Automatic accompaniment apparatus

• US 4,312,257 A
• Filed: 09/15/1978
• Issued: 01/26/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Kato, Hiroshi, Tanaka, Kohji
• Primary Examiner(s): Truhe, J. V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US05/942,495
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 84/1.01, 84/1.03, 84/DIG. 22, 84/DIG. 12, 84/124
• US Class Current: 84/627
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/38 Chord
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/40 Rhythm
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/185 Arpeggio, i.e. notes played or sung in rapid sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously, e.g. as a chord; Generators therefor, i.e. arpeggiators; Discrete glissando effects on instruments not permitting continuous glissando, e.g. xylophone or piano, with stepwise pitch variation and on which distinct onsets due to successive note triggerings can be heard
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/321 Missing fundamental, i.e. creating the psychoacoustic impression of a missing fundamental tone through synthesis of higher harmonics, e.g. to play bass notes pitched below the frequency range of reproducing speakers
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/596 Chord augmented
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/601 Chord diminished
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/616 Chord seventh, major or minor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 84/12 Side; rhythm and percussion devices

Abstract

An automatic accompaniment apparatus which has an auto-bass circuit and an auto-arpeggio circuit. In the auto-bass circuit, note information concerning one kind of code is stored in a memory (ROM), and a code signal is detected from depressed key information in a code detector, and in a note converter a note signal from the memory is converted by the code signal to a note signal corresponding to the kind of code, whereby note signals of various kinds of codes are generated. In the auto-arpeggio circuit, note information concerning one kind of code is stored in a memory (ROM), and a code signal is detected from depressed key information in a code detector, and in a note converter a note signal from the memory is converted by the code signal to a note signal corresponding to the kind of code. The note signal is added with a root signal from the code detector, and by the added output, a scale signal is selectively obtained, which scale signal is frequency divided by an octave signal from the memory. Thus, various kinds of codes ranging over several octaves are obtained.

Claims

1. An automatic accompaniment apparatus which is provided with an auto-bass circuit comprising a code detector for detecting both root signal, and a code signal representing the chord type of the bass pattern to be produced from depressed key information derived from a keyboard circuit to output both the root signal and the code signal in the form of binary numbers, a memory circuit for storing note information, representing rhythm patterns in one root key and one chord type and sequentially outputting note signals of the note information in the form of binary numbers in accordance with the output from a counter directly connected to the memory circuit, a note converter receiving the note signals from the memory circuit and the code signal from the code detector and converting each of the note signals from the memory circuit by the code signal from the code detector to a note signal corresponding to the kind of the code of the code signal, an adder for adding to the output from the note converter the root signal from the code detector, and a tone converter for converting the output from the adder to a tone signal.

2. An automatic accompaniment apparatus which is provided with an auto-arpeggio circuit comprising a code detector for detecting both a root signal and a code signal, representing the chord type of the arpeggio, from depressed key information derived from a keyboard circuit to output both the root signal and the code signal in the form of binary numbers, a memory circuit for storing note information, representing rhythm patterns in one root and one chord type, and octave information associated therewith and sequentially outputting note signals of the note information and octave signals of the octave information in accordance with the output from a counter directly connected to the memory circuit, a note converter receiving the note signals and the octave signals from the memory circuit and the code signals from the code detector and converting each of the note signals from the memory circuit by the code signal from the code detector to a note signal corresponding to the kind of code of the code signal, an adder for adding to the output from the note converter the root signal from the code detector, means for seletively obtaining a scale signal from the output of the adder and frequency dividing the scale signal with the octave signal from the memory circuit, and a tone converter for converting the output from the frequency dividing means to a tone signal.

3. An automatic accompaniment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein there is provided means for outputting the note signal from the memory circuit in the form of a binary number with two bits.

4. An automatic accompaniment apparatus comprising a memory circuit for storing both note information and attack information in the same memory circuit and outputting a note signal in the form of binary numbers and an attack trigger signal in accordance with the output from a counter counting constant frequency clock pulses, the counter being directly connected to the memory circuit such that both the note signal and the attack trigger signal are outputted by the same counter, a latch circuit at the output of the memory circuit storing the note signal in response to the attack trigger signal from the memory circuit, means for obtaining a scale signal corresponding to the note signal latched in the latch circuit, an envelope circuit for amplitude controlling the scale signal from the scale signal obtaining means in response to the attack trigger signal, a tone converter for converting the output from the envelope circuit to a tone signal.

5. An automatic accompaniment apparatus comprising a plurality of automatic accompaniment circuits, each composed of a counter for counting constant frequency clocks, a memory circuit for storing both note information and attack information in the same memory circuit and outputting a note signal in the form of binary numbers and an attack trigger signal in accordance with the output from the counter, the counter being directly connected to the memory circuit such that both the note signal and the attack trigger signal are outputted by the same counter, means for obtaining a scale signal corresponding to the note signal from the memory circuit, an envelope circuit for amplitude controlling the scale signal from the scale signal obtaining means with the attack trigger signal, and a tone converter for converting the output from the envelope circuit to a tone signal, a first switching circuit for resetting the counters of the automatic accompaniment circuits in common to them, and second switching circuits, each controlling the supply of the attack trigger signal from the memory circuit to the envelope circuit of each automatic accompaniment circuit.