Electronic Musical Instrument Waveform Transfer Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic musical instruments face inefficiencies in sound generation due to the time required to transfer waveform data from secondary storage to primary storage, leading to potential interruptions in performance, especially when switching between multiple waveforms and tone colors, and wasteful use of memory capacity by transferring all waveforms at once.
Innovation Solution
An electronic musical instrument design featuring a first memory for storing waveforms, a second memory with faster access speed for real-time sound generation, and a processor that searches for required waveforms in the second memory, delaying playback timing to allow for seamless transfer of waveforms from the first memory to the second, ensuring continuous sound generation without interruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If waveform data is transferred from secondary storage device to primary storage device during automatic performance, then more waveform data can be stored and accessed, but sound generation is interrupted during the transfer process
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by transferring waveform data from secondary storage to primary storage in advance, before it is actually needed for sound generation. This is achieved by monitoring waveform buffer usage and proactively loading waveforms during idle periods or low-utilization times, ensuring that required waveforms are already in fast memory when needed, thus preventing sound generation interruptions.
2Reliability
If all waveform data is transferred to primary storage device in advance, then sound generation can proceed without interruptions, but memory capacity is wasted and transfer time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of transferring all waveform data, the system applies partial action by transferring only the necessary portion of waveform data that is actually needed for the current automatic performance. The system monitors which waveforms are required based on the performance data and transfers only those specific waveforms from secondary to primary storage, avoiding unnecessary transfer time and memory waste while ensuring continuous sound generation for the required waveforms.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple waveforms are switched during automatic performance, then more tone colors can be used, but sound generation is disrupted due to transfer requirements
Solution Approach 1:
When multiple waveforms need to be switched during automatic performance to achieve different tone colors, the system applies preliminary action by loading all required waveforms into the primary storage device's waveform buffer in advance, before the automatic performance begins. This allows the system to switch between multiple tone colors during performance without interrupting sound generation, as all needed waveforms are already available in fast memory.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electronic musical instrument includes a sound source LSI to generate a musical sound using a RAM that retains waveform data that has been selectively read from a plurality of waveforms stored in a large-capacity flash memory, and smoothly executes transfer of additional waveform data from the flash memory to the RAM when the requisite waveform data is not retained in the RAM during the performance. Performance data is generated by a sequencer, a prescribed delay time is applied to the performance data by an event time generator and an event delay buffer so as to provide for sufficient time for the transfer of the additional waveform if such transfer is needed. A musical sound is generated by an event buffer and a sound source driver on the basis of the delayed performance data.