JP2848174B2 - Electronic musical instrument - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gesture-type electronic musical instrument for controlling musical sounds by gestures of a player's arms and hands.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an electronic musical instrument, there has been proposed an electronic musical instrument that uses a performance device unique to the electronic musical instrument, in addition to an electronic musical instrument that mimics a conventional natural musical instrument playing method. For example, a stick type that controls the tone by the angle of the stick held in the hand or the speed of shaking, a finger type that controls the tone by bending the finger, an elbow that controls the tone by the bending of the elbow or wrist, a wrist type, etc. Has been proposed, and a combination thereof has also been proposed. Further, there has been proposed a method using the same method (for example, elbow or wrist type), but using a different tone control method based on the operation amount data.

Each of these performance methods outputs its own operation amount data, and the data is converted into performance data (MI, such as pitch and volume) in accordance with the characteristics of the performance method.
DI data). In general, such a performance device cannot be equipped with a large control unit because it is held by hand or worn on the arm, so the operation amount data is output as it is, and the conversion into performance data is performed by a control unit that is stationary or worn on a belt. To do it.

[0004]

However, since the above-mentioned performance devices differ greatly in performance method and the like, it is impossible to share the software of the control unit, and the performance device and the control unit are fixedly connected. It had been. For this reason,
It was necessary to provide a control unit for each performance device, and if the control unit was to be shared, the program ROM had to be replaced.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic musical instrument in which a control program is automatically switched when a performance device is replaced.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a gesture performance means for outputting operation amount data corresponding to a gesture of a player, and performance data generation for generating and outputting performance data based on input operation amount data. Means, and sound source means for generating a tone signal based on the performance data, wherein the gesture performance means stores control information related to the control content of the performance data generation means, and Means for transmitting to the performance data generation means, wherein the performance data generation means includes means for receiving the control information from the gesture performance means and generating performance data in a generation method based on the control information. And

[0007]

According to the electronic musical instrument of the present invention, the gesture performance means transmits control information to the performance data generation means. The performance data generation means generates performance data from the operation amount data by a generation method based on the control information. The control information may be a control program itself for generating performance data, or may be information for selecting a control program included in the performance data generating means. Further, it may be a parameter of a control program. Since the performance information is transmitted by the gesture performance means suitable for its own control, the performance data can be generated and output accurately even if any gesture performance means is connected to the performance data generation means.

[0008]

An electronic musical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic musical instrument system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This electronic musical instrument system includes a belt control unit 1 as performance data generating means, a musical tone synthesizer 5-sound system 6 as sound source means, and left and right grip controllers 2 (2L, 2R) and an elbow controller 3 ( 3L, 3
R) and a list controller 4 (4L, 4R). The grip controller 2 is a controller that is gripped with a hand and operates a key switch with a finger (see FIG. 2).
The elbow controller 3 and the wrist controller 4 are supporter-like controllers attached to the elbow and the wrist.
Detects wrist bending angle. The belt controller 1 is a device that inputs operation amount data of these controllers and generates performance data (MIDI data) based on the operation amount data. In order to reduce the weight of each controller and to generalize the control unit, the control unit and the controller are separated.
As for the connection form of each controller and control unit, the elbow controller 3 and the wrist controller 4 are connected to the grip controller 2, and the grip controller 2 is connected to the belt control unit 1. Further, the belt control unit 1 is connected to a musical sound synthesizer 5.

Various systems have been proposed for instructing sound production / silence and pitch using these controllers. In this embodiment, the grip controller 2 designates sound production / silence, an octave and an accidental symbol (♯). , The elbow controller indicates the note name, and the list controller indicates the volume and pitch bend. The grip controllers 2L and 2R both have exactly the same function, the elbow controller 3 indicates one pitch name by a combination of the bending angles of the left and right elbows, and the list controller 3 uses the left operation amount data. The volume is specified, and the pitch bend amount is specified by the operation amount data on the right.

Various other controllers can be connected to the belt controller 1, and a grip controller, an elbow controller, and a wrist controller can be connected independently.

The belt controller 1 can communicate with the grip controller via the serial interface 16 and receives a control program and operation amount data. Also,
The performance data is transmitted to the musical sound synthesizer via the MIDI interface 18.

CPU 1 as an arithmetic unit of the belt control unit 1
ROM 0, RAM 13, switch group 15, display 17, the serial interface 16, and MIDI interface 18 are connected to 0 via a bus 11.

A control program for controlling the basic operation of the belt controller 1 is stored in the ROM 12.
The RAM 13 stores an application program for generating performance data based on operation amount data received from a connected controller. Switch group 15
Is for instructing the tone synthesizer 5 to change the timbre or change the program. The display 17 displays the contents of instructions given by the switch group.

The left and right grip controllers 2 (2L, 2
R) incorporates a CPU 20, a ROM 21, an input interface 22, and a serial interface 23. The input interface 22 has a built-in A / D converter, and is connected to the elbow controller 3, the wrist controller 4, and a key switch of the grip controller. Since eight key switches are provided as shown in FIG. 2, these are taken in as 8-bit data. Further, it converts the analog operation amount data input from the elbow controller 3 and the wrist controller 4 into digital data and inputs the digital data to the CPU 20. CP
U20 transmits this data to the belt controller 1 via the serial interface 23. The ROM 21 stores a control program for generating performance data based on the data output from the controllers 2, 3, and 4. When the power of the system is turned on, the CPU 20 reads this program and transmits it to the belt controller 1 via the interface 23.

In this embodiment, the left and right grip controllers 2L and 2R are connected, but the control program may be transmitted from either grip controller. After receiving the control program, the belt controller 1 operates based on the control program.

Another controller is a belt controller 1
Is connected to the controller, a control program incorporated in the controller is transmitted to the belt controller 1,
Control according to the controller is performed.

FIG. 2 shows a grip controller 2 (2L, 2L).
It is a front view of (R). This controller has eight key switches corresponding to the forefinger to the little finger, two for each. The player holds the back of the grip controller 2 on his / her palm and turns the forefinger to the little finger from the side of the natural switch (a) to the front to hold it.

The on / off data of each key switch is transmitted to the belt control unit 1 via the serial interface 23 as described above, and which element of the musical tone is controlled based on this data is controlled by the above-described control. It depends on the program. In this embodiment, turning on / off any key switch
The sound / mute is determined based on the off state, and the octave and 楽
Is to decide.

In the control program stored in the ROM 21, the keys Aa and Ab corresponding to the little finger are keys for designating a range (octave from C2) one octave lower than the standard. It is a key to give the accidental symbol of ♯.

Hereinafter, the keys of Ba and Bb corresponding to the ring finger indicate the octave of C3, and among them, the key of Bb gives an accidental symbol of ♯ to the musical tone. Ca, Cb corresponding to middle finger
Key designates the octave of C4. Of these, the key of Cb adds an accidental symbol of ♯ to the musical tone. The Da and Db keys corresponding to the forefinger indicate the octave of C5, and among these, the Db key gives an accidental symbol ♯ to the musical tone. For example, if the key of Bb is turned on while the tone name of F is designated, the musical tone of F3 # is designated. The instruction of the note name of F is made by an elbow controller 4 described later. The left and right grip controllers 2L and 2R have the same function, and one of the operations is sufficient.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the elbow controller 3 and the wrist controller 4.

This figure shows only the right hand. Both the elbow controller 3 and the wrist controller 4 are attached to the elbow and the wrist like a so-called supporter. Distortion sensors 3a and 4a are provided on portions outside the elbow controller 3 and the wrist controller 4, respectively. The resistance value of this strain sensor changes due to bending of the elbow and wrist. This resistance value is detected as the elbow and wrist bending angles (operation amount data). The detected operation amount data is input to the input interface 22 of the grip controller 2.
And transmitted to the belt controller 1. Operation amount data of elbow controller 3 (elbow bending angle)
Is used to determine a pitch name (pronunciation note) as shown in FIG. 4 by combining left and right operation amount data. The operation amount data of the list controller 4L is used for determining a volume. The operation amount data of the list controller 4R is used for determining the pitch bend amount.

FIGS. 5 to 8 are flowcharts showing the operation of the electronic musical instrument system.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the grip controller 2. When the power of the electronic musical instrument system is turned on, the communication interface is initialized (n1).
Next, the control program for this controller is
M21 and sends it to the belt controller 1 (n
2). This controls the music (plays) as described above.
Becomes possible. Hereinafter, the key switches of the grip controller 2 and the strain sensors 3a and 4a of the elbow controller 3 and the wrist controller 4 are scanned to fetch data (n3). If there is a change from the previous scan, the data is edited into a message. And sends it to the belt controller (n4, n5). Hereinafter, the operations of n3 to n5 are repeatedly executed.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the belt controller. When the power of the system is turned on, the communication interface is initialized (n10). Next, a timer is set (n11). If the control program is transmitted from the performance device (grip controller 2 in this embodiment) before the timer times out (n12, 13), the received content is transferred to the RAM 13 (n14) and received. Thereafter, the process jumps to a predetermined start address (n15). Thereafter, a performance data generation operation is performed (in the manner described above) based on the control program (n).
16). If the timer times out before the control program is sent, an error is displayed on the display 17 (n17) and the operation is terminated.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the performance data generating operation. This operation program corresponds to the control program sent from the grip controller 2. Left and right grip controllers 2 in n20 and n21
The on / off data of the key switch of the grip controller 2 which takes in various data from L and 2R is 8
It is set in LFP and RFP as bit data.
Elbow bending angle data (elbow controllers 3L, 3R
Digitized detection value of the strain sensor of
Set to E and RE. Wrist angle data (digitized values detected by the strain sensors of the wrist controllers 4L and 4R) are set in LW and RW.

Based on the data of LFP, RFP, LE, and RE, performance information is generated according to the above rules, edited into MIDI information, and output to the tone synthesizer 5 (n22). Furthermore, volume data is generated from the LW data and output to the tone synthesizer 5 (n23), and pitch bend data is generated from the RW data and output to the tone synthesizer 5 (n24). Finally, processing such as program change, tone change, and display update of the display 17 based on the operation of the switch group 15 is performed (n25). This operation is repeatedly executed at n16 in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the tone synthesizer. When the device is turned on, the system is initialized (n30). This initialization operation is an operation such as setting of a preset tone color. After that, it waits for the reception of MIDI data from the belt control unit 1 (n31).
Upon receiving the data, a tone signal corresponding to the data is formed (n32). This tone signal forming operation is an operation of assigning a sounding channel at the start of sounding and inputting a key-on signal and pitch data to that channel.
This is an operation to instruct pitch bend or volume change to the sounding channel during sounding. When the sound is muted, a key-off signal is input to the sound channel.

As described above, in this embodiment, the grip controller 2 uses the left and right grip controllers 2, the elbow controller 3, and the wrist controller 4.
The mute, octave and ♯ are instructed, the elbow controller 3 instructs the note name, and the list controller 4 instructs the volume and pitch bend. However, the method of controlling the musical tone using these controllers is not limited to this. . Also, one or two of these controllers can be connected to control the musical tone. In that case, the list controller 4 and the elbow controller 3 may have a built-in ROM. In the case where the musical tone is controlled only by the grip controller 2, a method in which a tone name is assigned to each finger of the right hand and an octave is assigned to each finger of the left hand can be considered. Further, other stick controllers and the like can be connected.

In this embodiment, the control program is transmitted from the controller to the belt control unit 1. However, if the basic control program can be shared, only the parameters may be transmitted. If a plurality of control programs can be stored in the belt control section 1, the selection data may be transmitted.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, no matter what kind of playing means is connected, the playing means transmits control information to the performance information generating means and then performs the performance. There is an advantage that the performance can be performed as it is by connecting any performance means, and the versatility of the performance information generating means can be enhanced, and the performance can be facilitated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic musical instrument system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of a grip controller of the electronic musical instrument system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an elbow controller and a wrist controller of the electronic musical instrument system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a note name determination method using the elbow controller.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the grip controller of the electronic musical instrument system.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of a belt control unit of the electronic musical instrument system.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the belt control unit of the electronic musical instrument system.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the tone synthesizer of the electronic musical instrument system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-Belt control unit 2 (2L, 2R)-Grip controller 3 (3L, 3R)-Elbow controller 4 (4L, 4R)-Wrist controller

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A gesture performance means for outputting operation amount data corresponding to a gesture of a player, and generating and generating performance data based on the input operation amount data.
Performance data generation means for outputting, the gesture performance means means for storing control information related to the control content of the performance data generation means, and means for transmitting the control information to the performance data generation means, An electronic musical instrument comprising: a performance data generation unit that receives the control information from the gesture performance unit and generates performance data in a generation method based on the control information.