Portable hand-held music synthesizer and networking method and apparatus

A system of music devices operatively coupled together, the system comprising:

• plural apparatus in physical proximity with each other and capable of at least one-way communication therebetween of an audio score,
• at least one such apparatus comprising:
• an audio score synthesis mechanism including an outplay mechanism for outplaying the synthesized audio score;
• an audio score mixing mechanism coupled with said synthesis mechanism for mixing plural audio scores to produce another audio score having components of each of the plural audio scores;
• and
• an audio score input mechanism coupled with said mixing mechanism to provide one or more input audio scores thereto for mixing with the synthesized and outplayed audio score,
• said synthesis mechanism, said mixing mechanism and said input mechanism being operable in real time to create an outplayable audio score having components of plural audio scores produced by said plural proximate apparatus;
• and
• at least another such apparatus operatively coupled with said at least one such apparatus, said at least another such comprising:
• an audio score output mechanism;
• and
• a transmit mechanism for wirelessly transmitting an audio score to said at least one such apparatus for mixing thereby.

A method of producing a musical session among two or more music devices, the method comprising:

• providing two or more physically proximate but separate music devices,
• a first one of such devices being configured to synthesize a first audio score and to mix the same with a second audio score from an external source to produce an outplayable audio score having components of both the first and second audio scores and
• a second one of such devices being configured to receive from the first one of such music devices the outplayable audio score and to outplay such outplayable-and-received audio score, and
• operatively coupling said two or more music devices together via a wireless interconnect mechanism that enables at least one way communication therebetween of an audio score for outplaying by the receiving music device.

A method of producing a musical session among two or more music devices, the method comprising:

• synthesizing a first audio score;
• wirelessly transmitting a second audio score between two or more music devices that are physically proximate but separate from one another;
• mixing the first audio score with a second audio score to produce an outplayable audio score having components of both the first and second audio scores;
• and
• outplaying the outplayable audio score.

An article of manufacture for use with a music device, the article comprising a computer-readable medium containing a program, the program comprising:

• synthesis firmware for synthesizing a first audio score;
• transmission firmware for wirelessly transmitting a second audio score between two or more music devices that are physically proximate but separate from one another;
• mix firmware for mixing the first audio score with a second audio score to produce an outplayable audio score having components of both the first and second audio scores;
• and
• outplay firmware for audibly outplaying the outplayable audio score.

A musical system comprising:

• a wireless network;
• and
• plural portable musical apparatus in physically separated proximity with each other and capable of two-way communication therebetween of an audio score over said wireless network, each musical apparatus including:
• an audio score synthesis mechanism;
• an audio outplay mechanism coupled with said network;
• an audio input mechanism coupled with said network;
• and
• an audio score mixing mechanism coupled with said synthesis mechanism, said input mechanism and said outplay mechanism, said mixing mechanism configured to mix a first audio score from said synthesis mechanism with a second audio score from said input mechanism to produce in real time an outplayable audio score having components of each of the first and second audio scores.