Tone Synthesis Or Timbre Control Patents (Class 84/622)
  • Patent number: 8509692
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for the real-time wireless transmission of a digital audio signal and control data. A transmitter may be coupled to an audio source. The transmitter includes a processor to combine control data with a digital audio signal from the audio source and the processor wirelessly transmits the combined control data and digital audio signal to a receiver. The receiver includes a processor that is used to receive the combined control data and digital audio signal and to process the control data to perform a user pre-defined function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Line 6, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcus Ryle, Guy Coker
  • Patent number: 8494849
    Abstract: A method of transmitting speech data to a remote device in a distributed speech recognition system, includes the steps of: dividing an input speech signal into frames; calculating, for each frame, a voice activity value representative of the presence of speech activity in the frame; grouping the frames into multiframes, each multiframe including a predetermined number of frames; calculating, for each multiframe, a voice activity marker representative of the number of frames in the multiframe representing speech activity; and selectively transmitting, on the basis of the voice activity marker associated with each multiframe, the multiframes to the remote device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
    Inventors: Ivano Salvatore Collotta, Donato Ettorre, Maurizio Fodrini, Pierluigi Gallo, Roberto Spagnolo
  • Patent number: 8490123
    Abstract: In a method and device for generating a user profile on the basis of playlists, the user profile is generated on the basis of the user's own playlists and properties derived from them. In this way, more playlists are considered in the generation of a user profile, thereby generating a more reliable user profile. Aspects taken into account includes frequency of occurrence, creation date of the playlist, and relation between content items (songs, video, etc.) in one or more playlists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Maarten Peter Bodlaender, Wilhelmus Franciscus Johannes Verhaegh, Arnout Michiel De Mooij
  • Publication number: 20130174718
    Abstract: A musical performance apparatus is provided with a tone generation circuit 15 and a sound system 16 for emitting musical tones of musical instruments and control tones corresponding to musical score data SD which controls a musical score display apparatus 20. The tone generation circuit 15 has a tone volume adjustment circuit 15a3 which changes tone volume of only the musical tones in accordance with player's instruction and maintains tone volume of the control tones at a certain tone volume. The tone generation circuit 15 also has a pan adjustment circuit 15a4 which localizes the control tones so that the control tones will be emitted only from a certain speaker. Furthermore, the musical performance apparatus is designed such that the control tones are formed only of frequency components included in a certain high frequency band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yamaha Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130160633
    Abstract: An advanced MIDI/audio processing system with virtual key-switches. The virtual key-switches are mapped to different musical concepts. As a user presses a key-switch in real time with the playing of musical notes, the musical concept mapped to the key-switch that was pressed is applied. The instrument then switches to a new playing state based on the particular musical concept that was applied. Furthermore, the system is configured to provide a smooth transition between dynamic levels when applying crescendo or diminuendo effects via a modulation wheel. The system also configured to provide enhanced cycling of alternate samples by providing an individual alternate cycle for each note of each articulation in each dynamic level. Furthermore, the system is configured to allow a user to store and recall specific cycle positions, and override an existing cycle to choose a specific alternate sample for a specific note.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: FABLE SOUNDS, LLC
    Inventor: FABLE SOUNDS, LLC
  • Publication number: 20130145923
    Abstract: A musical tone control device capable of generating a hi-hat sound intended by the performer operates such that, when striking surface position information corresponds to a first position, instructions are provided to stop generating a musical tone with a first timbre (or that satisfies another predetermined condition), when the striking surface position has reached a predetermined second position higher than the first position after instructions are provided to generate the musical tone. Since, the performer's intention is reflected in the transition state of the striking surface position, a musical tone according to the performer's intention can be generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: Roland Corporation
    Inventor: Roland Corporation
  • Patent number: 8461445
    Abstract: An electronic percussion musical instrument comprises a plurality of playing pads for playing music by striking the face of each pad. The pads are configured to work either as individual pads respectively for playing different percussion tones or as grouped pad zones by combining some of the pads, each zone playing a same percussion tone. Plural timbres of musical tones are stored in a storage unit and are respectively allocated to the individual playing pads or the grouped pad zones. The grouped pad zone can be handled just as a wide area pad. When an individual pad or a grouped pad zone is struck, the allocated tone will be generated. Some of the pads or grouped pad zones can be used as a special playing technique instruction pad to input an instruction to impart an effect of special playing technique to the tones to be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Takehisa, Haruo Watanabe, Shinya Miyashita, Daizo Sato
  • Patent number: 8445769
    Abstract: A performance apparatus 11 extends in its longitudinal direction to be held by a player with his or her hand, and is provided with an acceleration sensor 23 for detecting an acceleration sensor value and an angular rate sensor 22 for detecting an angular rate of rotation of the apparatus 11 about its longitudinal axis. CPU 21 detects a sound-generation timing based on the acceleration sensor value. Using the angular rate, CPU 21 calculates a rotation angle of the performance apparatus 11 made about its longitudinal axis in a period from a first and a second timing, wherein the first and second timing correspond to starting and finishing of swinging motion of the performance apparatus, respectively. CPU 21 determines to increase or decrease a sound volume level, in accordance with the direction and amount of the calculated rotation angle, thereby adjusting a sound volume level of musical tone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Hiroki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8440902
    Abstract: Interactive data sonification for representing multidimensional numerical information with a plurality of variable-timbre channels for use complementing data visualization is described. The method includes generation of a plurality of variable-timbre audio waveforms, each having an audio frequency parameter and at least one timbre modulation parameter having an adjustable value that affects the timbre of the audio waveform. The method includes associating aspects of multidimensional numerical data with the timbre modulation parameter of each audio frequency waveform using a mapping element. The mapping element varies values of timbre modulation parameters responsive to selected values from the multidimensional numerical data. Each audio frequency waveform can be positioned within a sonically-rendered sound field, associating information with positions within the sound field. Mapping elements can vary the positions responsive to selected values from the multidimensional numerical data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Inventor: Lester F. Ludwig
  • Publication number: 20130104726
    Abstract: Provided are an effect device and method to receive an input tone signal based on vibrations of a stringed instrument. A pitch is determined. Parameters specifying filter characteristics are determined from the pitch. The determined parameters are set in at least one filter. The input tone signal is passed into the at least one filter set with the determined parameters to produce a filter output signal that is used to generate an output signal for feedback performance produced through a speaker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: ROLAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: ROLAND CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 8431811
    Abstract: A multi-media entertainment device enabling a user to control sound/audio elements of a music or sound program while video is displayed and which is correlated to the played sound elements. The user interacts with triggers such as laser beams that can be interrupted by a player's fingers to play music. The video track is displayed, and the user controls the audio play of the sound track by interrupting the beams, each beam associated with a different instrument. This allows the user to play the multimedia device along with a displayed video performance, in synchronization with one or more musicians displayed on a display. The user's play may be scored as a function of the user's accuracy of engaging the triggers. For instance, a user can strum a trigger associated with a guitar program in unison with a guitarist on the display. The music created by the user interacting with multiple triggers is sympathetic and always synchronized to the video performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Beamz Interactive, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald Henry Riopelle
  • Patent number: 8423367
    Abstract: Variation over time in fundamental frequency in singing voices is separated into a melody-dependent component and a phoneme-dependent component, modeled for each of the components and stored into a singing synthesizing database. In execution of singing synthesis, a pitch curve indicative of variation over time in fundamental frequency of the melody is synthesized in accordance with an arrangement of notes represented by a singing synthesizing score and the melody-dependent component, and the pitch curve is corrected, for each of pitch curve sections corresponding to phonemes constituting lyrics, using a phoneme-dependent component model corresponding to the phoneme. Such arrangements can accurately model a singing expression, unique to a singing person and appearing in a melody singing style of the person, while taking into account phoneme-dependent pitch variation, and thereby permits synthesis of singing voices that sound more natural.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Keijiro Saino, Jordi Bonada
  • Publication number: 20130068084
    Abstract: An electronic keyboard musical instrument, including: a key; a mass body driven by a depressed key for pivotally moving in a movement region between a rest position and an end position; a back check portion to back check the mass body; a position detecting portion to detect a position of the mass body; and a controller for controlling silencing of a tone, such that the currently generated tone is silenced when the mass body reaches a preset tone silencing position in its movement from the end position to the rest position, wherein the controller is configured to change the tone silencing position on the basis of respective times required for the mass body to pass through first and second sub regions of the movement region in the movement of the mass body, the second sub region being located nearer to the rest position than the first sub region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventor: YAMAHA CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 8399758
    Abstract: A tone control device is provided. The tone control device includes a bridge configured to be mounted to an instrument. The bridge includes a body and an adjustment area located within the bridge. The adjustment area and the body define at least one recess in at least one surface of the bridge. The tone control device further includes a weight assembly configured to be movable within the at least one recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Inventor: Michael Clement De Jule
  • Publication number: 20130061735
    Abstract: Processor-implemented methods and systems for polyphonic note detection are disclosed. The method includes converting a portion of a polyphonic audio signal from a time domain to a frequency domain. The method includes detecting a fundamental frequency peak in the frequency domain. The method then detects a defined number of integer-interval harmonic partials. If a defined number of integer-interval harmonic partials relative to the fundamental frequency peak are detected the fundamental frequency is recorded as a detected note. This process is repeated for each fundamental frequency until each note in the polyphonic audio signal has been detected. For example, this method allows detection of each note in a strummed guitar chord to provide feedback on the tuning of each string in a strummed chord or allows detection and feedback of the timing and pitch errors for guitar chords played along with a reference track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Patent number: 8389844
    Abstract: In response to detection of a note-on instruction, a CPU assigns a tone generating unit comprising two tone generating channels and sets tone color control data of the assigned tone generating unit into tone generator registers. The tone color control data includes a parameter common to the two channels. Once the CPU gives a tone generation start instruction to a tone generator, the tone generator accumulates a frequency number common to the two channels to thereby generate a progressive phase common to the two channels. Waveform readout section reads out left-channel and right-channel waveform data from a waveform memory on the basis of the phase and waveform selecting information of the left and right channels. Tone characteristics of the read-out left- and right-channel waveform data are controlled by a characteristic control section on the basis of a characteristic control parameter common to the two channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tsuchiya, Kazuyuki Ito, Masahiko Hasebe, Kouichi Kashiwazaki, Hiroyuki Iwase
  • Patent number: 8378201
    Abstract: A resonance generation device of an electronic musical instrument, including: a key depression state detecting means detecting whether a key which is in a specific relation with a played key is already depressed or not when a key playing operation is performed; a specific relation detecting means detecting the relation between the played key and the depressed key when the key depression state detecting means detects that the key in the specific relation with the played key is already depressed; and a musical sound generation means sound generating a musical sound of the played key when the specific relation detecting means detects that the played key and the depressed key are in the specific relation set in advance, and generating a predetermined musical sound based on the relation between the played key and the depressed key so that a position of the depressed key is to be a sound generation source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Hiroshi Sato
  • Patent number: 8373055
    Abstract: In the multi-timbre states in which musical tones with various timbres are outputted or imputed simultaneously and in the non-multi-timber states in which musical tones with a single timbre are outputted or inputted, the most suitable state of transmitting musical tone data is provided. When the non-multi-timber states is selected (step 12), the zones “1” and “2” turn into the in-communication states (INT) and the zones “3” and “4” turn into the out-communication states (EXT). When the multi-timbre states is selected (step 12), all the zones/timbres turn into the both-communication states (BOTH) (step 13). The both-communication states provide said in and out-communication states simultaneously. In the out-communication states, tone data are sent to the external apparatus connected to the musical tone (internal) apparatus. In the in-communication states musical tone data are sent only within the musical tone (internal) apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Kawai Musical Instruments Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Kira
  • Patent number: 8367923
    Abstract: The teachings described herein are generally directed to a system, method, and apparatus for learning music through an educational audio track embodied on a computer readable medium. The system can comprise components including a processor, an input device, a database, a transformation module, an emulation recording module, an integration engine, an output module, and an output device, wherein each component is operable in itself to perform it's function in the system and operable with other system components to provide a system to a user for learning music.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Jammit, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott Humphrey
  • Publication number: 20130019738
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing a record of a person's voice that stores a recording of an artist singing a song, stores a selected sequences of sounds of a person correlated with the words being sung in the song, processes the selected stored sounds so that the person's voice sounds as if the person were singing the song with the same pitch and timing as the artist singing the stored song, combines the processed selected stored sounds with the instrumental track of the song; and stores the combined processed selected stored sounds with the instrumental track of the song.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: Marcus HAUPT, Suman Venkatesh Ravuri, Adam B. Kling
  • Publication number: 20130019739
    Abstract: A sound analysis and associated sound synthesis method includes: (a) receiving a first input sound signal; (b) analyzing the input sound signal to determine its corresponding impulse response representative of a timbre of the input sound signal; (c) receiving a second input sound signal; (d) processing the second input sound signal into a form to which the corresponding impulse response is susceptible to being applied, wherein said processing includes generating a “pink noise” equivalent frequency spectrum of the second input sound signal; and (e) applying the impulse respond to the processed second input sound signal to generate an output signal, wherein the output sound signal includes at least timbral nuances of the first input sound signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventor: Mikko Pekka Vainiala
  • Patent number: 8352054
    Abstract: There is a sequence of samples having values representative of a waveform. Samples corresponding to extrema including maximums and minimums in the waveform are detected. A decision is made as to whether values of successive samples between every two extremum-corresponding samples are in an upward slope or a downward slope. The number of these successive samples is detected. One is selected from coefficients in response to the detected sample number. A first group has one or more samples adjacently preceding a maximum-corresponding sample. A second group has one or more samples adjacently following the maximum-corresponding sample. A third group has one or more samples adjacently preceding a minimum-corresponding sample. A fourth group has one or more samples adjacently following the minimum-corresponding sample. Each of specified samples among the samples in the first to fourth groups is corrected in response to the slope decision result and the selected coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoya Ooue
  • Patent number: 8344235
    Abstract: An electronic high-hat circuitry system allows the drummer to manually choose the sounds that an electronic high-hat makes when the drummer's foot is off of the pedal and the high-hat instrument is struck. When the pedal is at or near the top of its travel, a primary circuitry switch disables normal foot-controlled positioning circuitry and enables a secondary circuit that sends a selected positioning signal to a drum module. When the pedal is again pressed down, the primary circuitry switch returns control to the primary, pedal controlled circuit. An optional tertiary circuit allows for the choosing of a different sound when the secondary circuit is activated and the high-hat cymbal is tilted. A control panel is used by the drummer to select the desired high-hat sounds of the secondary and tertiary circuits. Also, high-hat instruments are introduced that have removable foot pedals, or no foot pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: Mark David Steele
  • Publication number: 20120325074
    Abstract: This application describes a method and an apparatus which enable one to compose music using hierarchical musical scales and harmonic sequences, where each harmonic sequence of a higher level is derived from the one on the lower level. Frequencies associated with harmonic sequence on each level above the first one are obtained as multiples of the corresponding frequencies on a lower level. The sets of multipliers used to scale the frequencies between the levels is restricted to respective groups of rational numbers, or scales, where each level in a harmonic hierarchy can be related to its own scale, or a single scale can be used for all levels. When composing for an orchestra of multiple instruments, harmonic sequences and scales can be assigned independently to each musical instrument.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Inventor: ANDREI V. SMIRNOV
  • Patent number: 8338687
    Abstract: Waveform data representative of singing voices of a singing music piece are analyzed to generate melody component data representative of variation over time in fundamental frequency component presumed to represent a melody in the singing voices. Then, through machine learning that uses score data representative of a musical score of the singing music piece and the melody component data, a melody component model, representative of a variation component presumed to represent the melody among the variation over time in fundamental frequency component, is generated for each combination of notes. Parameters defining the melody component models and note identifiers indicative of the combinations of notes whose variation over time in fundamental frequency component are represented by the melody component models are stored into a pitch curve generating database in association with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Keijiro Saino, Jordi Bonada
  • Patent number: 8299347
    Abstract: A system and method is described for a novel, simplified electronic musical instrument. By combining a simplified user input controller with a musical instrument synthesizer, a new simple to learn musical instrument is created allowing anyone to perform music without mastering the skills required to play traditional instruments. Traditional instruments require significant skills by users to even make sounds considered musical. The invention described herein allows any unskilled player to pick up the instrument and make music. Additionally, the user will be able to collaborate with others over the Internet, record, playback and edit their compositions, as well as publish the compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Inventor: Gary Edward Johnson
  • Patent number: 8294016
    Abstract: A method of teaching reading includes displaying, by an application executing on a computing device, a singing exercise configured to allow a user to sing along as a song is played. Lyrics of the song are displayed as the song plays, thus allowing the user to read the lyrics as the user sings along to the song. An audio input is monitored as the song is played. A score representing how accurately the audio input matches the song is calculated. The score is provided to the user. A series of target pitch lines representative of target pitches on the display and a target pitch area encompassed about each target pitch line may be displayed. A pitch tracking line from the audio input may be computed and displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Electronic Learning Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles A. Franzblau
  • Patent number: 8283549
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing terminal that specifies emotions from a voice and audio outputs music suitable for the specified emotions to enable the emotions of a loudspeaker who uttered the voice to be recognized readily. In an information processing terminal according to the present invention, an emotion inferring unit 23 detects, from sound information, at least two emotions of an utterer who uttered a voice included in the sound information, and a music data generating unit 24 synthesizes music data, stored in a music parts database 242 and corresponding to the emotions detected by the emotion inferring unit 23, and a controller 22 reproduces the music data generated by the music data generating unit 24.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsurou Sugimoto, Yusuke Satoh, Tomoko Obama, Hideaki Matsuo
  • Publication number: 20120247307
    Abstract: Provided are a tone control device and a method for adjusting a volume level at which to generate a new tone and at least one current tone according to a target volume level and a current volume level. A note-on event associated with a received volume level is received from an input device. A current volume level is processed to determine a new volume level in response to receiving the note-on event while generating at least one current tone at the current volume level. The at least one current tone and a new tone associated with the received note-on event are generated at the new volume level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: ROLAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mizuki Nakagawa, Shun Takai
  • Patent number: 8278545
    Abstract: A morphed musical piece generation system that enables even a user with little knowledge of music to easily generate a morphed musical piece between two different musical pieces is provided. A first intermediate time-span tree data generation section 6 selectively removes difference information between common time-span tree data and first time-span tree data from the first time-span tree data. Also, a second intermediate time-span tree data generation section 7 performs the same operation to obtain second intermediate time-span tree data. A data combining section combines the first intermediate time-span tree data and the second intermediate time-span tree data to generate combined time-span tree data. A musical piece data generation section generates a morphed musical piece on the basis of the combined time-span tree data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Inventor: Masatoshi Hamanaka
  • Publication number: 20120234158
    Abstract: A harmony synthesizer is described for harmonizing vocal signals. The harmony synthesizer performing a method comprising receiving an input vocal signal; identifying a pitch trace of the vocal signal; aligning the harmonization interval vector(s) to the pitch trace of the vocal input signal to form an aligned harmonization pitch trace; and synthesizing harmonization vocals according to the aligned harmonization pitch trace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Inventors: Yaozhu Paul Chan, Minghui Dong, Ling Cen, Siu Wa Lee
  • Publication number: 20120222540
    Abstract: The apparatus displays, on a display screen, an icon placement region having a time axis defined therein, and displays, in accordance with an input instruction, an icon image with which feature amount information of material data indicative of a sound material is associated. The apparatus further sets a type of a feature amount database, where material data and feature amount information of the material data are associated with each other, along the time axis in accordance with an input instruction. Then, the apparatus references the feature amount database of a type having correspondence relationship in time axis with an icon image to identify material data similar to the feature amount information corresponding to the icon image, and audibly generates a sound at timing corresponding to a position, on the time axis, of the icon image and with content corresponding to the identified material data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Usui, Taishi Kamiya
  • Patent number: 8247677
    Abstract: A data sonification system for representing a plurality of channels of numerical information is described. The data sonification system includes a plurality of audio waveform generator elements. Each of the audio waveform generator elements generates an associated audio frequency waveform. Each audio frequency waveform has an audio frequency parameter and at least one timbre modulation parameter having a settable value. The timbre modulation parameter affects the timbre of the audio waveform. The data sonification system includes a mapping element for associating aspects of multidimensional numerical data with the timbre modulation parameter of each audio frequency waveform. The mapping element sets the value of the timbre modulation parameter in response to multidimensional numerical data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Inventor: Lester F. Ludwig
  • Publication number: 20120198986
    Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and an apparatus for training an absolute pitch, to an electronic musical instrument, and to a sound source processing apparatus. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an absolute pitch training apparatus is provided, comprising: an output request input unit for taking, as an input, an output request for a specific sound; an overtone output unit for outputting an overtone, the number of vibrations of which is greater than the basic number of vibrations for a specific sound; and a compound tone output unit for outputting a compound tone in which a fundamental sound, having a basic number of vibrations, and an overtone for a specific sound are mixed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an absolute pitch training method for training an absolute pitch is proposed, enabling persons necessarily requiring an absolute pitch to train so as to achieve an absolute pitch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventor: Young Il Chung
  • Publication number: 20120192701
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved technique for searching for a tone data set of a phrase constructed in a rhythm pattern that satisfies a predetermined condition of similarity to a rhythm pattern intended by a user. The user inputs a rhythm pattern via a rhythm input device. An input rhythm pattern storage section stores the input rhythm pattern into a RAM on the basis of clock signals output from a bar line clock output section and trigger data included in the input rhythm pattern. A rhythm pattern search section searches through a rhythm database for a tone data set presenting the highest degree of similarity to the stored input rhythm pattern. A performance processing section causes a sound output section to audibly output the searched-out tone data set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daichi Watanabe, Keita Arimoto
  • Publication number: 20120180620
    Abstract: When a signal representing a first set value or more is received from a detecting section, a determination is made whether a boost value is a predetermined value or more. When the boost value is the predetermined value or more, a currently set boost value is reduced by a predetermined step, so that a new boost value is set. Further, when the boost value is less than the predetermined value, a currently set volume level is reduced by a predetermined step, and a new volume level is set. Therefore, in a case when the set boost value is gradually reduced and the boost value is finally less than the predetermined value, the audio signal is still the first set value or more, the volume level is further reduced by each predetermined step. Therefore, an audio signal can be securely prevented from being clipped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: Onkyo Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio MISU, Hiroyuki FUKUMA
  • Patent number: 8222508
    Abstract: In the case where an automatic reading file composed of plural kinds of detailed parameters stored in a transportable storage device whose attachment is detected has been already read in an apparatus, it is determined whether update, to a currently-read automatic reading file, of an automatic reading file stored in a storage section is carried out or not in accordance with a user's instruction, and is controlled so as to carry out a process. Namely, in the case where an automatic reading file has not been read yet, the automatic reading file stored in the storage section is updated to the currently-read automatic reading file without any condition. On the other hand, if an automatic reading file has been already read, the automatic reading file stored in the storage section may be edited on the basis of it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Kensuke Ide, Norihisa Aoki, Toshifumi Kunimoto, Fumitsugu Ohtaka, Tadashi Okano
  • Publication number: 20120174737
    Abstract: A method and system for generating a synthetic simulation of a media recording is disclosed. One embodiment accesses a sound reference archive and heuristically creates a new sound that is matched against at least one sound in the sound reference archive. The media recording is analyzed and a synthetic sound based on the analyzing of the media recording is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Inventor: Hank Risan
  • Publication number: 20120174736
    Abstract: Synthetic multi-string musical instruments have been developed for capturing and rendering musical performances on handheld or other portable devices in which a multi-touch sensitive display provides one of the input vectors for an expressive performance by a user or musician. Visual cues may be provided on the multi-touch sensitive display to guide the user in a performance based on a musical score. Alternatively, or in addition, uncued freestyle modes of operation may be provided. In either case, it is not the musical score that drives digital synthesis and audible rendering of the synthetic multi-string musical instrument. Rather, it is the stream of user gestures captured at least in part using the multi-touch sensitive display that drives the digital synthesis and audible rendering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: SMULE, INC.
    Inventors: Ge Wang, Jeannie Yang, Jieun Oh, Tom Lieber
  • Patent number: 8204257
    Abstract: A method for increasing ring tone volume is provided. The method includes steps of: reading an audio file which is set as a current ring tone; determining whether the ring tone is a MP3 audio file or a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) audio file; adjusting frequencies by using an equalizer technique to increase volume of the ring tone if the ring tone is the MP3 audio file; adjusting a volume level of the ring tone to be the highest volume level, and adjusting timbre of the ring tone to increase the ring tone volume by simulating a musical score of the ring tone by using different instruments if the ring tone is the MIDI audio file. A related system is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Chi Mei Communications Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Meng-Chun Chen
  • Publication number: 20120137857
    Abstract: A musical tone signal is synthesized based on performance information to simulate a sound generated from a musical instrument having a string and a body that supports the string by a support. There is provided a closed loop circuit having a delay element that simulates delay characteristic of vibration propagated through the string and a characteristic control element that simulates a variation in amplitude or frequency. A string model calculation circuit inputs an excitation signal based on the performance information to the closed loop circuit, and calculates first information representing a force of the string acting on the support based on a cyclic signal generated in the closed loop and representing the vibration of the string circuit. A body model calculation circuit calculates second information representing a displacement of the body or a derivative of the displacement. A musical tone signal calculation circuit calculates the musical tone signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Encai Liu, Masatsugu Okazaki, Eiji Tominaga
  • Patent number: 8193437
    Abstract: First display object associated with a control operating member and a second display object associated with a tone color effect parameter are displayed, and variation of a displayed position of the first display object is controlled in accordance with operation of the control operating member. Control value of the tone color effect parameter is determined in response to variation in relationship between the first and second display objects, and tone control is performed on the basis of the determined control value. Further, the variation of the displayed position of the first display object is controlled so as to move on and along a set path, so that displayable positions of the first display object is limited to the set path. Control value of the tone color effect parameter is determined on the basis of relationship between displayed position of the first and second display objects to perform tone control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Mizuhiki
  • Publication number: 20120111178
    Abstract: An electronic piano includes a tone signal synthesizing system implemented by software, keys and key sensors monitoring the keys and reporting the key positions to the tone signal synthesizing system, and the tone signal synthesizing system includes damper model calculating modules for determining resistance against vibrations of wires of an a piano, a hammer model calculating module for determining force exerted on the wires, string model calculating modules for determining force exerted on an instrument body of the piano by the wires on the basis of the resistance and force exerted on the wires, an instrument body model calculating module for determining displacements of instrument body on the basis of the force exerted on the instrument body and an air model calculating module for determining a sound pressure at an observation point from the displacement of instrument body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eiji TOMINAGA
  • Publication number: 20120103167
    Abstract: Waveform data representative of singing voices of a singing music piece are analyzed to generate melody component data representative of variation over time in fundamental frequency component presumed to represent a melody in the singing voices. Then, through machine learning that uses score data representative of a musical score of the singing music piece and the melody component data, a melody component model, representative of a variation component presumed to represent the melody among the variation over time in fundamental frequency component, is generated for each combination of notes. Parameters defining the melody component models and note identifiers indicative of the combinations of notes whose variation over time in fundamental frequency component are represented by the melody component models are stored into a pitch curve generating database in association with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Keijiro SAINO, Jordi Bondada
  • Patent number: 8170870
    Abstract: In an audio signal processing apparatus, a generation section generates an audio signal representing a voice. A distribution section distributes the audio signal generated by the generation section to a first channel and a second channel, respectively. A delay section delays the audio signal of the first channel relative to the audio signal of the second channel for creating a phase difference between the audio signal of the first channel and the audio signal of the second channel such that the created phase difference has a duration corresponding to either an added value of a first duration which is approximately one half of a period of the audio signal generated by the generation section and a second duration which is set shorter than the first duration, or a difference value of the first duration and the second duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Kemmochi, Jordi Bonada
  • Publication number: 20120073424
    Abstract: Detection is made of a physical amount caused by operation performed on a mouthpiece with a human player's mouth, and a tone pitch corresponding to the detected physical amount is identified by referencing a memory storing information defining relationship between various ranges of the physical amount and tone pitches. Expected tone generating style is notified to the player based on the identified tone pitch. The memory contains a pitch table defining relationship between various ranges of the physical amount and tone pitches, and a gain table defining gain information corresponding to deviations of the physical amount from a predetermined reference point for each tone pitch and within the range of the physical amount corresponding to the tone pitch. For the detected physical amount, a tone pitch and gain information are identified by referencing the pitch gain tables, so that the identified tone pitch and gain information is notified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryuji HASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 8115089
    Abstract: Waveform data representative of singing voices of a singing music piece are analyzed to generate melody component data representative of variation over time in fundamental frequency component presumed to represent a melody in the singing voices. Then, through machine learning that uses score data representative of a musical score of the singing music piece and the melody component data, a melody component model, representative of a variation component presumed to represent the melody among the variation over time in fundamental frequency component, is generated for each combination of notes. Parameters defining the melody component models and note identifiers indicative of the combinations of notes whose variation over time in fundamental frequency component are represented by the melody component models are stored into a pitch curve generating database in association with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Keijiro Saino, Jordi Bonada
  • Publication number: 20120031257
    Abstract: For each one note or for each plurality of notes constituting a reference tone, a segment setting section segments a time series of actual pitches of the reference tone into one or more note segments. For each of the one or more note segments, a relativization section creates a time series of relative pitches that are relative values of individual ones of the actual pitches of the reference tone to a normal pitch of the note of the note segment. Information registration section stores, into a storage device, relative pitch information comprising the time series of relative pitches of each individual one of the note segments. The segment setting section may use musical score data, time-serially designating the notes of the reference tone, to set each of the note segments for each note designated by the musical score data, and may correct at least one of start and end points of each of the set note segments in response to user's operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keijiro Saino
  • Patent number: 8106286
    Abstract: In a synthesizer 10, when a function of a tone generation module 312 provided by an external tone generation server 310 is usable, a tone generator control module 102 assigns a necessary number of sound generation channels among sound generation channels of an internal tone generation unit 17 and sound generation channels of the external tone generation module 312, for sound generation corresponding to MIDI data. When assigning the sound generation channel of the tone generation module 312, the tone generator control module 102 transmits, to the tone generation server 310, the MIDI data with identification information of the assigned sound generation channel, thereby causing the sound generation channel indicated by the identification information in the tone generation module 312 to generate waveform data according to the transmitted MIDI data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Mizuhiki, Kazuhide Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 8106282
    Abstract: There is provided a music accompaniment apparatus that is connected to at least one external device to reproduce an audio or video signal, the music accompaniment apparatus including: an audio input section for inputting an external audio signal; an audio signal processing section for processing an audio signal including an accompaniment signal internally provided and an external audio signal input through the audio input section, and externally outputting the processed audio signal; a video signal processing section for processing a video signal including a caption signal, and externally outputting the processed video signal; a time delay calculating section for calculating the difference between a transmission time of a check signal to the at least one external device and a reception time of the check signal from the at least one external device to compute a time delay representing a delay of the audio or video signal for the at least one external device; and a control section for controlling the whole oper
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignees: Enter Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyung Ho Lee