Musical effects apparatus and tone control process for a musical instrument

• US 5,583,308 A
• Filed: 02/22/1994
• Issued: 12/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edward Van Halen
• Original Assignee: Maestromedia, Inc.
• Inventors: Owen, Randall L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DONELS, JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US08/200,006
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 84/619, 84/626, 84/630, 84/631, 84/657, 84/662, 84/664, 84/DIG. 1, 84/DIG 14, 84/DIG. 18
• US Class Current: 84/619
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/023 Electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/12 by filtering complex waveforms G10H1/14, G10H1/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/16 by non-linear elements G10H1/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/251 Chorus, i.e. automatic generation of two or more extra voices added to the melody, e.g. by a chorus effect processor or multiple voice harmonizer, to produce a chorus or unison effect, wherein individual sounds from multiple sources with roughly the same timbre converge and are perceived as one
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/295 Spatial effects, musical uses of multiple audio channels, e.g. stereo Helmholtz resonance effects G10H2210/275; reverberation or echo G10H2210/281
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/311 Distortion, i.e. desired non-linear audio processing to change the tone color, e.g. by adding harmonics or deliberately distorting the amplitude of an audio waveform distortion functions G10H2250/201, G10H2250/205
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/036 Chord indicators, e.g. displaying note fingering when several notes are to be played simultaneously as a chord
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/041 Remote key fingering indicator, i.e. fingering shown on a display separate from the instrument itself or substantially disjoint from the keys

Abstract

In an automated system for learning to play a musical instrument, music data and tone control data for a musical composition of an exemplary musical instrument is stored in machine readable form. An audio signal generated by a musical instrument being played, corresponding to the exemplary musical instrument, is inputted through a musical effects apparatus wherein the musical tone of the musical instrument being played is mixed with the stored music data. The musical effects apparatus is utilized, under digital control, to match the musical tone of the musical instrument being played with that of the exemplary musical instrument. More particularly, the music data and tone control data of the musical composition are stored on a conventional CD-ROM. The tone control data is utilized to create control parameters which can be used to control one or more electronic effects devices in an automated fashion. The stored parameters include control data utilized to set the values of one or more digitally-controlled programmable resistor networks capable of conditioning the input audio signal under digital control, without first converting the conditioned audio signal to a digital signal.

Claims

1. A musical effects apparatus for conditioning a first musical tone of a musical instrument being played to match a second musical tone, said second musical tone being pre-recorded from an exemplary musical instrument which corresponds to said musical instrument being played, said musical effects apparatus comprising:

a distortion device for adding distortion to an audio signal corresponding to said first musical tone to form a distorted musical tone signal;

a signal splitter coupled to said distortion device for splitting said distorted musical tone signal into an intermediate distorted musical tone signal and a distorted output signal;

a stereo chorus device coupled to said signal splitter for receiving said intermediate distorted musical tone signal and generating first and second stereo musical tone signals from said intermediate distorted musical tone signal;

a first delay device coupled to said stereo chorus device for delaying said first stereo musical tone signal by a first predetermined amount to form a first delayed output signal;

a second delay device coupled to said stereo chorus device for delaying said second stereo musical tone signal by a second predetermined amount to form a second delayed output signal; and

a control processor for generating one or more control signals for controlling each of said distortion, stereo chorus, first delay and second delay devices, said control processor including an address/data bus for transferring said one or more control signals to each of said distortion, stereo chorus, first delay and second delay devices.

2. The musical effects apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said distortion, stereo chorus, first delay and second delay devices comprises a digitally programmable control network.

3. The musical effects apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a storage device coupled to said control processor, for storing music data and tone control data corresponding to said second musical tone.

4. The musical effects apparatus of claim 3, wherein said storage device comprises a compact disk having a plurality of data fields and subcode fields, and wherein said music data is stored in said data fields and said tone control data is stored in said subcode fields.

5. The musical effects apparatus of claim 4, wherein said control processor further comprises means for generating one or more digital control parameters from said tone control data, said digital control parameters for controlling said distortion, stereo chorus, first delay and second delay devices according to said tone control data.

6. A musical effects apparatus for conditioning a musical input signal, comprising:

a distortion device for adding distortion to said musical input signal, said distortion device having an input for receiving said musical input signal;

a signal splitter coupled to said distortion device for receiving said musical input signal from said distortion device and directing said musical input signal along a first signal path out of said musical effects apparatus, and along a second signal path;

a stereo chorus device coupled to said second signal path for receiving said musical input signal from said signal splitter and generating two stereo output signals;

a plurality of delay devices coupled to said stereo chorus device for receiving said two stereo output signals from said stereo chorus device, each of said plurality of delay devices for delaying said stereo output signals by predetermined amounts; and

control means for automatically conditioning said musical input signal by said distortion, stereo chorus and delay devices.

7. The musical effects apparatus of claim 6, wherein said control means includes a plurality of programmable resistor networks associated with each of said distortion, stereo chorus and delay devices.

8. The musical effects apparatus of claim 7, wherein said control means includes a control processor which provides control input to said programmable resistor networks through a common data bus.

9. The musical effects apparatus of claim 8, wherein said control means includes a digital signal processing and control device linked to a host computer, and means for comparing said musical input signal with a desired output audio signal.

10. The musical effects apparatus of claim 7, wherein said programmable resistor networks each include a plurality of resistors associated with a digitally actuated switching array, and means for selecting an appropriate combination of said plurality of resistors in accordance with input control signals.

11. The musical effects apparatus of claim 10, wherein said control means includes a control processor which provides said input control signals to said programmable resistor networks, said control processor input control signals comprising an up/down signal, a clock signal, and a chip select signal.

12. The musical effects apparatus of claim 6, wherein said control means includes a control processor for generating one or more control signals for controlling each of said distortion, stereo chorus and delay devices, and means for comparing said musical input signal with a desired output audio signal.

13. The musical effects apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a storage device coupled to said control processor, said storage device for storing music data and tone control data corresponding to said desired output audio signal, said storage device comprising a compact disk having a plurality of data fields and subcode fields, wherein said music data is stored in said data fields and said tone control data is stored in said subcode fields.

14. The musical effects apparatus of claim 13, wherein said control processor further comprises means for generating one or more digital control parameters from said tone control data, said digital control parameters controlling said distortion, stereo chorus and delay devices according to said tone control data.

15. An apparatus for conditioning the musical tone of a musical instrument being played, comprising:

means for storing music data and tone control data for a musical composition of an exemplary musical instrument in machine readable form, said exemplary musical instrument corresponding to said musical instrument being played,

wherein said data storing means comprising a compact disk having a data field and a subcode field, and wherein said music data is stored in said compact disk data field, and wherein said tone control data is stored in said compact disk subcode field;

means for conditioning said musical tone of said musical instrument being played, including means for mixing said musical tone of said musical instrument being played with said music data of said exemplary musical instrument; and

means for controlling said conditioning means using said tone control data so that said musical tone of said musical instrument being played matches said music data of said exemplary musical instrument.

16. An apparatus for conditioning the musical tone of a musical instrument being played, comprising:

means for storing music data and tone control data for a musical composition of an exemplary musical instrument in machine readable form, said exemplary musical instrument corresponding to said musical instrument being played;

means for conditioning said musical tone of said musical instrument being played, including means forming said musical tone of said musical instrument being played with said music data of said exemplary musical instrument; and

means for controlling said conditioning means using said tone control data so that said musical tone of said musical instrument being played matches said music data of said exemplary musical instrument, wherein said conditioning means further comprises one or more musical effects devices for conditioning said musical tone of said musical instrument being played in a predetermined manner.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said one or more musical effects devices comprises a distortion device for adding distortion to said musical tone of said musical instrument being played.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said one or more musical effects devices comprises a stereo chorus device for generating stereo musical tones from said musical tone of said musical instrument being played.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said one or more musical effects devices comprises one or more delay devices for delaying said musical tone of said musical instrument being played by a predetermined amount.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said controlling means comprises a digital signal processing and control device for generating one or more control signals from said tone control data, wherein said control signals directly control said one or more musical effects devices.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said one or more musical effects devices are analog musical effects devices which further comprise one or more digitally programmable control networks, wherein said digitally programmable control networks provide digital control of said analog musical effects devices.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein one or more of said one or more digitally programmable control networks comprises a programmable resistor network.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said controlling means comprises a control processor and an address/data bus, wherein said control processor generates one or more digital control parameters from said tone control data, and said address/data bus transfers each of said digital control parameters to said one or more digitally programmable control networks.

24. A process for controlling the tone of a selected musical instrument, said process comprising the steps of:

storing a musical composition of an exemplary musical instrument in machine readable form, said exemplary musical instrument corresponding to said selected musical instrument, wherein said musical composition includes music data and tone control data, and said storing step comprises the steps of storing said music data within a compact disk data field and storing said tone control data within a compact disk subcode field;

inputting a first audio signal from said selected musical instrument into a musical effects device;

generating a second audio signal from said stored musical composition, and inputting said second audio signal into said musical effects device; and

conditioning said first audio signal from said selected musical instrument using said musical effects device so that its tone matches the tone of said second audio signal of said stored musical composition.

25. The process of claim 24, wherein said conditioning step comprises the step of generating one or more control signals from said tone control data, wherein said control signals control said musical effects device.

26. The process of claim 25, wherein said musical effects device comprises an analog musical effects device, and wherein said conditioning step further comprises the step of providing digital control of said analog musical effects device.

27. The process of claim 26, wherein said conditioning step further comprises the step of adding distortion to said first audio signal.

28. The process of claim 26, wherein said conditioning step further comprises the step of generating stereo musical tones from said first audio signal.

29. The process of claim 26, wherein said conditioning step further comprises the step of delaying said first audio signal by a predetermined amount.

30. The process of claim 25, wherein said step of storing tone control data includes the step of storing one or more control parameters for controlling said musical effects device in said subcode field of said compact disk, and wherein said generating and conditioning steps include the steps of reading said one or more stored control parameters from said subcode field of said compact disk, creating an electronic signal in accordance with said one or more control parameters, and transferring said electronic signal to said musical effects device to effect desired control thereof.

31. The process of claim 30, further comprising the step of utilizing one or more unused bits of said subcode field for storing said one or more control parameters.

32. The process of claim 31, further comprising the step of forming a ninety-eight-bit word from ninety-eight consecutive subcode fields, said ninety-eight-bit word containing said one or more control parameters.

33. The processes of claim 32, further comprising the step of parsing said ninety-eight-bit word into distinct control parameter storage fields.

34. The process of claim 30, wherein said musical effects device further comprises a programmable resistor network, said programmable resistor network having a plurality of resistors associated with a digitally actuated switching array, and said process further comprising the step of creating signals from said stored control parameters to control said digitally actuated switching array to select one or more of said resistors.