US 2012/0031256 A1 · TONE GENERATION APPARATUS

Abstract

In response to detection of a note-on instruction, a CPU assigns a tone generating unit comprising two tone generating channels and sets tone color control data of the assigned tone generating unit into tone generator registers. The tone color control data includes a parameter common to the two channels. Once the CPU gives a tone generation start instruction to a tone generator, the tone generator accumulates a frequency number common to the two channels to thereby generate a progressive phase common to the two channels. Waveform readout section reads out left-channel and right-channel waveform data from a waveform memory on the basis of the phase and waveform selecting information of the left and right channels. Tone characteristics of the read-out left- and right-channel waveform data are controlled by a characteristic control section on the basis of a characteristic control parameter common to the two channels.

A tone generation apparatus comprising:

a waveform memory (21) storing a plurality of stereo waveform data, each stereo waveform data comprising waveform data of a left-channel waveform and waveform data of a right-channel waveform;
a tone generator (111, 112, 113, 116) which includes N (N is an integer equal to or greater than one) tone generating units (111, 112, 113, 116), each tone generating unit reads out waveform data for a left-channel and a right-channel from said waveform memory and generates tone waveforms of the left-channel and the right-channel based on the read-out waveform data;
registers (23) storing control data for the N tone generating units, control data for each tone generating unit including left-channel waveform information specifying waveform data of a left-channel waveform in said waveform memory, right-channel waveform information specifying waveform data of a right-channel waveform in said waveform memory, a frequency number for controlling a tone pitch, and a characteristic control parameter for controlling a tone characteristic;
and
a controller (122, 10) which sets control data to said registers to control tone generation by said tone generator, wherein
said controller (122, 10) being adapted to, in response to a tone generation command instructing generation of a new tone:
(i) assign (S11-S15) one of the N tone generating units to generate the new tone instructed by the tone generation command;
(ii) generate (S17) control data for the new tone including left-channel waveform information and right-channel waveform information, a frequency number and a characteristic control parameter which are to be used for the generation of the new tone, and set the generated tone control data into said registers, as control data for the assigned tone generating unit;
and
(iii) give (S18) to the assigned tone generating unit a tone generation start instruction, and wherein
said tone generator (111, 112, 113, 116) being adapted to, by means of each one tone generating unit in response to the tone generation start instruction given to the one tone generating unit by said controller:
(i) read out (111, 112) waveform data of a left-channel waveform and waveform data of a right-channel waveform, specified by the left-channel and right-channel waveform information, respectively, stored in said registers for the one tone generating unit, from said waveform memory at a rate corresponding to the frequency number stored in said registers for the one tone generating unit to thereby shift a tone pitch of the waveform data of the left-channel waveform and a tone pitch of the waveform data of the right-channel waveform in accordance with the frequency number;
and
(ii) control (113, 116) a tone characteristic of the read-out waveform data of the left-channel waveform and a tone characteristic of the read-out waveform data of the right-channel waveform on the basis of the characteristic control parameter, stored in said registers for the one tone generating unit, to thereby generate a tone waveform of the left channel and a tone waveform of the right channel.

11 more elements

Tone generation apparatus

Life of this patent

Tone generation apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8