System and method for audio control

• US 6,640,257 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Electronics Technology Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Electronics Technology Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: MacFarlane, M. David
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, N.
• Application Number:
  US09/439,937
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 710/2, 381/119, 846/09, 846/03, 846/04, 846/25, 846/47
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs

Abstract

The present invention comprises a system that provides a convenient and easy-to-use means for controlling audio input and output for recording. The system includes a first input adapted to receive a high fidelity microphone such as a low impedance microphone, and a second input adapted to receive a musical instrument. The system also includes at least two outputs, each adapted to transmit analog signals to an input of a sound card (30) of a computer (20), and electrical circuitry coupling the inputs to the outputs. More specifically, the system further comprises at least one additional input adapted to receive analog signals from an output of the sound card (30) and at least one additional output adapted to transmit analog signals to a receiver. The electrical circuitry couples the additional input to the additional output, and is operable to transmit analog signals from the first and second inputs to the receiver and to the input of the sound card (30). The electrical circuitry is further operable to resistively isolate the analog signals transmitted from the output of the sound card (30) from the input of the sound card (30).

Claims

1. An audio control system, comprising:

a. a first input adapted to receive a high-fidelity microphone;

b. a second input adapted to receive a musical instrument;

c. at least two outputs, each adapted to transmit analog signals from the microphone and the musical instrument to an input of a sound card of a computer; and

d. electrical circuitry coupling each of the first input and the second input to one of the at least two outputs, the electrical circuitry operable to provide common mode rejection for the analog signals from the microphone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuitry comprises a first electrical circuit coupling one of the inputs to one of the outputs, and a second electrical circuit coupling a second of the inputs to a second of the outputs.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a. at least one line-level input adapted to receive a line-level audio signal; and

b. electrical circuitry coupling the line-level input to one of the outputs.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the inputs is adapted to receive a low impedance microphone.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a. a controller input adapted to receive a controller, the controller operable to control the computer;

b. a controller output adapted to couple to the computer; and

c. electrical circuitry coupling the controller input to the controller output.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a. a MIDI input adapted to receive a MIDI device;

b. a MIDI output adapted to couple to the computer; and

c. electrical circuitry coupling the MIDI input to the MIDI output.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuitry is further operable to substantially remove at least one of the group consisting of lead musical data, lead vocal data, and ambient noise data from the analog signals using the common mode rejection.

7. A system for controlling audio input and output, comprising:

a. a computer having a sound card, a memory, a processor, a display and a keyboard; and

b. an audio adapter having a first input adapted to receive a high-fidelity microphone, a second input adapted to receive a musical instrument and electrical circuitry coupling the first input to a first input channel of the sound card and the second input to a second input channel of the sound card, the electrical circuitry operable to transmit analog signals received from the microphone and the instrument to the sound card, and provide common mode rejection for the analog signals received from the microphone.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the memory is configured as a database.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising an editor for execution by the computer and operable to select digital signals representing audio.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising a mass storage medium coupled to the computer.

11. The system of claim 7 further comprising a controller coupled to the computer, the controller operable to transmit control signals to the computer for controlling audio input and output.

12. The system of claim 7 further comprising a MIDI device coupled to the audio adapter.

20. The system of claim 7, wherein the electrical circuitry is further operable to substantially remove at least one of the group consisting of lead musical data, lead vocal data, and ambient noise data from the analog signals using the common mode rejection.

13. A method for controlling audio input and output, comprising:

a. coupling a first input adapted to receive a high-fidelity microphone to a first channel of a sound card of a computer using electrical circuitry;

b. coupling a second input adapted to receive a musical instrument to a second channel of the sound card using the electrical circuitry; and

c. wherein the electrical circuitry is operable to transmit a first analog signal received from the microphone and a second analog signal received from the musical instrument to the sound card and provide common mode rejection for the first analog signal.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

a. coupling a controller to the computer; and

b. controlling the computer by the controller.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising coupling a MIDI device to the computer.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising coupling a mass storage medium to the computer.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrical circuitry is further operable to substantially remove at least one of the group consisting of lead musical data, lead vocal data, and ambient noise data from the first analog signal and the second analog signal using the common mode rejection.

17. An audio control system, comprising:

a. a first input adapted to receive a microphone;

b. a second input adapted to receive a musical instrument;

c. one output adapted to transmit analog signals from the microphone and the musical instrument to an input of a sound card of a computer; and

d. electrical circuitry coupling each of the first input and the second input to the output, the electrical circuitry operable to provide common mode rejection for the analog signals from at least one of the microphone and the musical instrument.

18. A method for controlling audio input and output, comprising:

a. coupling a first input adapted to receive a microphone to a first channel of a sound card of a computer using electrical circuitry;

b. coupling a second input adapted to receive a musical instrument to the first channel of the sound card using the electrical circuitry; and

c. wherein the electrical circuitry is operable to transmit a first analog signal received from the microphone and a second analog signal received from the musical instrument to the sound card, and provide common mode rejection for at least one of the first and the second analog signal.

22. An audio control system, comprising:

a. a first input adapted to receive a high-fidelity microphone;

b. a second input adapted to receive a musical instrument;

c. at least two outputs, each adapted to transmit analog signals from the microphone and the musical instrument to an input of a sound card of a computer;

d. electrical circuitry coupling each of the first input and the second input to one of the at least two outputs, the electrical circuitry operable to provide common mode rejection for the analog signals from the microphone.

e. at least one additional input adapted to receive analog signals transmitted from an output of the sound card;

f. at least one additional output adapted to transmit analog signals to a receiver; and

g. electrical circuitry coupling the additional input to the additional output, the electrical circuitry operable to transmit the analog signals from the microphone and the musical instrument to the receiver and to the input of the sound card, the electrical circuitry further operable to resistively isolate the analog signals transmitted from the output of the sound card from the input of the sound card.

23. A system for controlling audio input and output, comprising:

a. a computer having a sound card, a memory, a processor, a display and a keyboard;

b. an audio adapter having a first input adapted to receive a high-fidelity microphone, a second input adapted to receive a musical instrument and electrical circuitry coupling the first input to a first input channel of the sound card and the second input to a second input channel of the sound card, the electrical circuitry operable to transmit analog signals received from the microphone and the instrument to the sound card, and provide common mode rejection for the analog signals received from the microphone; and

c. a receiver coupled to a first output channel and a second output channel of the sound card and to the first input by audio mixing circuitry, the audio mixing circuitry operable to resistively isolate analog signals transmitted from the output channels of the sound card to the receiver from the first and second input channels of the sound card.

24. A method for controlling audio input and output, comprising:

a. coupling a first input adapted to receive a high-fidelity microphone to a first input channel of a sound card of a computer using electrical circuitry;

b. coupling a second input adapted to receive a musical instrument to a second input channel of the sound card using the electrical circuitry;

c. coupling an output adapted to receive a receiver to a first and second output channel of the sound card; and

d. wherein the electrical circuitry is operable to transmit a first analog signal received from the microphone and a second analog signal received from the musical instrument to the sound card and provide common mode rejection for the first analog signal.

25. A method for controlling audio input and output, comprising:

a. coupling a first input adapted to receive a high-fidelity microphone to a first input channel of a sound card of a computer using electrical circuitry;

b. coupling a second input adapted to receive a musical instrument to a second input channel of the sound card using the electrical circuitry;

c. monitoring the first analog signal while monitoring a third analog signal transmitted from first and second output channels of the sound card, the third analog signal resistively isolated from the first and second input channels of the sound card; and

d. wherein the electrical circuitry is operable to transmit a first analog signal received from the microphone and a second analog signal received from the musical instrument to the sound card and provide common mode rejection for the first analog signal.

26. An audio control system, comprising:

a. a first input adapted to receive a microphone;

b. a second input adapted to receive a musical instrument;

c. one output adapted to transmit analog signals from the microphone and the musical instrument to an input of a sound card of a computer;

d. electrical circuitry coupling each of the first input and the second input to the output, the electrical circuitry operable to provide common mode rejection for the analog signals from at least one of the microphone and the musical instrument;

e. at least one additional input adapted to receive analog signals transmitted from an output of the sound card;

f. at least one additional output adapted to transmit analog signals to a receiver; and

g. electrical circuitry coupling the additional input to the additional output, the electrical circuitry operable to transmit the analog signals from the microphone and the musical instrument to the receiver and to the input of the sound card, the electrical circuitry further operable to resistively isolate the analog signals transmitted from the output of the sound card from the input of the sound card.

27. A method for controlling audio input and output, comprising:

a. coupling a first input adapted to receive a microphone to a first input channel of a sound card of a computer using electrical circuitry;

b. coupling a second input adapted to receive a musical instrument to the first input channel of the sound card using the electrical circuitry;

c. monitoring the first and second analog signals while monitoring a third analog signal transmitted from the output channel of the sound card, the third analog signal resistively isolated from the first input channel of the sound card; and

d. wherein the electrical circuitry is operable to transmit a first analog signal received from the microphone and a second analog signal received from the musical instrument to the sound card, and provide common mode rejection for at least one of the first and the second analog signal.