone generating processing fails to be activated at some of the activating times, a predetermined number of samples of tone data can be belatedly formed within the predetermined time period, by tone data forming operations being effected only at the other activating times when the tone generating processing is actually activated.

Abstract: Tone generating processing is executed on an operating system having no full multitask function. The tone generating processing is activated a plurality of times, i.e., at a plurality of activating times, within each predetermined time period. Thus, even when the tone generating processing fails to be activated at some of the activating times, a predetermined number of samples of tone data can be belatedly formed within the predetermined time period, by tone data forming operations being effected only at the other activating times when the tone generating processing is actually activated.

Abstract: A method is designed for controlling a plurality of tone generating drivers by an integrating driver installed in an operating system to generate music tones according to performance data created by a music application software. In the method, the performance data created by the music application software is inputted into the integrating driver through an application program interface provided by the operating system. The performance data is distributed from the integrating driver to one or more of the tone generating drivers provisionally registered to the integrating driver. The registered tone generating driver is operated to generate waveform data of a music tone at a specific sampling frequency based on the distributed performance data. The waveform data is streamed back from the registered tone generating driver to the integrating driver. The specific sampling frequency of the streamed waveform data is converted into a common sampling frequency by the integrating driver.

Abstract: Sets of waveform data of unit waveforms stored in a memory each include first and second loop waveform segments at both ends of a non-loop waveform segment and any one of the unit waveform data sets can be selectively readout from the memory. The waveform data set of a desired one of the unit waveforms is read out from the memory and is connected with another waveform preceding or following the read-out unit waveform using the first or second loop waveform segment in the read-out unit waveform. Thus, a smooth connection between the read-out unit waveform and the other waveform is achieved with ease. This is because the loop waveform can be smoothly connected with any other waveform through cross-fade synthesis or phase-matched connection technique performed at an appropriate point in the loop.

Abstract: For a given tone generating channel, tone waveform sample data corresponding to a plurality of sampling cycles (e.g., 100 samples) are arithmetically formed collectively. Once performance information such as MIDI event data is supplied to a tone generator MIDI driver from an application program such as a MIDI sequencer, the MIDI driver, in response to an input MIDI signal, assigns new tone generation to a designated tone generating channel of a tone generator task, and prepares tone controlling parameters to be set in the designated channel. The tone generator task arithmetically forms tone waveform data by use of the tone controlling parameters and passes the tone waveform data to a CODEC circuit functioning as an A/D converter. The program and a general-purpose operating system are sequenced and executed by a preemptive multitask management program. In this way, it is possible to reduce overheads involved in arithmetically forming tone waveform samples.

Abstract: A music apparatus has a central processor, a plurality of generator modules, and a program memory storing instructions for causing the central processor to execute a process of synthesizing a musical tone signal with the generator modules. The process includes the steps of commanding each of the generator modules to generate a predetermined number of samples of the musical tone signal at a common sampling period, and collecting the samples from each of the generator modules and processing the collected samples at the common sampling period to thereby synthesize the musical tone signal. The generator modules include a synchronous generator module that does generate the predetermined number of the samples at the common sampling period, and an asynchronous generator module that does not generate the predetermined number of the samples at the common sampling period.

Abstract: Musical tones are produced according to song data basically by three steps. The first step converts the song data sequentially into control parameters. The control parameters are written into a parameter memory. Then, the second step generates waveform data by using the control parameters written in the parameter memory. The generated waveform data are written into a waveform memory, while the used control parameters are erased from the parameter memory to provide a vacant area. Lastly, the third step reads the waveform data sequentially from the waveform memory to produce the musical tones. Characterizingly, the second step of generating waveform data is executed dependently on progression of the third step of reading the waveform data. Further, the first step of converting the song data is executed independently from progression of the second step of generating waveform data as long as the parameter memory has the vacant area sufficient to store the control parameters converted from the song data.

Abstract: In a fingering information analyzer, tone pitch information indicative of each tone pitch of a series of musical notes supplied from a flexible disc or a performance information memory is analyzed to produce fingering information indicative of a performance finger for each of the musical notes. The fingering information is mixed with the tone pitch information and memorized in a fingering memory. When the fingering information is reproduced, a performance finger for each of the musical notes is determined in accordance with a changing direction or variation width of the tone pitch information continual in time series and a changing condition of white and black keys based on the tone pitch information. The tone pitch information and fingering information memorized in the fingering memory is read out in accordance with progression of a musical tune and adapted for performance of the keys on a keyboard and for indication of the performance finger.

Abstract: MIDI performance information is received via an operating system (OS) and an application-level software tone generator is driven on the basis of the received MIDI performance information, so as to allow the software tone generator to have an increased range of simple applications on the OS level. To this end, a fake driver is installed in the OS, and performance information output from application software is received by the fake driver via the operating system and then sent to the application-level software tone generator. As another example, the software tone generator is installed as a driver in the operating system so that information output from application software can be received by the software tone generator via the operating system.

Abstract: A music apparatus uses a processing unit of a universal type having an extended instruction set used to carry out parallel computation steps in response to a single instruction which is successively issued when executing a program. A software module defines a plurality of channels and is composed of a synthesis program executed by the processing unit using the extended instruction set so as to carry out synthesis of waveforms of musical tones through the plurality of the channels. The plurality of the channels are optimally grouped into parallel sets each containing at least two channels. The synthesis of the waveforms of at least two channels belonging to each parallel set are carried out concurrently by the parallel computation steps. A buffer has a capacity sufficient to store the waveform samples allotted to one frame period. A cache has a capacity sufficient to store a subset of the waveform samples which is an integer division of the set allotted to one frame period.

Abstract: An electronic musical apparatus utilizes a central processing unit for working various modules to generate music tones, while controlling a work load of the central processing unit. The apparatus is composed of a player module, a driver module, a sound source module, and a timing module. The player module provides a sequence of event data indicating an event of a music tone and timing data indicating an occurrence time of the event. The driver module is intermittently triggered to process the event data to create control parameters reserved for use in generation of the music tone corresponding to the event data. The sound source module is routinely triggered to load therein the reserved control parameters for generating the music tone according to the timing data.

Abstract: An electronic musical apparatus utilizes a central processing unit for working a player module, driver module, sound source module and timing module, while controlling a work load of the central processing unit. The player module provides a sequence of event data indicating an event of a music tone and timing data indicating an occurrence time of the event. The driver module is intermittently triggered to process the event data for creating control parameters reserved for use in generation of the music tone corresponding to the event data, and for determining an envelope of the music tone according to the control parameters, the envelope being also reserved for use in generation of the music tone. The sound source module is routinely triggered to load therein the reserved control parameters and the envelope for generating the music tone according to the timing data.

Abstract: Musical tones are produced according to song data basically by three steps. The first step converts the song data sequentially into control parameters. The control parameters are written into a parameter memory. Then, the second step generates waveform data by using the control parameters written in the parameter memory. The generated waveform data are written into a waveform memory, while the used control parameters are erased from the parameter memory to provide a vacant area. Lastly, the third step reads the waveform data sequentially from the waveform memory to produce the musical tones. Characterizingly, the second step of generating waveform data is executed dependently on progression of the third step of reading the waveform data. Further, the first step of converting the song data is executed independently from progression of the second step of generating waveform data as long as the parameter memory has the vacant area sufficient to store the control parameters converted from the song data.