Effect sound output device

Abstract

To add sound effects that are further natural for listeners to a piece of music.SOLUTION: When outputting sound effects mixed in a musical piece, the sound effects are output so that the sound effects are mixed in the musical piece at a timing based on the time variation of the excitement of the musical piece.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sound effect output device. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technology that adds sound effects to music to create the atmosphere of a live concert venue. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a karaoke sound effect system, in which the type of sound effect is set according to the genre of the music, and the output mode of the sound effect (the number of people clapping and cheering) is set according to the size of the selected live concert venue. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-70999 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] At live music venues, the audience cheers and applauds as the music builds up. At live music venues, the audience cheers and applauds at the beginning and end of a performance. The timing of the cheers and applause varies depending on the size of the venue and the melody and genre of the music being played. However, Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration changes in the timing of cheers and applause that occur in response to the buildup of music or the melody and genre of the music.

[0005] One example of a problem that the present invention aims to solve is how to add sound effects to music that sound more natural to a listener. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 1 is a sound effect output device that outputs sound effects to be mixed into music, and outputs the sound effects so that the sound effects are mixed into the music at a timing based on the change in the excitement of the music over time.

[0007] The invention described in claim 6 is a sound effect output method executed by a computer for outputting sound effects to be mixed into music, wherein the sound effects are output so that they are mixed into the music at a timing based on the change in the excitement of the music over time.

[0008] The seventh aspect of the present invention allows a computer to execute the sound effect output method of the sixth aspect.

[0009] The invention as recited in claim 8 stores the sound effect output program as recited in claim 7. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 shows a sound effect mixing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of music output by a music output unit 120 and sound effects output by a sound effect output unit 130. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a processing operation in the sound effect mixing device 100. FIG. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of music output by a music output unit 120 and sound effects output by a sound effect output unit 130. FIG. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of music output by a music output unit 120 and sound effects output by a sound effect output unit 130. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a processing operation in the sound effect mixing device 100. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A sound effect output device according to one embodiment of the present invention outputs sound effects to be mixed into music, and outputs the sound effects so that the sound effects are mixed into the music at a timing based on the change in the excitement of the music over time. Therefore, this embodiment makes it possible to output sound effects that correspond to the excitement of the music. As a result, it becomes possible to add sound effects to the music that sound more natural to the listener, allowing the listener to experience the atmosphere of being at a live concert.

[0012] The sound effect may be output so that the first sound effect is mixed in at an exciting point in the music. For example, the sound effect may be output so that the sound effect is mixed in when the power of the bass range of the music exceeds a first threshold. Alternatively, the sound effect may be output when the power of the first range of the music exceeds a third threshold and the power of a second range higher than the first range of the music increases to exceed a fourth threshold, or when the power of the second range of the music exceeds a fourth threshold and the power of the first range of the music increases to exceed a third threshold. This makes it possible for listeners to experience the atmosphere of being at a live concert.

[0013] The sound effect may be output so that it is mixed in when the climax of the music ends. For example, the sound effect may be output so that the first sound effect is mixed in when the power of the low-frequency range of the music falls below a second threshold. Alternatively, the sound effect may be output when the power of the first frequency range of the music exceeds a third threshold, the power of a second frequency range higher than the first frequency range of the music exceeds a fourth threshold, and then, while the power of the first frequency range of the music remains above the third threshold, the second power of the music decreases and falls below a fifth threshold. This makes it possible for listeners to experience the atmosphere of being at a live concert.

[0014] The sound effects mixed into the music may be selected from a plurality of patterns of sound source data for the sound effects based on the melody of the music. Furthermore, the sound quality of the sound effects mixed into the music may be changed based on the melody of the music. Furthermore, the volume of the sound effects mixed into the music may be determined based on the melody of the music. This makes it possible to mix the sound effects in a way that blends with the music. As a result, it becomes possible for listeners to experience the atmosphere of being at a live concert venue.

[0015] Furthermore, a sound effect output method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a computer-executed sound effect output method for outputting sound effects to be mixed into music, the sound effects being output so that the sound effects are mixed into the music at a timing based on a change in the excitement of the music over time. Therefore, this embodiment makes it possible to output sound effects that correspond to the excitement of the music. As a result, it is possible to add sound effects to the music that sound more natural to the listener, allowing the listener to experience the atmosphere of being at a live concert.

[0016] A sound effect output program according to an embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to execute the above-described sound effect output method, thereby enabling the use of a computer to more effectively give listeners the feeling of being at a live concert venue.

[0017] Furthermore, a computer-readable storage medium according to one embodiment of the present invention stores the above-described sound effect output program, which allows the above-described sound effect output program to be distributed as a standalone program in addition to being incorporated into a device, and makes it easy to perform version upgrades, etc. [Example]

[0018] <Sound effect mixer 100> 1 shows a sound effects mixing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The sound effects mixing device 100 mixes (adds) sound effects to music and outputs the music so that listeners can experience the atmosphere of listening to music at a live venue. The sound effects mixing device 100 includes a storage unit 110 that stores music data, sound source data for sound effects, etc., a music output unit 120 that outputs music, a sound effects output unit 130 that outputs sound effects, and a mixing unit 140 that mixes the music output from the music output unit 120 with the sound effects output from the sound effects output unit 130. The sound of the music mixed with the sound effects by the mixing unit 140 is output from a sound output device such as a speaker.

[0019] The storage unit 110 stores music data and sound source data for sound effects. The storage unit 110 is a storage device such as a hard disk or flash memory.

[0020] The music output unit 120 outputs music. The music output unit 120 acquires music data stored in the storage unit 110, a CD (Compact Disc), or on the cloud, for example, generates a music signal from the acquired data, and outputs the generated music signal.

[0021] The sound effect output unit 130 outputs sound effects. For example, the sound effect output unit 130 acquires sound source data for sound effects stored in the storage unit 110, generates a sound effect signal from the acquired sound source data, and outputs the generated sound effect signal.

[0022] Sound effects include first sound effects such as cheers and applause that occur at the beginning and end of a song at a live venue, second sound effects such as ambient noise (bustling sounds) that occur constantly at a live venue, and third sound effects such as clapping in time with the rhythm and beat of the song at a live venue.

[0023] 2 is a diagram showing an example of music output by the music output unit 120 and sound effects output by the sound effect output unit 130. In the example shown in FIG. 2, first sound effects (such as cheers and applause) are added during the music or at the beginning and end of the music. Second sound effects (environmental sounds) are output before the music starts to be output and are output throughout the music being played. Third sound effects (such as clapping) are output in synchronization with the beat and tempo of the music while the music is being output, as will be described in detail below.

[0024] The mixing unit 140 mixes the music output from the music output unit 120 with the sound effects output from the sound effect output unit 130, and outputs the music mixed with the sound effects. The mixing unit 140 is, for example, a device that adds multiple signals and outputs the added signal, and adds the music signal output from the music output unit 120 and the sound effect signal output from the sound effect output unit 130, and outputs the added signal.

[0025] Furthermore, the sound effect mixing device 100 has a control unit 150 that controls the output of music from the music output unit 120 and the output of sound effects from the sound effect output unit 130. The control unit 150 is configured by, for example, a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like.

[0026] The control unit 150 has, for example, a music feature amount acquisition unit 151 that acquires feature amounts of music, a mode selection unit 152 that selects one mode from a plurality of modes related to the melody and genre of the music, the size of the live venue, etc., and an output control unit 153 that controls the output of music from the music output unit 120 and the output of sound effects from the sound effect output unit 130 based on the feature amounts of the music acquired by the music feature amount acquisition unit 151 and the mode selected by the mode selection unit 152. The sound effect output device of the above embodiment includes, for example, the sound effect output unit 130 and the control unit 150.

[0027] The music feature amount acquisition unit 151 acquires music feature amounts. The music feature amounts include, for example, the volume of the music, the position of the beats in the music, the number of beats per unit time (for example, BPM (Beats Per Minute)), the time signature of the music, the clarity of the beats in the music, the uniformity of the volume levels at the positions of the beats in the music, the number of types of chords used in the music, the number of chords per unit time, the clarity of the chords, the power of each band, the position of the chorus in the music, etc.

[0028] The music feature quantity acquisition unit 151 may acquire music feature quantities by analyzing the music, or music feature quantities obtained by a prior analysis may be stored in the storage unit 110 or the cloud, and the music feature quantity acquisition unit 151 may acquire music feature quantities stored in the storage unit 110 or the cloud. Furthermore, the music feature quantity acquisition unit 151 may acquire music feature quantities from tag information attached to music data stored in the storage unit 110, a CD, or the like.

[0029] For example, the output control unit 153 may control the volume of the sound effects output from the sound effect output unit 130 based on the volume of the music acquired by the music feature amount acquisition unit 151. In this way, it is possible to prevent the volume of the mixed sound effects from being too loud or too quiet compared to the volume of the music, making it possible to impart sound effects to the music that are more natural to the listener and allowing the listener to experience the atmosphere of being at a live concert. In addition, the output control unit 153 may detect the melody of the music based on the features of the music acquired by the music feature amount acquisition unit 151, and control the volume of the sound effects output from the sound effect output unit 130 based on the detected melody.

[0030] The output control unit 153 may also detect the level and melody of the music based on the feature quantities of the music acquired by the music feature quantity acquisition unit 151, and control the output of sound effects from the sound effect output unit 130 based on the detected level and melody. In this case, for example, the storage unit 110 may store sound effects for each level and melody of the music, and the output control unit 153 may output the sound effects based on the detected level and melody. For example, the storage unit 110 may store sound effects for large venues such as stadiums, outdoor festivals, and arenas, sound effects for medium-sized venues such as halls and medium- to large-sized live music venues, and sound effects for small venues such as small live music venues and music bars, and the output control unit 153 may determine, based on the detected melody, whether the sound effects output from the sound effect output unit 130 should be large-, medium-, or small-sized venues. This allows sound effects to be added that match the music, making it possible to output more natural sound effects according to the music. As a result, it becomes possible to add sound effects to music that sound more natural to the listener, allowing the listener to experience the atmosphere of being at a live concert.

[0031] The mode selection unit 152 selects one mode from a plurality of modes related to the melody and genre of the music, the size of the live venue, etc. At this time, the mode selection unit 152 may select the mode based on a user input, or may select the mode based on the feature amount of the music, tag information of the music, etc.

[0032] For example, the multiple modes may include modes prepared for different sizes of live music venues. For example, modes for large-scale venues, medium-scale venues, and small-scale venues may be prepared. The output control unit 153 then determines the sound effects to be output from the sound effect output unit 130 based on the mode selected by the mode selection unit 152 (i.e., for example, if a large-scale mode is selected, the output sound effects may be determined to be large-scale sound effects), and may control the sound effect output unit 130 to output the determined sound effects. In this way, sound effects that match the music can be added, making it possible to output more natural sound effects according to the music. As a result, it is possible to add sound effects that sound more natural to the listener, allowing the listener to experience the atmosphere of being at a live music venue.

[0033] For example, the multiple modes may include modes prepared for different musical styles or genres. For example, a mode for upbeat music, a mode for calm music, a mode for classical music, a mode for jazz, and the like may be prepared. The storage unit 110 may then store sound effects for each mode, and the output control unit 153 may determine the sound effects to be output from the sound effect output unit 130 based on the mode selected by the mode selection unit 152 (i.e., when the upbeat music mode is selected, the output sound effects may be determined to be those for upbeat music), and may control the sound effect output unit 130 to output the determined sound effects. In this manner, sound effects suited to the music may be added, making it possible to output more natural sound effects according to the music. As a result, it is possible to add sound effects that are more natural to the listener, allowing the listener to experience the atmosphere of being at a live concert.

[0034] <Processing Operation in Sound Effect Mixing Apparatus 100> 3 is a diagram showing an example of the processing operation of the sound effect mixing device 100 according to this embodiment. The music feature quantity 151 acquires the feature quantity of the music, or the mode selection unit 152 selects a mode (step S301). The output control unit 153 outputs the music from the music output unit 120 and outputs the sound effects from the sound effect output unit 130 based on the acquired feature quantity or the selected mode (step S302). The mixing unit 140 mixes the music output from the music output unit 120 with the sound effects output from the sound effect output unit 130 (step S303).

[0035] <Output of Sound Effects by Sound Effect Output Unit 130> At a live concert venue, cheers and applause occur from the audience as the music gets more and more exciting.

[0036] Therefore, in the sound effects mixing device 100 according to this embodiment, sound effects are mixed into music at a timing based on the change in the excitement of the music over time. That is, in the sound effects mixing device 100 according to this embodiment, the output control unit 153 controls the output of sound effects from the sound effects output unit 130 so that sound effects are mixed into music at a timing based on an index indicating the excitement of the music. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to output sound effects according to the excitement of the music. As a result, it is possible to impart sound effects to music that are more natural to the listener, allowing the listener to experience the atmosphere of being at a live concert. In this case, it is preferable to use the power of the low-frequency range of the music (for example, a range below 300 Hz) as an index indicating the excitement of the music.

[0037] At a live concert, when the music reaches an exciting point, the audience also gets excited, cheering and clapping. Therefore, the output control unit 153 may control the output of sound effects from the sound effect output unit 130, for example, so that the first sound effect is mixed in at the exciting point in the music. In this case, for example, the point where the power of the bass range of the music exceeds a predetermined value may be determined to be the exciting point in the music. In other words, the output control unit 153 may control the output of sound effects from the sound effect output unit 130 so that the first sound effect is mixed in when the power of the bass range of the music increases and exceeds a first threshold.

[0038] Furthermore, at a live music venue, cheers and applause occur when the music reaches its peak. Therefore, the output control unit 153 may control the output of sound effects from the sound effect output unit 130, for example, so that the first sound effect is mixed in when the music reaches its peak. In this case, the point where the power of the bass range of the music falls below a predetermined value may be determined as the point where the music reaches its peak. That is, the output control unit 153 may control the output of sound effects from the sound effect output unit 130, for example, so that the first sound effect is mixed in when the power of the bass range of the music exceeds a first threshold, then drops below a second threshold. Here, the second threshold may be the same value as the first threshold, or may be a value different from the first threshold. The second threshold may be, for example, a value equal to or less than the first threshold.

[0039] Furthermore, the power of a first range of a song and the power of a second range of a song that is higher than the first range may be used as indicators of the excitement of the song. In this case, the first range may be, for example, a low range (for example, a range below 300 Hz), and the second range may be, for example, a mid range (for example, a range between 300 Hz and 4.5 kHz).

[0040] In this case, a point where the power of both the first range of the music and the power of the second range of the music exceed a predetermined value may be determined to be a highlight of the music. That is, the output control unit 153 may control the output of sound effects from the sound effect output unit 130 so that, for example, the first sound effect is mixed in when the power of the first range of the music exceeds the third threshold and the power of the second range of the music increases to exceed the fourth threshold; the first sound effect is mixed in when the power of the second range of the music exceeds the fourth threshold and the power of the first range of the music increases to exceed the third threshold; and the first sound effect is mixed in when the power of the first range increases to exceed the third threshold and simultaneously the power of the second range increases to exceed the fourth threshold. The third and fourth thresholds are set as appropriate.

[0041] Furthermore, the point where the power of the second range of the music falls below a predetermined value may be determined as the end of the music's excitement. That is, the output control unit 153 may control the output of sound effects from the sound effect output unit 130 so that, for example, when the power of the second range of the music exceeds the third threshold and the power of the first range of the music exceeds the fourth threshold, the power of the second range of the music decreases while the first power of the music remains above the third threshold, and the first sound effect is mixed in when the power falls below the fifth threshold. The fifth threshold may be the same value as the fourth threshold, or may be a value different from the fourth threshold. The fifth threshold is, for example, a value equal to or less than the fourth threshold.

[0042] In this case, if the power of the first range of the music exceeds the third threshold, the power of the second range of the music exceeds the fourth threshold, and then the power of the first range of the music decreases while the power of the second range of the music remains above the fifth threshold and falls below the sixth threshold, it is preferable not to mix the first sound effect. In other words, if the power of the first range of the music falls below the sixth threshold before the power of the second range of the music falls below the fifth threshold, it is preferable not to mix the first sound effect. The sixth threshold may be the same value as the third threshold, or may be a value different from the third threshold. The sixth threshold is, for example, a value equal to or less than the third threshold.

[0043] The length of the sound effects mixed at a timing based on the change in the excitement of the music over time may be fixed at a predetermined value, or may be varied depending on the characteristics of the music, such as the melody or genre of the music, or the way the music builds up.

[0044] Furthermore, at live concerts, when a song is played, the audience cheers and applauds at the beginning and end of the performance. The timing of the cheers and applause varies depending on the size of the concert venue and the style and genre of the song being played.

[0045] Therefore, the sound effect mixing device 100 according to this embodiment determines how to add the first sound effects (cheers, applause) to the music based on the melody and genre of the music. At this time, the melody and genre of the music may be acquired by the music feature amount acquisition unit 151. Furthermore, if modes are prepared for each melody and genre, the melody and genre of the music may also be determined by selecting a mode by the mode selection unit 152. Therefore, the sound effect mixing device 100 according to this embodiment may determine how to add the first sound effects (cheers, applause) to the music based on the set mode (i.e., the mode selected by the mode selection unit).

[0046] For example, in the sound effects mixing device 100 according to this embodiment, the output control unit 153 determines the time for which the first sound effect will overlap the beginning of the music based on the melody of the music (e.g., the melody of the beginning of the music) and the genre or the mode selected by the mode selection unit, and controls the output of the music by the music output unit 120 and the output of the sound effects by the sound effect output unit 130 based on this determination. In particular, in the sound effects mixing device 100 according to this embodiment, the output control unit 153 determines whether to output the first sound effect so as to overlap the beginning of the music based on the melody of the music, the genre, or the mode selected by the mode selection unit, and controls the output of the music by the music output unit and the output of the sound effects by the sound effect output unit based on this determination. For example, in this embodiment, the sound effects output unit 130 is controlled to output the first sound effect so as to overlap the beginning of the music, as shown in FIG. 4. Also, in this embodiment, the sound effects output unit 130 is controlled to output the first sound effect before the output of the music starts, so as not to overlap with the music, as shown in FIG. 5. In this way, in this embodiment, it is possible to output sound effects that correspond to the melody and genre of the music, which results in more natural sound effects being added to the music, allowing the listener to experience the atmosphere of being at a live concert.

[0047] Furthermore, the timing of outputting the sound effect added to the beginning of the music may be determined based on the volume of the music or the speed at which the volume of the music changes.

[0048] Furthermore, the sound effect mixing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment determines the timing for outputting the sound effect to be added to the end of a piece of music based on the time remaining until the end of the piece of music and the volume of the piece of music. For example, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the first sound effect to be added to the end of a piece of music is output when the level of the piece of music drops below a predetermined volume value after a predetermined time te before the end of the piece of music. This makes it possible to add the first sound effect, such as cheers or applause, to a piece of music at the same timing as the cheers or applause that audiences make when they realize that a piece of music has ended at a live concert.

[0049] The volume change at the end of a song varies depending on the song. Therefore, the timing of outputting the sound effect added to the end of a song may be based on the speed of the volume change of the song. In this way, it is possible to output a sound effect that is appropriate for the volume change at the end of the song.

[0050] In this case, the predetermined volume value that serves as the threshold may be determined based on the melody of the song (for example, the melody at the end of the song), the genre, and / or the size of the venue. In this way, it is possible to add sound effects to the song that sound more natural to the listener, allowing the listener to experience the atmosphere of being at a live concert venue.

[0051] For example, music styles and genres may be divided into two groups, a first group and a second group, and when the music style or genre is included in the first group, the output control unit 153 may control the music output unit 120 and the sound effect output unit 130 to start outputting the first sound effect, as shown in Fig. 4. When the music style or genre is included in the second group, the output control unit 153 may control the music output unit 120 and the music output unit 130 to start outputting the music after the sound effect output unit 130 has finished outputting the first sound effect, as shown in Fig. 5.

[0052] Calm music is often played in smaller venues than upbeat music. Therefore, for example, when the music style or genre of the music is included in a first group, the output control unit 153 may control the sound effect output unit 140 to start outputting the first sound effect after a predetermined time te before the end of the music and when the volume of the music becomes equal to or less than a first volume value, and when the music style or genre of the music is included in a second group, the output control unit 153 may control the sound effect output unit 140 to start outputting the first sound effect after a predetermined time te before the end of the music and when the volume of the music becomes equal to or less than a second volume value.

[0053] Alternatively, multiple types of sound source data for the first sound effect may be stored in the storage unit 110, and the output control unit 153 may randomly select one piece of sound source data from the multiple types of sound source data and output this sound source data as the first sound effect each time the first sound effect is output. In this way, the cheers and applause change between the beginning and end of a song, and also change for each song, making the sound effects added to the song more natural and allowing the listener to experience the atmosphere of being at a live concert.

[0054] In this case, the storage unit 110 may store multiple types of sound source data for the first sound effect for each size of venue, and the output control unit 153 may randomly select from the multiple types of sound source data for the venue size based on the mode selected by the mode selection unit 152 and output this sound source data as the first sound effect each time the first sound effect is output. In this way, cheers and applause appropriate for the size of the venue are added to the music, making it possible to add sound effects to the music that are more natural for listeners and allowing listeners to experience the atmosphere of being at a live venue.

[0055] The storage unit 110 may store a plurality of patterns of sound source data for the first sound effect for each musical style, and the output control unit 153 may detect the musical style of the music based on the feature amount of the music acquired by the music feature amount acquisition unit 151, select one pattern of sound source data from the plurality of patterns of sound source data based on the detected musical style, and output the sound source data of the selected pattern as the first sound effect. The sound source data patterns may include, for example, a pattern in which applause is more prominent than cheers, or a pattern in which cheers are more prominent than applause.

[0056] In addition, the output control unit 153 may detect the melody of the music based on the feature of the music acquired by the music feature acquisition unit 151, and change the sound quality of the first sound effect output from the sound effect output unit 130 based on the detected melody.

[0057] The output control unit 153 may detect the melody of the music based on the feature amounts of the music acquired by the music feature amount acquisition unit 151, and may control the volume of the sound effects output from the sound effect output unit 130 based on the detected melody. At this time, the output control unit 130 may gradually increase the volume of the sound effects, for example, by gradually increasing the volume of the first sound effect and then gradually decreasing the volume. At this time, the output control unit 153 may determine the transition of the volume when the volume of the first sound effect increases and the transition of the volume when the volume of the first sound effect decreases based on the melody of the music.

[0058] In addition to the sound source data for the first sound effect added during the music, sound source data for the first sound effect added at the beginning of the music and sound source data for the first sound effect added at the end of the music may be prepared. In this case, multiple types of sound source data may be prepared for each of the sound source data for the first sound effect added during the music, the first sound effect added at the beginning of the music, and the first sound effect added at the end of the music.

[0059] When consecutive songs are output, the output control unit 153 may have the song output unit 120 output the next song after the first sound effect added to the end of the previous song has finished outputting, as shown in Fig. 4. In this case, the time ti between the previous song and the next song may be constant or may be selected randomly.

[0060] Furthermore, for example, when music pieces of a genre included in the second group are output consecutively, the output control unit 153 may cause the music output unit 120 to output the next music piece when the output of the first sound effect added to the end of the previous music piece has finished, as shown in Fig. 5. Alternatively, when music pieces of a genre included in the second group are output consecutively, the output control unit 153 may cause the sound effect output unit 130 not to output the first sound effect while the music pieces are being output consecutively, but may cause the sound effect output unit 130 to output the first sound effect only at the end of the last music piece. In this case, the output control unit 153 may cause the music output unit 120 to output the music pieces so that there is no gap between the consecutive music pieces.

[0061] The output level of the first sound effect may be gradually increased from zero over a certain period of time from the start of output of the first sound effect, i.e., the first sound effect may be faded in.

[0062] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the processing operation of the sound effect mixing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment. If the melody or genre of the music is included in the first group (step S601, YES), the output control unit 153 first outputs the music using the music output unit 120 (step S602). When a predetermined time tb has elapsed since the music was output (step S603, YES), the output control unit 153 randomly selects one piece of sound source data from multiple types of sound source data for the first sound effect (step S604), and outputs this sound source data as the first sound effect using the sound effect output unit 130 (step S605).

[0063] Until the time exceeds a predetermined time te before the end of the music (step S606, NO; step S610, NO), the power of the bass range of the music increases, and when it exceeds a first threshold (step S607, YES), the output control unit 153 randomly selects one piece of sound source data from the multiple types of sound source data for the first sound effect (step S608), and outputs this sound source data as the first sound effect via the sound effect output unit 130 (step S609).After that, when the power of the bass range of the music decreases and falls below a second threshold (step S611, YES), the output control unit 153 randomly selects one piece of sound source data from the multiple types of sound source data for the first sound effect (step S612), and outputs this sound source data as the first sound effect via the sound effect output unit 130 (step S613).

[0064] Then, after the time has passed a predetermined time te before the end of the music (step S606, YES), when the volume of the music falls below the first volume value (step S614, YES), the output control unit 153 randomly selects one piece of sound source data from the multiple types of sound source data for the first sound effect (step S615), and outputs this sound source data as the first sound effect via the sound effect output unit 130 (step S616).

[0065] On the other hand, if the melody or genre of the music is not included in the first group but is included in the second group (step S601, NO), the output control unit 153 first randomly selects one piece of sound source data from the multiple types of sound source data for the first sound effect (step S617), and outputs this sound source data as the first sound effect using the sound effect output unit 130 (step S618).When the output of the first sound effect has finished (step S619, YES), the output control unit 153 outputs the music using the music output unit 120 (step S620).

[0066] Then, after the time has passed a predetermined time te before the end of the music (step S621, YES), when the volume of the music falls below the second volume value (step S622, YES), the output control unit 153 randomly selects one piece of sound source data from the multiple types of sound source data for the first sound effect (step S623), and outputs this sound source data as the first sound effect via the sound effect output unit 130 (step S624).

[0067] Furthermore, the output control unit 153 may determine the volume of the first sound effect output by the sound effect output unit 130 and the transition of the volume of the first sound effect based on the volume of the music and the speed at which the volume of the music changes.

[0068] The present invention has been described above in terms of preferred embodiments thereof. While the present invention has been described herein with reference to specific examples, various modifications and variations can be made to these examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 100 Sound Effects Mixer 110 Storage section 120 Music output section 130 Sound effect output section 140 Mixing section 150 control section 151 Music feature acquisition unit 152 Mode selection section 153 Output control section

Claims

[Claim 1] A sound effect output device that outputs sound effects to be mixed into music, The sound effect output device outputs the sound effect so that the sound effect is mixed with the music at a timing based on a change in the excitement of the music over time.

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