Sound control device and sound control program

Abstract

An audio control device (1) that mixes a first song and a second song comprises: a comparison unit (67) that compares the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song; and an effect selection unit (69) that selects a special sound effect in accordance with the results of comparison.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an acoustic control device and an acoustic control program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an acoustic device that mixes and outputs a plurality of music pieces has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The acoustic device described in Patent Document 1 is a so-called mixer that mixes music pieces supplied from a music supply device such as a PC and a smartphone, and outputs an audio signal corresponding to the mixed music pieces to a speaker. The acoustic device includes operators such as a first-channel fader, a second-channel fader, and a cross fader. Each of the first-channel fader and the second-channel fader has an operator that can be moved up and down, and the cross fader has an operator that can be moved left and right. When the first-channel fader is operated, the acoustic device adjusts the volume of the music piece input to the first channel from the music supply device, and when the second-channel fader is operated, the acoustic device adjusts the volume of the music piece input to the second channel from the music supply device. Further, when the cross fader is operated, the acoustic device adjusts the balance between the volume of the first channel and the volume of the second channel. For example, as the operator of the cross fader is moved to the left, the ratio of the first channel in the volume output from the acoustic device increases, and as the operator is moved to the right, the ratio of the second channel in the volume output from the acoustic device increases.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when mixing music input to the first channel with music input to the second channel, there is a problem in that it is difficult for inexperienced users, such as beginners, to mix the music from the first channel and the music from the second channel smoothly when operating the sound equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A sound control device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a sound control device for mixing a first song and a second song, comprising: a comparison unit that compares the BPM of the first song with the BPM of the second song; and an effect selection unit that selects a special sound effect according to the result of the comparison.

[0006] A second aspect of the present invention is an audio control device for mixing a first song and a second song, comprising: a playback control unit that fades out the first song when a swapping operation to replace the output song from the first song to the second song is started and the swapping operation is completed within a predetermined time; and an effect application unit that applies a linked effect among special sound effects to the first song, which is linked to the BPM of the second song.

[0007] A third aspect of the present invention is an audio control device for mixing a first song and a second song, wherein the first song includes a first vocal part, the second song includes a second vocal part, and when an operation to lower the volume of the first song and raise the volume of the second song is performed at a speed of a predetermined speed or less, the device includes a configuration swapping unit that swaps the first vocal part and the second vocal part if the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is within a predetermined value.

[0008] The acoustic control program according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is recorded in a computer-readable format, causing the computer to function as an acoustic control device according to any one of the first to third aspects described above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1]A schematic diagram showing the configuration of an acoustic control device in one embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing a control unit in one embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the change in the overall volume of the first track and the overall volume of the second track when the crossfader is operated in normal mode in one embodiment. [Figure 4] A flowchart showing the mix assist process performed in assist mode in one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. [Configuration of the sound control device] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the sound control device 1 according to this embodiment. The sound control device 1 according to this embodiment mixes multiple songs. Specifically, the sound control device 1 mixes a first song loaded into the first channel and a second song loaded into the second channel, and outputs an audio signal corresponding to the mixed songs. As will be explained in more detail later, one of the features of the sound control device 1 is that it includes a normal mode that mixes the first and second tracks in response to an operation on the control element, and an assist mode that assists in the mixing of the first and second tracks. As shown in Figure 1, the sound control device 1 comprises a housing 2, two channel operation units 3, a mode switching switch 4, and a crossfader 5. Although not shown in Figure 1, the sound control device 1 further comprises a control unit 6 (see Figure 2) that controls the operation of the sound control device 1.

[0011] [Chassis Configuration] The housing 2 is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape and houses the control unit 6 inside. The housing 2 has a top surface 21, an upper surface 22, a lower surface 23, a left side surface 24, a right side surface 25, and a bottom surface (not shown). The top surface 21 houses two channel control units 3, a mode selector switch 4, and a crossfader 5.

[0012] [Channel control unit configuration] The two channel control units 3 control the playback status of the music loaded on the corresponding channel. The two channel control units 3 are the first channel control unit 3A, which controls the playback status of the first music loaded on the first channel, and the second channel control unit 3B, which controls the playback status of the second music loaded on the second channel. Each channel control unit 3A, 3B has a jog dial 31, an equalizer adjustment unit 32, a channel fader 33, and a tempo slider 34.

[0013] The jog dial 31 is rotatably mounted on the top surface 21 and is used to adjust the playback direction and playback speed of the currently playing track. By combining changes in the rotation direction and rotation speed of the jog dial 31, the user can perform scratch operations specific to DJ performances.

[0014] The equalizer adjustment unit 32 performs equalizer adjustment processing for the corresponding channel. Specifically, the equalizer adjustment unit 32 of the first channel operation unit 3A performs equalizer adjustment processing for the first channel, and the equalizer adjustment unit 32 of the second channel operation unit 3B performs equalizer adjustment processing for the second channel. Each equalizer adjustment unit 32 includes a level adjustment unit 321, a high-frequency band adjustment unit 322, a mid-frequency band adjustment unit 323, a low-frequency band adjustment unit 324, and an effect adjustment unit 325. The level adjustment unit 321, high-frequency band adjustment unit 322, medium-frequency band adjustment unit 323, low-frequency band adjustment unit 324, and effect adjustment unit 325 are rotary encoders having knobs that can rotate in one direction and the other around a rotation axis.

[0015] The level adjustment unit 321 adjusts the input level of the incoming music. The high-frequency band adjustment unit 322 adjusts the volume level of the high-frequency band of the input music. The high-frequency band is, for example, a frequency band of 4649 Hz or higher. The mid-frequency band adjustment unit 323 adjusts the volume level of the mid-frequency band of the input music. The mid-frequency band is, for example, a frequency band that exceeds 284 Hz and is less than 4649 Hz. The low-frequency band adjustment unit 324 adjusts the maximum volume level of the low-frequency band of the input music. The low-frequency band is, for example, a frequency band of 284 Hz or lower. The effect adjustment unit 325 is an operator that adjusts the effect amount of the effect set in the corresponding channel operation unit 3.

[0016] The channel fader 33 is an operator that adjusts the volume output from the corresponding channel operation unit 3, and thus, the acoustic control device 1. Specifically, the channel fader 33 of the first channel operation unit 3A is the first channel fader 33A, which adjusts the volume output from the acoustic control device 1. The channel fader 33 of the second channel operation unit 3B is the second channel fader 33B, which adjusts the volume output from the acoustic control device 1. Each channel fader 33 has a fader operator 331 that can be slid up and down. When the fader operator 331 is operated upward, the volume adjustment unit 65 described later increases the volume of the entire music output from the corresponding channel operation unit 3. When the fader operator 331 is operated downward, the volume adjustment unit 65 decreases the volume of the entire music output from the corresponding channel operation unit 3.

[0017] In the following description, the fader operator 331 of the first channel fader 33A is referred to as the first operator 33A1, and the fader operator 331 of the second channel fader 33B is referred to as the second operator 33B1. The first operator 33A1 is loaded into the first channel and adjusts the volume of the entire first music output from the acoustic control device 1, and the second operator 33B1 is loaded into the second channel and adjusts the volume of the entire second music output from the acoustic control device 1. Also, the maximum volume of the entire first music piece is the first set volume set by the first operator 33A1, and the maximum volume of the entire second music piece is the second set volume set by the second operator 33B1. Note that changing the volume of the entire music piece according to the position of the fader operator 331 means that the signal in the high-frequency band of the volume level set by the high-frequency band adjustment unit 322, the signal in the mid-frequency band of the volume level set by the mid-frequency band adjustment unit 323, and the signal in the low-frequency band of the volume level set by the low-frequency band adjustment unit 324 are each amplified by an amplification factor corresponding to the position of the fader operator 331, thereby increasing or decreasing the volume of each frequency band.

[0018] The tempo slider 34 is an operator for adjusting the playback speed of a music piece by adjusting the BPM (Beats Per Minute) during playback of the music piece loaded on the corresponding channel. Note that the BPM of a music piece represents the tempo of the music piece, that is, the number of beats per minute of the music piece. And the original BPM of the music piece represents the tempo of the original music piece, that is, the number of beats per minute of the original music piece, and the BPM during playback represents the tempo during music piece playback, that is, the number of beats per minute during music piece playback. The tempo slider 34 of the first channel operation unit 3A is the first tempo slider 34A, which adjusts the BPM during playback of the first music piece loaded on the first channel. The tempo slider 34 of the second channel operation unit 3B is the second tempo slider 34B, which adjusts the BPM during playback of the second music piece loaded on the second channel.

[0019] [Configuration of Mode Switch] The mode switch 4 is a switch for switching the operation mode of the acoustic control device 1. By pressing the mode switch 4, the operation mode of the acoustic control device 1 switches between the normal mode and the assist mode.

[0020] [Configuration of Cross Fader] The crossfader 5 has a fader control 51 that can move left and right, and is a control that adjusts the balance between the volume of the first track loaded on the first channel and the volume of the second track loaded on the second channel. In the normal mode described later, as the fader control 51 is moved to the left, the proportion of the volume of the first track in the volume output from the sound control device 1 increases. As the fader control 51 is moved to the right, the proportion of the volume of the second track in the volume output from the sound control device 1 increases. Hereinafter, of the two ends of the operable range RC of the fader operator 51, one end will be referred to as the first end TC1 and the other end as the second end TC2. In this embodiment, since the direction of movement of the fader operator 51 is left to right, the first end TC1 is the left end of the operable range RC, and the second end TC2 is the right end of the operable range RC. When the fader control 51 is located at the first end TC1, the volume of the entire first track becomes the first set volume, and the volume of the second track becomes the minimum volume. When the fader control 51 is located at the second end TC2, the volume of the first track becomes the minimum volume, and the volume of the second track becomes the second set volume.

[0021] [Configuration of the control unit] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 6. The control unit 6 is composed of a circuit board having at least one processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and reads and processes an audio control program stored in a computer-readable memory unit (not shown). In other words, the processor constituting the control unit 6 is a computer, and the control unit 6 controls the operation of the audio control device 1 based on the audio control program. Specifically, the control unit 6 plays the music loaded onto each channel and adjusts the mix state of the first and second music tracks based on operations on the crossfader 5 and channel faders 33A and 33B. As shown in Figure 2, such a control unit 6 includes a first playback unit 61, a second playback unit 62, a position acquisition unit 63, a mode switching unit 64, a volume adjustment unit 65, an operation determination unit 66, a comparison unit 67, a configuration determination unit 68, an effect selection unit 69, an effect application unit 70, a playback control unit 71, a configuration replacement unit 72, and a filter unit 73. Of these, the operation determination unit 66, comparison unit 67, configuration determination unit 68, effect selection unit 69, effect application unit 70, playback control unit 71, configuration replacement unit 72, and filter unit 73 function when the operating mode of the sound control device 1 is in assist mode.

[0022] The first playback unit 61 plays the first song loaded into the first channel. Specifically, the first playback unit 61 plays the first song at its BPM. The BPM of the first song refers to the adjusted BPM of the first song if the BPM of the first song during playback has been adjusted by the first tempo slider 34A, and refers to the original BPM of the first song if the BPM of the first song during playback has not been adjusted by the first tempo slider 34A. The second playback unit 62 plays the second song loaded into the second channel. Specifically, the second playback unit 62 plays the second song at the original BPM of the second song. The BPM of the second song refers to the adjusted BPM of the second song if the BPM of the second song during playback has been adjusted by the second tempo slider 34B, and refers to the original BPM of the second song if the BPM of the second song during playback has not been adjusted by the second tempo slider 34B.

[0023] The position acquisition unit 63 acquires the position of each control. For example, the position acquisition unit 63 acquires the position of the fader control 331 within the operable range of each channel fader 33, the position of each tempo slider 34 within its operable range, and the position of the fader control 51 within the operable range of the crossfader 5. For example, the position acquisition unit 63 acquires a numerical value indicating the relative position of the fader operator 51 with respect to the first end TC1, where 0 is defined as the position of the fader operator 51 at the first end TC1 and 1 is defined as the position of the fader operator 51 at the second end TC2.

[0024] The mode switching unit 64 switches the operating mode of the sound control device 1 between normal mode and assist mode in response to input operations on the mode switching switch 4. As will be described in more detail later, normal mode is a mode in which the sound control device 1 does not assist when mixing the first and second tracks. Assist mode is a mode in which the sound control device 1 assists in creating a seamless mix when mixing the first and second tracks.

[0025] [Functions of the volume control] The volume control unit 65 adjusts the volume of the first track output from the sound control device 1 and the volume of the second track output from the sound control device 1, based on the positions of the fader operator 51 and each operator 33A1, 33B1 acquired by the position acquisition unit 63, and also adjusts the balance between the volume of the first track and the volume of the second track. Specifically, the volume control unit 65 adjusts the balance between the overall volume of the first track and the overall volume of the second track according to the position of the fader operator 51. In addition, the volume control unit 65 adjusts the volume of the first track according to the position of the first operator 33A1 of the first channel fader 33A, and adjusts the volume of the second track according to the position of the second operator 33B1 of the second channel fader 33B.

[0026] Figure 3 shows the changes in the overall volume of the first track and the overall volume of the second track when the crossfader 5 is operated. The horizontal axis of the graph in Figure 3 is set to a numerical value that indicates the relative position of the fader operator 51, which is acquired by the position acquisition unit 63. The volume control unit 65 adjusts the balance between the overall volume of the first track and the overall volume of the second track based on the position of the fader operator 51 of the crossfader 5 within the operable range RC. The overall volume of the first track refers to the total volume of the high-frequency band, the mid-frequency band, and the low-frequency band of the first track. The maximum value of the overall volume of the first track is the first set volume V1st, set by the first operator 33A1. The balance of the high-frequency, mid-frequency, and low-frequency bands in the first track corresponds to the ratio of volume levels set by the adjustment units 322 to 324 of the first channel control unit 3A. The same applies to the overall volume of the second track; the maximum value of the overall volume of the second track is the second set volume V2st, set by the second operator 33B1. The balance of the high-frequency, mid-frequency, and low-frequency bands in the second track corresponds to the ratio of volume levels set by the adjustment units 322 to 324 of the second channel control unit 3B. Furthermore, the direction from the first end TC1 to the second end TC2 is defined as the +DC direction, and the direction from the second end TC2 to the first end TC1 is defined as the -DC direction.

[0027] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, when the fader operator 51 is located at the first end TC1, the volume control unit 65 sets the overall volume of the first song to the first pre-set volume V1st and the overall volume of the second song to the second minimum volume V2min. When the fader operator 51 is located at the second end TC2, the volume control unit 65 sets the overall volume of the first track to the first minimum volume V1min and the overall volume of the second track to the second pre-set volume V2st described above. As the fader operator 51 is operated from the first end TC1 in the +DC direction, the volume control unit 65 decreases the overall volume of the first track from the first set volume V1st and increases the overall volume of the second track from the second minimum volume V2min. In other words, as the fader operator 51 is operated from the second end TC2 in the -DC direction, the volume control unit 65 increases the overall volume of the first track from the first minimum volume V1min and decreases the overall volume of the second track from the second set volume V2st. In other words, as the fader operator 51 is operated in the +DC direction, the proportion of the second track in the total volume output from the sound control device 1 increases. As the fader operator 51 is operated in the -DC direction, the proportion of the first track in the total volume output from the sound control device 1 increases.

[0028] In this way, the overall volume of the first track and the overall volume of the second track are adjusted according to the position of the fader operator 51 within the operable range RC, and consequently, the balance between the overall volume of the first track and the overall volume of the second track is adjusted. When the fader operator 51 is operated from the first end TC1 to the second end TC2, the output track switches from the first track to the second track. When the fader operator 51 is operated from the second end TC2 to the first end TC1, the output track switches from the second track to the first track.

[0029] [Configuration of the operation determination unit, comparison unit, and configuration determination unit] The operation determination unit 66 determines, based on the position of the fader operator 51 acquired by the position acquisition unit 63, whether the fader operator 51 was operated from one of the first end TC1 and the second end TC2. Furthermore, if the operation determination unit 66 determines that the fader operator 51 was operated from one end, it determines whether the fader operator 51 reached the other end within a predetermined time. The comparison unit 67 compares the BPM of the first song with the BPM of the second song. Specifically, the comparison unit 67 determines whether the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is greater than a predetermined value. The composition determination unit 68 determines whether or not a vocal part exists in the first song and the second song, respectively. Whether or not a vocal part exists in a song may be determined by referring to a song database from the song title, or by analyzing the composition of the song.

[0030] [Configuration of the effect selection unit and effect application unit] The effect selection unit 69 selects a special sound effect to apply to at least one of the first or second songs based on the comparison result between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song performed by the comparison unit 67. The special sound effect is a so-called effect (Fx), and includes, for example, linked effects that are linked to the BPM and unlinked effects that are not linked to the BPM. Examples of linked effects include delay, echo, flanger, and phaser. Examples of unlinked effects include spatial effects. An example of an unlinked effect is reverb.

[0031] Specifically, if the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the effect selection unit 69 selects at least one of the linked effects described above. On the other hand, if the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is greater than the predetermined value, the effect selection unit 69 selects at least one of the unlinked effects described above. The effect application unit 70 applies a special sound effect to at least one of the first and second songs when it is necessary to apply a special sound effect. For example, the effect application unit 70 applies the special sound effect selected by the effect selection unit 69 to at least one of the songs.

[0032] [Configuration of the playback control unit] The playback control unit 71 controls the playback state of each song by the respective playback units 61 and 62. For example, the playback control unit 71 moves the playback position of the first song and the playback position of the second song. More specifically, if the operation determination unit 66 determines that the fader operator 51 has moved from one end of the first end TC1 and the second end TC2 to the other end within a predetermined time, the playback control unit 71 moves the playback position of the song on the channel corresponding to the other end to a predetermined position. In this embodiment, the predetermined position is set as the start position of the chorus (drop), but it may be any other position, or it may be set by the user.

[0033] [Configuration of the component replacement section and filter section] The configuration swapping unit 72 swaps some parts included in the first song with some parts included in the second song. Specifically, when swapping the first and second songs, the configuration swapping unit 72 swaps the vocal parts included in the first song with the vocal parts included in the second song, depending on the position of the fader operator 51. The vocal parts included in the first song correspond to the first vocal part, and the vocal parts included in the second song correspond to the second vocal part. The filter unit 73 cuts out the low-frequency components contained in the first song when it replaces the output song from one of the first two songs to the other. Specifically, the filter unit 73 cuts out the bass drum sound from the first song.

[0034] [Mix assist processing performed in assist mode] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the mix assist process performed by the control unit 6 in assist mode. When the sound control device 1 is in assist mode, and the fader operator 51 located at one end of the first end TC1 and second end TC2 is operated toward the other end, the control unit 6 reads the sound control program stored in the storage unit (not shown) and executes the mix assist process shown below. That is, when the sound control device 1 is in assist mode, and an operation is performed to lower the volume of one of the first and second tracks and raise the volume of the other track, the control unit 6 executes the mix assist process shown below.

[0035] In the following explanation, we will describe the case where one end is the first end TC1 and the other end is the second end TC2, and the fader operator 51 located at the first end TC1 is operated in the +DC direction. However, the same applies when one end is the second end TC2 and the other end is the first end TC1, and the fader operator 51 located at the second end TC2 is operated in the -DC direction. As described above, the first end TC1 is the end where, when the fader operator 51 is placed, the volume of the first track, which is the first channel's music, becomes the first set volume V1st, and the volume of the second track, which is the second channel's music, becomes the second minimum volume V2min. The second end TC2 is the end where, when the fader operator 51 is placed, the volume of the second track becomes the second set volume V2st, and the volume of the first track becomes the first minimum volume V1min.

[0036] In the mix assist process, as shown in Figure 4, first, the operation determination unit 66 determines whether the fader operator 51 has reached the second end TC2 within a predetermined time after being operated from the first end TC1 (step S01). In the determination process of step S01, if it is determined that the fader operator 51 has not reached the second end TC2 within a predetermined time (step S01: NO), the comparison unit 67 compares the BPM of the first song with the BPM of the second song and determines whether the difference in BPM of each song is greater than a predetermined value (step S02).

[0037] In the determination process of step S02, if it is determined that the BPM difference is not greater than a predetermined value, that is, that the BPM difference is less than or equal to a predetermined value (step S02: NO), the configuration determination unit 68 determines whether or not the first song and the second song each contain a vocal part (step S03). In the determination process of step S03, if it is determined that there is no vocal part in at least one of the first and second songs (step S03: NO), the effect selection unit 69 selects a special sound effect corresponding to the comparison result of the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song, that is, the difference in BPM (step S04). Here, since the difference in BPM is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the effect selection unit 69 determines that the BPMs of each song are close to each other and selects one of the linked effects described above.

[0038] If a special sound effect is selected in step S04, the effect application unit 70 applies the selected special sound effect to at least one of the first and second songs (step S05). At this time, the effect application unit 70 may apply a linked effect to the first song that is linked to the first song's BPM, and a linked effect to the second song that is linked to the second song's BPM. Alternatively, the effect application unit 70 may apply a linked effect to each of the first and second songs that is linked to the BPM of one of the first and second songs. Furthermore, the effect application unit 70 may apply a linked effect to one of the first and second songs that is linked to the BPM of that song, and apply a linked effect to the other song that is linked to the BPM of that song. Step S05 After that, the control unit 6 proceeds to step S11.

[0039] If the determination process in step S03 determines that there is a vocal part in both the first and second songs (step S03: YES), the configuration swapping unit 72 swaps the vocal part of the first song with the vocal part of the second song according to the position of the fader operator 51 (step S06). After step S06, the control unit 6 proceeds to step S11.

[0040] In the determination process of step S02, if it is determined that the BPM difference is greater than a predetermined value (step S02: YES), the playback control unit 71 moves the playback position of the second song, which is the song to be replaced with the first song, to a predetermined position (step S07). As described above, in this embodiment, the playback control unit 71 moves the playback position of the second song to the start position of the drop in the second song. Furthermore, the filter section 73 cuts the low-frequency range of the first song, which is the song to be replaced by the second song (step S08). More specifically, the filter section 73 cuts the sound of the bass drum in the first song.

[0041] Along with steps S07 and S08, the effect selection unit 69 selects a special sound effect according to the comparison result between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song (step S09). Here, since the difference in BPM is greater than a predetermined value, the effect selection unit 69 determines that the BPMs of each song are far apart and selects one of the non-linked effects described above. For example, the effect selection unit 69 selects reverb. Then, the effect application unit 70 applies the special sound effect selected by the effect selection unit 69 to at least one of the first and second songs (step S10). Here, the effect application unit 70 applies the selected special sound effect to each song. After step S10, the control unit 6 proceeds to step S11.

[0042] In step S11, the operation determination unit 66 determines whether the fader operator 51, which has been operated in the +DC direction, has reached the second end TC2 (step S11). If the determination process in step S11 determines that the fader operator 51 has not reached the second end TC2, the current state is maintained and step S11 is repeatedly executed. In other words, special sound effects applied to the music, for example, are maintained until the fader operator 51 reaches the second end TC2. If the determination process in step S11 determines that the fader operator 51 has reached the second end TC2, the control unit 6 terminates the mix assist process.

[0043] In the determination process of step S01, if it is determined that the fader operator 51 has reached the second end TC2 from the first end TC1 within a predetermined time (step S01: YES), the playback control unit 71 moves the playback position of the second song to the predetermined position described above, that is, the start position of the drop (step S12). Furthermore, the playback control unit 71 fades out the first song, which is the song being replaced (step S13). That is, the playback control unit 71 instructs the volume control unit 65 to gradually decrease the overall volume of the first song. At this time, the playback control unit 71 may also move the playback position of the first song to the outro of the first song. Furthermore, the effect selection unit 69 selects a linked effect to be applied to the first song (step S14), and the effect application unit 70 applies the selected linked effect to the first song (step S15). At this time, the effect application unit 70 applies the selected linked effect to the first song in conjunction with the BPM of the second song, which is the song to be replaced. After this, the control unit 6 terminates the mix assist process.

[0044] [Usefulness of Assist Mode] In the assist mode described above, the overall volume of the first track and the overall volume of the second track are adjusted, and in response to the operation of the fader operator 51, which swaps the tracks output from the sound control device 1 when positioned at the first end TC1 or the second end TC2, either a special sound effect is added to at least one of the tracks, or the vocal parts are swapped. At this time, depending on the difference in BPM of each track, one of two special sound effects, either a linked effect or a non-linked effect, is added to the track, so that the first and second tracks can be mixed without being aware of the BPM of each track. Therefore, the first and second tracks can be mixed seamlessly without the user having to manually adjust the BPM of each track by operating the tempo slider 34. Furthermore, if the difference between the BPM of the first track and the BPM of the second track is greater than a predetermined value, and the transition time from the first track to the second track exceeds a predetermined time, the bass drum sound of the first track will be cut. This allows the first track to be played without a sense of rhythm. Therefore, the first track can be transitioned to the second track, which has a large difference in BPM from the first track, without causing a sudden change in rhythm.

[0045] Furthermore, if the fader operator 51 located at one end of the first end TC1 and the second end TC2 is moved to the other end within a predetermined time, the playback position of the replacement track to be swapped with the original track is moved, the original track is faded out, and a linked effect synchronized with the BPM of the replacement track is applied to the replacement track. This makes it possible to preserve the reverberation of the first track while preventing the rhythm of the second track from being disrupted. Therefore, an instantaneous mix of the first and second tracks can be performed without any sense of incongruity.

[0046] [Effects of the Embodiment] The sound control device 1 according to this embodiment, as described above, provides the following effects. The sound control device 1 mixes the first and second tracks. The sound control device 1 includes a comparison unit 67 and an effect selection unit 69. The comparison unit 67 compares the BPM of the first track with the BPM of the second track. The effect selection unit 69 selects a special sound effect according to the result of the comparison by the comparison unit 67. With this configuration, special sound effects are selected based on the comparison result between the BPM of the first track and the BPM of the second track. Therefore, when mixing the first and second tracks, special sound effects corresponding to the BPM difference between the two tracks can be applied to at least one of the tracks. Consequently, even inexperienced users, such as beginners, can mix the first and second tracks without any sense of incongruity when operating the sound control device.

[0047] In the sound control device 1, the effect selection unit 69 selects a linked effect from the special sound effects that is linked to the BPM if the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is less than or equal to a predetermined value. With this configuration, when the difference in BPM between each song is below a predetermined value, a linked effect is selected, allowing special sound effects linked to the BPM of both the first and second songs to be applied to at least one of the songs. Therefore, the first and second songs can be mixed seamlessly.

[0048] In the sound control device 1, the effect selection unit 69 selects a non-linked special sound effect that is not linked to the BPM if the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is greater than a predetermined value. With this configuration, the selected non-synchronized effect is applied to at least one of the first or second tracks, allowing the first and second tracks to be mixed without the listener being aware of the difference in their BPMs. Therefore, the first and second tracks can be mixed seamlessly.

[0049] The sound control device 1 includes an effect application unit 70 that applies a special sound effect selected by the effect selection unit 69 to at least one of the first and second tracks in response to an operation on the fader operator 51. The operation on the fader operator 51 is an operation to adjust the balance between the volume of the first track and the volume of the second track. With this configuration, the effect application unit 70 applies the selected special sound effect to at least one of the tracks, triggered by an operation to swap tracks from the first track to the second track, or from the second track to the first track. This allows special sound effects to be applied in response to track swapping operations. Therefore, mixing of the first and second tracks can be performed without any sense of incongruity.

[0050] The sound control device 1 mixes the first and second tracks. The sound control device 1 includes a playback control unit 71 and an effect application unit 70. The playback control unit 71 fades out the first track when the swapping operation, in which the tracks output from the sound control device 1 are replaced from the first track to the second track, is started and the swapping operation is completed within a predetermined time. For example, when the fader operator 51 located at the first end TC1 is operated toward the second end TC2 and reaches the second end TC2 within a predetermined time, the first track fades out. The effect application unit 70 applies a linked effect to the first track, which is one of the special sound effects linked to the BPM of the second track.

[0051] Here, when switching from the first song to the second song, if the first song is faded out and a linked effect corresponding to the first song's BPM is applied to the first song, then if the BPM of the first song is different from the BPM of the second song, a sense of incongruity will arise due to the difference in BPM between the first and second songs. In contrast, with the above configuration, by applying a synchronized effect to the first track that fades out, which is linked to the BPM of the second track, it is possible to suppress the sense of incongruity caused by the difference in BPM even when the first and second tracks, which fade out, are output. Therefore, the transition from the first track to the second track can be performed without any sense of incongruity.

[0052] In the sound control device 1, once the above-mentioned swapping operation is completed within a predetermined time, the playback control unit 71 moves the playback position of the second song to a predetermined position set in advance in the second song. With this configuration, when switching from the first track to the second track, the second track can be played from a predetermined position. This allows, for example, the switching operation to be performed after the drop (chorus) of the first track has finished playing, enabling the second track to start playing from its drop. Therefore, the switching from the first track to the second track can be performed without any sense of unnaturalness.

[0053] The sound control device 1 mixes the first song and the second song. The first song includes a first vocal part, and the second song includes a second vocal part. The sound control device 1 includes a component swapping unit 72. When the operation of lowering the volume of the first song and raising the volume of the second song is performed at a speed of a predetermined speed or less, the component swapping unit 72 swaps the first vocal part of the first song and the second vocal part of the second song if the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is within a predetermined value. With this configuration, when switching from the first track to the second track, for example, the second vocal part can be continuously output until the switching operation is complete. This suppresses the sense of incongruity that may occur when switching from the first track to the second track due to differences in the vocal parts.

[0054] The storage unit of the sound control device 1 stores a computer-readable sound control program that enables the computer to function as the sound control device 1. At least one processor constituting the control unit 6 reads the sound control program and activates the sound control device 1. By having at least one processor read and execute such an acoustic control program, the acoustic control device 1 can achieve the effects described above.

[0055] [Variations of the Embodiment] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any modifications and improvements that can achieve the objectives of the present invention are included in the present invention. In the above embodiment, the effect selection unit 69 selects a linked effect if the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is less than or equal to a predetermined value, and selects a non-linked effect if the difference is greater than the predetermined value. However, the effect selection unit 69 is not limited to this, and may also select a linked effect if the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song are the same, and select a non-linked effect if the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song are different. Furthermore, if the difference in BPM between each song is greater than a predetermined value, the special sound effect selected when the BPM of each song is greater than a predetermined threshold may be different from the special sound effect selected when the BPM of each song is below the predetermined threshold.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the effect application unit 70 applies the special sound effect selected by the effect selection unit 69 to the music. The application of the special sound effect by the effect application unit 70 may be performed in response to user operations on controls other than the fader control 51. For example, the effect application unit 70 may apply the special sound effect when a predetermined button is pressed.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the playback control unit 71 fades out one of the tracks when a swapping operation to replace one of the first and second tracks with the other is started and completed within a predetermined time. For example, if the swapping operation to replace one of the tracks with the other is performed instantaneously, the first track is faded out. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the first track does not necessarily have to be faded out. Furthermore, the effect application unit 70 is said to apply a linked effect to one of the songs. More specifically, the effect application unit 70 is said to apply a linked effect to one of the songs that is linked to the BPM of the other song. However, it is not limited to this, and a linked effect linked to the BPM of the one song may be applied, or a non-linked effect may be applied, and no special sound effects may be applied.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the configuration swapping unit 72 swaps the first vocal part and the second vocal part if the operation of lowering the volume of the first song and raising the volume of the second song is performed at a speed of a predetermined speed or less, and the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is within a predetermined value. However, the system is not limited to this, and the swapping of vocal parts does not have to be performed.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the fader control 51 of the crossfader 5 was given as an operator that accepts operations to adjust the balance between the volume of the first track and the volume of the second track, swap the output track from the first track to the second track, and adjust the volume between the volume of the first track and the volume of the second track. However, the operator is not limited to this and may be any other operator. For example, the operator may be a channel fader. Also, the operator that accepts the above operations does not have to be a sliding operator, but may be, for example, an operation knob that rotates around a rotation axis.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the sound control program, which is read and executed by the computer's arithmetic processing circuit, is stored in a memory unit (not shown). However, the system is not limited to this; the sound control program may also be recorded on a recording medium in a computer-readable format and read and executed from the recording medium when the sound control device 1 is in operation. Furthermore, the sound control program may be provided from a server or other providing device via a network such as the Internet.

[0061] [Summary of the present invention] A summary of the present invention is provided below. [1] In an audio control device for mixing the first and second musical pieces, A comparison unit that compares the BPM of the first song with the BPM of the second song, The system includes an effect selection unit that selects a special sound effect according to the results of the comparison. With this configuration, special sound effects are selected based on the comparison result between the BPM of the first track and the BPM of the second track. Therefore, when mixing the first and second tracks, special sound effects corresponding to the BPM difference between the two tracks can be applied to at least one of the tracks. Consequently, even inexperienced users, such as beginners, can mix the first and second tracks without any sense of incongruity when operating the sound control device.

[0062] In the acoustic control device described in [2][1], The effect selection unit selects a linked effect from among the special sound effects that is linked to the BPM if the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is less than or equal to a predetermined value. With this configuration, when the BPMs of each song are the same, the linked effect is selected, allowing special sound effects linked to the BPMs of both the first and second songs to be applied to at least one of the songs. Therefore, the first and second songs can be mixed seamlessly.

[0063] In the acoustic control device described in [3][1] or [2], If the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is greater than a predetermined value, the effect selection unit selects an unlinked effect from the special sound effects that is not linked to the BPM. With this configuration, if the BPMs of the songs are different, a non-synchronized effect is selected. Since the selected non-synchronized effect is applied to at least one of the songs, the first and second songs can be mixed without the listener being aware of the difference in BPMs between them. Therefore, the first and second songs can be mixed seamlessly.

[0064] In the sound control device described in any one of [4], [1] to [3], The system includes an effect application unit that applies the special sound effect selected by the effect selection unit to at least one of the first and second songs in response to an operation that adjusts the balance between the volume of the first song and the volume of the second song. With this configuration, the effect application unit applies a selected special sound effect to at least one of the tracks, triggered by a swap operation from the first track to the second track, or from the second track to the first track. This allows special sound effects to be applied in response to track swap operations. Therefore, mixing of the first and second tracks can be performed without any sense of incongruity.

[0065] [5] In an audio control device for mixing the first and second musical pieces, A playback control unit that fades out the first track once a swapping operation to replace the output track from the first track to the second track has started and the swapping operation has been completed within a predetermined time, The system includes an effect application unit that applies special sound effects, specifically linked effects that are synchronized with the BPM of the second song, to the first song. Here, when switching from the first song to the second song, if the first song is faded out and a linked effect corresponding to the first song's BPM is applied to the first song, then if the BPM of the first song is different from the BPM of the second song, a sense of incongruity will arise due to the difference in BPM between the first and second songs. In contrast, with the above configuration, by applying a synchronized effect to the first track that fades out, which is linked to the BPM of the second track, it is possible to suppress the sense of incongruity caused by the difference in BPM even when the first and second tracks, which fade out, are output. Therefore, the transition from the first track to the second track can be performed without any sense of incongruity.

[0066] In the acoustic control device described in [6][5], When the swapping operation is completed within the predetermined time, the playback control unit moves the playback position of the second song to a preset position in the second song. With this configuration, when switching from the first track to the second track, the second track can be played from a pre-set position. This allows, for example, the switching operation to be performed after the drop (chorus) of the first track has finished playing, enabling the second track to start playing from its drop. Therefore, the switching from the first track to the second track can be performed seamlessly.

[0067] [7] In an audio control device for mixing the first and second musical pieces, The aforementioned first song includes the first vocal part, The aforementioned second song includes a second vocal part, The system includes a configuration swapping unit that, when the operation of lowering the volume of the first song and raising the volume of the second song is performed at a speed of a predetermined speed or less, swaps the first vocal part and the second vocal part if the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is within a predetermined value. With this configuration, when switching from the first track to the second track, for example, the second vocal part can be continuously output until the switching operation is complete. This suppresses the sense of incongruity that may occur when switching from the first track to the second track due to differences in the vocal parts.

[0068] [8] The sound control program is recorded in a computer-readable format to enable the computer to function as the sound control device described in any one of [1] through [7]. By having a computer execute such an acoustic control program, the same effects as the acoustic control device described above can be achieved. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 1...Sound control device, 33A...First channel fader, 33A1...First control, 33B...Second channel fader, 33B1...Second control, 5...Crossfader, 51...Fader control, 6...Control unit, 67...Comparison unit, 68...Configuration determination unit, 69...Effect selection unit, 70...Effect application unit, 71...Playback control unit, 72...Configuration swapping unit, 73...Filter unit.

Claims

1. In an audio control device that mixes the first and second musical pieces, A comparison unit that calculates the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song, An acoustic control device characterized by comprising an effect selection unit that selects a special sound effect according to the aforementioned difference.

2. In the acoustic control device according to claim 1, The sound control device is characterized in that, when the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the effect selection unit selects a linked effect from among the special sound effects that is linked to the BPM.

3. In the acoustic control device according to claim 1 or claim 2, The sound control device is characterized in that, when the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is greater than a predetermined value, the effect selection unit selects an unlinked effect from among the special sound effects that is not linked to the BPM.

4. In the acoustic control device according to claim 1 or claim 2, An acoustic control device comprising an effect application unit that applies the special sound effect selected by the effect selection unit to at least one of the first and second songs in response to an operation to adjust the balance between the volume of the first song and the volume of the second song.

5. In the sound control device according to Claim 1, A playback control unit that fades out the first song when a swapping operation to replace the output song from the first song to the second song is started and the swapping operation is completed within a predetermined time, An acoustic control device comprising: an effect application unit that applies, among the special sound effects, a linked effect that is synchronized with the BPM of the second song to the first song.

6. In the sound control device according to claim 5, The sound control device is characterized in that, when the replacement operation is completed within the predetermined time, the playback position of the second song is moved to a predetermined position in the second song.

7. In an audio control device that mixes the first and second musical pieces, The aforementioned first song includes the first vocal part, The aforementioned second song includes a second vocal part, An audio control device characterized by comprising a configuration swapping unit that, when the operation of lowering the volume of the first song and raising the volume of the second song is performed at a speed of a predetermined speed or less, swaps the first vocal part and the second vocal part if the difference between the BPM of the first song and the BPM of the second song is within a predetermined value.

8. An acoustic control program that is recorded in a computer-readable format and causes a computer to function as an acoustic control device according to claim 1 or claim 7.

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