Musical sound generator, portable terminal, musical sound generating method, and storage medium

A musical tone-generating method comprising:

• a control process module for causing a control unit to carry out various processes including a musical tone-generating process;
• and
• a tone-generating module for causing a hardware tone generator unit that includes a FIFO memory with a predetermined capacity, a sequencer, a tone generator control register, and a tone generator to generate a musical tone, wherein
• said control process module reads out said music content data from a memory unit that stores music content data having time management data and event data, converts the read out music content data to register write data to be written into said tone generator control register, generates tone generator control data having the converted register write data and said time management data, and stores the generated tone generator control data to said memory unit, when said control unit has available processing time,
• said control process module reads out a predetermined amount of tone generator control data from said memory unit and transfers the read out tone generator control data to said FIFO memory, and further reads out a following tone generator control data and transfers the read out data to said FIFO memory every time said control unit receives a data request signal from said FIFO memory, and
• said tone-generating module causes said sequencer to sequentially read out the tone generator control data having the register write data and the time management data from said FIFO memory, and then write the register write data into said tone generator control register when timing indicated by the time management data comes, and
• said tone-generating module causes said tone generator to generate a musical tone based on the register write data written into said tone generator control register.

A computer readable medium having encoded thereon a program which when executed causes a computer to implement a musical tone-generating method for generating a musical tone based on music content data, the program comprising:

• a control process module for causing a control unit to carry out various processes including a musical tone-generating process;
• and
• a tone-generating module for causing a hardware tone generator unit that includes a FIFO memory with a predetermined capacity, a sequencer, a tone generator control register, and a tone generator to generate a musical tone, wherein
• said control process module reads out said music content data from a memory unit that stores music content data having time management data and event data, converts the read out music content data to register write data to be written into said tone generator control register, generates tone generator control data having the converted register write data and said time management data, and stores the generated tone generator control data to said memory unit, when said control unit has available processing time,
• said control process module reads out a predetermined amount of tone generator control data from said memory unit and transfers the read out tone generator control data to said FIFO memory, and further reads out a following tone generator control data and transfers the read out data to said FIFO memory every time said control unit receives a data request signal from said FIFO memory, and
• said tone-generating module causes said sequencer to sequentially read out the tone generator control data having the register write data and the time management data from said FIFO memory, and then write the register write data into said tone generator control register when timing indicated by the time management data comes, and
• said tone-generating module causes said tone generator to generate a musical tone based on the register write data written into said tone generator control register.