System and method for generating and controlling a simulated musical concert experience

A system for simulating participation of a user playing a musical instrument in a pre-recorded musical performance having audio and video portions, the musical instrument producing instrument audio signals at an instrument audio output when the instrument is played, comprising:

• a. a source playback device for playback of the audio and video portions of the pre-recorded musical performance through corresponding source audio and source video outputs;
• b. a source audio control device for controlling one or more characteristics of the audio portion of the pre-recorded musical performance during playback, the source audio control means operably connected to the source audio output and to the instrument audio output and having a controlled audio output;
• and
• c. the source audio control device is responsive to the instrument audio signals whereby at least one characteristic of the audio portion of the pre-recorded musical performance is controlled by playing of the musical instrument by the user.

A system for allowing a player using a guitar to control simulated participation in a musical concert during synchronous playback of a pre-recorded concert video track, pre-recorded left and right concert sound tracks, and a separate pre-recorded guitar track, the system comprising:

• a. an audio/video playback device adapted to play the pre-recorded video track through a video source output in synchronization with playback of the pre-recorded left and right concert sound tracks through left and right channel source outputs and the pre-recorded guitar track through a guitar track source output;
• b. a video display connected to the video source output;
• c. an audio interface box having an instrument input connected to an instrument output on the guitar, an instrument audio output, a guitar track input, and a controlled guitar track output;
• d. an audio mixer having a mixer source input connected to the left and right channel source outputs and to the guitar track source output, a mixer instrument input connected to the instrument audio output, a guitar track output connected to the guitar track input on the interface box and adapted to output the pre-recorded guitar track, a controlled guitar track input connected to the controlled guitar track output;
• and a mixer audio output having right and left channels, the mixer audio output providing a system audio signal responsive to instrument audio signals at the mixer instrument input, to the guitar track, and to the left and right sound tracks;
• e. left and right audio speakers connected to respective left and right channels of the mixer audio output;
• f. the interface box further comprising a guitar channel control circuit operable to control a signal level of the guitar track at the controlled guitar track output in response to variation in instrument audio signals generated at the instrument audio output when the guitar is played;
• and
• g. whereby the player can hear the left and right pre-recorded concert sound tracks and the guitar track while viewing the video track and can control a sound volume of the guitar track by playing the guitar.

A method of a simulating participation by a musician in a recorded concert comprising the steps of

• a. playing on a playback device a pre-recorded concert video track in synchronization with a pre-recorded concert sound track and a pre-recorded instrument sound track;
• b. separating the instrument sound track from the concert sound track and providing the separated instrument sound track to a control device;
• c. varying in the control circuit at least one parameter of the instrument sound track in response to audio signals generated by a musical instrument when played by the musician, thereby generating a controlled instrument sound track;
• and
• d. providing a normal simulation mode in which the controlled instrument sound track and the concert sound track are played on a sound system in synchronization with display of the concert video track.

An apparatus for controlling playback from a playback device of a pre-recorded instrument sound track in synchronization with a pre-recorded concert sound track and a pre-recorded concert video track comprising:

• a. a musical instrument having an instrument audio output;
• b. a control circuit connected to the instrument audio output and to the playback device;
• and
• c. the control circuit comprising an instrument track input connected to an instrument track output through a signal conditioning circuit, the signal conditioning circuit responsive to audio signals generated by the musical instrument when the instrument is played whereby the control circuit generates a controlled instrument track signal at the instrument track output.