SOUND SYNTHESIZER

• US 20150075355A1
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: City University of Hong Kong
• Original Assignee: City University of Hong Kong
• Inventors: CHUI, Yi Tang, Jackie, MARAFA, Mubarak M., YOUNG, Kar Fai, Samson
• Application Number:
  US14/028,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20150075355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/26 for automatically producing a series of tones
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/115 using a random process to generate a musical note, phrase, sequence or structure using a random process to build a rhythm pattern G10H2210/356; random rhythm pattern selection G10H2210/366
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/096 using a touch screen touch screen note input, e.g. using a displayed keyboard G10H2220/241; personal digital assistant [PDA] G10H2230/015
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/161 with 2D or x/y surface coordinates sensing graphical user interface or touchscreen input G10H2220/091; microtonal keyboard G10H2210/401
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/015 PDA [personal digital assistant] or palmtop computing devices used for musical purposes, e.g. portable music players, tablet computers, e-readers or smart phones in which mobile telephony functions need not be used touch-screen interfaces G10H2220/096

Abstract

A sound synthesizer 101 that plays a pre-determined sequence of sound notes one by one when the user taps on a touch sensitive surface 104 of the sound synthesizer 101. Different music is produced by varying the intervals between the sound notes, even from the same sequence of sound notes. The sound notes are selected according to a pre-determined scale, such as the pentatonic scale, for ease of matching to other music scales, and to reduce the disonnance between sound notes in scales such as that seen in the major scale.

Claims

1. A sound synthesizer comprising

a surface;

an audio output capable of providing a different sound note each time the surface is touched.

2. A sound synthesizer as claimed in claim 1 wherein

the sound note is randomly selected from a pre-determined musical scale.

3. A sound synthesizer as claimed in claim 2 wherein the pre-determined musical scale is pentatonic.

4. A sound synthesizer as claimed in claim 1 wherein

the surface is capable of sensing the intensity of the touch;

and

the velocity of the sound note produced is proportional to the intensity of the touch.

5. A sound synthesizer as claimed in claim 1 wherein

one consecutive sound note in a pre-determined sequence of sound notes is played each time the surface is touched consecutively.

6. A sound synthesizer as claimed in claim 5 further comprising

a display;

the display indicating that the position of the consecutive sound note in the pre-determined sequence of sound notes.

7. A sound synthesizer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sound note is produced with aftertouch effects.

8. A sound synthesizer as claimed in claim 7 wherein

the surface is resiliently movable;

and

the extent of the surface resiliently moved determining the extent of the aftertouch effects of the sound note being played.