Ensemble system

• US 7,888,576 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Usa, Satoshi, Urai, Tomomitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Warren; David S.
• Application Number:
  US12/088,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20090151545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: 84600-602, 846/09, 846/10, 846/34, 846/49, 846/50, 846/66, 846/39
• US Class Current: 84/600
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0066 using a MIDI interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/175 for jam sessions or musical collaboration through a network, e.g. for composition, ensemble playing or repeating; Compensation of network or internet delays therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/325 Synchronizing two or more audio tracks or files according to musical features or musical timings synchronised lyrics, e.g. for karaoke G10H2220/011

Abstract

An ensemble system enabling even performer unskilled in playing a musical instrument to easily grasp the difference in tempo from the performance of the facilitator. The circle corresponding to the performance terminal “Facilitator” is indicated fixedly on the center line of the vertical lines. The circle corresponding to the performance terminal (for example, piano (1)) of each user moves horizontally correspondingly to the difference from the performance terminal “Facilitator”. If the press of a key of performance terminal lags behind that of the performance terminal “Facilitator” by one bar, the circle moves left onto the vertical line next to the vertical center line. If the press of a key of the performance terminal lags behind that of the performance terminal “Facilitator” by half the bar (two beats), the circle moves left by half the interval between the vertical lines from the vertical center line. If the press of a key of the performance terminal leads that of the performance terminal “Facilitator”, the circle moves right (FIG. 7).

Claims

1. An ensemble system comprising:

a plurality of performance terminals each having at least one performance operator unit for performance operation by a user;

at least one tone generator; and

a controller connected to the plurality of performance terminals and the at least one tone generator to control each of the performance terminals,

wherein the controller includes;

a storage device that stores music data for performance including a plurality of performance parts;

an operation unit that gives instructions to start and complete a performance;

a performance control unit that assigns the plurality of performance parts to respective ones of the plurality of performance terminals, reads out the performance part assigned to each of the performance terminals in accordance with a way in which the performance operator unit of the respective performance terminal is operated, and outputs performance data representing the read-out performance part to the tone generator;

a deviation detecting unit that detects, for each of the performance terminals, a deviation between the progression of the performance part read out from a guiding performance terminal, which is assigned from one of the plurality of performance terminals in accordance with a way in which the performance operator unit of the guiding performance terminal is operated and the progression of the performance part read out from each of other performance terminals in accordance with a way in which the performance operator unit of the each of the other performance terminals is operated; and

a display unit that displays the deviation between the progression of the performance part read out from the guiding performance terminal and the progression of the performance part read out from each of the other performance terminals.

2. The ensemble system according to claim 1, wherein:

the tone generator is built in to each of the plurality of performance terminals, and

the performance control unit of the controller outputs performance data of the performance part read out to the tone generator built in to the performance terminal to which the performance part is assigned.

3. The ensemble system according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller further includes a fast-forward instruction control that gives a fast-forward instruction for at least one performance part assigned to at least one of the performance terminals, and

the performance control unit reads out at a high speed the at least one performance part assigned to the at least one of the performance terminals when the fast-forward instruction is given by the fast-forward instruction control.

4. The ensemble system according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the performance terminals includes a terminal fast-forward instruction control that gives a fast-forward instruction for at least one of the performance parts assigned to each of the performance terminals, and

the performance control unit, when given the fast-forward instruction, reads out at a high speed at least one of the performance parts assigned to the performance terminal given the terminal fast-forward instruction.

5. The ensemble system according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller further includes a rewind instruction control that gives a rewind instruction for at least one of the performance parts assigned to at least one of the performance terminals, and

the performance control unit, when given the rewind instruction by the rewind instruction control, reads out in a reverse sequence the at least one performance part previously read out for the at least one performance terminal.

6. The ensemble system according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the performance terminals includes a terminal rewind instruction control that gives a rewind instruction for at least one of the performance parts assigned to each of the performance terminals, and

the performance control unit reads out, in a reverse sequence, the at least one performance part for the performance terminal given the terminal rewind instruction.

7. The ensemble system according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller includes a deviation correcting instruction unit that gives an instruction to eliminate any deviation in performance between at least one of the performance terminals and the guiding performance terminal, and

the performance control unit, when given the instruction to eliminate any deviation in performance by the deviation correcting instruction unit, reads out at least one of the performance parts assigned to the at least one performance terminal to make progress of the at least one read out performance part assigned to the at least one of the performance terminals to coincide with the progress of the corresponding read out performance part assigned to the guiding performance terminal.

8. The ensemble system according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the performance terminals includes a terminal deviation correcting instruction unit that gives an instruction to eliminate any deviation in performance between each of the performance terminals and the guiding performance terminal, and

the performance control unit, when given the instruction to eliminate the deviation in performance by the terminal deviation correcting instruction unit of one of the performance terminals, reads out the at least one performance part assigned to the at least one performance terminal to make progress of the at least one read out performance part assigned to the at least one performance terminal to coincide with the progress of the corresponding read out performance part assigned to the guiding performance terminal.