Flash memory based stored sample electronic music synthesizer
AssigneeYoung Chang Research and Development Institute
InventorsHoward Chamberlin, Timothy Thompson, Mark Miller, Sivaraman Natarajan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flash-memory based stored-sample electronic music synthesizer enables the electronic reproduction of a large number of independent voices while accommodating the exacting demands of voice continuity, minimal note-start latency, and voice synchronicity.
Claims15
A stored sample music synthesizer, comprising
- an input source for selecting one or more voices to be played;
- an output for receiving digital representations of the selected voices;
- a flash memory for storing voice samples;
- a buffer memory for receiving selected voice samples from said first storage;
- and
- a sample playback engine responsive to said input source for selecting voice samples from said first storage and storing them into said second storage for transmission to said output.
A method of servicing requests for data in a music synthesizer, comprising
- establishing a basic cycle time for loading data into sample buffers for subsequent processing by the synthesizer;
- allocating a first group of time-segments of said cycle time at least for continuing play of each of a plurality of voices to be played by the synthesizer;
- allocating a second group of time-segments of said cycle time for starting new voices to be played by the synthesizer, said second group of segments being interspersed among said first group.
In a stored sample music synthesizer using flash memory to store samples of sounds to be played, the improvement comprising storing said samples as sets of samples of a size less than the size of the data retrievable in a single read of the flash memory and storing error correction code for the respective sets as part of each set.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.