Electronic musical instrument with user-programmable tone generator modules

An electronic musical instrument, comprising:

• a tone generator for synthesizing musical tones, said tone generator including a plurality of waveform generation modules and means for time-division multiplexing the operation of said modules;
• input means for inputting module-pairing data for designating a desired connection configuration from a plurality of possible configurations for each pair of said plurality of modules independently of connection configurations of the other module pairs such that each module pair forms a tone synthesis unit, the synthesis operation of which is determined by said module-pairing data;
• and
• processing means for converting said module pairing data inputted by said input means, into control data that is compatible with said tone generator and with each of said modules, and for transferring the control data to said tone generator;
• wherein said input means includes means for selecting said module pair connection configuration from:
• (a) a mode in which the output of a first module in the pair is added to the output of a second module in the pair;
• (b) a mode in which the output of the first module of the pair is used as a phase signal to the second module in the pair;
• or
• (c) a mode in which the output of the first module in the pair is used as part of an envelope signal to the second module in the pair.

An electronic musical instrument, according;

• a tone generator for synthesizing musical tones, said tone generator including a plurality of waveform generation modules and means for time-division multiplexing the operation of said modules;
• input means for inputting module-pairing data for designating a desired connection configuration from a plurality of possible configuration for each pair of said plurality of modules independently of connection configuration of the other module pairs such that each module pair forms a tone synthesis unit, the synthesis operation of which is determined by said module-pairing data;
• and
• processing means for converting said module pairing data inputted by said input means, into control data that is compatible with said tone generator and with each of said modules, and for transferring the control data to said tone generator;
• and
• in which said control data contains phase distortion control data, and each module includes means for receiving a phase signal, means for modulating the received phase signal according to the phase distortion control data, sine wave memory means, means for accessing said sine wave memory means by using the modulated phase signal, means for receiving an envelope signal and means for multiplying the received envelope signal by the output signal from said sine wave memory means.

An electronic musical instrument, comprising:

• a tone generator for synthesizing tones, said tone generator including a plurality of waveform generation modules and means for time-division multiplexing the operation of said modules;
• first input means for inputting module-pairing data for designating a desired connection configuration from a plurality of possible configurations for each pair of said plurality of modules independently of connection configurations of the other module pairs such that each pair forms a tone synthesis unit, the synthesis operation of which is determined by said module-pairing data;
• second input means for inputting unit-pairing data for designating a connection configuration of each pair of tone synthesis units independently of connection configurations of the other unit pairs;
• and
• processing means for converting said module-pairing data inputted by said first input means and said unit-pairing data input by said second input means, into control data that is compatible with said tone generator means and with each module, and for transferring the control data to said tone generator.

An electronic musical instrument, comprising:

• a tone generator for synthesis musical tones, said tone generator including waveform generation circuitry and means for time-division multiplexing said waveform generation circuitry into a plurality of modules;
• said tone generator also including means for connecting said waveform generator modules to one another in a selected one of a plurality of all possible connection configurations of individual pairs of said modules;
• input means for inputting module-pairing data for constructing a connection configuration selected from said plurality of all possible configurations of each pair of said plurality of modules, for said pair of said plurality of modules independently of connection configurations of the other module pairs such that each module pair forms a tone synthesis unit, the synthesis operation of which is determined by said module-pairing data;
• and
• processing means for converting said module-pairing data inputted by said input means, into control data that is compatible with the connecting means of said tone generator and with each of said modules, and for transferring the control data to said tone generator.

An electronic musical instrument, comprising;

• a tone generator for synthesizing musical tones, said tone generator including waveform generation circuitry and means for time-division multiplexing said waveform generation circuitry into a plurality of modules;
• input means for inputting module-pairing data for designating a desired connection configuration from a plurality of possible configurations for each pair of said plurality of modules independently of connection configurations of the other module pairs such that each module pair forms a tone synthesis unit, the synthesis operation of which is determined by said module-pairing data;
• and
• processing means for converting said module-pairing data inputted by said input means, into control data that is compatible with said tone generator and with each of said modules, and for transferring the control data to said tone generator;
• wherein said input means includes means for selecting said module pair connection configuration from:
• (a) a mode in which the output of a first module in the pair is added to the output of a second module in the pair;
• (b) a mode in which the output of the first module in the pair is used as a phase signal to the second module in the pair;
• or
• (c) a mode in which the output of the first module in the pair is used as part of an envelope signal to the second module in the pair.

An electronic musical instrument, comprising;

• a tone generator for synthesizing musical tones, said tone generator including waveform generation circuitry and means for time-division multiplexing said waveform generation circuitry into a plurality of modules;
• input means for inputting module-pairing data for designating a desired connection configuration from a plurality of possible configurations for each pair of said plurality of modules independently of connection configurations of the other module pairs such that each module pair forms a tone synthesis unit, the synthesis operation of which is determined by said module-pairing data;
• and
• processing means for converting said module-pairing data inputted by said input means, into control data that is compatible with said tone generator and with each of said modules, and for transferring the control data to said tone generator;
• and
• in which said control data contains phase distortion control data, and each module includes means for receiving a phase signal, means for modulating the received phase signal according to the phase distortion control data, sine wave memory means, means for accessing said sine wave memory means by using the modulated phase signal, means for receiving an envelope signal and means for multiplying the received envelope signal by the output signal from said sine wave memory means.

An electronic musical instrument, comprising:

• a tone generator for synthesizing tones, said tone generator including waveform generation circuitry and means for time-division multiplexing said waveform generation circuitry into a plurality of modules;
• first input means for inputting module-pairing data for designating a desired connection configuration from a plurality of possible configurations for each pair of said plurality of modules independently of connection configurations of the other module pairs such that each module pair forms a tone synthesis unit, the synthesis operation of which is determined by said module-pairing data;
• second input means for inputting unit-pairing data for designating a connection configuration of each pair of tone synthesis units independently of connection configurations of the other units independently of connection configurations of the other unit pairs;
• and
• processing means for converting said module-pairing data inputted by said first input means and said unit-pairing data input by said second input means, into control data that is compatible with said tone generator means and with each module, and for transferring the control data to said tone generator.

An electronic musical instrument, comprising;

• a tone generator for synthesizing musical tones, including waveform generation circuitry and means for driving said waveform generation circuitry in a time division manner so as to obtain in operation a plurality of modules;
• said tone generator also including means for connecting said modules to one another in a selected one of a plurality of all possible connection configurations of said modules;
• and
• user operated means coupled to said tone generator, for designating a connection configuration of said plurality of modules from said plurality of all possible configurations, and for connecting a desired connection configuration of said plurality of modules in said tone generator.