Electromagnetic musical instrument frequency conversion systems and related methods

• US 20070214940A1
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Russell Stoneback
• Original Assignee: Russell Stoneback
• Inventors: Stoneback, Russell
• Granted Patent: US 7,777,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/600
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0091 Means for obtaining special acoustic effects combined with modulation G10H1/043
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/231 Wah-wah spectral modulation, i.e. tone color spectral glide obtained by sweeping the peak of a bandpass filter up or down in frequency, e.g. according to the position of a pedal, by automatic modulation or by voice formant detection; control devices therefor, e.g. wah pedals for electric guitars
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/235 Flanging or phasing effects, i.e. creating time and frequency dependent constructive and destructive interferences, obtained, e.g. by using swept comb filters or a feedback loop around all-pass filters with gradually changing non-linear phase response or delays
• 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 2210/281 Reverberation or echo
• 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 2220/195 Particle energy or molecular configuration used as musical control data
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/411 Light beams key actuation detection using light G10H2220/305
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/045 Special instrument [spint], i.e. mimicking the ergonomy, shape, sound or other characteristic of a specific acoustic musical instrument category
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/135 Spint guitar, i.e. guitar-like instruments in which the sound is not generated by vibrating strings, e.g. guitar-shaped game interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/305 Internet or TCP/IP protocol use for any electrophonic musical instrument data or musical parameter transmission purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/311 MIDI transmission G10H2240/056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/315 Sound category-dependent sound synthesis processes [Gensound] for musical use details of musical waveform synthesis G10H2250/541; general musical sound synthesis principles G10H2250/471; Sound category-specific synthesis-controlling parameters or control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/26 using electric feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 5/14 using electromechanical resonators, e.g. quartz crystals, as frequency determining element G10H5/02, G10H5/08 take precedence

Abstract

A method for generating electromagnetic (EM) music through excitation of an EM Musical Instrument is provided. An input queue, comprised of three sub-queues, receives three input audio queues. An EM excitation signal is generated based on the received input audio queues. The EM excitation signal is applied to the EM Musical Instrument. A measured response is generated, based on a response of the EM Musical Instrument to the EM excitation signal. Various time marks are marked in the measured response. Selected portions of the measured response are discarded based on particular time marks, generating a newly measured sample set. The newly measured samples are joined to a previously measured sample set of an output queue based on alignment of time marks. Various alternate embodiments and supporting systems are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for generating electromagnetic (EM) music through excitation of an EM Musical Instrument, comprising:

receiving, by an input queue having a first length, comprised of three sub-queues, a first input audio queue designated “

X”

with a sample length “

L”

, a second input audio queue designated “

X+1”

with a sample length “

L_—

2”

, a third input audio queue designated “

X+2”

with sample length “

L_—

3”

,

generating an EM excitation signal based on the input audio queues X, X+1, and X+2, comprising;

a first EM excitation signal segment designated Y based on the input audio queue X;

a second EM excitation signal segment designated Y+1 based on the input audio queue X+1; and

a third EM excitation signal segment designated Y+2 based on the input audio queue X+2;

applying the EM excitation signal to the EM Musical Instrument;

measuring a response of the EM Musical Instrument, to generate a measured response;

marking a first time mark in the measured response based on receiving the beginning of excitation segment Y;

marking a second time mark in the measured response based on receiving the beginning of excitation segment Y+1, and an end of excitation segment Y;

marking a third time mark in the measured response based on receiving the beginning of excitation segment Y+2, and an end of excitation segment Y+1;

marking a fourth time mark in the measured response based on receiving the end of excitation segment Y+2;

marking a fifth time mark in the measured response based on a reverb time after receiving the end of excitation segment Y+2;

discarding samples of the measured response between the first time mark and the second time mark and discarding samples of the measured response between the fourth time mark and the fifth time mark to generate a newly measured sample set;

joining the newly measured samples to an output queue designated “

Z”

, wherein Z comprises at least one previously measured sample set, and wherein Z comprises a length corresponding to the number of previously measured sample sets; and

wherein joining comprises aligning the third time mark of the newly measured sample set to the previously measured sample set.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating an output audio signal based on L_—

3 samples from a beginning of output queue Z;

removing the L_—

3 samples from queue Z;

processing the output audio for musical effects; and

transmitting the output audio in a continuous manner.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

adding L_—

3 audio signals to the input audio queues X, X+1, and X+2; and

repeating the above steps.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input audio signal comprises electronic musical instructions.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein marking comprises inserting a tag into a measured response.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein marking assumes a constant time delay between issuing a sample to the EM instrument and the measurement of said sample.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the time delay between issuing a sample to the EM instrument and the measurement of said sample is predetermined experimentally by measuring the time delay associated with an input impulse.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the time delay between issuing a sample to the EM instrument and the measurement of said sample is predetermined experimentally by measuring, at multiple locations, the time delay associated with an input impulse.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

processing multiple EM musical conversions substantially contemporaneously;

wherein each of the multiple EM musical conversions assumes an appropriate time delay for marking signals based upon the EM receiver that provides measured EM music; and

wherein samples ready for audio output from each process are mixed together based on user-provided weights.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein audio output samples from each EM music conversion process are ordered in time corresponding to a time of reception.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein audio output samples from each EM music conversion process are ordered in time corresponding to a corresponding input sample.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein audio output samples from each EM music conversion process are ordered in time according to user-provided input.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein joining comprises selecting a transition point.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein selecting a transition point comprises minimizing the difference between a value, a first derivative, and a second derivative between a sample in the measured response between the second and third time marks and the corresponding sample in Z.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein joining further comprises calculating a mixed signal comprising Z and the measured response.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein joining further comprises inserting a transition snippet between Z and the newly measured samples comprising a first part comprising at least a part of Z, a second part comprising a mixture of Z and the measured response, and a third part comprising at least a part of the remaining measured response.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the mixture comprises application of a function of one of the set of arbitrary, linear, logarithmic, exponential, and sinusoidal functions to each signal in the transition region.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein joining comprises appending the measured response at an arbitrary point in Z;

disregarding that part of Z that extends beyond the arbitrary point, and disregarding samples in the measured response before the arbitrary point.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting a continuous output audio signal using samples from output queue Z.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, in the event there are no previously measured samples in output queue Z, assuming a null queue of “

L_z”

samples.

21. A computer program product for generating electromagnetic (EM) music through excitation of an EM Musical Instrument, the computer program product having a tangible computer-readable medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising:

computer code for receiving, by an input queue having a first length, comprised of three sub-queues, a first input audio queue designated “

X”

with a sample length “

L”

, a second input audio queue designated “

X+1”

with a sample length “

L_—

2”

, a third input audio queue designated “

X+2”

with sample length “

L_—

3”

,

computer code for generating an EM excitation signal based on the input audio queues X, X+1, and X+2, comprising;

a first EM excitation signal segment designated Y based on the input audio queue X;

a second EM excitation signal segment designated Y+1 based on the input audio queue X+1; and

a third EM excitation signal segment designated Y+2 based on the input audio queue X+2;

computer code for applying the EM excitation signal to the EM Musical Instrument;

computer code for measuring a response of the EM Musical Instrument, to generate a measured response;

computer code for marking a first time mark in the measured response based on receiving the beginning of excitation segment Y;

computer code for marking a second time mark in the measured response based on receiving the beginning of excitation segment Y+1, and an end of excitation segment Y;

computer code for marking a third time mark in the measured response based on receiving the beginning of excitation segment Y+2, and an end of excitation segment Y+1;

computer code for marking a fourth time mark in the measured response based on receiving the end of excitation segment Y+2;

computer code for marking a fifth time mark in the measured response based on a reverb time after receiving the end of excitation segment Y+2;

computer code for discarding samples of the measured response between the first time mark and the second time mark and discarding samples of the measured response between the fourth time mark and the fifth time mark to generate a newly measured sample set;

computer code for joining the newly measured samples to an output queue designated “

Z”

, wherein Z comprises at least one previously measured sample set, and wherein Z comprises a length corresponding to the number of previously measured sample sets; and

wherein joining comprises aligning the third time mark of the newly measured sample set to the previously measured sample set.

22. The computer program product according to claim 21, further comprising:

computer code for generating an output audio signal based on L_—

3 samples from a beginning of output queue Z;

computer code for removing the L_—

3 samples from queue Z;

computer code for processing the output audio for musical effects; and

computer code for transmitting the output audio in a continuous manner.

23. The computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising computer code for adding L_—

3 audio signals to the input audio queues X, X+1, and X+2.

24. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the input audio signal comprises electronic musical instructions.

25. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein marking comprises inserting a tag into a measured response.

26. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein marking assumes a constant time delay between issuing a sample to the EM instrument and the measurement of said sample.

27. The computer program product according to claim 26, wherein the time delay between issuing a sample to the EM instrument and the measurement of said sample is predetermined experimentally by measuring the time delay associated with an input impulse.

28. The computer program product according to claim 26, wherein the time delay between issuing a sample to the EM instrument and the measurement of said sample is predetermined experimentally by measuring, at multiple locations, the time delay associated with an input impulse.

29. The computer program product according to claim 28, further comprising:

computer program code for processing multiple EM musical conversions substantially contemporaneously;

wherein each of the multiple EM musical conversions assumes an appropriate time delay for marking signals based upon the EM receiver that provides measured EM music; and

wherein samples ready for audio output from each process are mixed together based on user-provided weights.

30. The computer program product according to claim 29, wherein audio output samples from each EM music conversion process are ordered in time corresponding to a time of reception.

31. The computer program product according to claim 29, wherein audio output samples from each EM music conversion process are ordered in time corresponding to a corresponding input sample.

32. The computer program product according to claim 29, wherein audio output samples from each EM music conversion process are ordered in time according to user-provided input.

33. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein joining comprises selecting a transition point.

34. The computer program product according to claim 33, wherein selecting a transition point comprises minimizing the difference between a value, a first derivative, and a second derivative between a sample in the measured response between the second and third time marks and the corresponding sample in Z.

35. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein joining further comprises calculating a mixed signal comprising Z and the measured response.

36. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein joining further comprises inserting a transition snippet between Z and the newly measured samples comprising a first part comprising at least a part of Z, a second part comprising a mixture of Z and the measured response, and a third part comprising at least a part of the remaining measured response.

37. The computer program product according to claim 36, wherein the mixture comprises application of a function of one of the set of arbitrary, linear, logarithmic, exponential, and sinusoidal functions to each signal in the transition region.

38. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein joining comprises appending the measured response at an arbitrary point in Z;

disregarding that part of Z that extends beyond the arbitrary point, and disregarding samples in the measured response before the arbitrary point.

39. The computer program product according to claim 21, further comprising computer code for transmitting a continuous output audio signal using samples from output queue Z.

40. The computer program product according to claim 21, further comprising computer code for, in the event there are no previously measured samples in the output queue “

Z”

, assuming a null queue of “

L_z”

samples.