Sound system with dedicated vocal channel

• US 7,134,876 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2004
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mica Electronic Corp.
• Original Assignee: Mica Electronic Corp.
• Inventors: Hou, Jason S. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US10/812,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20050239030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 434/156, 434307 R-309, 434/318, 434/365, 846/01, 846/09, 846/10, 846/26, 369/30.18, 369/47.34, 345/23, 386/125, 704/258, 709/219
• US Class Current: 434/307.00A
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/361 Recording/reproducing of accompaniment for use with an external source, e.g. karaoke systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/325 Synchronizing two or more audio tracks or files according to musical features or musical timings

Abstract

A karaoke sound system had a mixer that combines the singer'"'"'s real-time voice signal from a microphone with the pre-recorded background song/music signal from a player, an amplifier that receives the mixed signal from the mixer to provide amplification or gain boosting, a dedicated channel for the vocal signal from the microphone without using a mixing device, one or more speakers to output the mixed and amplified audio signal, and one or more speakers to output the vocal signal from the dedicated channel. The vocal channel allows the vocals to maintain an overall cleaner and vibrant sound, with a “live feeling” positional presence.

Claims

1. A sound system for playing a song, comprising:

a generator device that produces an accompaniment sound;

a input device that collects a singing voice which is physically sung along the accompaniment sound;

a main channel comprising a mixer device that mixes the singing voice collected by the input device and the accompaniment sound and generates a mixed output, thereby effecting play of the song; and

a vocal channel that receives the singing voice collected by the input device and generate a vocal output, wherein the mixed output and the vocal output are channeled such that the vocal output is output separately from the mixed output, thereby effecting dedicated output of the singing voice with the song.

2. The sound system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first transducer for transduction of the mixed output; and

a second transducer for transduction of the vocal output.

3. The sound system of claim 2, wherein:

the first transducer comprises a first loudspeaker; and

the second transducer comprises a second loud speaker.

4. The sound system of claim 1, wherein the main channel further comprises a first amplification channel for amplifying the mixed output, and the vocal channel further comprises a second amplification channel for amplifying the vocal output separate from the amplified mixed output.

5. The sound system of claim 1, wherein the vocal channel comprises a first audio signal processor to generate the vocal output with desired characteristics.

6. The sound system of claim 5, wherein the signal processor comprises an amplifier.

7. The sound system of claim 5, wherein the signal processor further includes a control device for user control of the signal processor functions.

8. The sound system of claim 1 further comprising a synchronization circuit that provides one or more of feedback, suppression and control between the vocal channel and the main channel.

9. The sound system of claim 1, wherein the main channel and the vocal channel are separate channels to transducing nodes.

10. The sound system of claim 1, wherein the main channel and the vocal channel are separate channels wherein the mixed output and the vocal output are channeled such that the vocal output is transduced separately from the mixed output.

11. A karaoke apparatus for playing a karaoke song, comprising:

a generator device that produces an orchestral accompaniment sound signal;

a first input device that collects a singing voice which is physically sung along the orchestral accompaniment sound and generates a vocal signal;

a mixer device that mixes the vocal signal from the input device and the orchestral accompaniment sound signal from the generator device, to generate a mixed output signal, thereby effecting play of the karaoke song; and

a vocal channel that receives the vocal signal from the input device and generate a vocal output signal, wherein the mixed output and the vocal output are channeled such that the vocal output is output separately from the mixed output, thereby effecting dedicated output of the singing voice with the karaoke song.

12. The karaoke apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a first transducer for transduction of the mixed output signal; and

a second transducer for transduction of the vocal output signal.

13. The karaoke apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the first transducer comprises a first loudspeaker; and

the second transducer comprises a second loud speaker.

14. The karaoke apparatus of claim 11, wherein the input device comprises a microphone.

15. The karaoke apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an amplifier for amplifying the mixed output signal, and the vocal channel further comprises a separate amplifier for amplifying the vocal output separate from the amplified mixed output.

16. The karaoke apparatus of claim 15, wherein the amplifier is a stereo amplifier.

17. The karaoke apparatus of claim 11, wherein the vocal channel comprises a first audio signal processor for processing the vocal signal to generate the vocal output signal with desired characteristics.

18. The karaoke apparatus of claim 17, wherein the signal processor comprises an amplifier for amplifying the vocal signal to generate the vocal output signal.

19. The karaoke apparatus of claim 18, wherein the amplifier further includes a gain controller for controlling the amplification of the vocal signal.

20. The karaoke apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a second input device that collects another singing voice and generates a second vocal signal, wherein the second vocal signal is provided to the vocal channel.

21. A karaoke method of playing a karaoke song, comprising:

providing an orchestral accompaniment sound;

collecting a singing voice which is physically sung along the orchestral accompaniment sound;

mixing the collected singing voice and the orchestral accompaniment sound, and generating a mixed output, thereby effecting play of the karaoke song; and

generating a vocal output from the collected singing voice, wherein the mixed output and the vocal output are channeled such that the vocal output is output separately from the mixed output, thereby effecting dedicated play of the singing voice with the karaoke song.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of:

providing a first transducer for transduction of the mixed output; and

providing a second transducer for transduction of the vocal output.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the first transducer comprises a first loudspeaker; and

the second transducer comprises a second loud speaker.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein collecting the signing voice comprises the steps of collecting the signing voice using a microphone.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

amplifying the mixed output; and

amplifying the vocal output separate from the amplified mixed output.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of generating the vocal output further comprises the step of processing the vocal signal to provide desired audio characteristics in the vocal output.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of processing the vocal output includes the steps of amplifying the vocal output.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of amplifying the vocal output further comprises the steps of controlling the level of amplification of the vocal output.