Abstract: To provide a medicine useful for protecting renal function or reducing a dietary acid load on the kidney in mammals, particularly humans. Provided is a pharmaceutical composition containing citric acid, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of citric acid, a hydrate of citric acid, a hydrate of the pharmaceutically acceptable salt of citric acid, or a mixture thereof. Administration of the present pharmaceutical composition makes it possible to protect renal function or reduce a dietary acid load on the kidney.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition including citric acid, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of citric acid, a hydrate of citric acid, a hydrate of the pharmaceutically acceptable salt of citric acid, or a mixture thereof. Administration or ingestion of the previous period composition inhibits renal fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy.

Abstract: A device includes: an information acquisition unit configured to obtain music piece information containing at least information on a beat position in music piece data; a lighting control unit configured to control a lighting fixture with reference to a change point of a lighting effect, whose minimum unit is defined by the beat position; and an operation interlock control unit configured to apply, in response to an operation performed on a music piece reproduction apparatus configured to reproduce the music piece data or a music piece reproduction controller configured to control the music piece reproduction apparatus, the lighting effect corresponding to the operation to the control of the lighting fixture.

Abstract: A lighting controller includes: an information acquiring unit configured to acquire music piece information including at least information on a beat position in music piece data; a lighting controller configured to control a lighting fixture with reference to a lighting-effect change point, a minimum unit of the lighting-effect change point being defined by the beat position; and an operation interlock control unit configured to apply, in response to a predetermined operation applied on a music piece reproduction apparatus configured to reproduce the music piece data as a music piece or a music piece reproduction controller configured to control the music piece reproduction apparatus, a predetermined lighting effect corresponding to the operation or a process executed by the operation to the control of the lighting fixture.

Abstract: A lighting controller is configured to make lighting control data in which lighting control information corresponding to a music piece is recorded and to control a lighting apparatus based on the lighting control data. The lighting controller includes: an information acquisition unit configured to acquire beat position information indicating beat positions of music piece data; a reference position plotting unit configured to plot a plurality of reference positions corresponding one-to-one to the beat positions of the beat position information; a lighting control information setting unit configured to set the lighting control information corresponding to the music piece; and a lighting control information editing unit configured to record the lighting control information with reference to the reference positions.

Abstract: A lighting controller includes: an information acquiring unit configured to acquire music piece information including at least information on a beat position in music piece data; a lighting controller configured to control a lighting fixture with reference to a lighting-effect change point, a minimum unit of the lighting-effect change point being defined by the beat position; and an operation interlock control unit configured to apply, in response to a predetermined operation applied on a music piece reproduction apparatus configured to reproduce the music piece data as a music piece or a music piece reproduction controller configured to control the music piece reproduction apparatus, a predetermined lighting effect corresponding to the operation or a process executed by the operation to the control of the lighting fixture.

Abstract: A device for selecting a music piece for generating lighting control data is configured to select, among pieces of music piece data each containing transition information of characteristic sections that characterize a music structure, a target piece of music piece data suitable for generating the lighting control data for each of the pieces of music piece data. The music piece selecting device includes: a transition information acquirer acquiring the transition information of the characteristic sections in each piece of music piece data; a characteristic section type determiner determining respective types of the characteristic sections based on the transition information of the characteristic sections acquired by the transition information acquirer; and a music piece data selector selecting the target piece of music piece data for generating the lighting control data based on the respective types of the characteristic sections determined by the characteristic section type determiner.

Abstract: A sound equipment control operation input device includes: a plurality of operation units, at least one of the operation units being operated to control sound equipment; a control mode switcher configured to switch one or more of the operation units to a first control mode for controlling the sound equipment or a second control mode for controlling lighting equipment; a control mode determiner configured to determine respective control mode settings of the operation units; and a control mode visual indicator configured to visually indicate the respective control mode settings of the operation units based on results of determination by the control mode determiner.

Abstract: A device for selecting a music piece for generating lighting control data is configured to select, among pieces of music piece data each containing transition information of characteristic sections that characterize a music structure, a target piece of music piece data suitable for generating the lighting control data for each of the pieces of music piece data. The music piece selecting device includes: a transition information acquirer acquiring the transition information of the characteristic sections in each piece of music piece data; a characteristic section type determiner determining respective types of the characteristic sections based on the transition information of the characteristic sections acquired by the transition information acquirer; and a music piece data selector selecting the target piece of music piece data for generating the lighting control data based on the respective types of the characteristic sections determined by the characteristic section type determiner.

Abstract: A device includes: an information acquisition unit configured to obtain music piece information containing at least information on a beat position in music piece data; a lighting control unit configured to control a lighting fixture with reference to a change point of a lighting effect, whose minimum unit is defined by the beat position; and an operation interlock control unit configured to apply, in response to an operation performed on a music piece reproduction apparatus configured to reproduce the music piece data or a music piece reproduction controller configured to control the music piece reproduction apparatus, the lighting effect corresponding to the operation to the control of the lighting fixture.

Abstract: A lighting controller is configured to make lighting control data in which lighting control information corresponding to a music piece is recorded and to control a lighting apparatus based on the lighting control data. The lighting controller includes: an information acquisition unit configured to acquire beat position information indicating beat positions of music piece data; a reference position plotting unit configured to plot a plurality of reference positions corresponding one-to-one to the beat positions of the beat position information; a lighting control information setting unit configured to set the lighting control information corresponding to the music piece; and a lighting control information editing unit configured to record the lighting control information with reference to the reference positions.

Abstract: A musical sound producing device produces musical sound from MIDI data. The MIDI data includes play data for producing musical sound of plurality of tones, pitch data for designating pitch of the musical sound and pitch variable/invariable data indicating pitch variable tones and pitch invariable tones. The device includes: MIDI sound source for producing musical sound of tones designated by the play data with pitch designated by the pitch data; and pitch change circuit for changing the pitch data of only pitch variable tones specified by the pitch variable/invariable data in accordance with pitch change information.

Abstract: A melody controlling apparatus is provided with: a reproducing device for reproducing first digital sound source controlling information and melody controlling information related to the first digital sound source controlling information; a memory for storing melody changing information; a melody changing device for reading the melody changing information from the memory according to the melody controlling information reproduced by the reproducing device, and changing the first digital sound source controlling information on the basis of the melody changing information to generate second digital sound source controlling information; and a digital sound source for generating music information signal from the second digital sound source controlling information.

Abstract: In a music accompaniment playing system, MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) sound source controlling data to control a MIDI sound source for generating accompaniment music information for music accompaniment playing, and display controlling data to perform a display corresponding to the MIDI sound source Controlling data, are reproduced from a record medium for music accompaniment playing. The display controlling data includes lyrics data corresponding to lyrics for music accompaniment playing, and accompaniment chord data corresponding to an accompaniment chord of the accompaniment music information.

Abstract: A karaoke system includes: reproduction unit for reproducing a MIDI sound source control information for karaoke song from a karaoke data recording medium, the MIDI sound source control information including playing time data of the karaoke songs; operation unit for inputting request of at least one desired karaoke song and karaoke playing time; calculation unit for obtaining playing time data of the requested karaoke songs and for calculating total playing time required for playing all of the requested karaoke songs; determination unit for comparing the total playing time with remaining playing time calculated on the basis of the karaoke playing time and for determining whether all of the requested songs can be played within the remaining playing time or not; and display unit for displaying a notice related to the result of the determination of the determination unit.

Abstract: A karaoke apparatus includes: a karaoke information reproducing unit for reproducing MIDI sound source control information stored in a storage unit; a MIDI sound source control unit for producing first MIDI sound source control information and second MIDI sound source control information from the MIDI sound source control information reproduced by the karaoke information reproducing unit; a first MIDI sound source for producing first karaoke accompaniment information from the first MIDI sound source control information; a second MIDI sound source for producing second karaoke accompaniment information from the second MIDI sound source control information; and a mixing unit for mixing the first karaoke accompaniment information and second karaoke accompaniment information to output mixed karaoke accompaniment information.

Abstract: There are disclosed an apparatus adapted to generate musical information of a synthetic sound in accordance with the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standard to carry out PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) recording of a natural effect sound including natural sound and/or a human voice such as back chorus to mix them to generate musical accompaniment, thus to mix a voice of singing sung with the musical accompaniment, and a recording medium used for such an apparatus.

Abstract: In an image reproducing apparatus, a music information reproducing unit reproduces musical information, lyrics information or still picture information from a music information recording medium on which the musical information, the lyrics information or the still picture information relating to a plurality of music pieces are recorded, and an image information reproducing unit retrieves moving picture information in a predetermined order in correspondence with respective music pieces in the music information recording medium from an image information recording medium on which moving picture information divided into a plurality of moving picture information segments is recorded, and reproducing said picture information segments.

Abstract: A musical accompaniment playing apparatus comprises a MIDI sound source, a phoneme information memory, a playing information memory, a control means, a mixing means and a sound output means.When a user sings a song with a musical accompaniment and a back chorus, the control means controls the MIDI sound source to output an audio signal in accordance with a phoneme information stored in the phoneme memory and a playing information stored in the playing information memory. The output audio signal is mixed with a singing voice of the user at the mixing means and output from the sound output means as a song in harmony with the back chorus.

Abstract: A user management system is provided for a musical accompaniment playing (KARAOKE) apparatus. The system comprises an individual information recording medium, an input unit, a music information reproducing unit, a control unit and a calculation unit. The input unit is used to input user identification information and music piece selection. The control unit serves to set a musical environment and to record changes in the environment for the user. The calculation unit makes adjustments based on the number of music pieces recorded on the individual information recording medium.