Tone generator device using waveform data memory provided separately therefrom

A tone generator device for generating tone waveform data on the basis of waveform sample data stored in a storage device provided separately from the tone generator device, said tone generator device comprising:

• an input section that receives a block containing a specific quantity of the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device;
• a temporary storage section that temporarily stores therein the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device and received by said input section;
• and
• a tone waveform data generator connected to said temporary storage section, wherein said tone waveform data generator reads out the waveform sample data from said temporary storage section at a rate corresponding to the pitch information within a short period of time asynchronously with a predetermined reproduction sampling cycle and generates a necessary number of tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the read-out waveform sample data, and wherein said tone waveform data generator temporarily stores the generated tone waveform data into an output buffer and then sequentially reads out each of the tone waveform data from the output buffer in the predetermined reproduction sampling cycle.

A tone generator device for generating tone waveform data on the basis of waveform sample data stored in a storage device provided separately from the tone generator device, said tone generator device comprising:

• an input section that receives a block containing a specific quantity of the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device, wherein said storage device has stored therein control data necessary for reading out the waveform sample data therefrom and said input section includes a control unit that reads out the control data from said storage device and, on the basis of the control data, designates a particular block containing the specific quantity of the waveform sample data to be collectively transferred from said storage device, and wherein said input section issues a request that the block of the waveform sample data designated by said control unit should be read out and collectively transferred from said storage device and receives said block of the waveform sample data collectively transferred in response to said request;
• a temporary storage section that temporarily stores therein the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device and received by said input section;
• and
• a tone waveform data generator connected to said temporary storage section, wherein said tone waveform data generator reads out the waveform sample data from said temporary storage section in accordance with pitch information and generates tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said temporary storage section.

A tone generator device connectable to an extended bus of a computer, the computer including a storage device connected to the extended bus, the storage device having stored therein waveform sample data, said tone generator device comprising:

• a control unit that designates a block containing a specific quantity of the waveform sample data and requests that the designated block of the waveform sample data should be read out from said storage device and burst-transmitted to said tone generator device via the extended bus, wherein said control unit requests, separately for each of a plurality of channels, a burst transmission of the waveform sample data to be used in the channel;
• a temporary storage section that temporarily stores therein the waveform sample data burst-transmitted via the extended bus;
• and
• a tone waveform data generator connected to said temporary storage section, wherein said tone waveform data generator, for each of the channels, executes a first process of reading out the waveform sample data from said temporary storage section at a rate corresponding to the pitch information within a short period of time asynchronously with a predetermined reproduction sampling cycle and generates the tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the read-out waveform sample data, and a second process of adding together the tone waveform data of the channels generated by said first process;
• and
• which further comprises an output buffer for temporarily storing therein the tone waveform data added by said second process, each of the tone waveform data temporarily stored in said output buffer being sequentially read out in the predetermined reproduction sampling cycle.

A tone generator device connectable to an extended bus of a computer, the computer including a storage device connected to the extended bus, the storage device having stored therein waveform sample data, said tone generator device comprising:

• a control unit that designates a block containing a specific quantity of the waveform sample data and requests that the designated block of the waveform sample data should be read out from said storage device and burst-transmitted to said tone generator device via the extended bus, wherein said control unit, in accordance with pitch information, determines the specific quantity of the waveform sample data to be received in the block;
• a temporary storage section that temporarily stores therein the waveform sample data burst-transmitted via the extended bus;
• and
• a tone waveform data generator connected to said temporary storage section, wherein said tone waveform data generator reads out the waveform sample data from said temporary storage section in accordance with pitch information and generates tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said temporary storage section.

A tone generator device connectable to an extended bus of a computer, the computer including a storage device connected to the extended bus, the storage device having stored therein waveform sample data, said tone generator device comprising:

• a control unit that designates a block containing a specific quantity of the waveform sample data and requests that the designated block of the waveform sample data should be read out from said storage device and burst-transmitted to said tone generator device via the extended bus;
• a temporary storage section that temporarily stores therein the waveform sample data burst-transmitted via the extended bus;
• and
• a tone waveform data generator connected to said temporary storage section, wherein said tone waveform data generator reads out the waveform sample data from said temporary storage section in accordance with pitch information and generates tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said temporary storage section, wherein said tone waveform data generator reads out the waveform sample data from said temporary storage section at a rate corresponding to the pitch information within a short period of time asynchronously with a predetermined reproduction sampling cycle and generates a necessary number of tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the read-out waveform sample data, and wherein said tone waveform data generator temporarily stores the generated tone waveform data into an output buffer and then sequentially reads out each of the tone waveform data from the output buffer in the predetermined reproduction sampling cycle.

A tone generator device connectable to an extended bus of a computer, the computer including a storage device connected to the extended bus, the storage device having stored therein waveform sample data, said tone generator device comprising:

• a control unit that designates a block containing a specific quantity of the waveform sample data and requests that the designated block of the waveform sample data should be read out from said storage device and burst-transmitted to said tone generator device via the extended bus, wherein said storage device has stored therein predetermined original waveform sample data and thinned waveform sample data obtained by thinning the original waveform sample data, and wherein said control unit, in accordance with pitch information, selects the original waveform sample data or the thinned waveform sample data and determines the specific quantity of the selected waveform sample data to be received in the block, whereby the block containing the specific quantity of the selected waveform sample data is read out from said storage device and burst-transmitted via the extended bus to said tone generator device;
• a temporary storage section that temporarily stores therein the waveform sample data burst-transmitted via the extended bus;
• and
• a tone waveform data generator connected to said temporary storage section, wherein said tone waveform data generator reads out the waveform sample data from said temporary storage section in accordance with pitch information and generates tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said temporary storage section.

A tone generator device connectable to an extended bus of a computer, the computer including a storage device connected to the extended bus, the storage device having stored therein waveform sample data, said tone generator device comprising:

• a control unit that designates a block containing a specific quantity of the waveform sample data and requests that the designated block of the waveform sample data should be read out from said storage device and burst-transmitted to said tone generator device via the extended bus;
• a temporary storage section that temporarily stores therein the waveform sample data burst-transmitted via the extended bus, wherein said storage device has stored therein predetermined original waveform sample data and which further comprises a thinning section that, in accordance with the pitch information, thins the original waveform sample data burst-transmitted via the extended bus to thereby generate thinned waveform sample data, the thinned waveform sample data being temporarily stored into said temporary storage section;
• and
• a tone waveform data generator connected to said temporary storage section, wherein said tone waveform data generator reads out the waveform sample data from said temporary storage section in accordance with pitch information and generates tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said temporary storage section.

A tone waveform data processing device for generating tone waveform data on the basis of predetermined original waveform sample data and thinned waveform sample data stored in an external storage device, the thinned waveform sample data being obtained by thinning the original waveform sample data in accordance with a predetermined thinning scheme, said tone waveform data processing device comprising:

• a first readout section that, on the basis of pitch information indicative of a particular reproducing pitch, reads out the original waveform sample data or the thinned waveform sample data from said external storage device;
• an input buffer section that stores therein the waveform sample data read out from said external storage device by said first readout section;
• a second readout section that, on the basis of the pitch information, reads out the waveform sample data from said input buffer section;
• and
• a tone waveform data generating section that generates tone waveform data on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said input buffer section by said second readout section.

A tone waveform data processing device comprising:

• a storage device having stored therein predetermined original waveform sample data and thinned waveform sample data obtained by thinning the original waveform sample data in accordance with a predetermined thinning scheme;
• a first readout section that, on the basis of pitch information indicative of a particular reproducing pitch, reads out the original waveform sample data or the thinned waveform sample data from said storage device;
• an input buffer section that stores therein the waveform sample data read out from said storage device by said first readout section;
• a second readout section that, on the basis of the pitch information, reads out the waveform sample data from said input buffer section;
• and
• a tone waveform data generating section that generates tone waveform data on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said input buffer section by said second readout section.

A tone waveform data processing device for generating tone waveform data on the basis of predetermined waveform sample data stored in an external storage device, said tone waveform data processing device comprising:

• a first readout section that reads out the waveform sample data from said external storage device;
• a thinning section that, on the basis of pitch information indicative of a particular reproducing pitch, thins the waveform sample data read out from said external storage device by said first readout section, to thereby generate thinned waveform sample data;
• an input buffer section that stores therein the thinned waveform sample data generated by said thinning section;
• a second readout section that, on the basis of the pitch information, reads out the waveform sample data from said input buffer section;
• and
• a tone waveform data generating section that generates tone waveform data on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said input buffer section by said second readout section.

A tone waveform data processing device comprising:

• a storage device having stored therein predetermined waveform sample data;
• a first readout section that reads out the waveform sample data from said storage device;
• a thinning section that, on the basis of pitch information indicative of a particular reproducing pitch, thins the waveform sample data read out from said storage device by said first readout section, to thereby generate thinned waveform sample data;
• an input buffer section that stores therein the thinned waveform sample data generated by said thinning section;
• a second readout section that, on the basis of the pitch information, reads out the waveform sample data from said input buffer section;
• and
• a tone waveform data generating section that generates tone waveform data on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said input buffer section by said second readout section.

A tone generator device for generating tone waveform data on the basis of waveform sample data stored in a storage device provided separately from the tone generator device, said storage device having stored therein predetermined original waveform sample data and thinned waveform sample data obtained by thinning the original waveform sample data, said tone generator device comprising:

• a control unit that, in accordance with pitch information, selects the original waveform sample data or the thinned waveform sample data and determines a specific quantity of the waveform sample data to be contained in a block of the waveform sample data;
• an input section that receives said block containing the specific quantity of the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device;
• a temporary storage section that temporarily stores therein the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device and received by said input section;
• and
• a tone waveform data generating section that reads out the waveform sample data from said temporary storage section in accordance with the pitch information and generates tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said temporary storage section.

A tone generator device for generating tone waveform data on the basis of predetermined original waveform sample data stored in a storage device provided separately from the tone generator device, said tone generator device comprising:

• an input section that receives a block containing a specific quantity of the original waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device;
• a thinning section that, in accordance with pitch information, thins the original waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device to thereby generate thinned waveform sample data;
• a temporary storage section that temporarily stores therein the original waveform sample data or the thinned waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device and received by said input section;
• and
• a tone waveform data generating section that reads out the waveform sample data from said temporary storage section in accordance with the pitch information and generates tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said temporary storage section.

A method of generating tone waveform data on the basis of waveform sample data stored in a storage device, said method comprising the steps of:

• determining, in accordance with pitch information, a specific quantity of the waveform sample data to be received;
• requesting said storage device to collectively transfer said specific quantity of the waveform sample data;
• receiving a block containing said specific quantity of the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device;
• temporarily storing into a buffer the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device and received by said step of receiving;
• and
• reading out the waveform sample data from said buffer in accordance with pitch information and generating tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said buffer.

A machine-readable recording medium containing a group of instructions of a program to be executed by a processor to generate tone waveform data on the basis of waveform sample data stored in a storage device, said program comprising the steps of:

• determining, in accordance with pitch information, a specific quantity of the waveform sample data to be received;
• requesting said storage device to collectively transfer said specific quantity of the waveform sample data;
• receiving a block containing said specific quantity of the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device;
• temporarily storing into a buffer the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device and received by said step of receiving;
• and
• reading out the waveform sample data from said buffer in accordance with pitch information and generating tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said buffer.

A method of generating tone waveform data on the basis of waveform sample data stored in a storage device connected to an extended bus of a computer by accessing the storage device via the extended bus, said method comprising the steps of:

• designating a block containing a specific quantity of the waveform sampled data and requesting, separately for each of a plurality of channels, that the designated block of the waveform sample data to be used in the channel should be read out from said storage device and burst-transmitted via the extended bus;
• temporarily storing into a buffer the waveform sample data burst-transmitted via the extended bus;
• reading out for each of the channels the waveform sample data from said buffer in accordance with a rate corresponding to the pitch information within a short period of time asynchronously with a predetermined reproduction sampling cycle and generating tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sampled data read out from said buffer, and further adding together the tone waveform data of the channels generated by said reading step;
• and
• temporarily storing into an output buffer the tone waveform data added during said reading step, each of the tone waveform data temporarily stored in said output buffer being sequentially read out in the predetermined reproduction sampling cycle.

A machine-readable recording medium containing a group of instructions of a program to be executed by a processor to generate tone waveform data on the basis of waveform sample data stored in a storage device connected to an extended bus of a computer by accessing the storage device via the extended bus;

• said program comprising the steps of:
• designating a block containing a specific quantity of the waveform sampled data and requesting, separately for each of a plurality of channels, that the designated block of the waveform sample data to be used in the channel should be read out from said storage device and burst-transmitted via the extended bus;
• temporarily storing into a buffer the waveform sample data burst-transmitted via the extended bus;
• reading out for each of the channels the waveform sample data from said buffer in accordance with a rate corresponding to the pitch information within a short period of time asynchronously with a predetermined reproduction sampling cycle and generating tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sampled data read out from said buffer, and further adding together the tone waveform data of the channels generated by said reading step;
• and
• temporarily storing into an output buffer the tone waveform data added during said reading step, each of the tone waveform data temporarily stored in said output buffer being sequentially read out in the predetermined reproduction sampling cycle.

A method of generating tone waveform data on the basis of waveform sample data stored in a storage device having stored therein predetermined original waveform sample data and thinned waveform sample data obtained by thinning the original waveform sample data, said method comprising the steps of:

• in accordance with pitch information, selecting the original waveform sample data or the thinned waveform sample data and determining a specific quantity of the waveform sample data to be contained in a block of the waveform sample data;
• receiving said block containing the specific quantity of the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device;
• temporarily storing into a buffer the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device and received by said step of receiving;
• and
• reading out the waveform sample data from said buffer in accordance with the pitch information and generating tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said buffer.

A machine-readable recording medium containing a group of instructions of a program to be executed by a processor to generate tone waveform data on the basis of waveform sample data stored in a storage device having stored therein predetermined original waveform sample data and thinned waveform sample data obtained by thinning the original waveform sample data, said program comprising the steps of:

• in accordance with pitch information, selecting the original waveform sample data or the thinned waveform sample data and determining a specific quantity of the waveform sample data to be contained in a block of the waveform sample data;
• receiving said block containing the specific quantity of the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device;
• temporarily storing into a buffer the waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device and received by said step of receiving;
• and
• reading out the waveform sample data from said buffer in accordance with the pitch information and generating tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said buffer.

A method of generating tone waveform data on the basis of predetermined original waveform sample data stored in a storage device, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a block containing a specific quantity of the original waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device;
• in accordance with pitch information, thinning the original waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device to thereby generate thinned waveform sample data;
• temporarily storing into a buffer the original waveform sample data or the thinned waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device and received by said step of receiving;
• and
• reading out the waveform sample data from said temporary storage section in accordance with the pitch information and generating tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said buffer.

A machine-readable recording medium containing a group of instructions of a program to be executed by a processor to generate tone waveform data on the basis of predetermined original waveform sample data stored in a storage device, said program comprising the steps of:

• receiving a block containing a specific quantity of the original waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device;
• in accordance with pitch information, thinning the original waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device to thereby generate thinned waveform sample data;
• temporarily storing into a buffer the original waveform sample data or the thinned waveform sample data collectively transferred from said storage device and received by said step of receiving;
• and
• reading out the waveform sample data from said temporary storage section in accordance with the pitch information and generating tone waveform data corresponding to the pitch information on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said buffer.

A method of generating tone waveform data on the basis of waveform sample data stored in a storage device, said storage device having stored therein predetermined original waveform sample data and thinned waveform sample data stored obtained by thinning the original waveform sample data in accordance with a predetermined thinning scheme, said method comprising:

• a first step of, on the basis of pitch information indicative of a particular reproducing pitch, reading out the original waveform sample data or the thinned waveform sample data from said storage device;
• a second step of storing into a buffer the waveform sample data read out from said storage device by said first step
• a third step of, on the basis of the pitch information, reading out the waveform sample data from said buffer;
• and
• a fourth step of generating tone waveform data on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said buffer by said third step.

A machine-readable recording medium containing a group of instructions of a program to be executed by a processor to generate tone waveform data on the basis of waveform sample data stored in a storage device, said storage device having stored therein predetermined original waveform sample data and thinned waveform sample data stored obtained by thinning the original waveform sample data in accordance with a predetermined thinning scheme, said program comprising:

• a first step of, on the basis of pitch information indicative of a particular reproducing pitch, reading out the original waveform sample data or the thinned waveform sample data from said storage device;
• a second step of storing into a buffer the waveform sample data read out from said storage device by said first step
• a third step of, on the basis of the pitch information, reading out the waveform sample data from said buffer;
• and
• a fourth step of generating tone waveform data on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said buffer by said third step.

A method of generating tone waveform data on the basis of waveform sample data stored in a storage device, said method comprising:

• a first step of reading out the waveform sample data from said external storage device;
• a second step of, on the basis of pitch information indicative of a particular reproducing pitch, thinning the waveform sample data read out from said external storage device by said first step, to thereby generate thinned waveform sample data;
• a third step of storing into a buffer the thinned waveform sample data generated by said second step;
• a fourth step of, on the basis of the pitch information, reading out the waveform sample data from said buffer;
• and
• a fifth step of generating tone waveform data on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said buffer by said fourth step.

A machine-readable recording medium containing a group of instructions of a program to be executed by a processor to generate tone waveform data on the basis of waveform sample data stored in a storage device, said program comprising:

• a first step of reading out the waveform sample data from said external storage device;
• a second step of, on the basis of pitch information indicative of a particular reproducing pitch, thinning the waveform sample data read out from said external storage device by said first step, to thereby generate thinned waveform sample data;
• a third step of storing into a buffer the thinned waveform sample data generated by said second step;
• a fourth step of, on the basis of the pitch information, reading out the waveform sample data from said buffer;
• and
• a fifth step of generating tone waveform data on the basis of the waveform sample data read out from said buffer by said fourth step.