Arpeggiator Velocity Correction for Sound Muddiness

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing arpeggio production devices often suffer from sound muddiness due to simultaneous production of sounds from multiple performance parts, leading to increased output levels and undesirable sound quality, particularly as the number of performance parts increases.

Innovation Solution

An arpeggiator with an automatic performance part that automatically plays arpeggios based on input note numbers and a velocity correction part that reduces the velocity of overlapping sound production to prevent sound muddiness, utilizing a detection step to identify overlapping sound production timings and adjust velocities accordingly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple performance parts are used to automatically play arpeggios, then the variety and expressiveness of musical sounds are improved, but sound muddiness occurs due to simultaneous production of sounds from different parts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevariety of musical soundsVSAvoidsound muddiness
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by adjusting the velocity parameter specifically for overlapping sounds from different performance parts. Instead of uniformly reducing all sound volumes, only the velocities of sounds that overlap in time are reduced, while non-overlapping sounds maintain their original velocity. This localized adjustment resolves the sound muddiness problem while preserving the variety and expressiveness of multiple performance parts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If the number of performance parts is increased, then more types of arpeggio effects can be produced simultaneously, but the frequency of sound muddiness increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of arpeggio effectsVSAvoidsound muddiness frequency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the timing of sound production across multiple performance parts and dynamically adjusting velocities based on detected overlaps. The system detects when sounds from different parts overlap in time and automatically reduces the velocity of overlapping sounds, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents sound muddiness while allowing increased use of multiple performance parts for greater productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If simultaneous sound production from multiple parts is allowed, then expressive arpeggio sounds are achieved, but output level increases causing sound quality degradation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexpressiveness of arpeggio soundsVSAvoidoutput level increase
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the velocity parameter of overlapping sounds to resolve the contradiction. When sounds from multiple performance parts overlap in time, the system reduces the velocity parameter of the overlapping sounds, thereby controlling the output level without preventing simultaneous sound production. This parameter adjustment maintains the expressiveness of multi-part arpeggios while preventing output level increases that would degrade sound quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4027332B1Arpeggiator and program provided with function thereof
Publication Date: 2024.11.13 ROLAND CORP
  • EP4027332B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4027332B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(c)
  • EP4027332B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(c)

AI summary

[Problem] To provide an arpeggiator capable of suppressing sound muddiness caused by simultaneous production of sounds in a multi-arpeggiator capable of automatically playing arpeggios in a plurality of performance parts, and a program provided with the function of the arpeggiator. [Solution] A synthesizer 1 decreases velocity in velocity memory 12c in accordance with a duck rate when the time of sound production for a sound production part is the same as the time of sound production for a duck part, and at that time of sound production, a note number of the duck part is the same as a note number of a duck note. This makes it possible to suppress muddiness of output sound, since an increase in output level is suppressed even when a plurality parts produce sound at the same time.