Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for reading selected waveform segments from memory

US5262581A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
15References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 9, 1990
Grant dateNov 16, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 9, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG10H7/04
  • WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

An electronic musical instrument having fewer note generators than notes stores in a sequentially addressable memory different waveform segments corresponding to different sounds. The note generators are time multiplexed by a processor, and use end addresses of current waveform segments to determine whether each current sample to be read is within the desired waveform segment. This limits the ability to noiselessly and rapidly move between segments. It is accommodated by storing a copy of the waveform segments in a readily shifted direction for immediate playout and subsequent shift to the destination waveform segment while reading the copy. This allows for cluster switching and scanning of waveform cycles to control a modulation of the base note, such as attack or tremulant, independently of the base note pitch.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.