Automatic Accompaniment Timing Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Accomplished pianists feel that the automatic accompaniment in prior systems does not accord with the melody due to a delay of approximately 10 milliseconds between key detection and resumption of accompaniment, causing a timing mismatch with the human player's fingering.
Innovation Solution
A musical instrument with a built-in automatic accompanying system that monitors link-works activated by the human player, using data storage, time keepers, and an interrupter to synchronize the production of accompanying tones with the human player's performance, ensuring timely and accurate accompaniment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the prior art automatic accompanist interrupts the accompaniment when the beginner is detected to be behind, then the beginner can catch up with the melody, but a delay of approximately 10 milliseconds occurs between key detection and resumption of accompaniment, causing accomplished pianists to feel the accompaniment does not accord with the melody
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the accompaniment timing based on the player's performance status. When a beginner is detected to be behind, the accompaniment is interrupted and then resumed with a delayed timing to allow the player to catch up. For accomplished players, the system maintains precise timing without interruption. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the timing precision to the user's skill level.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the timing parameter of the accompaniment based on detection results. When a beginner is detected, the system introduces a time delay parameter to shift the accompaniment timing forward, allowing the player to catch up. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between ease of operation for beginners and timing precision by selectively applying timing adjustments only when needed.
2Device complexity
If the prior art automatic accompanist uses a fixed timing system for accompaniment, then the system structure is simple, but the accompaniment timing does not adapt to human player's natural variations in fingering speed
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates a detection mechanism that monitors whether the player is behind the accompaniment timing. This feedback information is used to dynamically adjust the accompaniment timing, introducing delays when the player falls behind. This feedback loop resolves the contradiction by enabling the system to adapt to human player variations while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system预先 (in advance) prepares multiple timing patterns for the accompaniment, including delayed timing patterns. When detection indicates the player is behind, the system switches to the pre-prepared delayed timing pattern. This preliminary preparation resolves the contradiction by enabling adaptive timing without requiring complex real-time calculation systems.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic accompanist produces tones for an accompaniment in synchronism with tones of melody produced through fingering of a human player; cue note data codes, which express tones produced in the melody, and cue time data codes, which express a lapse of time between the cue notes, are stored in a cue time track separately from an automatic accompanying track where key event data codes for the accompaniment and duration data codes each expressing a lapse of time between the key event codes; while the human player is fingering the melody, the automatic accompanist monitors the keys specified as the cue notes; if the human player does not depress the keys, the automatic accompanist stops the measurement of the lapse of time expressed by the duration data codes so as to make the accompaniment delayed.