Divisi method for assignment of monophonic recordings to keys of a polyphonic keyboard

Abstract

The application is about assignment of monophonic. The task is to improve divisi to enable the player to build dynamics, to enable creation of realistic polyphonic legato from monophonic recordings and / or to provide a more direct response to the playing. For each key newly pressed during the chord time period it is searched for a preferred instrument not currently assigned, if none was found, a recording with the key's pitch of the instrument with a suiting pitch window from the, preferably priorly playing, assigned recordings of instruments with the assigned recording having the pitch closest to the key's pitch is assigned, preferably while changing assignment of priorly assigned key to a different instrument and provided that not more than a predefined number of assignment changes are required for all assignments for the chord time period and else removing assignment of priorly assigned key.

Description

[0001] The application is about assignment of monophonic recordings to keys of a polyphonic keyboard and a corresponding keyboard.

[0002] It is known from WO 2008 / 016649 A2 to manage volume within a polyphonic system.

[0003] WO 2008 / 094415 A2 and US 2015 / 0027299 A1 disclose a swap divisi process featuring divisi assignments to be made incrementally allowing dynamics to build per key pressed using a priority scheme or continually subdividing sections into subsections as more notes are assigned.

[0004] The task is to improve divisi to enable the player to build dynamics, to enable creation of realistic polyphonic legato from monophonic recordings and / or to provide a more direct response to the playing.

[0005] The task is solved by an auto-divisi method for choosing over time different sets of monophonic instrument recordings for playback from a given archive of monophonic instrument recordings, the archive featuring multiple recordings for different pitches for each of a multitude of monophonic instruments each with an assigned predefined suited pitch window (e.g. playable range) and a predefined preferred pitch window, wherein choosing is performed based on time sequence of polyphonic musical note information providing a time sequence of pressed and released keys and assigning instrument recordings to pressed keys, wherein the method uses chord time periods of, preferably predefined, chord time period duration or durations, preferably in the range of 1 ms to 200 ms, preferably 10 ms to 150 ms, wherein during each chord time period no new assignment of monophonic instrument recordings to a key is performed. Preferably all chord time periods are of the same length. wherein the method over time repeats the following steps for each chord time period, wherein chord time period is started when a key is pressed, provided no chord time period is currently running: collecting all newly pressed and released keys during the chord time period for the collection: Assigning all newly pressed keys, preferably from highest to lowest pith, each to a different monophonic instrument, during a processing time shorter than the current and / or next chord time period, preferably shorter than 1 ms, by: ∘ Removing assignments of instrument recording assigned to keys released during the chord time period ∘ For each key newly pressed during the chord time period ▪ searching for a preferred instrument not currently assigned from within the archive based upon matching of preferred pitch window and key's pitch, assigning instrument recording of such preferred instrument with the matching pitch to the key, if possible ▪ if no instrument was assigned, searching a suitable instrument not currently assigned from within the archive based on matching pitch window, assigning instrument recording of such suited instrument with the matching pitch to the key, if possible ▪ if no instrument recording could be assigned, assigning a recording with the key's pitch of the instrument with a suiting pitch window from the, preferably priorly playing, assigned (preferably during the assignment for the last chord time period and / or before and still playing) recordings of instruments with the assigned recording having the pitch closest to the key's pitch, preferably while, provided that not more than a predefined number of assignment changes are required for all assignments for the chord time period, changing assignment of priorly assigned key to a different instrument and else removing assignment of priorly assigned key, if already playing a playback changing playback to assigned instrument recordings, preferably by a legato change, and else starting playback of assigned instrument recordings.

[0006] The task is further solved by a Keyboard including a processing unit and a memory furnished to execute the above and / or below method by use of the processing unit.

[0007] Should more keys be pressed than the number of available suited monophonic instruments, preferably pressed keys, preferably those with the lowest pitch of those having too many keys pressed, will be ignored until less keys are pressed and / or more suited monophonic instruments get available.

[0008] Assigning all newly pressed keys is preferably performed by keeping old assignments of such keys not released as far as instrument does not need to be reassigned. This makes for more consistent playback.

[0009] The memory, further, features the archive featuring multiple recordings for different pitches for each of a multitude of monophonic instruments each with an assigned predefined suited pitch window and a predefined preferred pitch window Preferably the archive further features recordings for different pitches for at least some of, particularly each of, the multitude of monophonic instruments for sustain as well as attack, decay, release and / or for pairs of different pitches legato change recordings.

[0010] With advantage, especially for every note not played as pizzicato and / or plucking, changing of playback is performed with legato change for any instruments currently playing prior to the change and / or with non-legato for any instrument not playing prior to the change.

[0011] Playback for each assigned instrument is preferably performed by playing a starting playback and directly thereafter a middle playback and directly thereafter an end playback, wherein preferably the starting playback is such of an attack recording or, especially first part of a, legato change recording, the middle playback is such of a sustain and / or decay recording and / or the end playback is such of a release or, especially last part of a, legato change recording. Playback might repetitions of recordings and / or end playing of recordings prior to their end

[0012] Legato change is preferably performed by playing a legato change recording.

[0013] Preferably at most one instrument recording is assigned to each newly pressed key. This makes for more consistent playback.

[0014] Advantageously searching a suited instrument is performed by searching the suited instrument with the preferred pitch window closest to the key's pitch. This allows for most direct influence of the player.

[0015] With advantage, if all the instruments are already assigned the searching preferred and / or suited instruments is skipped.

[0016] Preferably, at most, only as many monophonic instrument recordings are played / assigned at a time for playback as the number of keys held. This allows for more direct control of the player.

[0017] It might happen that fewer recordings are played than keys pressed. E.g. in instances that more than a predefined number of assignment changes, preferably in the range of two to five) are required for all assignments for the chord time period, there will be no recording assigned to the key the instrument was stolen from even while that key is still pressed to avoid excessive use of legato change.

[0018] If a key is released and no chord time period is active, playback of instrument recording assigned to released key is preferably immediately stopped or changed to a release recording, especially of the same pitch as played before, and especially stopped after playing of release recording and / or without starting or waiting for an end of a chord timer period. This enhances the direct control of the playback without adding to the processing power requirements. Preferably, should a chord time period end while a release recording is playing the release recording is played to its end while the assignment and the start and change of playback resulting therefrom is performed not keeping into account the playback of the release recording at all.

[0019] With advantage whenever the number of notes released matches the number of new notes pressed during a chord time period, a polyphonic legato process is applied, featuring legato change for all instruments based on assigning newly pressed keys to the instruments used by those which were released, preferably only if no other factors block this from being possible.

[0020] Preferably, when an assignment is removed and there is no legato change for that instrument a release recording is played to fade out playing of a note.

[0021] Advantageously preferred pitch windows do not overlap and / or pitch windows include only one pitch each. This allows for simple assignment and reduced processing effort.

[0022] Preferably, for each instrument the preferred pitch window is the lower or upper end of the suited pitch window. The size of the preferred pitch window and the suitable pitch range operate as a way influence the likelihood a note is played by that instrument. A smaller preferred pitch window which exists only outside of a pitch range typically used to play melodies (higher octaves) or bass lines (lower octaves) will result in a greatly decreased likelihood that the instrument associated with it is chosen to play an incoming note when several instruments are available.

[0023] The size (the number of notes which fall within) of the preferred pitch window and the pitch range it occupies operate as a way to bias the likelihood a note is assigned to such instrument. A smaller preferred pitch window or such that lies outside of a pitch range typically used to play melodies (higher octaves) or bass lines (lower octaves) will result in a greatly decreased likelihood that the instrument associated with it is assigned to play an incoming note when several instruments are available.

[0024] Preferably at least one instrument should be designated as a lead or melody instrument, having a preferred pitch window which has its lowest pitch not higher than within an octave (+- 12 semitones) of 'Middle C' and / or MIDI Note Number 60 and / or has its highest pitch at not lower than MIDI Note Number 84. This will allow for the easy performance of melodies while using the method.

[0025] Preferably at least one instrument, preferably different from the at least or one lead or melody instrument, should be designated as a bass instrument, having a preferred pitch window which has its lowest pith not lower than within an octave of MIDI Note Number 24 and / or its highest pitch not lower than MIDI Note Number 48. This will allow for the easy performance of bass lines while using the system.

[0026] The following figures shall allow for further elaboration of the invention by way of example. Figure 1illustrates the assignment and Figure 2illustrates the legato change process.

[0027] Fig. 1 illustrates from bottom to top the assignment while showing on the left the playable range or suited pitch windows and the preferred ranges or preferred pitch windows regarding four instruments. In the lower right the pressed keys are shown by rectangulars while time develops from left to right and pitch from bottom to top.

[0028] The top row shows the result of the assignment process.

[0029] One can see that pressing of C4 results in a shift down by legato changes. G3 is transferred from Violin 1 to Violin 2 while C3 transfers to Viola. This results in a legato Change G3- > C4 for Violine 1 and C3->G3 for Violine 2 as well as Viola starting playback of C3.

[0030] Pressing of G4, in contrast, results in a steal process an C4 not being played while still being pressed as the number of legato changes required for a process comparable to the preceding pressing of C4 would exceed the predefined limit.

[0031] Fig. 2 from bottom to top shows the keys pressed over time as in Fig. 1 and instrument assignments and in the top two rows the playback for violin 1 recordings. It illustrates the different recordings for sustain, legato transition (legato change process), second sustain and release trigger recording in the second row. In the top row it depicts this process while showing pitch level (on the y-axis) change from C4 to G4 as well.

Claims

1. Auto-Divisi method for choosing over time different sets of monophonic instrument recordings for playback from a given archive of monophonic instrument recordings, the archive featuring multiple recordings for different pitches for each of a multitude of monophonic instruments each with an assigned predefined suited pitch window and a predefined preferred pitch window, wherein choosing is performed based on time sequence of polyphonic musical note information providing a time sequence of pressed and released keys and assigning instrument recordings to pressed keys, wherein the method uses chord time periods of, preferably predefined, chord time period duration, preferably in the range of 1 ms to 200 ms, preferably 10 ms to 150 ms, wherein during each chord time period no new assignment of monophonic instrument recordings to a key is performed, wherein the method over time repeats the following steps for each chord time period, wherein chord time period is started when a key is pressed, provided no chord time period is currently running: - collecting all newly pressed and released keys during the chord time period - for the collection: Assigning all newly pressed keys each to a different monophonic instrument, during a processing time shorter than the chord time period, preferably shorter than 1 ms, by: ∘ Removing assignments of instrument recording assigned to keys released during the chord time period ∘ For each key newly pressed during the chord time period ▪ searching for a preferred instrument not currently assigned from within the archive based upon matching of preferred pitch window and key's pitch, assigning instrument recording of such preferred instrument with the matching pitch to the key, if possible ▪ if no instrument was assigned, searching a suitable instrument not currently assigned from within the archive based on matching pitch window, assigning instrument recording of such suited instrument with the matching pitch to the key, if possible ▪ if no instrument recording could be assigned, assigning a recording with the key's pitch of the instrument with a suiting pitch window from the, preferably priorly playing, assigned instruments with the assigned recording having the pitch closest to the key's pitch, preferably while provided that not more than a predefined number of assignment changes are required for all assignments for the chord time period changing assignment of priorly assigned key to a different instrument and else removing assignment of priorly assigned key, - if already playing a playback changing playback to assigned instrument recordings and else starting playback of assigned instrument recordings.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the archive further features recordings for different pitches for at least some of, particularly each of, the multitude of monophonic instruments for sustain as well as attack, decay, release and / or for pairs of different pitches legato change recordings.

3. Method according to any proceeding claim, wherein changing of playback is performed with legato change for any instruments currently playing prior to the change and / or with non-legato for any instrument not playing prior to the change.

4. Method according to any proceeding claim, wherein assigning one instrument recording to each newly pressed key.

5. Method according to any proceeding claim, wherein searching a suited instrument is performed by searching the suited instrument with the preferred pitch window closest to the key's pitch.

6. Method according to any proceeding claim, wherein if all the instruments are already assigned the method skips searching preferred and / or suited instruments.

7. Method according to any proceeding claim, wherein only as many monophonic instrument recordings are played / assigned at a time for playback as the number of keys held.

8. Method according to any proceeding claim, wherein if a key is released and no chord time period is active, stopping playback of instrument recording assigned to released key and / or changing to a release recording, especially of the same pitch, and stopping playback after playing of the release recording.

9. Method according to any proceeding claim, wherein when the number of notes released matches the number of new notes pressed during a chord time period, the method applies a polyphonic legato process assigning newly pressed keys to the instruments used by those which were released, preferably only if no other factors block this from being possible.

10. Method according to any proceeding claim, wherein preferred pitch windows do not overlap and / or pitch windows include only one pitch each.

11. Method according to any proceeding claim, wherein for each instrument the preferred pitch window is the lower or upper end of the suited pitch window.

12. Keyboard including a processing unit and a memory furnished to execute the above method by use of the processing unit.

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