Signal generation device, signal generation method, and program

Abstract

To vary a position in changing attenuation control with damper pedal operation depending on a performance situation.SOLUTION: A signal generation device in one embodiment includes a signal generation unit and an attenuation control unit. The signal generation unit generates a sound signal based on key operation data related to key operations. The attenuation control unit controls an attenuation speed of the sound signal based on pedal operation data related to pedal operation positions. The attenuation control unit controls the attenuation speed so as to be a first speed when the operation position is in a first range among ranges in which the operation position can be changed, and controls the attenuation speed so as to be a second speed greater than the first speed when the operation position is in a second range adjacent to the first range. The first boundary position between the first range and the second range is determined based on control information obtained by the key operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for generating sound signals.

Background Art

[0002] In order to make the sound from an electronic piano as close as possible to the sound of an acoustic piano, various devices have been made. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for controlling the sound decay rate when a damper pedal is operated in order to more reflect the influence of the damper in an acoustic piano on the sound.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The decay of the sound generated in an electronic musical instrument is controlled according to the position of the damper pedal. This decay is controlled assuming a state where the damper is separated from the string (damper on) or a state where the damper is in contact with the string (damper off) in the case of an electronic piano. There are also cases where the decay is controlled assuming a state where the damper is slightly in contact with the string (half pedal). The control corresponding to each state is executed corresponding to a plurality of set ranges determined by previously dividing the operable range of the damper pedal. The plurality of set ranges do not change from the previously determined set ranges regardless of the performance situation.

[0005] One of the objects of the present invention is to change the position when changing the decay control by operating the damper pedal according to the performance situation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to one embodiment, a signal generation unit that generates a sound signal based on key operation data related to the operation of a key, and an attenuation control unit that controls the attenuation rate of the sound signal based on pedal operation data related to the operation position of a pedal, wherein when the operation position exists in a first range within a range where the operation position can change, the attenuation rate is controlled to a first rate, and when the operation position exists in a second range adjacent to the first range, the attenuation rate is controlled to a second rate greater than the first rate. A signal generation device is provided, wherein a first boundary position between the first range and the second range is determined based on control information obtained by the operation of the key.

[0007] When the operation position exists in a third range different from the first range and the second range, the attenuation control unit may control the attenuation rate to a third rate different from the first rate and the second rate.

[0008] The third range may be adjacent to one of the first range and the second range. A second boundary position between one of the first range and the second range and the third range may be determined based on information related to the operation of the key.

[0009] The third range may be adjacent to the second range. A second boundary position between the third range and the second range may be determined based on the control information.

[0010] The first boundary position and the second boundary position may be determined such that the difference between the first boundary position and the second boundary position varies depending on the control information.

[0011] The control information may include pitch information corresponding to the key. The first boundary position may indicate a first position when the pitch information indicates a first pitch. When the pitch is a second pitch higher than the first pitch, it may indicate a second position closer to the rest position than the first position.

[0012] The control information may include speed information of the key. The first boundary position may indicate a third position when the speed information indicates a first speed. When the speed is a second speed smaller than the first speed, it may indicate a fourth position closer to the rest position than the third position.

[0013] The control information may include output level information of the sound signal generated by the operation of the key. The first boundary position may indicate a fifth position when the output level information indicates a first output level. When the output level is a second output level smaller than the first output level, it may indicate a sixth position closer to the rest position than the fifth position.

[0014] The first boundary position between the first range and the second range may be determined based on control information obtained by an operation of the key corresponding to the sound signal whose attenuation rate is controlled.

[0015] According to an embodiment, a signal generation method is provided, including generating a sound signal based on key operation data related to an operation of a key, and controlling an attenuation rate of the sound signal based on pedal operation data related to an operation position of a pedal. Controlling the attenuation rate of the sound signal includes determining a first boundary position between a first range and a second range adjacent to the first range within a range where the operation position is changeable, based on control information obtained by an operation of the key, controlling the attenuation rate to a first speed when the operation position exists in the first range, and controlling the attenuation rate to a second speed greater than the first speed when the operation position exists in the second range.

[0016] According to an embodiment, generating a sound signal based on key operation data related to the operation of a key, and controlling the attenuation rate of the sound signal based on pedal operation data related to the operation position of a pedal, including determining, based on control information obtained by the operation of the key, a first boundary position between a first range and a second range adjacent to the first range within a range where the operation position is changeable when controlling the attenuation rate of the sound signal, controlling the attenuation rate to a first rate when the operation position is in the first range, and controlling the attenuation rate to a second rate greater than the first rate when the operation position is in the second range, a program for causing a computer to execute the above is provided.

Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, the position when changing the attenuation control by the operation of the damper pedal can be changed according to the performance situation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, a keyboard instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are examples of the embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not construed as being limited to these embodiments. In the drawings referred to in the present embodiment, the same parts or parts having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals or similar reference numerals (reference numerals with A, B, etc. attached after the numbers), and the repeated description thereof may be omitted.

[0020] <Embodiment> [Configuration of Keyboard Instrument] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a keyboard instrument according to an embodiment. The keyboard instrument 1 is, for example, an electronic keyboard instrument such as an electronic piano, and is an example of an electronic musical instrument having a plurality of keys 70 as performance operators. When the user operates the keys 70, sound is generated from the speaker 60. The type (tone color) of the generated sound is changed using the operation unit 21. In this example, the keyboard instrument 1 can produce a sound close to that of an acoustic piano when using the tone color of a piano. In particular, the keyboard instrument 1 can produce a sound that more accurately reflects the influence of the damper in a performance using the damper pedal. Subsequently, each configuration of the keyboard instrument 1 will be described in detail.

[0021] The keyboard instrument 1 includes a plurality of keys 70, a housing 50, and a pedal device 90. The plurality of keys 70 are rotatably supported by the housing 50. The operation unit 21, the display unit 23, and the speaker 60 are arranged on the housing 50. Inside the housing 50, a control unit 10, a storage unit 30, a key behavior measurement unit 75, and a sound source unit 80 are arranged. The pedal device 90 includes a damper pedal 91, a shift pedal 93, and a pedal behavior measurement unit 95. Each configuration arranged inside the housing 50 is connected via a bus.

[0022] In this example, the keyboard instrument 1 includes an interface for inputting and outputting signals to and from an external device. The interface includes, for example, a terminal for outputting a sound signal, a cable connection terminal for transmitting and receiving MIDI data, and the like. In this example, when the pedal device 90 is connected to the interface, the pedal behavior measurement unit 95 is connected to each component arranged inside the housing 50 via the bus described above.

[0023] The control unit 10 includes an arithmetic processing circuit such as a CPU, and storage devices such as a RAM and a ROM. The control unit 10 realizes various functions in the keyboard instrument 1 by executing a control program using the CPU. The operation unit 21 is a device such as an operation button, a touch sensor, and a slider, and outputs a signal corresponding to the input operation to the control unit 10. The display unit 23 displays a screen based on the control by the control unit 10.

[0024] The storage unit 30 is a storage device such as a non-volatile memory. The storage unit 30 stores a control program executed by the control unit 10. Further, the storage unit 30 may store parameters, waveform data, etc. used in the sound source unit 80. The speaker 60 generates a sound corresponding to the sound signal by amplifying and outputting the sound signal output from the control unit 10 or the sound source unit 80.

[0025] The key behavior measurement unit 75 measures the behavior of each of the plurality of keys 70 and outputs measurement data indicating the measurement result. This measurement data includes information (KC, KS, KV). That is, the key behavior measurement unit 75 outputs information (KC, KS, KV) in response to a pressing operation on each of the plurality of keys 70. The information KC is information (for example, a key number) for identifying the operated key 70. The information KS is information indicating the pressing amount of the key 70. The information KV is information indicating the pressing speed of the key 70. By outputting the information KC, KS, and KV in association with each other, the operated key 70 and the operation content for the key 70 are specified by the measurement data output from the key behavior measurement unit 75.

[0026] The pedal behavior measurement unit 95 measures the behavior of each of the damper pedal 91 and the shift pedal 93, and outputs measurement data indicating the measurement results. This measurement data includes information (PC, PS). The information PC is information indicating whether the operated pedal is the damper pedal 91 or the shift pedal 93. The information PS is information indicating the depression amount of the pedal. In the following description, the depression amount of the pedal may be referred to as the operation position of the pedal. By outputting the information PC and PS in association, the operated pedal (the damper pedal 91 or the shift pedal 93) and the operation content (depression amount) for that pedal are specified by the measurement data output from the pedal behavior measurement unit 95. Note that when the pedal of the pedal device 90 is only the damper pedal 91, the information PC may not be necessary.

[0027] The sound source unit 80 generates a sound signal based on the measurement data input from the key behavior measurement unit 75 and the pedal behavior measurement unit 95, and outputs it to the speaker 60. The sound signal generated by the sound source unit 80 is obtained for each operation on the keys 70. Then, a plurality of sound signals obtained corresponding to a plurality of key presses are synthesized and output from the sound source unit 80. The configuration of the sound source unit 80 will be described in detail.

[0028] [Configuration of Sound Source Unit] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the sound source unit in an embodiment. The sound source unit 80 includes a conversion unit 88, a sound signal generation unit 800 (signal generation device), an attenuation control table 135, a waveform data storage unit 151, and an output unit 180. The sound signal generation unit 800 includes a signal generation unit 111 and an attenuation control unit 131, and executes a signal generation method including an attenuation control process.

[0029] The conversion unit 88 converts the input information (KC, KS, KV, PC, PS) into control data in a format used in the sound signal generation unit 800. That is, information with different meanings is converted into control data in a common format. The control data is data that defines the pronunciation content. In this example, the conversion unit 88 converts the input information into control data in MIDI format. The conversion unit 88 outputs the generated control data to the sound signal generation unit 800 (signal generation unit 111 and attenuation control unit 131).

[0030] Based on the information (KC, KS, KV) input from the key behavior measurement unit 75, the conversion unit 88 generates control data related to the operation of the key 70 (hereinafter referred to as key operation data). In this example, the key operation data includes information indicating the position of the operated key 70 (note number), information indicating that the key has been pressed (note on), information indicating that the key has been released (note off), and the operation speed of the key 70, that is, the key press speed (velocity: 0 to 127 in this example), etc. Thus, the conversion unit 88 also functions as a key operation data generation unit that generates key operation data.

[0031] Also, based on the information (PC, PS) input from the pedal behavior measurement unit 95, the conversion unit 88 generates control data related to the operation of the damper pedal 91 (hereinafter referred to as pedal operation data). The pedal operation data includes at least information indicating the operation position of the pedal.

[0032] The damper on, damper off, and half damper used in the following description are defined as follows. Damper on indicates a state where the damper is completely separated from the strings in an acoustic piano. Damper on does not correspond only to the state where the operation position of the damper pedal 91 is at the end position (the state where the damper is completely raised), but corresponds to a state included in a predetermined range (a range preset as being equivalent to that state) including the end position of the operation position of the damper pedal 91. In the following description, the range of the operation position of the damper pedal 91 that becomes damper on may be referred to as the damper on range.

[0033] Damper off indicates a state where the damper is fully lowered. Damper off does not only correspond to the state where the operation position of the damper pedal 91 is at the rest position (the state where the damper is fully lowered), but also corresponds to the state where the operation position of the damper pedal 91 is included in a predetermined range (a range preset as being equivalent to that state) including the rest position. In the following description, the range of the operation position of the damper pedal 91 that results in damper off may be referred to as the damper off range.

[0034] Half damper includes information (half damper) indicating that it is in an intermediate position state (half pedal) excluding the rest position and the end position. Note that the pedal is operable within the range from the rest position to the end position.

[0035] Half damper corresponds to the state where the operation position of the damper pedal 91 is included in the range sandwiched between the damper off range and the damper on range (the state of being in a half pedal). In the following description, the range of the operation position of the damper pedal 91 that results in half damper may be referred to as the half damper range. The damper off range is adjacent to the half damper range. The half damper range is adjacent to the damper on range. The damper on range (first range), the half damper range (second range), and the damper off range (third range) may be collectively referred to as the damper setting range.

[0036] In this way, the conversion unit 88 also functions as a pedal operation data generation unit that generates pedal operation data. Although control data corresponding to the shift pedal 93 may also be generated, the description thereof is omitted here.

[0037] The conversion unit 88 outputs the generated control data to the sound signal generation unit 800 (signal generation unit 111 and attenuation control unit 131). Specifically, the conversion unit 88 outputs the key operation data to the signal generation unit 111 and the attenuation control unit 131, and outputs the pedal operation data to the attenuation control unit 131.

[0038] The waveform data storage unit 151 stores at least the piano sound waveform data. The piano sound waveform data is waveform data obtained by sampling the sound of an acoustic piano (the sound generated by hitting the strings when a key is pressed).

[0039] The signal generation unit 111 generates and outputs a sound signal based on the key operation data input from the conversion unit 88. At this time, the envelope of the sound signal is adjusted by the attenuation control unit 131.

[0040] The attenuation control unit 131 refers to the attenuation control table 135 and controls the envelope of the sound signal generated in the signal generation unit 111 based on the key operation data and the pedal operation data input from the conversion unit 88. In particular, the envelope when the sound signal decays is controlled. In this example, the attenuation control unit 131 refers to the attenuation control table 135 and determines the damper setting range based on the key operation data. The attenuation control unit 131 uses the determined damper setting range to control the attenuation speed based on the pedal operation data. The attenuation control table 135 is a table that defines the relationship between the note number and the damper setting range.

[0041] More specifically, the attenuation control unit 131 refers to the attenuation control table 135 to determine the damper setting range corresponding to the note number in the key operation data. The attenuation control unit 131 controls the attenuation speed so as to correspond to damper on if the operation position of the damper pedal 91 in the pedal operation data is within the damper on range according to the damper setting range. Similarly, the attenuation control unit 131 controls the attenuation speed so as to correspond to damper off if the operation position of the damper pedal 91 is within the damper off range, and controls the attenuation speed so as to correspond to half damper if the operation position of the damper pedal 91 is within the half damper range. The attenuation control table 135 is a table that defines the relationship between the note number and the damper setting range.

[0042] The output unit 180 outputs the sound signal generated by the signal generation unit 111 to the outside of the sound source unit 80. In this example, the sound signal is output to the speaker 60 and listened to by the user. Subsequently, the detailed configuration of the signal generation unit 111 will be described.

[0043] [Configuration of Signal Generation Unit] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the signal generation unit in one embodiment. The signal generation unit 111 includes a waveform reading unit 113 (waveform reading units 113-1, 113-2, ··· 113-n), an EV (envelope) waveform generation unit 115 (115-1, 115-2, ···, 115-n), multipliers 117 (117-1, 117-2, ··· 117-n), and a waveform synthesizing unit 119. The above-mentioned "n" corresponds to the number of sounds that can be pronounced simultaneously (the number of sound signals that can be generated simultaneously), and in this example, it is 32. That is, according to this signal generation unit 111, the state where sounds are pronounced up to 32 key presses is maintained, and when the 33rd key press occurs, the sound signal corresponding to the first pronunciation is forcibly stopped.

[0044] The waveform reading unit 113-1 selects and reads out the waveform data to be read from the waveform data storage unit 151 based on the key operation data obtained from the conversion unit 88, and generates a sound signal with a pitch corresponding to the note number. In this example, the piano sound waveform data is read out. The EV waveform generation unit 115-1 generates an envelope waveform based on the key operation data obtained from the conversion unit 88 and preset parameters. A part of the generated envelope waveform is adjusted by the attenuation control unit 131. The method for generating the envelope waveform and its adjustment method will be described later. The multiplier 117-1 multiplies the sound signal generated by the waveform reading unit 113-1 by the envelope waveform generated by the EV waveform generation unit 115-1.

[0045] Although the case of n = 1 has been exemplified, each time there is a next key press while a sound signal is being output from the multiplier 117-1, key operation data corresponding to the key presses is applied in order as n = 2, 3, 4, ···. For example, if it is the next key press, the key operation data is applied to the configuration of n = 2, and a sound signal is output from the multiplier 117-2 in the same manner as above. The waveform synthesizing unit 119 synthesizes the sound signals output from the multipliers 117-1, 117-2, ···, 117-32 and outputs them to the output unit 180.

[0046] [Envelope waveform] The envelope waveform generated in the EV waveform generating unit 115 will be described. First, general envelope waveforms and parameters will be described.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the definition of a general envelope waveform. As shown in FIG. 4, the envelope waveform is defined by a plurality of parameters. The plurality of parameters include an attack level AL, an attack time AT, a decay time DT, a sustain level SL, and a release time RT. Note that the attack level AL may be fixed at the maximum value (for example, 127). In this case, the sustain level SL is set in the range of 0 to 127.

[0048] When a note-on occurs, it rises to the attack level AL in the time of the attack time AT. Thereafter, it decreases to the sustain level SL in the time of the decay time DT and maintains the sustain level SL. When a note-off occurs, it decreases from the sustain level SL to the muted state (level "0") in the time of the release time RT. If a note-off occurs before reaching the sustain level SL, that is, during the attack time AT and the decay time DT, it reaches the muted state in the time of the release time RT from that point. Note that it may reach the muted state at a decay rate obtained by dividing the sustain level SL by the release time RT.

[0049] The decay rate DR is a value that can be calculated from the above parameters, and is obtained by dividing the difference between the attack level AL and the sustain level SL by the decay time DT. This parameter (decay rate DR) indicates the degree (decay rate) of the natural decay of the sound during the decay period after note-on. Although an example was shown in which the decay rate of the decay rate DR is constant (the slope is a straight line) during the decay period, it does not necessarily have to be constant. That is, by changing the decay rate in a predetermined manner, the slope may be defined other than a straight line.

[0050] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the envelope waveform of a piano sound. In a general piano sound, for example, the sustain level SL is set to "0", and the decay time DT is set relatively long (the decay rate DR is small). This state indicates a state where the damper is separated from the string (damper on). When note-off occurs during the decay time DT, the damper comes into contact with the string (damper off), and rapidly decays as shown by the dotted line according to the setting of the release time RT. The EV waveform generation unit 115 in this example generates the envelope waveform shown in FIG. 5, and the decay rate DR is adjusted by the decay control unit 131. When the damper is on, the decay control unit 131 controls the decay rate DR (decay rate) to be slower than when the damper is off. When it is a half damper, the decay control unit 131 controls the decay rate DR (decay rate) to be faster than when the damper is on, while controlling it to be slower than when the damper is off.

[0051] As one of the parameters for controlling the decay rate, the decay coefficient K is used. In this example, assuming the controlled decay rate is DRf, it is calculated as DRf = DR × K. That is, the larger the decay coefficient K, the faster the decay rate. In the damper-on state, the decay coefficient K is "1", and the DRf corresponding to the decay rate is the same as the decay rate DR. The decay coefficient K in the half-damper state is "Kh". "Kh" is a value greater than "1", and the DRf corresponding to the decay rate is "DR × Kh". Since the decay rate in the damper-off state corresponds to the decay rate according to the release time RT, it is a value larger than the decay rate "DR × Kh" in the half-damper state.

[0052] These parameters are explanations as set values for defining the envelope waveform, and each level such as the attack level AL is a relative value. Therefore, in the envelope waveform output from the EV waveform generation unit 115, that is, the envelope waveform multiplied by the sound signal in the multiplier 117, the absolute value of the output level is adjusted according to the velocity. Note that the adjustment of the output level may be realized by an amplifier circuit.

[0053] [Decay Control Table] The decay control unit 131 determines the damper setting range corresponding to the note number with reference to the decay control table 135 as described above. That is, if the note numbers corresponding to two pronunciations are different from each other, the damper setting ranges corresponding to the two pronunciations are determined to be different from each other. Therefore, depending on the operation position of the damper pedal 91, for example, there may be a case where a pronunciation controlled to be damper-off and a pronunciation controlled to be half-damper occur simultaneously.

[0054] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the damper setting range defined in the attenuation control table in one embodiment and the note number. The horizontal axis shows the note number (NN). In this example, the horizontal axis is defined in the range from note number "0" (corresponding to pitch "C-1") to note number "127" (corresponding to pitch "G9"). The vertical axis shows the operation position of the damper pedal 91. In this example, the vertical axis is defined in the range where the operation position of the damper pedal 91 can change, that is, from the rest position RP to the end position EP.

[0055] The boundary position HS indicates the boundary position (the second boundary position) between the damper off range Doff (the third range) and the half damper range Dh (the second range). The boundary position HF indicates the boundary position (the first boundary position) between the half damper range Dh (the second range) and the damper on range Don (the first range). In the example shown in FIG. 6, as the note number increases, that is, as the pitch becomes higher, the damper setting range is determined so that both the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF gradually approach the rest position RP. In other words, the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF at the second pitch higher than the first pitch are closer to the rest position RP than the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF at the first pitch. In this example, the difference between the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF, that is, the size of the half damper range Dh, is constant regardless of the note number. The boundary position HS and the boundary position HF may be calculated by a predetermined arithmetic expression using the note number as a variable.

[0056] [Attenuation Control Process] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the attenuation control process in one embodiment of the present invention. The attenuation control process is executed for the sound generated corresponding to each note-on when note-on is detected by the key operation data and the waveform data is read out (more specifically, when the decay period is reached). The sound targeted by the attenuation control process may be referred to as the process target sound. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, if the number of sounds that can be sounded simultaneously is 32, up to 32 attenuation control processes are executed in parallel.

[0057] First, the attenuation control unit 131 determines whether a note-off has been detected based on key operation data between the previous determination and the current determination (step S101). If a note-off corresponding to the sound to be processed has not been detected (step S101; No), in order to correspond to the state where the key is pressed, regardless of the state of the damper pedal, the attenuation control unit 131 sets the attenuation coefficient K to "1" (step S111). That is, it is set to the normal decay rate DRf (= DR × 1). The attenuation control unit 131 executes the attenuation process per unit time (step S121), returns to step S101, and continues the process. The unit time corresponds to the time for a predetermined processing unit, for example, the processing time for 1 clock.

[0058] If a note-off corresponding to the sound to be processed has been detected (step S101; Yes), the attenuation control unit 131 acquires the note number corresponding to the sound to be processed (the note number corresponding to the note-off), and refers to the attenuation control table 135 to acquire the damper setting range corresponding to the note number (step S103). Subsequently, the attenuation control unit 131 determines based on the damper setting range in which of the damper-on range Don, half-damper range Dh, and damper-off range Doff the operation position of the damper pedal 91 is included. In this example, the attenuation control unit 131 determines whether the operation position of the damper pedal 91 is in the damper-off range Doff and whether it is in the half-damper range Dh (steps S105, S107).

[0059] If the operation position of the damper pedal 91 is in the damper-on range Don (step S105; No, step S107; No), in order to correspond to the damper-on in the released state, the attenuation control unit 131 executes the processes of step S111 and step S121 described above, returns to step S101, and continues the process.

[0060] When the operation position of the damper pedal 91 is within the half-damper range Dh (step S105; No, step S107; Yes), in order to correspond to the half-damper in the released state, the attenuation control unit 131 sets the attenuation coefficient K to "Kh" (step S113). The attenuation control unit 131 performs attenuation processing per unit time with the decelerate DRf (DR × Kh) determined by the set attenuation coefficient K (step S121), and returns to step S101 to continue the processing.

[0061] When the operation position of the damper pedal 91 is within the damper-off range Doff (step S105; Yes), in order to correspond to the damper-off in the released state, the attenuation control unit 131 shifts to release (step S123) and ends the attenuation control process. That is, the attenuation control unit 131 controls to switch from the attenuation speed at the decelerate DRf to the attenuation speed corresponding to the release period.

[0062] In an acoustic piano, the higher the pitch, the easier it is for the amplitude of the string to become smaller. Therefore, when returning the damper pedal from the end position to the rest position, the lower the pitch and the larger the amplitude of the string, the easier it is for the damper to contact that string. According to the above-described attenuation control process, the larger the note number (the higher the pitch), the closer the operation position where the damper changes from off to half-damper and the operation position where the damper changes from half-damper to on approach the rest position RP. Thereby, since the operation position of the damper pedal 91 when changing the attenuation control can be changed according to the performance situation (the pitch of the key being operated), the performer can obtain a feeling similar to playing an acoustic piano.

[0063] <Modification Example> As described above, one embodiment of the present invention has been explained. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various other modifications. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail for the purpose of explaining the present disclosure clearly, and is not necessarily limited to the one having all the configurations described. Also, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations. Hereinafter, some modifications will be explained. The modifications described below can also be applied in combination with each other.

[0064] (1) The above-described attenuation control table 135 is not limited to the example (FIG. 6) described in one embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 6 described above, the damper setting range is defined in the attenuation control table 135 so as to satisfy the following two conditions. (a) As the note number increases, both the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF gradually approach the rest position RP. (b) The difference between the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF, that is, the size of the half-damper range Dh, is constant regardless of the note number.

[0065] In this modification, a plurality of examples will be described regarding the relationship between the damper setting range and the note number. Each example is not limited to the case of obtaining a performance feeling close to an acoustic piano. That is, it is only necessary that the damper setting range can be changed according to the performance situation, and the purposes are various.

[0066] Since the timbres used depending on the intended effects are also various, the waveform data is not necessarily limited to the one sampled from the sound of an acoustic piano. That is, the waveform data may be the one sampled from the sound of an electric piano, or may be the one sampled from the sound of other musical instruments. Also, it may be the one generated by synthesizing or modulating predetermined waveform data. Depending on the timbre selected as the pronunciation target, a specific table may be selected from the plurality of types of attenuation control tables 135 exemplified below and referred to by the attenuation control unit 131.

[0067] Figures 8 to 14 are diagrams for explaining the relationship between the damper setting range defined in the attenuation control table in the modification example and the note number. In the example shown in FIG. 8, as the note number increases, the boundary position HS (first boundary position) gradually approaches the rest position RP, but the boundary position HF has a smaller slope than the example shown in FIG. 6 and is constant here regardless of the note number. As a result, as the note number increases, the half-damper range Dh increases. In this way, the boundary position may change depending on the note number only between the half-damper range Dh (first range) with the attenuation rate of "DR×Kh" (first speed) and the damper-off range Doff (second range) with the attenuation rate of the speed corresponding to the release time RT (second speed). On the other hand, unlike one embodiment, between the half-damper range Dh (first range) with the attenuation rate of "DR×Kh" (first speed) and the damper-on range Don (third range) with the attenuation rate of "DR×1" (third speed), the boundary position may not change depending on the note number.

[0068] In the example shown in FIG. 9, as the note number increases, the boundary position HF (first boundary position) gradually approaches the rest position RP, but the boundary position HS has a smaller slope than the example shown in FIG. 6 and is constant regardless of the note number. As a result, as the note number increases, the half-damper range Dh decreases. In this way, the boundary position may change depending on the note number only between the damper-on range Don (first range) with the attenuation rate of "DR×1" (first speed) and the half-damper range Dh (second range) with the attenuation rate of "DR×Kh" (second speed). On the other hand, unlike one embodiment, between the half-damper range Dh (first range) with the attenuation rate of "DR×Kh" (first speed) and the damper-off range Doff (third range) with the attenuation rate of the speed corresponding to the release time RT (third speed), the boundary position may not change depending on the note number.

[0069] In the example shown in FIG. 10, as the note number increases, the boundary position HS gradually approaches the end position EP, while as the note number increases, the boundary position HF gradually approaches the rest position RP. As a result, as the note number increases, the half-damper range Dh becomes smaller.

[0070] As described above, in an acoustic piano, when the damper pedal is returned from the end position to the rest position, the damper is more likely to contact the strings with lower pitches (strings that are more likely to have large vibrations). On the other hand, when it becomes a half-damper, it is considered that the vibration is restricted for strings of any pitch and they generally have the same amplitude. Assuming such a case, when changing from the half-damper to the damper-off state, the position of the damper pedal does not depend on the pitch. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, it can also be considered that it is closer to an acoustic piano when the position where the half-damper range Dh transitions to the damper-off range Doff, that is, the boundary position HS, is constant regardless of the pitch.

[0071] Also, even in the state where the vibration is restricted in the half-damper state, since the lower pitch has a greater kinetic energy of the string vibration, it is considered that the string vibration to the side opposite to the damper is likely to occur. Assuming such a case, in order to make it into the damper-off state, the lower the pitch, the closer the damper pedal must be to the rest position. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, it can also be considered that it is closer to an acoustic piano when the boundary position HS approaches the rest position RP more for lower pitches.

[0072] In the example shown in FIG. 11, it is the opposite of the example shown in FIG. 6, and as the note number increases, the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF gradually approach the end position EP. As a result, the size of the half-damper range Dh is constant regardless of the note number. Thus, the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF may have different slopes when the note number changes, or may approach the end position EP as the note number increases.

[0073] In the example shown in FIG. 12, boundary positions HS1 and HF1 corresponding to note numbers smaller than the specific note number SN, and boundary positions HS2 and HF2 corresponding to note numbers larger than the specific note number SN are defined by the attenuation control table 135. In this example, the boundary position HS1 and the boundary position HS2 are the same as the boundary position HS described above. On the other hand, the boundary position HF2 has a smaller slope than the boundary position HF1, and here it is constant regardless of the note number. Thus, at least one of the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF may have different slopes in the range smaller than and larger than the specific note number SN. The range of note numbers is divided into two ranges by one specific note number SN, but it may be divided into three or more ranges. The positions at which it is divided may be different between the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF.

[0074] In the example shown in FIG. 13, boundary positions HS1 and HF1 corresponding to note numbers smaller than the specific note number SN, and boundary positions HS2 and HF2 corresponding to note numbers larger than the specific note number SN are defined by the attenuation control table 135. The boundary positions HS1, HS2, HF1, and HF2 are all constant regardless of the note number. On the other hand, the boundary position HS1 is closer to the end position EP than the boundary position HS2, and the boundary position HF1 is closer to the end position EP than the boundary position HF2. That is, at the specific note number SN, the boundary position HS1 and the boundary position HS2 are discontinuous, and the boundary position HF1 and the boundary position HF2 are discontinuous. Thus, at least one of the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF may be discontinuous in the range smaller than and larger than the specific note number SN. The range of note numbers is divided into two ranges by one specific note number SN, but it may be divided into three or more ranges. The positions at which it is divided may be different between the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF.

[0075] In the example shown in FIG. 14, a damper setting range that does not include the half-damper range Dh is defined in the attenuation control table 135. That is, the damper setting range includes a damper-off range Doff and a damper-on range Don. The boundary position DS indicates the boundary position between the damper-off range Doff and the damper-on range Don. As the note number increases, the boundary position DS gradually approaches the rest position RP. Thus, the damper setting range is not limited to including three ranges, but may include at least two ranges as exemplified by the damper-off range Doff and the damper-on range Don. The damper setting range may include four or more ranges. For example, the half-damper range Dh may be further divided into two ranges. In this case, the attenuation coefficient K may be smaller for the half-damper range Dh2 closer to the damper-on range Don than for the half-damper range Dh1 closer to the damper-off range Doff. Thereby, it becomes possible to more accurately reflect the influence of the damper when a half-pedal operation is performed.

[0076] (2) The above-described attenuation control table 135 is not limited to the case where the damper setting range is determined by the note number (pitch information) as in the example shown in FIG. 6, but may be control information obtained by operating the key 70. In this modification example, as an example of the control information, velocity (speed information), sound output level (output level information), and key acceleration (acceleration information) will be described. In addition, information indicating the behavior of the key 70 or information regarding the sound generated by operating the key 70 may also be used. Further, for example, when the keyboard instrument 1 has a hammer (a configuration simulating the hammer of an acoustic piano) that rotates by operating the key 70, the behavior of this hammer (for example, speed or acceleration) may also be used. Also in this example, similar to the modifications shown in FIGS. 8 to 14 in modification example (1), the damper setting range can be modified.

[0077] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the damper setting range defined in the attenuation control table in the modified example and the velocity. As shown in FIG. 15, the horizontal axis represents the velocity (VL). In this example, the horizontal axis is defined in the range from the velocity “0” (corresponding to the minimum (stop) velocity of the key 70) to the velocity “127” (corresponding to the maximum velocity of the key 70). The vertical axis represents the operation position of the damper pedal 91. In the example shown in FIG. 15, as the velocity increases, the damper setting range is determined such that both the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF gradually approach the end position EP. In other words, the boundary positions HS and HF at the second velocity that is smaller than the first velocity are closer to the rest position RP than the boundary positions HS and HF at the first velocity. The difference between the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF, that is, the magnitude of the half-damper range Dh, is constant regardless of the velocity.

[0078] The attenuation control unit 131 may obtain the velocity in the key operation data and obtain the damper setting range corresponding to the velocity in the process of step S103 shown in FIG. 7. When applied to an acoustic piano, the larger the velocity, the larger the amplitude of the string. Therefore, when the damper pedal is returned from the end position to the rest position, the faster the key is operated and the larger the amplitude of the string, the easier it is for the damper to contact the string. By determining the damper setting range based on the velocity, it is also possible to approach the playing feeling of an acoustic piano.

[0079] FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the damper setting range defined in the attenuation control table in the modified example and the output level. As shown in FIG. 16, the horizontal axis represents the output level (EL). In this example, the horizontal axis is defined in the range from the output level “0” to the output level “127”. The vertical axis represents the operation position of the damper pedal 91. Here, the attenuation control unit 131 may obtain the output level from the EV waveform generation unit 115 corresponding to the sound to be processed and obtain the damper setting range corresponding to the output level in the process of step S103 shown in FIG. 7.

[0080] In the example shown in FIG. 16, the damper setting range is determined such that as the output level increases, both the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF gradually approach the end position EP. In other words, the boundary positions HS and HF at the second output level, which is smaller than the first output level, are closer to the rest position RP than the boundary positions HS and HF at the first output level. The difference between the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF, that is, the magnitude of the half-damper range Dh, is constant regardless of the output level. When applied to an acoustic piano, the larger the output level, the larger the amplitude of the string. Therefore, when returning the damper pedal from the end position to the rest position, the larger the output level and the larger the amplitude of the string, the easier it is for the damper to contact the string. By determining the damper setting range based on the output level, it is possible to approach the playing feel of an acoustic piano.

[0081] FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the damper setting range defined in the attenuation control table in the modification example and the acceleration. As shown in FIG. 17, the horizontal axis represents the acceleration (ACC). In this example, the horizontal axis is defined in the range from the acceleration "0" (corresponding to the minimum acceleration of key 70) to the acceleration "127" (corresponding to the maximum acceleration of key 70). The vertical axis represents the operating position of the damper pedal 91. In the example shown in FIG. 17, the damper setting range is determined such that as the acceleration increases, both the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF gradually approach the end position EP. The difference between the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF, that is, the magnitude of the half-damper range Dh, is constant regardless of the acceleration.

[0082] The damping control unit 131 may obtain the acceleration corresponding to the sound to be processed, and in the process of step S103 shown in FIG. 7, obtain the damper setting range corresponding to the acceleration. At this time, the conversion unit 88 may generate the key acceleration based on the information input from the key behavior measurement unit 75 and provide it to the damping control unit 131 as key operation data. When applied to an acoustic piano, the larger the acceleration, the larger the amplitude of the string. Therefore, when returning the damper pedal from the end position to the rest position, the higher the acceleration of the key operation and the larger the amplitude of the string, the easier it is for the damper to contact the string. By determining the damper setting range based on the acceleration, it is also possible to approach the playing feeling of an acoustic piano.

[0083] (3) In the damping control table 135, the damper setting range may not be determined for note numbers within a predetermined range. In the area where the damper setting range is not determined, the damping speed is not controlled, and a predetermined decay rate DR is set.

[0084] FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the damper setting range defined in the damping control table in the modified example and the note number. In the example shown in FIG. 18, in the range of note numbers larger than the upper limit note number UP, there are no boundary positions HS and boundary positions HF, and it is a non-control range NC that is outside the target of the damper setting range. The damping control unit 131 does not target the sound generated by the pitch in the non-control range NC for the damping control process. By doing so, it is also possible to reproduce a situation where no damper is arranged, such as the high-pitched strings in an acoustic piano.

[0085] (4) The damper setting range is not limited to being determined corresponding to one piece of control information (for example, note number), and may be determined corresponding to a plurality of pieces of control information. For example, the damper setting range may be determined corresponding to the note number and the velocity. In this case, the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF may be calculated by a predetermined arithmetic expression using the note number and the velocity as variables.

[0086] FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the damper setting range defined in the attenuation control table in the modified example and a plurality of control information (note number and velocity). In the example shown in FIG. 19, for easy understanding, the damper setting range includes a damper on range Don and a damper off range Doff. The boundary position DS between the damper on range Don and the damper off range Doff is determined corresponding to the note number and the velocity.

[0087] In the example shown in FIG. 19, the larger the note number and the smaller the velocity, the closer the boundary position DS is to the rest position RP. That is, when the note number is the smallest and the velocity is the largest, the boundary position DS is closest to the end position EP. The increase amount of the boundary position DS with respect to the velocity may be the same or different between the case where the note number is "0" and the case where the note number is "127". The range (upper limit and lower limit) that the boundary position DS can take may be determined in advance.

[0088] (5) At least one of the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF in the damper setting range may change non-linearly with respect to changes in control information such as the note number. For example, in the attenuation control table 135 shown in FIG. 6, the damper setting range may be defined such that at least one of the boundary position HS and the boundary position HF is drawn as a curve.

[0089] (6) Not only the damper setting range may be changed by the control information obtained by operating the key 70, but also the attenuation rate may be changed. For example, when it is a half damper, the attenuation coefficient K is set to "Kh", but at this time, the value of "Kh" may be further changed by control information such as the note number. The control of the attenuation rate may be realized by operating the shift pedal 93. A specific processing method is exemplified in International Publication No. 2019 / 058457 disclosed as a prior art document.

[0090] (7) In the above-described embodiments, the keyboard instrument 1 has been described as an example of implementation. However, the sound signal generation unit 800 included in the keyboard instrument 1, that is, it can also be implemented as a signal generation device, and it can also be implemented as the sound source unit 80 including the sound signal generation unit 800. In this case, key operation data and pedal operation data may be acquired from an input device having a keyboard and an input device having a damper pedal, or information for generating the key operation data and the pedal operation data may be acquired. The key operation data and the pedal operation data may be provided from an external device by data defined by a predetermined standard (for example, MIDI standard) or the like, or may be provided in a state recorded in a recording medium in time series.

[0091] (8) All or part of each function of the sound source unit 80 may be realized by executing a control program by the CPU of the control unit 10. In this case, a program for causing the control unit 10 (computer) to execute the attenuation control process may be provided by downloading via a recording medium or a network. Also, by downloading and executing this program on a personal computer or the like, this computer may be used as a signal generation device.

[0092] (9) In the keyboard instrument 1 in the above-described embodiments, the housing 50 and the pedal device 90 are configured to be detachable from each other, but they may be housed in an integral housing and not detachable.

[0093] (10) The attenuation rate of the sound may be corrected according to the operation position of the shift pedal 93.

[0094] (11) The attenuation rate of the sound has been controlled by changing the envelope waveform, but it may be controlled by controlling the degree of adding reverberation.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0095] 1…Keyboard instrument, 10…Control unit, 21…Operation unit, 23…Display unit, 30…Memory unit, 50…Housing, 60…Speaker, 75…Key behavior measurement unit, 80…Sound source unit, 88…Conversion unit, 90…Pedal device, 91…Damper pedal, 93…Shift pedal, 95…Pedal behavior measurement unit, 111…Signal generation unit, 113…Waveform reading unit, 115…EV waveform generation unit, 117…Multiplier, 119…Waveform synthesis unit, 131…Attenuation control unit, 135…Attenuation control table, 151…Waveform data memory unit, 180…Output unit, 800…Sound signal generation unit

Claims

1. A signal generation unit that generates a sound signal based on key operation data related to the operation of a key; An attenuation control unit that controls the attenuation rate of the sound signal based on pedal operation data related to the operation position of a pedal, wherein when the operation position exists in a first range within a range where the operation position can change, the attenuation rate is controlled to a first rate, and when the operation position exists in a second range adjacent to the first range, the attenuation rate is controlled to a second rate greater than the first rate. The attenuation control unit; comprising A signal generation device, wherein a first boundary position between the first range and the second range is determined based on control information obtained by the operation of the key.

2. The signal generation device according to claim 1, wherein when the operation position exists in a third range different from the first range and the second range, the attenuation control unit controls the attenuation rate to a third rate different from the first rate and the second rate.

3. The third range is adjacent to one of the first range and the second range, The signal generation device according to claim 2, wherein a second boundary position between one of the first range and the second range and the third range is determined based on information related to the operation of the key.

4. The third range is adjacent to the second range, The signal generation device according to claim 2, wherein a second boundary position between the third range and the second range is determined based on the control information.

5. The signal generation device according to claim 4, wherein the first boundary position and the second boundary position are determined such that a difference between the first boundary position and the second boundary position varies depending on the control information.

6. The control information includes pitch information corresponding to the key, The signal generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first boundary position indicates a first position when the pitch information indicates a first pitch, and indicates a second position closer to a rest position than the first position when the pitch is a second pitch higher than the first pitch.

7. The control information includes speed information of the key, The signal generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first boundary position indicates a third position when the speed information indicates a first speed, and indicates a fourth position closer to a rest position than the third position when the speed is a second speed smaller than the first speed.

8. The control information includes output level information of the sound signal generated by the operation of the key, The first boundary position indicates the fifth position when the output level information indicates the first output level, and indicates the sixth position closer to the rest position than the fifth position when it is the second output level smaller than the first output level. The signal generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The first boundary position between the first range and the second range is determined based on control information obtained by an operation of the key corresponding to the sound signal whose attenuation rate is controlled. The signal generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. Generating a sound signal based on key operation data related to an operation of a key; Controlling the attenuation rate of the sound signal based on pedal operation data related to an operation position of a pedal; comprising: Controlling the attenuation rate of the sound signal determining a first boundary position between a first range and a second range adjacent to the first range within a range where the operation position is changeable based on control information obtained by an operation of the key; controlling the attenuation rate to a first speed when the operation position exists in the first range, and controlling the attenuation rate to a second speed greater than the first speed when the operation position exists in the second range; comprising: A signal generation method.

11. Generating a sound signal based on key operation data related to an operation of a key; Controlling the attenuation rate of the sound signal based on pedal operation data related to an operation position of a pedal; comprising: When controlling the attenuation rate of the sound signal determining a first boundary position between a first range and a second range adjacent to the first range within a range where the operation position is changeable based on control information obtained by an operation of the key; controlling the attenuation rate to a first speed when the operation position exists in the first range, and controlling the attenuation rate to a second speed greater than the first speed when the operation position exists in the second range; A program for causing a computer to execute.

Images