Method and apparatus for automatic variable articulation and timbre assignment for an electronic musical instrument

摘要

A signal processor acts upon a stream of incoming musical performance data including note-on signals and outputs a stream of musical performance data including note-on and note-off signals. The incoming performance data is dispatched to a multiplicity of output channels depending on the time interval between successive incoming note- on data. Notes played in very rapid succession are identified as chords and are performed with identical musical parameters such as duration and instrumental timbre. Notes played in slow succession are identified as polyphonic and are performed with the same instrumental timbre. Notes played at an intermediate speed are identified as melodic and are performed with the same instrumental timbre and a variable staccato or legato effect. A variable legato effect is achieved by controlling the overlap of successive pairs of notes, adjusting the release of the first note with respect to the onset of the second note as a function of the time interval between their onsets, and limiting the number of notes that can sound simultaneously. A variable staccato effect is achieved by controlling the duration of each note as a function of the time interval between the note and its predecessor, and limiting the number of notes that can sound simultaneously.