Electrical musical instrument using a joystick-type control apparatus

• US 5,403,970 A
• Filed: 11/19/1990
• Issued: 04/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Aoki, Eiichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Application Number:
  US07/615,871
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 200/6 A, 84/723, 84/743, 84/626, 84/644, 84/659, 84/662, 84/670
• US Class Current: 84/626
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/055 by switches with variable impedance elements
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0558 using variable resistors
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/315 for joystick-like proportional control of musical input; Videogame input devices used for musical input or control, e.g. gamepad, joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/445 Bowed string instrument sound generation, controlling specific features of said sound, e.g. use of fret or bow control parameters for violin effects synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/521 Closed loop models therefor, e.g. with filter and delay line
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 5/007 Real-time simulation of G10B, G10C, G10D-type instruments using recursive or non-linear techniques, e.g. waveguide networks, recursive algorithms

Abstract

A control apparatus, for an electronic musical instrument and other electronic apparatuses, comprises a freely operable operation rod having an operation gripping portion at a distal end of the rod, X- and Y-position detectors for respectively detecting X- and Y-positions of the operation rod, and a pressure or rotation amount detector for detecting an operation pressure operating on the operation rod or a rotational amount of the operation rod about an axis thereof. The control apparatus can input a pressure or rotational amount detection signal of the operation rod to a control object together with X- and Y-position detection signals. An electronic musical instrument has the control apparatus as a performance operation member for controlling electronic tone generation parameters in correspondence with a performance function of a kind of instrument, and a physical sound source for generating an electronic tone on the basis of inputs from a keyboard and the performance operation member.

Claims

1. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a performance operation member which comprises a joystick-type control means for controlling musical tone generation control parameters in correspondence with performance functions of a kind of instrument, said joystick-type control means comprising a pivotally operable operation rod having an operation gripping portion at an end thereof, X- and Y-position detection means for respectively detecting X- and Y-positions of said operation rod, and pressure detection means for detecting a gripping pressure effected on the gripping portion of the operation rod and outputting an operation pressure signal corresponding to the detected gripping pressure and having a value which is variable within a range including plural non-zero values wherein said musical tone generation control parameters are generated on the basis of the detected X- and Y-positions and the gripping pressure; and

a sound source for generating an electronic tone on the basis of said musical tone generation control parameters.

27. An electronic musical instrument as claimed in claim 1, 2, 9, 15, 23, 24 or 25, wherein the sound source comprises

a closed loop in which a musical tone signal is circulated,

a delay means which constitutes a part of the closed loop and delays the circulating musical tone signal by a delay time, the whole of the delay time of the closed loop corresponding to a pitch of the musical tone to be generated, and

an excitation means receiving said musical tone signal and said musical tone generation control parameters and including a non-linear conversion means which converts the musical tone signal and at least one of the musical tone generation control parameters into an excitation signal based on a non-linear conversion characteristic, wherein said non-linear characteristic is modified by calculation based on at least one of the musical tone generation control parameters and the excitation signal is outputted to the closed loop.

2. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a performance operation member comprising a joystick-type control means for controlling musical tone generation control parameters in correspondence with performance functions of a particular kind of instrument comprising a pivotally operable operation rod being rotatable about its axis and having an operation gripping portion at an end thereof,

X- and Y-position detection means for respectively detecting X- and Y-positions of said operation rod, and

pressure detection means for detecting an operation pressure effected on the operation rod and outputting an operation pressure signal corresponding to the detected gripping pressure and having a value which is variable within a range including plural non-zero values,

a rotational position detection means for detecting a rotational position of the operation rod about its axis; and

a sound source for generating an electronic tone on the basis of said musical tone generation control parameters corresponding to the detected X- and Y-positions, the operation pressure and the rotational position.

3. An instrument according to claim 2, wherein said performance functions include a bow position, a bow velocity, and a bow pressure of a bowed instrument, and wherein said performance operation member generates control signals corresponding to said performance functions.

4. An instrument according to claim 2, wherein said performance operation member controls at least one of said musical tone generation control parameters on the basis of a position of said operation rod.

5. An instrument according to claim 2, wherein said performance operation member controls at least one of said musical tone generation control parameters on the basis of an operation moving speed of said operation rod.

6. An instrument according to claim 2, wherein said performance operation member controls at least one of said musical tone generation control parameters on the basis of an operation moving direction of said operation rod.

7. An electronic musical instrument as claimed in claim 2, wherein said operation pressure is a gripping pressure effected on the operation gripping portion.

8. An electronic musical instrument as claimed in claim 2, wherein said operation pressure is an axial pressure.

9. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a pitch designation means for generating a key code;

a performance operation member comprising a joystick control means for controlling musical tone generation control parameters in correspondence with performance functions of a particular kind of instrument, said joystick control means comprising a pivotally operable operation rod having an operation gripping portion at an end thereof, X- and Y-position detection means for respectively detecting X- and Y-positions of said operation rod, and a gripping pressure detection means for detecting a gripping pressure effected on the operation rod and outputting an operation pressure signal corresponding to the detected gripping pressure and having a value which is variable within a range including plural non-zero values wherein said musical tone generation control parameters are generated on the basis of the detected X- and Y-positions and the gripping pressure; and

a sound source for generating an electronic tone on the basis of inputs from said pitch designation means and said performance operation member.

10. An instrument according to claim 9, wherein said operation rod is rotatable about its axis, and rotational position detection means for detecting a rotational position of the operation rod about its axis is further provided.

11. An instrument according to claim 9, wherein said performance functions include a bow position, a bow velocity, and a bow pressure of a bowed instrument, and wherein said performance operation member generates control signals corresponding to said performance functions.

12. An instrument according to claim 9, wherein said performance operation member controls at least one of said musical tone generation control parameters on the basis of an operation moving speed of said operation rod.

13. An instrument according to claim 9, wherein said performance operation member controls at least one of said musical tone generation control parameters on the basis of an operation moving direction of said operation rod.

14. An instrument according to claim 10, wherein said performance operation member controls at least one of said musical tone generation control parameters on the basis of a rotation of said operation rod.

15. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a joystick means having

(a) a pivotally operable operation rod, and

(b) X- and Y-position detection means for respectively detecting X- and Y-positions of the operation rod;

control means for calculating at least one of an operation moving speed and an operation moving direction of the operation rod based on the detected X- and Y-positions and for controlling musical tone generation control parameters respectively corresponding to performance functions of a particular kind of instrument, the control means controlling at least one of said parameters based on the calculated result; and

a sound source for generating a musical tone based on the musical tone generation control parameters controlled by the control means.

16. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 15, wherein the joystick means further comprises

(c) pressure detection means for detecting an operation pressure effected on the operation rod when the operation rod is operated, and the control means further controls at least one of the musical tone generation control parameters based on the operation pressure.

17. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 16, wherein the operation rod is rotatable about its axis and the joystick means further comprises

(d) rotational position detection means for detecting a rotational position of the operation rod about its axis, and the control means further controls at least one of the musical tone generation control parameters based on a rotation of the operation rod.

18. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 15, wherein the operation rod is rotatable about its axis and the joystick means further comprises

(c) rotational position detection means for detecting a rotational position of the operation rod about its axis, and the control means further controls at least one of the musical tone generation control parameters based on a rotation of the operation rod.

19. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 15, which further comprises a pitch designation means for generating a tone pitch signal and wherein the sound source generates a musical tone based on the musical tone generation control parameters and the tone pitch signal.

20. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a joystick means having

(a) a pivotally operable operation rod,

(b) X- and Y-position detection means for respectively detecting X- and Y-positions of the operation rod, and

(c) pressure detection means for detecting an operation pressure effected on the operation rod and outputting an operation pressure signal corresponding to the detected gripping pressure and having a value which is variable within a range including plural non-zero values;

a control means for controlling musical tone generation control parameters corresponding to performance functions of a particular kind of instruction based on the detected X- and Y-positions and the detected operation pressure; and

a sound source for synthesizing a musical tone of the particular kind of instrument by simulating a physical sound generation mechanism of the particular kind of instrument based on the controlled musical tone generation control parameters wherein the sound source comprises;

a closed loop in which a musical tone signal is circulated, the musical tone signal corresponding to the musical tone to be generated in accordance with at least one of the controlled musical tone generation control parameters, and

a delay means which delays the circulating musical tone signal by a delay time, the whole of the delay time of the closed loop corresponding to a pitch of the musical tone to be generated.

21. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 20, wherein the particular kind of instrument comprises a bowed instrument, and the performance functions comprise a bow position, a bow velocity and a bow pressure, which respectively correspond to the X- and Y-positions, the operation moving speed and the operation moving direction.

22. An electronic musical instrument as claimed in claim 20, wherein the delays constitutes a part of the closed loop, and wherein the sound source includes an excitation means receiving said musical tone signal and said musical tone generation control parameters and including a non-linear conversion means which converts the musical tone signal and at least one of the musical tone generation control parameters into an excitation signal based on a non-linear conversion characteristic, wherein said non-linear characteristic is modified by calculation based on at least one of the musical tone generation control parameters and the excitation signal is outputted to the closed loop.

23. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a joystick means having

(a) a pivotally operable operation rod rotatable about its axis,

(b) X- and Y-position detection means for respectively detecting X- and Y-positions of the operation rod,

(c) pressure detection means for detecting an operation pressure effected on the operation rod and outputting an operation pressure signal corresponding to the detected gripping pressure and having a value which is variable within a range including plural non-zero values; and

(d) rotational position detection means for detecting a rotational position of the operation rod about its axis, and wherein the control means further controls at least one of the musical tone generation control parameters based on a rotation of the operation rod;

a control means for controlling musical tone generation control parameters corresponding to performance functions of a particular kind of instrument based on the detected X- and Y-positions, the detected operation pressure and the detected rotational position; and

a sound source for synthesizing a musical tone of the particular kind of instrument by simulating a physical sound generation mechanism of the particular kind of instrument based on the controlled musical tone generation control parameters.

24. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a joystick means having

(a) a pivotally operable operation rod,

(b) X- and Y-position detection means for respectively detecting X- and Y-positions of the operation rod, and

(c) pressure detection means for detecting an operation pressure effected on the operation rod and outputting an operation pressure signal corresponding to the detected gripping pressure and having a value which is variable within a range including plural non-zero values;

a pitch designation means for generating a tone pitch signal;

a control means for controlling musical tone generation control parameters corresponding to performance functions of a particular kind of instrument based on the detected X- and Y-positions and the detected operation pressure; and

a sound source for synthesizing a musical of the particular kind of instrument by simulating a physical sound generation mechanism of the particular kind of instrument based on the control musical tone generation control parameters wherein the sound source generates a musical tone based on the musical tone generation control parameters and the tone pitch signal.

25. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a joystick means having

(a) a pivotally operable operation rod,

(b) X- and Y-position detection means for respectively detecting X- and Y-positions of the operation rod, and

(c) pressure detection means for detecting an operation pressure effected on the operation rod and outputting an operation pressure signal corresponding to the detected gripping pressure and having a value which is variable within a range including plural non-zero values wherein the pressure detection means detects a gripping pressure effected on the operation rod;

a control means for controlling musical tone generation control parameters corresponding to performance functions of a particular kind of instrument based on the detected X- and Y-positions and the detected operation pressure; and

a sound source for synthesizing a musical tone of the particular kind of instrument by simulating a physical sound generation mechanism of the particular kind of instrument based on the controlled musical tone generation control parameters.

26. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a joystick means having

(a) a pivotally operable operation rod, and

(b) X- and Y-position detection means for respectively detecting X- and Y-positions of the operation rod;

control means for calculating an operation moving speed and an operation moving direction of the operation rod based on the detected X- and Y-positions and for controlling musical tone generation control parameters respectively corresponding to performance functions of a particular kind of instrument based on the operation moving speed and the operation moving direction; and

a sound source for synthesizing a musical tone of the particular kind of instrument by simulating a physical sound mechanism of the particular kind of instrument based on the controlled musical tone generation control parameters.