Tone generation device capable of varying delay time length at the start of tone generation

A tone generation device comprising:

• tone designation means for designating generation of a tone;
• waveform memory means for storing tone waveform data;
• address signal generation means for generating, in response to the designation of tone generation by said tone designation means, an address signal for reading out the tone waveform data from said waveform memory means in accordance with tone pitch of a tone to be generated;
• delay address length data generation means for generating delay address length data designating a silent period before start of tone generation for a duration corresponding to the delay address length data;
• detection means for detecting, in response to the designation of tone generation by said tone designation means, progress of the address signal by an amount corresponding to the delay address length data generated by said delay address length data generation means;
• and
• control means for producing data representing a silent state until the detection by said detection means has been made and thereafter offsetting the address signal generated by said address signal generation means to a start address of the tone waveform data to be read from said waveform memory means thereby to start reading of the tone waveform data.

A tone generation device comprising:

• tone designation means for designating generation of a tone;
• waveform memory means for storing data representing a silent state and tone waveform data;
• address signal generation means for generating, in response to the designation of tone generation by said tone designation means, an address signal for reading out the tone waveform data from said waveform memory means in accordance with tone pitch of a tone to be generated;
• delay address length data generation means for generating delay address length data designating a silent period before start of tone generation for a duration corresponding to the delay address length data;
• detection means for detecting, in response to the designation of tone generation by said tone designation means, progress of the address signal by an amount corresponding to the delay address length data generated by said delay address length data generation means;
• and
• control means for controlling so that data representing a silent state are read out from said waveform memory means until the detection by said detection means has been made and thereafter the address signal generated by said address signal generation means is offset to a start address of the tone waveform data to be read from said waveform memory means thereby to start reading of the tone waveform data.