Musical Sound Effect Device Beat Synchronization via Phase Shift

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing musical sound effect devices struggle to add effects in synchronization with the tempo of a music piece, leading to potential discomfort for listeners, especially in DJ performances.

Innovation Solution

A musical sound effect adding device and program that utilize a DJ controller with a CPU and USB connection to synchronize sound effects with the beat of a music piece by using a filtering section, LFO, loop circuits, and level adjusters to create synchronized delay and phase shifts in sound signals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If signal delay is performed uncorrelated with the musical sound signal pitch and phase is shifted, then the sound effect can be added to the musical sound signal, but the sound effect cannot be synchronized with the tempo of the music piece

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesound effect addition capabilityVSAvoidtempo synchronization accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses feedback by detecting the pitch of the musical sound signal and using it to control the delay time modulation. The system continuously monitors the input signal's pitch and adjusts the delay parameters accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that ensures tempo synchronization while maintaining sound effect addition capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of delay time from being uncorrelated to being correlated with the musical sound signal pitch. By making the delay time vary according to the detected pitch, the system achieves both sound effect addition and tempo synchronization, resolving the contradiction between versatility and precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If delay deviation or phase deviation from tempo occurs during music piece reproduction, then sound effects can be added to multiple channels, but the listener may feel strange and it becomes unsuitable for DJ performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-channel sound effect additionVSAvoidlistener discomfort
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback to continuously monitor the pitch of the musical sound signal and adjust the delay time modulation accordingly. This real-time adjustment ensures that sound effects remain synchronized with the tempo across multiple channels, preventing listener discomfort while maintaining multi-channel capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic adjustment of delay parameters based on the detected pitch variations in the musical signal. By making the delay system dynamic rather than static, the sound effects automatically adapt to tempo changes, ensuring synchronization is maintained across all channels during playback

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3734592B1Musical sound effect adding device and musical sound effect adding program
Publication Date: 2023.05.10 ALPHATHETA CORP
  • EP3734592B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3734592B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3734592B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A musical sound effect adding device (5) includes: a periodic signal generator (52) configured to generate a periodic signal synchronized with an n-beat or 1/n-beat (n: integer) cycle of a musical sound signal of music piece data; a plurality of loop circuits (LP1-LP4) each including a delay unit (53) configured to delay the musical sound signal of the music piece data to be synchronized with the periodic signal generated by the periodic signal generator (52); and a shift phase section (52) configured to shift, for the delay unit (53) of each of the loop circuits (LP1-LP4), a phase of the musical sound signal to be circulated through each of the loop circuits (LP1-LP4) to a phase different between the loop circuits.