Ensemble system, audio playback apparatus and volume controller for the ensemble system

An audio playback apparatus for producing a volume-regulated audio signal and volume regulated music data codes, comprising:

• a sound signal generator producing an audio signal from audio data codes representative of pieces of audio data expressing a first sort of tones and a music signal from quasi audio data codes representative of pieces of music data expressing at least pitch and loudness of a second sort of tones and common in formats to said audio data code, said quasi audio data codes being produced from music data codes expressing said at least pitch and loudness through a modulation to an analog music signal and a conversion from said analog music signal;
• a volume control manipulator manipulated by a user so as simultaneously to vary the loudness of said first sort of tones and the loudness of said second sort of tones;
• a volume control signal generator connected to said volume control manipulator, and producing a volume control signal representative of a target value of loudness of both of said first sort of tones and said second fort of tones on the basis of the manipulation of said user;
• a first volume data changer connected to said sound signal generator and said volume control signal generator, and responsive to said volume control signal so as to vary said pieces of audio data expressing the loudness of said first sort of tones, thereby producing said voltage-regulated audio signal;
• and
• a second volume data changer connected to said sound signal generator and said volume control signal generator, and responsive to said volume control signal so as to vary said pieces of music data expressing said loudness of said second fort of tones, thereby producing said voltage-regulated music data codes.

An audio playback apparatus for producing a volume-regulated audio signal and volume regulated music data codes, comprising:

• a sound signal generator producing an audio signal representative of pieces of audio data expressing a first sort of tones and a music signal representative of pieces of music data expressing at least pitch and loudness of a second sort of tones;
• a volume control manipulator manipulated by a user so as simultaneously to vary the loudness of said first sort of tones and the loudness of said second sort of tones;
• a volume control signal generator connected to said volume control manipulator, and producing a volume control signal representative of a target value of loudness of both of said first sort of tones and said second sort of tones on the basis of the manipulation of said user;
• a first volume data changer connected to said sound signal generator and said volume control signal generator, and responsive to said volume control signal so as to vary said Pieces of audio data expressing the loudness of said first sort of tones, thereby producing said voltage-regulated audio signal;
• and
• a second volume data changer connected to said sound signal generator and said volume control signal generator, and responsive to said volume control signal so as to vary said pieces of music data expressing said loudness of said second sort of tones, thereby producing said voltage-regulated music data codes,
• in which said second volume data changer includes
• an estimator connected to said volume control signal generator for determining a target value of loudness of said second sort of tones on the basis of said volume control signal,
• a code restorer connected to said sound signal generator so as to reproduce music data codes expressing at least said Ditch and said loudness from said music signal output from said sound signal generator, and
• a music data modifier connected to said estimator and said code restorer and modifying bit strings of said music data codes expressing said loudness to other bit strings expressing said target value of loudness so as to produce said voltage-regulated music data codes,
• and in which said estimator includes
• a multiplier connected to said sound signal generator and said voltage control signal generator and multiplying said music signal by said voltage control signal so as to produced amplified music signal, and
• an envelope detector connected to said multiplier so as to calculate a ratio of the magnitude of said amplified music signal to said music signal on the basis of an envelope of said amplified music signal, thereby determining said target loudness of said second sort of tones on the basis of said ratio.

A volume controller for modifying music data codes expressing at least pitch and loudness of tones to be produced, comprising:

• an estimator supplied with a volume control signal simultaneously expressing said loudness of said tones and loudness of other tones to be produced from audio data codes, and determining a target value of said loudness of said tones on the basis of said volume control signal;
• a code restorer supplied with a music signal, and restoring said music signal to said music data codes;
• and
• a music data modifier connected to said estimator and said code restorer and modifying bit strings of said music data codes expressing said loudness to other bit strings expressing said target value of loudness so as to produce voltage-regulated music data codes, said music data codes being produced from quasi audio data codes through a conversion from said audio data codes to an analog music signal, a demodulation on said analog music signal and a restoration from the demodulated signal thereto.

A volume controller for modifying music data codes expressing at least pitch and loudness of tones to be produced, comprising:

• an estimator supplied with a volume control signal simultaneously expressing said loudness of said tones and loudness of other tones to be produced from audio data codes, and determining a target value of said loudness of said tones on the basis of said volume control signal;
• a code restorer supplied with a music signal, and restoring said music signal to said music data codes;
• and
• a music data modifier connected to said estimator and said code restorer and modifying bit strings of said music data codes expressing said loudness to other bit strings expressing said target value of loudness so as to produce voltage-regulated music data codes,
• in which said estimator includes
• a multiplier connected to said music signal generator and said voltage control signal generator and multiplying said music signal by said voltage control signal so as to produced amplified music signal, and
• an envelope detector connected to said multiplier so as to calculate a ratio of the magnitude of said amplified music signal to said music signal on the basis of an envelope of said amplified music signal, thereby determining said target loudness on the basis of said ratio.