JP7647728B2 - Musical tone control device and music tone control program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a musical tone control device and a musical tone control program.

A technology has been proposed in the past in which a sensor or the like is installed between an instrument and a strap used by a player to hold the instrument, the force generated when the player pulls on the strap is detected by the sensor or the like, and a signal that controls musical tones is output according to the detected value. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a portable electronic instrument in which a pressure sensor or stretch detection sensor is installed in the strap. In this portable electronic instrument, the instrument is moved to apply pressure or stretch the strap, and a signal that controls musical tones is output according to the detection value of the sensor, allowing control of pitch bend, modulation amount, volume, and the like. This makes it possible to control musical tones while holding the instrument with both hands without performing switching operations.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 59-060692

When controlling musical tones, for example, in the case of an effector connected between a guitar and an amplifier, in addition to controlling various parameters of the effector, it may be desirable to switch the effector itself on and off or to switch to a different type of effector. However, with the portable electronic musical instrument of Patent Document 1 mentioned above, although it is possible to control musical tones while holding the instrument with both hands, it is not possible to switch the control mode of musical tones, such as switching the effector itself on and off. For this reason, it is necessary to provide a separate switching device for switching the control mode of musical tones and perform the switching operation.

The present invention aims to provide a musical sound control device and a musical sound control program that have a configuration that allows musical sounds to be controlled by moving an instrument, and that can control musical sounds and switch the control mode of the musical sounds without performing a switching operation.

A musical tone control device of one embodiment of the present invention comprises a detection unit that detects the tension generated between an instrument and an instrument holder, and a control unit, and the control unit determines that a detection value detected by the detection unit has changed to a value greater than a predetermined threshold value and then changed to a value less than the threshold value within a predetermined time, indicating that this is a predetermined change, and executes a switching process that switches the signal output mode between a first mode and a second mode depending on whether the change in the detection value detected by the detection unit is the predetermined change or not.

One embodiment of the musical tone control program of the present invention causes a computer of a musical tone control device, which has a detection unit that detects the tension generated between an instrument and an instrument holder, to determine that a detection value detected by the detection unit has changed to a value greater than a predetermined threshold value and then changed to a value less than the threshold value within a predetermined time, which is a predetermined change, and executes a switching process to switch the signal output mode between a first mode and a second mode depending on whether the change in the detection value detected by the detection unit is the predetermined change or not.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a musical sound control device and a musical sound control program that have a configuration that allows musical sounds to be controlled by moving an instrument, and that can control musical sounds and switch the control mode of the musical sounds without performing a switching operation.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a performance system in which a musical tone control device according to a first embodiment is used; 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a musical tone control device according to a first embodiment; 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an internal structure of a musical tone control device according to a first embodiment; 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a musical tone control device according to a first embodiment; 4 is an example of a waveform that satisfies a predetermined change in the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing a sensor process executed by a control unit in the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a performance system in which a musical tone control device according to a second embodiment is used. 10 is a flowchart showing a sensor process executed by a control unit in the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a performance system in which the musical tone control system according to the third embodiment is used. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a first control device in a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a second control device in a third embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a process executed by a sensor side control unit in the third embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a process executed by a stomp-side control unit in the third embodiment.

First Embodiment
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 6. In the performance system 1A shown in Fig. 1, a musical tone control device 10 according to the first embodiment is provided in a form that connects between an electric guitar (musical instrument) 200 and a guitar strap (musical instrument holder) 210 that is worn on the shoulder of a performer (user) to hold the electric guitar 200. The musical tone control device 10 is connected to a strap pin 15 (see Fig. 2) provided on one end (head side) of the body of the electric guitar 200, and the guitar strap 210 is connected to a strap pin (not shown) provided on the other end of the body. When the electric guitar 200 is played, the electric guitar 200 is connected to a known sound processor (effect device) 100 via a shielded cable 220 or the like.

The sound processor 100 is a multi-effector, and includes an electric signal input section 110, an effect section 120, an electric signal output section 130, a first control signal input section 140A, and a second control signal input section 140B. The electric signal input section 110 receives an electric signal output from an electric guitar 200. The electric signal output section 130 is connected to a well-known guitar amplifier 300, and outputs an electric signal to the guitar amplifier 300. The effect section 120 applies various effects such as modulation to the electric signal output from the guitar amplifier 300, and changes the parameters of the effect according to a control signal from the musical tone control device 10 described later.

The first control signal input unit 140A is an input unit to which an expression pedal, for example, is connected to receive input from the expression pedal, and is connected to the first receiving device 80A. The first receiving device 80A outputs the detection value as a voltage value to the sound processor 100, similar to the standard jack of a known expression pedal, and is connected to the first control signal input unit 140A. The second control signal input unit 140B is an input unit to which a MIDI device, for example, is connected to receive MIDI messages such as program change messages and pitch bend messages. The program change number in the program change mode is preset in the sound processor 100.

Communication is performed between the musical tone control device 10 and the first receiving device (receiving device) 80A by wireless communication means such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark)). The wireless communication means is not limited to BLE, and may be, for example, WiFi, an FM transmitter, or infrared communication. The first receiving device 80A receives the control signal output from the musical tone control device 10 by the wireless communication means, and inputs it to the first control signal input unit 140A of the sound processor 100 as the operation value of the expression pedal.

Next, the configuration of the musical tone control device 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the musical tone control device 10 is in the shape of a vertically elongated rectangular box. In the following description, the side of the guitar strap 210 (shoulder side, upper left side in FIG. 2) when the musical tone control device 10 is connected between the electric guitar 200 and the guitar strap 210 and the player wears the guitar strap 210 on his shoulder will be referred to as the upper side, the opposite side (guitar side, lower right side in FIG. 2) as the lower side, the head side of the electric guitar 200 (player's left hand side, upper right side in FIG. 2) as the left side, the opposite side (player's right hand side, lower left side in FIG. 2) as the right side, the front side of the electric guitar 200 (near side in FIG. 2) as the front side, and the opposite side as the rear side.

The musical tone control device 10 comprises a box-shaped case 20 which is the device body, a connection button section 11 connected to the upper side of the case 20, and a connection ring section 12 connected to the lower side of the case 20. The connection button section 11 is a short, flat member extending in an approximately flat shape, and is connected to one end of the first shaft 31 exposed from the upper side of the case 20 via a first connection axis 31d (see FIG. 3). The connection button section 11 is connected to be rotatable around the shaft axis of the first shaft 31 and is also connected to be rotatable around the axis of the first connection axis 31d. A connection button 11a is provided on the front side of the upper end of the connection button section 11, and the musical tone control device 10 and the guitar strap 210 are connected by buttoning the connection button 11a into a circular opening (not shown) on a slit 211 provided at one end of the guitar strap 210.

The connection ring portion 12 is a short, flat member that extends in an approximately flat shape, and is connected to one end of the second shaft 32 exposed from the underside of the case 20 via a second connection shaft 32d (see FIG. 3). The connection ring portion 12 is rotatably connected around the shaft axis of the second shaft 32 and rotatably connected around the axis of the second connection shaft 32d. A connection opening 12a is provided in approximately the center of the connection ring portion 12, and a strap pin 15 provided on one end of the body of the electric guitar 200 is fitted into the connection opening, thereby connecting the musical tone control device 10 and the electric guitar 200.

As shown in FIG. 3, the case 20, which is the device main body, has a front case 21 that constitutes the front part of the case 20 and a rear case 22 that constitutes the rear part of the case 20, and various components are housed between the front case 21 and the rear case 22. The front case 21 has an annular inclined part 21a with a C-chamfered outer periphery of the edge of its front surface 21c. Approximately the upper half of the inclined part 21a (approximately a U-shaped area) is an indicator part 21b made of a translucent material. In addition, the upper part of the front surface 21c of the front case 21 is provided with four button openings 21d for exposing four button parts 42, which will be described later, to the outside.

A board 40 is housed inside the front case 21. On the board 40, nine LEDs (notification units, first notification units) 41 are mounted at equal intervals at positions corresponding to the indicator units of the front case 21, four button units 42 are mounted at positions corresponding to the button openings 21d of the front case 21, and a control unit 50. The light emission mode of each LED 41 is controlled by the control unit 50. The light emitted from each LED 41 passes through the indicator unit 21b and is visible to the performer, etc.

Each button section 42 is configured to receive a pressing operation by the performer. Each button section 42 is assigned various functions, such as a function to turn on or off the power of the musical sound control device 10, a function to access the Bluetooth (registered trademark) pairing function, a function to invert the phase of the musical sound to positive or negative, and a function to set a MAX value, which will be described later, by performing a pressing operation.

A force sensor (detection unit, first detection unit) 30 is housed inside the rear case 22. A battery housing section (not shown) is provided on the rear side of the rear case 22. The battery housing section houses a battery 25 for supplying power to the musical tone control device 10, and the battery housing section is closed by attaching a battery cover 22b.

The force sensor 30 is composed of a load cell 38, a first metal plate 33, a second metal plate 34, a first shaft 31, and a second shaft 32. The load cell 38 is a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped metal strain body, and is arranged at the bottom inside the rear case, extending in the left-right direction. A sensor device such as a strain gauge (not shown) is provided in the left-right center of the load cell 38. The first metal plate 33 is made of a metal plate member that is approximately S-shaped in side view, and its right lower surface is abutted against and fixed to the right end upper surface of the load cell 38. The second metal plate 34 is also made of a metal plate member that is approximately S-shaped in side view, and its left upper surface is abutted against and fixed to the left end lower surface of the load cell 38. The left part of the first metal plate 33 and the right part of the second metal plate 34 face each other across the left-right center of the load cell 38.

The first shaft 31 is a substantially cylindrical shaft-like member and is disposed above the first sheet metal 33 in such a manner that it extends in the vertical direction. The upper end of the first shaft 31 is exposed above the rear case 22 and is connected to the first connection shaft 31d so as to be rotatable around the axis of the first connection shaft 31d. The lower end of the first shaft 31 is connected to the left side portion of the first sheet metal 33 so as to be rotatable around the axis of the first shaft 31. The second shaft 32 is a substantially cylindrical shaft-like member and is disposed below the second sheet metal 34 in such a manner that it extends in the vertical direction. The lower end of the second shaft 32 is exposed below the rear case 22 and is connected to the second connection shaft 32d so as to be rotatable around the axis of the second connection shaft 32d. The upper end of the second shaft 32 is connected to the right side portion of the second sheet metal 34 so as to be rotatable around the axis of the second shaft 32.

Here, the tension generated between the electric guitar 200 and the guitar strap 210 is applied to both the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 32 via the connection button portion 11 and the connection ring portion 12. The load cell 38 is arranged with its longitudinal direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 32. Therefore, when the player applies tension between the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 32 by, for example, stretching the guitar strap 210, the sensor device provided in the load cell 38 measures the amount of extension of the load cell 38, which is processed by a control unit (not shown) included in the load cell 38 and converted into a tension value (detection value). In this way, the force sensor 30 can detect the tension generated between the electric guitar 200 and the guitar strap 210.

Next, the electrical configuration of the musical tone control device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The musical tone control device 10 is entirely controlled by a control unit 50 mounted on a substrate 40. The control unit 50 has an arithmetic processing unit 51 consisting of a computer such as a CPU. The arithmetic processing unit 51 is connected to a notification processing unit 52, a memory unit 53, an input unit 54, an instruction receiving unit 55, an output processing unit 56, a first judgment processing unit 57, a second judgment processing unit 58, a switching processing unit 59, etc.

The notification processing unit 52 is configured to notify the performer of various information through the indicator unit 21b by controlling the light emission state of each LED 41. Specifically, the notification processing unit 52 executes notification processing to notify the performer of information by changing the light emission color, light emission intensity, and light emission interval of the LED 41, and by changing the light emission position of the nine LEDs 41. For example, it can turn on a blue light when a weak tension is applied to the force sensor 30, a green light when a medium tension is applied, and a red light when a strong tension is applied. This makes it possible to notify the performer of the degree of tension applied to the force sensor 30. The notification processing unit 52 may have a built-in speaker to notify the performer of information.

The storage unit 53 is composed of an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) that stores programs that control the CPU, and a flash memory that temporarily stores various data 53B. The storage unit 53 stores a program (musical tone control program) 53A for executing the sensor processing described below. The storage unit 53 also stores data 53B such as a neutral value, a MAX value (a predetermined threshold value), and a Δt value (a predetermined time), described below.

The input unit 54 is configured to receive the detection signal (detection value) output from the force sensor 30 described above. The instruction receiving unit 55 is configured to receive various instructions from the player by pressing the button unit 42.

The output processing unit 56 outputs a signal (hereinafter referred to as a "control signal") for controlling musical tones according to the detection value of the force sensor 30 to the first receiving device 80A. The control signal is output according to the currently set output mode. The output mode here refers to, for example, an output mode (first mode) in which a control signal is output (hereinafter referred to as an "output on state"), an output mode (second mode) in which no control signal is output regardless of the presence or absence of detection by the force sensor 30 (hereinafter referred to as an "output off state"), an output mode (first mode) in which a MIDI message related to a program change is output (hereinafter referred to as a "program change mode"), an output mode (second mode) in which a MIDI message related to a pitch bend is output (hereinafter referred to as a "pitch bend mode"), and the like. In the musical tone control device 10 according to the first embodiment, the output mode of the control signal is set to either the output on state or the output off state. The currently set output mode of the control signal is notified to the performer by the light emission mode of the LED 41.

The first judgment processing unit 57 judges whether or not there has been a change in the detection value of the force sensor 30. When there has been a change in the detection value of the force sensor 30, the second judgment processing unit 58 judges whether or not the change is a predetermined change that conforms to, for example, the waveform W shown in FIG. 5. When the change in the detection value of the force sensor 30 is a predetermined change, the switching processing unit 59 switches the output mode of the control signal in the output processing unit 56.

Now, the calibration of the musical tone control device 10 will be described. Calibration here refers to an operation for correcting the variation in the detection value of the sensor, which varies due to various factors such as the variation between individual force sensors 30, the weight of the electric guitar 200 connected to the musical tone control device 10, and the way the player applies force. This calibration is performed when the power of the musical tone control device 10 is turned on for the first time, when the player operates the button unit 42 of the musical tone control device 10 to instruct the calibration to be performed, and the like. The operation of the button unit 42 to perform the calibration is not particularly limited, and may be performed, for example, by pressing and holding a specific button unit 42 (for example, for 3 seconds or more).

During calibration, the control unit 50 instructs the player by changing the light emission state of the LED 41 or by emitting sound from the built-in speaker. When calibration is executed, the control unit 50 instructs the player not to apply force to the electric guitar 200. By maintaining a state in which no force is being applied for several seconds, the control unit 50 stores the average value of the detection values by the force sensor 30 during that time in the memory unit 53 as a neutral value. The neutral value is a detection value in which only the load due to the weight of the electric guitar 200 is detected when the player is carrying the electric guitar 200 on his shoulder and is not applying force to the electric guitar 200.

Next, the control unit 50 instructs the player to apply to the electric guitar 200 the maximum force that the player wishes to use as performance data while playing the electric guitar 200. The maximum force here does not necessarily mean the maximum force applied, but the force that the player can apply comfortably while playing. By maintaining this maximum force applied state for several seconds, or by pressing the button unit 42 to which the function of setting the MAX value is assigned while applying the maximum force, the control unit 50 stores the average value of the detection values by the force sensor 30 during that time as the MAX value in the memory unit 53. The MAX value is the detection value when the maximum force that the player wishes to output as the detection value is applied. The above operations complete the calibration.

Next, an example of a waveform that satisfies a predetermined change, which will be described later, will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The waveform that satisfies the predetermined change here is a waveform that satisfies all of the conditions required when the second judgment processing unit 58 of the control unit 50 judges that a change is a "predetermined change". Specifically, the neutral value, MAX value, Δt value, etc. shown in the waveform W in FIG. 5 are referenced as judgment materials when the second judgment processing unit 58 judges whether a change is a "predetermined change". The vertical axis in FIG. 5 indicates the detection value (volts) detected by the force sensor 30, and the horizontal axis indicates time (milliseconds). The waveform W indicates the neutral value and MAX value set by the above-mentioned calibration. The waveform W represents an example of a waveform in which the detection value of the force sensor 30 exceeds the MAX value from a neutral value state and falls below the MAX value within Δt milliseconds. Δt is, for example, 500 (0.5 seconds). The value of Δt may be preset in the musical tone control device 10, or may be set appropriately by the performer.

Specifically, the waveform W is an example of a waveform generated by a series of actions in which the performer starts from a state in which no force is being applied to the electric guitar 200 and then, for example, lifts the electric guitar 200 and then releases it, causing the electric guitar 200 to drop to a position restricted by the guitar strap 210, or by pushing the electric guitar 200 downward or upward, momentarily applying a force exceeding the MAX value to the force sensor 30, and then immediately returning the electric guitar 200 to a state in which no force is being applied. When the performer intentionally performs the series of actions represented by the waveform W, the control unit 50 of the musical tone control device 10 determines that the change in the detection value of the force sensor 30 is a predetermined change, and executes the switching process described below.

In the musical tone control device 10 of this embodiment, when the performer moves the electric guitar 200 while playing, tension acts between the connection button portion 11 and the connection ring portion 12, and the force sensor 30 detects this tension and executes a process (hereinafter referred to as "sensor process") to control the output mode of the control signal. The sensor process executed by the control unit 50 of the musical tone control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 6. The sensor process is started when the power supply of the musical tone control device 10 is turned on. In the sensor process, the control unit 50 first executes the calibration described above (step S10). When the calibration is completed, the control unit 50 proceeds to step S12.

In step S12, the first judgment processing unit 57 of the control unit 50 judges whether or not there has been a change in the detection value of the force sensor 30 from the detection value of the force sensor 30 input from the force sensor 30 to the input unit 54 (first judgment processing). Specifically, the first judgment processing unit 57 compares the detection value of the force sensor 30 input previously with the detection value of the force sensor 30 input this time. If there has been a change from the detection value input previously, the first judgment processing unit 57 judges that there has been a change in the detection value (S12: YES) and proceeds to step S14. Note that if the change in the detection value exceeds the MAX value read from the memory unit 53, the control unit 50 counts the elapsed time since the MAX value was exceeded. Then, if the detection value changes below the MAX value after the detection value changes beyond the MAX value, the control unit 50 ends the count of the elapsed time and stores the counted elapsed time in the memory unit 53.

On the other hand, if there is no change from the previously input detection value, the first judgment processing unit 57 determines that there is no change in the detection value (S12: NO) and repeatedly executes the process of step S12. The cycle at which the first judgment processing unit 57 repeatedly executes the process of step S12 is not particularly limited, and is executed at intervals of several milliseconds, for example.

In step S14, the second judgment processing unit 58 of the control unit 50 judges whether the change in the detection value of the force sensor 30 is a predetermined change that conforms to, for example, the waveform W shown in FIG. 5 (second judgment processing). Specifically, if all of the following conditions are met: (1) the detection value input previously is greater than the MAX value read from the memory unit 53, (2) the detection value input this time is less than the MAX value read from the memory unit 53, and (3) the elapsed time read from the memory unit 53 is less than Δt, the second judgment processing unit 58 judges that the change is a predetermined change (S14: YES) and proceeds to step S16. If any one of the above conditions is not met, the second judgment processing unit 58 judges that the change is not a predetermined change (S14: NO) and proceeds to step S24.

In step S16, the switching processing unit 59 of the control unit 50 determines whether the output state of the control signal is the output on state. If the output state of the control signal is the output on state (S16: YES), the switching processing unit 59 switches and sets the output state of the control signal to the output off state (switching process) (step S18) and proceeds to S20. If the output state of the control signal is not the output on state, that is, if the output state of the control signal is the output off state (S16: NO), the switching processing unit 59 switches and sets the output state of the control signal to the output on state (switching process) (step S22) and proceeds to step S20. When the output state of the control signal is switched, the notification processing unit 52 of the control unit 50 notifies the performer of the newly set output state by changing the light emission state of the LED 41.

In step S24, the control unit 50 determines whether the output state of the control signal is the output on state. If the output state of the control signal is the output on state (S24: YES), the output processing unit 56 of the control unit 50 outputs a control signal according to the detection value of the force sensor 30 currently inputted and detected in step S12 (output processing) (step S26), and proceeds to step S20. If the output state of the control signal is not the output on state, i.e., if the output state of the control signal is the output off state (S24: NO), the control unit 50 proceeds to step S20.

In step S20, the control unit 50 determines whether the power of the musical sound control device 10 has been turned off. If the control unit 50 determines that the power of the musical sound control device 10 has been turned off (S20: YES), the control unit 50 ends the sensor processing. If the control unit 50 determines that the power of the musical sound control device 10 has not been turned off (S20: NO), the control unit 50 returns to step S12 and executes the processing of step S12. In the musical sound control device 10, the sensor processing is executed as described above.

As described above, in the musical tone control device 10 according to this embodiment, when the performer pulls the guitar strap 210 during playing, etc., to generate tension between the electric guitar 200 and the guitar strap 210, a control signal that controls the musical tone is output to the sound processor 100 according to the detection value detected by the force sensor 30. Furthermore, when the change in the detection value detected by the force sensor 30 is a predetermined change that satisfies the above-mentioned condition, the output state of the control signal is switched between the output on state and the output off state. Therefore, by intentionally changing the way the performer pulls the guitar strap 210, etc., the performer can switch the output state of the control signal between the output on state and the output off state at any timing. In this way, in the musical tone control device 10, the performer can control the musical tone and switch the control state of the musical tone by intentionally pulling the guitar strap 210, etc., without providing a separate switching device.

In addition, in the musical tone control device 10, the switching process executed by the control unit 50 changes the output state to the output off state when the output state is the output on state, and changes the output state to the output on state when the output state is the output off state. This allows the performer to intentionally pull the guitar strap 210, for example, to cause a predetermined change in the detection value of the force sensor 30, thereby alternately switching between the output on state and the output off state.

In addition, in the musical tone control device 10, when the control unit 50 determines that the change in the detection value of the force sensor 30 is not a predetermined change, the output processing unit 56 outputs a control signal in the output on state on condition that the output state is the output on state, and outputs a control signal in the output off state on condition that the output state is the output off state. This makes it possible to prevent a control signal from being output even if the detection value of the force sensor 30 is changed by accidentally or intentionally pulling on the guitar strap 210 when in the output off state.

In addition, in the musical tone control device 10, the first mode, the output on state, is an output mode in which a control signal is output, and the second mode, the output off state, is an output mode in which a control signal is not output. This makes it possible to realize a specific configuration for switching the output mode between the output on state and the output off state.

In addition, in the musical tone control device 10, the control unit 50 determines that a specified change has occurred if the detection value of the force sensor 30 changes to a value greater than the MAX value and then changes to a value less than the MAX value within Δt seconds. This makes it possible to provide specific conditions required to satisfy the specified change.

The musical tone control device 10 also includes an LED 41 that notifies the performer that tension is occurring, and the control unit has a notification processing unit 52 that executes notification processing to change the notification mode according to the detection value of the force sensor 30 and notify the performer with the LED 41. Therefore, the performer can visually recognize the change in the musical tone control signal according to the detection value of the force sensor 30 and the change in the output mode of the musical tone control signal.

The musical sound control device 10 is also capable of wireless communication with a first receiving device 80A that is connected to a sound processor 100 that applies effects to the musical sounds of the electric guitar 200. This makes it possible to provide a specific configuration for realizing a performance system 1A using the musical sound control device 10.

The program 53A stored in the memory unit 53 of the control unit 50 causes the calculation processing unit 51 of the musical tone control device 10, which is equipped with a force sensor 30 that detects the tension generated between the electric guitar 200 and the guitar strap 210, to execute a switching process that switches the output state of the control signal between a first state and a second state depending on whether or not the change in the detection value detected by the force sensor 30 is a predetermined change. This makes it possible to provide specific processing that should be executed by the program in order to realize a configuration in which the player can control musical tones and switch the control state of the musical tones by, for example, intentionally pulling on the guitar strap 210.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. In the description of the second embodiment, the description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the output mode of the control signal switched in the sensor processing. As shown in Fig. 7, in the performance system 1B according to the second embodiment, a second receiving device (receiving device) 80B is connected to a second control signal input section 140B. In addition, the output processing section 56 in the control section 50 of the musical tone control device 410 outputs a MIDI message (signal) based on the detection value of the force sensor 30 to the second receiving device 80B.

The musical tone control device 410 and the second receiving device 80B communicate with each other via wireless communication means such as the BLE-MIDI (MIDI over Bluetooth LE) protocol. The second receiving device 80B receives the MIDI message output from the musical tone control device 10 via the wireless communication means and inputs it to the second control signal input unit 140B. The MIDI message output from the musical tone control device 10 includes, for example, a program change message for increasing or decreasing the program change number in program change mode and a pitch bend message in pitch bend mode that outputs a continuous value. In the musical tone control device 410 according to the second embodiment, the output state of the MIDI message is set to either the program change mode state or the pitch bend mode state.

Here, program change messages in MIDI are basically used to specify tone numbers. For example, when a device such as a keyboard with a built-in GM sound source (General MIDI sound source) receives a program change message with a parameter set to 1, the device sets its own tone number to 1 (acoustic grand piano tone). If the parameter is 41, the device sets its own tone number to 41 (violin tone). In this way, program change mode is a mode for setting tone numbers.

In a multi-effector, program change messages are often used to switch the patch number of the effector. A patch is a combination of multiple effectors. For example, patch number 1 may be set to a combination of three effectors (distortion type): distortion, wah, and noise gate. Patch number 2 may be set to a combination of three effectors (clean type): compressor, chorus, and equalizer.

When the multi-effector receives a program change with the parameter set to 1, it sets the patch to patch number 1, a distortion patch. If the multi-effector then receives a program change with the parameter set to 2, it changes the patch from the distortion patch to patch number 2, a clean patch. In this way, a guitarist can use program change messages to switch the guitar tone from a distorted tone to a clean tone while playing.

In the program change mode of this embodiment, the patch number of the multi-effector is increased or decreased. That is, 1 is added to the patch number stored as data 53B of the musical tone control device 410, and the updated patch number is sent to the sound processor 100, which is the multi-effector, as a program change parameter, or 1 is subtracted from the patch number, and the updated patch number is sent to the sound processor 100 as a program change parameter.

On the other hand, a pitch bend message in MIDI is a message that continuously changes the pitch of a musical sound. A pitch bend message is a MIDI message that is sent and received to change pitch by operating a control called a pitch bend wheel (also called a bender or pitch bender) that is located on a keyboard such as a synthesizer. The pitch bend message controls pitch changes in steps from -8192 to 0 to +8191 using a 14-bit parameter. The range of pitch change is set by a MIDI message other than the pitch bend message called a bend range message.

Pitch bend was originally invented to achieve the effect of guitar bend technique on the keyboard. Therefore, with a guitar, you can achieve a certain degree of pitch bend effect by playing it in a certain way. Many multi-effectors are equipped with an effector called a pitch shifter. While guitar bends can raise the pitch by only two notes at most, using a pitch shifter makes it possible to raise the pitch by more than two notes, or even lower the pitch.

In the pitch bend mode of this embodiment, the pitch shift amount of the pitch shifter of the multi-effector is controlled by a pitch bend message. That is, the output value of the force sensor 30 is assigned a numerical value between -8192 and +8191, and this is sent as a parameter of the pitch bend message to the sound processor 100, which is the multi-effector. The processor of the sound processor 100 that receives the pitch bend message sets the pitch value of the pitch shifter to a value according to the parameter of the received pitch bend message.

The sensor processing executed by the control unit 50 of the musical tone control device 410 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8. In the sensor processing, the control unit 50 first executes a calibration (step S210). The calibration executed by the control unit in step S210 is the same as the calibration executed by the control unit 50 in step S10 in the first embodiment. Next, the control unit 50 outputs a program change message with a default program change number (patch number) as a parameter (step S211). This is to match the patch numbers set in the sound processor 100 and the musical tone control device 410. Hereinafter, the program change number, which is a parameter of the program change message, will be referred to as the "patch number". When the processing of step S211 is completed, the control unit 50 proceeds to step S212.

The processes of steps S212 and S214 in the sensor processing are similar to the processes of steps S12 and S14 in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described. If the second determination processing unit 58 of the control unit 50 determines in step S214 that there is a predetermined change (S214: YES), the process proceeds to step S216, and if it determines that there is no predetermined change (S214: NO), the process proceeds to step S224.

In step S216, the switching processing unit 59 of the control unit 50 determines whether the output mode of the MIDI message is program change mode. If the output mode of the MIDI message is program change mode (S216: YES), the switching processing unit 59 switches and sets the output mode of the MIDI message to pitch bend mode (switching process) (step S218) and proceeds to S220. If the output mode of the MIDI message is not program change mode, that is, if the output mode of the MIDI message is pitch bend mode (S216: NO), the switching processing unit 59 switches and sets the output mode of the MIDI message to program change mode (switching process) (step S222) and proceeds to step S20. If the output mode of the MIDI message is switched, the control unit 50 notifies the performer of the newly set output mode, as in the first embodiment.

In step S224, the control unit 50 determines whether the output mode of the MIDI message is program change mode. If the output mode of the MIDI message is program change mode (S224: YES), the output processing unit 56 of the control unit 50 outputs a program change message according to the detection value of the force sensor 30 currently input, detected in step S212 (output processing) (step S226), and proceeds to step S220.

The parameter of the program change message output by the output processing unit 56, i.e., the patch number, is the patch number output in step S211 and then updated in this process, which is incremented or decremented. Specifically, the control unit 50 adds or subtracts 1 from the current patch number, and stores this in the memory unit 53 as the new patch number, and outputs it.

Whether the control unit 50 increments or decrements the patch number is determined based on the detection value of the force sensor 30 by the player's operation. In this embodiment, when the guitar 200 is pressed down, etc., and the detection value remains greater than the neutral value for a certain period of time (e.g., 1 second), the control unit 50 executes an increment operation. Similarly, when the guitar 200 is lifted, etc., and the detection value remains smaller than the neutral value for a certain period of time (e.g., 1 second), the control unit 50 executes a decrement operation. That is, the control unit 50 converts the detection value of the force sensor 30 into one of two values (discrete values), a value corresponding to an increment and a value corresponding to a decrement, and outputs a program change message with the patch number increased or decreased according to one of the two converted values as a parameter.

If the output mode of the MIDI message is not the program change mode, i.e., if the output mode of the MIDI message is the pitch bend mode (S224: NO), the output processing unit 56 outputs a pitch bend message according to the detection value of the force sensor 30 currently input, detected in step S212 (output processing) (step S228), and proceeds to step S220.

Specifically, the detection value of the force sensor 30 is converted into a digital value by an AD converter (not shown), and then the value is converted into a numerical value within the parameter range of the pitch bend message, i.e., -8192 to 8191. For example, if the AD converter has 16-bit precision, the pitch bend parameter value is 14 bits, so the conversion into the parameter value can be calculated as 2 ¹⁴ ×detection value/2 ¹⁶ -8192. Alternatively, a conversion table may be used, or a calculation formula incorporating a correction such that the pitch bend parameter becomes 0 when the detection value of the force sensor 30 is near the neutral value may be adopted. Any other conversion method may be adopted. The output processing unit 56 outputs the pitch bend message using the converted detection value of the force sensor 30 as a parameter.

In step S220, the control unit 50 determines whether the power of the musical sound control device 410 has been turned off. If the control unit 50 determines that the power of the musical sound control device 410 has been turned off (S220: YES), the control unit 50 ends the sensor processing. If the control unit 50 determines that the power of the musical sound control device 410 has not been turned off (S220: NO), the control unit 50 returns to step S212 and executes the processing of step S212. In the musical sound control device 410, the sensor processing is executed as described above.

As described above, in the musical tone control device 410 according to the second embodiment, when the performer pulls the guitar strap 210 during playing, etc., to generate tension between the electric guitar 200 and the guitar strap 210, a MIDI message that controls the musical tone is output to the sound processor 100 according to the detection value detected by the force sensor 30. Furthermore, when the change in the detection value detected by the force sensor 30 is a predetermined change that satisfies the above-mentioned condition, the output state of the MIDI message is switched between the program change mode state and the pitch bend mode state. Therefore, by intentionally changing the way the performer pulls the guitar strap 210, etc., the performer can switch the output state of the MIDI message between the program change mode state and the pitch bend mode state at any timing.

The first mode, program change mode, is a mode that can control discrete values such as patch numbers. In the second embodiment, the patch number is increased or decreased, but it is also possible to control the state by turning it on and off. For example, MIDI control change message number 65 turns the portamento effect on and off, but if control change number 65 is output in the first mode, a switching operation such as portamento on when the guitar is pressed down and portamento off when the guitar is lifted can be realized without providing a separate operator.

The second mode, pitch bend mode, is a mode that can control changes in continuous values such as pitch (strictly speaking, since this is digital processing, the numerical values are also discrete in this case, but they are expressed as "continuous values" in contrast to the case of controlling numbers such as 1 and 2, such as in program change mode). In the second embodiment, a pitch bend message was output, but any MIDI message may be used as long as it has a continuous value as a parameter. For example, the modulation depth of control change number 1 or the volume of control change number 7 may be used to control the modulation depth or volume value.

In this way, the musical tone control device 410 can switch between musical tone control operations that increase or decrease number parameters or switch states such as on or off, and musical tone control operations that use continuous numerical values, by the performer intentionally pulling on the guitar strap 210, without the need for a separate switching device.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 13. In the description of the third embodiment, the description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified. In the performance system 3A shown in Fig. 9, the musical tone control system 510 according to the third embodiment includes a first control device CD1 and a second control device CD2. The first control device CD1 has the same configuration as the musical tone control device 10 in the first embodiment except for the electrical configuration of the sensor side control unit (first control unit) 550 provided therein. The first control device CD1 is a strap-type sensor that houses a force sensor 30 therein, and is provided in a form that connects between an electric guitar (musical instrument) 200 and a guitar strap (musical instrument holder) 210 that is worn on the shoulder to hold the electric guitar 200 by a player (user).

The second control device CD2 is a so-called stomp box type effecter, and is placed at the feet of the performer. The second control device CD2 is provided with a box-shaped housing 620, a connection jack section 622 provided on each of the left and right sides of the housing 620, four approximately circular switch sections (push sections) 630 provided at the bottom of the front of the housing 620, and four volume knob sections 640 provided at the top of the front of the housing 620. The second control device CD2 also has a power switch (not shown). Four stomp side LEDs (second notification sections) 630L are provided on the upper side of each switch section 630 at positions corresponding to each switch section 630. Each switch section 630 can be pressed down, and for example, the performer presses down on it with his foot to perform the pressing operation. Each volume knob section 640 can be rotated, and for example, the performer pinches it with his fingers to perform the rotating operation.

Each connection jack 622 is connected to the electric guitar 200 at one end and to the guitar amplifier 300 at the other end via a shielded cable 220 or the like. The second control device CD2 takes in the electrical signal output from the electric guitar 200 and outputs the taken-in electrical signal (signal) (hereinafter referred to as the "output signal") to the guitar amplifier 300. The guitar amplifier 300 outputs the output signal output from the second control device as musical tones.

The first control device CD1 and the second control device CD2 communicate with each other via a wireless communication means such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark)). The wireless communication means is not limited to BLE and may be other wireless communication means. A signal related to the detection value of the force sensor 30 (hereinafter referred to as the "detection value signal") output (transmitted) from the first control device CD1 is input (received) to the second control device CD2. The second control device CD2 imparts various effects to the output signal and changes the parameters of the effect applied to the output signal according to the detection value signal from the first control device CD1.

Next, the functions of each switch section 630 of the second control device CD2 will be described. From the left, each switch section 630 is an effect switch 632, a lock switch 634, a wah switch 636, and a volume switch 638. The effect switch 632 is a switch that switches whether or not various effects are applied to the output signal when pressed down. Specifically, the effect switch 632 switches between a control mode (first mode) in which an effect effect is applied to the output signal according to the detection value signal from the first control device CD1 (hereinafter referred to as the "effect on state") and a control mode (second mode) in which no effect effect is applied (hereinafter referred to as the "effect off state"). When in the effect on state, the stomp side LED 630L corresponding to the effect switch 632 is lit.

The lock switch 634 is a switch that switches whether or not the detection value signal is held when pressed. Specifically, the lock switch 634 switches between a control mode (first mode) (hereinafter referred to as the "lock-on state") in which the detection value signal is held at the detection value signal input at the time of pressing and the output signal is controlled regardless of the change in the detection value signal output from the first control device CD1, and a control mode (second mode) (hereinafter referred to as the "lock-off state") in which the output signal is controlled according to the change in the input detection value signal without holding the input detection value signal. When in the lock-on state, the stomp side LED 630L corresponding to the lock switch 634 is lit.

When the wah switch 636 is pressed down, it switches whether or not to apply a wah effect to the output signal, i.e., a filter effect with a frequency characteristic according to the detection value of the force sensor 30. When the volume switch 638 is pressed down, it switches whether or not to change the envelope of the output signal (the volume of the musical tone) according to the detection value of the force sensor 30. Here, the wah switch 636 and the volume switch 638 are switches that operate exclusively, with one side always in the OFF state and the other side in the ON state. When one side is in the OFF state, pressing one side will turn one side on and the other side will turn off, and when one side is in the ON state, pressing the other side will turn the other side on and the one side will turn off.

Specifically, when the wah switch 636 is on, the volume switch 638 is off, and a control mode (first mode) (hereinafter referred to as the "wah effect application mode") is set in which the frequency band of the output signal (musical sound) is changed according to the detection value signal from the first control device CD1. On the other hand, when the volume switch 638 is on, the wah switch 636 is off, and a control mode (second mode) (hereinafter referred to as the "volume control mode") is set in which the envelope of the output signal (volume of the musical sound) is changed according to the detection value signal from the first control device CD1. In the musical sound control system 510 according to the third embodiment, the control mode of the musical sound is set to either the wah effect application mode or the volume control mode.

Next, the function of each volume knob 640 of the second control device CD2 will be described. From the left, the volume knobs 640 are a sense volume 642, a tone volume 644, a frequency volume 646, and a minimum volume adjustment volume 648. The sense volume 642 adjusts the sensitivity of the detection value of the force sensor 30 input from the first control device CD1. Specifically, when the sense volume 642 is turned in one direction, it increases the sensitivity at which the detection value is reflected in the effect of the output signal, and when it is turned in the other direction, it decreases the sensitivity at which the detection value is reflected in the effect of the output signal. By decreasing the sensitivity, it is possible to impart an effect with subtle changes.

The tone volume 644 adjusts the tone of the output signal. Specifically, turning the tone volume 644 in one direction produces a rounded tone with no high frequencies, and turning it in the other direction produces a brighter tone with more high frequencies.

The frequency volume 646 adjusts the center frequency in the wow effect. In the wow effect, the resonant frequency of the bandpass filter is moved around the set center frequency. Specifically, the frequency volume 646 lowers the center frequency when turned in one direction, and raises the center frequency when turned in the other direction.

The minimum volume adjustment volume 648 sets the minimum volume when in volume control mode. This setting corresponds to the volume when the detection value of the force sensor 30 is 0. Specifically, the minimum volume adjustment volume 648 is set to 0 when turned all the way in one direction, and in this state, no sound is output when the detection value of the force sensor 30 is 0. Each volume knob 640 described above can be adjusted in advance before the performer starts playing.

Next, the electrical configuration of the first control device CD1 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. The first control device CD1 is entirely controlled by the sensor side control unit 550 provided inside. The sensor side control unit 550 has an arithmetic processing unit 551 configured from a computer such as a CPU. The arithmetic processing unit 551 is connected to the sensor side notification processing unit 552, the sensor side storage unit 553, the sensor side input unit 554, the sensor side instruction receiving unit 555, the sensor side communication unit 556, the startup processing unit 557, and the like. The sensor side input unit 554 and the sensor side instruction receiving unit 555 are configured similarly to the input unit 54 and the instruction receiving unit 55 in the first embodiment, respectively, and their description will be omitted. In this embodiment, the LED provided on the first control device CD1 side is referred to as the sensor side LED (first notification unit) 41L to distinguish it from the stomp side LED 630L provided on the second control device CD2 side.

The sensor-side notification processor 552 is configured to notify the performer of various information by controlling the light emission state of each sensor-side LED 41L. For example, a red light can be turned on when the control state for the currently set effect application is the effect on state, and a blue light can be turned on when the effect is off (first notification process). This makes it possible to notify the performer of the currently set information on the application of an effect effect to the output signal (application information). Also, for example, the nine sensor-side LEDs 41L can be turned on with a green light like a level meter according to the currently set envelope of the output signal (musical tone volume) (second notification process). This makes it possible to notify the performer of information on the currently set musical tone volume (volume information).

Similar to the storage unit 53 in the first embodiment, the sensor-side storage unit 553 is composed of an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) that stores programs for controlling the CPU, and a flash memory that temporarily stores various data 553B. The sensor-side storage unit 553 stores a program 553A for executing each process executed by the sensor-side control unit 550.

The sensor-side communication unit 556 outputs (transmits) a signal related to the detection value of the force sensor 30 to the second control device CD2 as a detection value signal. The sensor-side communication unit 556 also inputs (receives) information related to the currently set application of an effect and information related to the currently set volume of the musical tone output from the second control device CD2. The sensor-side communication unit 556 also inputs (receives) a signal (start-up signal) output from the second control device CD2 to turn on the power of the first control device CD1. The sensor-side communication unit 556 also outputs (transmits) information related to the remaining battery capacity of the first control device CD1 (remaining capacity information) to the second control device CD2 (fourth output process). The remaining capacity information may be output to the second control device CD2 at a predetermined interval, or may be output to the second control device CD2 when the remaining capacity falls below a predetermined value.

The startup processing unit 557 executes a startup process to power on the first control device CD1. Specifically, in the first control device CD1, when the power is off, the CPU of the sensor side control unit 550 is in a sleep state, and only the sensor side communication unit 556 is in a powered on state. Then, when the power of the first control device CD1 is off, the sensor side communication unit 556 executes the above startup process on the condition that a signal (startup signal) for powering on the first control device CD1 is input (received) from the second control device CD2.

Next, the electrical configuration of the second control device CD2 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. The second control device CD2 is entirely controlled by the stomp-side control unit 650 provided inside. The stomp-side control unit 650 has an arithmetic processing unit 651 consisting of a computer such as a CPU. The arithmetic processing unit 651 is connected to a stomp-side notification processing unit 652, a stomp-side memory unit 653, a stomp-side input unit (second detection unit) 654, a stomp-side instruction receiving unit 655, a stomp-side communication unit 656, an effect unit (tone control unit) 657, an output unit (audio signal output unit) 658, a switching processing unit 659, and the like. The electrical circuit constituting the stomp-side control unit 650 may be realized in an analog manner, or in a digital manner using a DSP (Digital Signal Processor).

The stomp side notification processing unit 652 is configured to notify the performer of various information in a manner that allows the performer to distinguish the on or off state of each switch unit 630 by controlling the light emission mode of each stomp side LED 630L. For example, when the remaining battery capacity of the first control device CD1 is low, all four stomp side LEDs 630L can be made to light up in red at a predetermined interval, and when there is sufficient remaining battery capacity, all four stomp side LEDs 630L can be made to light up in blue at a predetermined interval (third notification processing). This makes it possible to notify the performer of information regarding the remaining battery capacity of the first control device CD1.

Like the storage unit 53 in the first embodiment, the stomp-side storage unit 653 is composed of an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) that stores programs for controlling the CPU, and a flash memory that temporarily stores various data 653B. The stomp-side storage unit 653 stores a program 653A for executing each process executed by the stomp-side control unit 650. The stomp-side storage unit 653 also stores a flag related to the on/off state of the effect switch 632 (hereinafter referred to as the "effect flag"), a flag related to the on/off state of the lock switch 634 (hereinafter referred to as the "lock flag"), and a flag related to the switching state of the wah switch 636 and the volume switch 638 (hereinafter referred to as the "wah/volume switching flag").

The stomp-side input unit 654 is configured to detect the pressing of each switch unit 630. The stomp-side instruction receiving unit 655 is configured to receive various instructions from the performer by rotating each volume knob unit 640.

The stomp-side communication unit 656 inputs (receives) the detection value signal output from the first control device CD1. The stomp-side communication unit 656 also outputs (transmits) information regarding the currently set application of effect effects to the first control device CD1 (first output process). The stomp-side communication unit 656 also outputs (transmits) information regarding the currently set volume of musical tones to the first control device CD1 (second output process). The stomp-side communication unit 656 also outputs (transmits) a signal (start-up signal) for turning on the power supply of the first control device CD1 to the first control device CD1 (third output process). The stomp-side communication unit 656 also inputs (receives) information regarding the remaining battery capacity of the first control device CD1 output from the first control device CD1 (remaining capacity information).

The effect section 657 applies the above-mentioned various effects to the output signal and changes the parameters of the effect according to the detection value signal from the first control device CD1. The output section 658 is connected to a known guitar amplifier 300 via the connection jack section 622 and outputs an output signal to the guitar amplifier 300. When the stomp side input section 654 detects that each switch section 630 has been pressed down, the switching processing section 659 switches the control mode for controlling the output signal (musical tone) according to the detection value signal from the first control device CD1, depending on the function of the pressed switch section 630.

Next, referring to FIG. 12, the flow until the first control device CD1 is powered on and the processing executed by the sensor side control unit 550 of the first control device CD1 will be described. As described above, when the first control device CD1 is powered off, the CPU of the sensor side control unit 550 is in a sleep state and the first control device CD1 is in a standby state with only the sensor side communication unit 556 powered on. In this state, when the button unit 42 for turning on the first control device CD1 provided on the first control device CD1 is manually pressed down to turn on the power of the first control device CD1 (S310: YES), the startup processing unit 557 turns on the sensor side control unit 550, and the sensor side control unit 550 executes the processing of step S316.

On the other hand, if the button unit 42 that turns on the first control device CD1 is not pressed (S310: NO) and a startup signal is input from the second control device CD2 to the sensor side communication unit 556 (S312: YES), the power of the first control device CD1 is turned on (start-up process) (S314), the startup processing unit 557 sets the sensor side control unit 550 to the on state, and the sensor side control unit 550 executes the process of step S316. If the button unit 42 that turns on the first control device CD1 is not pressed and a startup signal is not input (S312: NO), the process returns to step S310 and the standby state of the first control device CD1 is maintained.

In step S316, the sensor side control unit 550 performs calibration. When the calibration is completed, the sensor side control unit 550 proceeds to step S318, and if tension is detected by the force sensor 30, the sensor side control unit 550 outputs the detected tension value as a detection value signal to the second control device CD2 (S318). After that, the sensor side control unit 550 proceeds to step S320, and determines whether the power supply of the first control device CD1 has been turned off. If the sensor side control unit 550 determines that the power supply of the first control device CD1 has been turned off (S320: YES), the process ends. If the sensor side control unit 550 determines that the power supply of the first control device CD1 has not been turned off (S320: NO), the process returns to step S318, and outputs a detection value signal according to the detection value of the force sensor 30. The first control device CD1 performs the process as described above.

Next, the switching process executed by the stomp-side control unit 650 of the second control device CD2 will be described with reference to FIG. 13. The switching process is started by pressing the power switch of the second control device CD2 to turn on the power. Immediately after the power of the second control device CD2 is turned on, the effect flag is in the effect off state, the lock flag is in the lock off state, and the wah/volume switching flag is in the volume control mode state. In the switching process, the stomp-side control unit 650 first determines whether the effect switch 632 has been pressed (step S410). If the stomp-side control unit 650 determines that the effect switch 632 has been pressed (S410: YES), it proceeds to step S420. If the stomp-side control unit 650 determines that the effect switch 632 has not been pressed (S410: NO), it proceeds to step S412.

In step S420, the stomp-side control unit 650 judges whether the effect flag stored in the stomp-side storage unit 653 is in the effect-on state. If it is judged in S420 that the effect flag is not in the effect-on state (S420: NO), the switching processing unit 659 of the stomp-side control unit 650 switches the effect flag to the effect-on state and stores it in the stomp-side storage unit 653 (switching process) (step S424), and proceeds to step S418. As a result, in the second control device CD2, the control mode for controlling the musical tone according to the detection value signal from the first control device CD1 is set to the effect-on state. On the other hand, if it is judged in S420 that the effect flag is in the effect-on state (S420: YES), the switching processing unit 659 switches the effect flag to the effect-off state and stores it in the stomp-side storage unit 653 (switching process) (step S422), and proceeds to step S418.

In step S412, the stomp-side control unit 650 determines whether the lock switch 634 has been pressed. If the stomp-side control unit 650 determines that the lock switch 634 has been pressed (S412: YES), the process proceeds to step S430. If the stomp-side control unit 650 determines that the lock switch 634 has not been pressed (S412: NO), the process proceeds to step S414.

In step S430, the stomp-side control unit 650 determines whether the effect flag stored in the stomp-side memory unit 653 is in the effect-on state. If it is determined in S430 that the effect flag is not in the effect-on state (S430: NO), the stomp-side control unit 650 proceeds to step S418. On the other hand, if it is determined in S430 that the effect flag is in the effect-on state (S430: YES), the stomp-side control unit 650 proceeds to step S432 and determines whether the lock flag stored in the stomp-side memory unit 653 is in the lock-on state.

If it is determined in step S432 that the lock flag is not in the locked-on state (S432: NO), the switching processing unit 659 of the stomp-side control unit 650 switches the lock flag to the locked-on state, stores it in the stomp-side memory unit 653 (switching process) (step S436), and proceeds to step S418. As a result, in the second control device CD2, the control mode for controlling the musical tones in response to the detection value signal from the first control device CD1 is set to the locked-on state. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S432 that the lock flag is in the locked-on state (S432: YES), the switching processing unit 659 switches the lock flag to the locked-off state, stores it in the stomp-side memory unit 653 (switching process) (step S434), and proceeds to step S418.

In step S414, the stomp-side control unit 650 determines whether the wah switch 636 has been pressed down. If the stomp-side control unit 650 determines that the wah switch 636 has been pressed down (S414: YES), the process proceeds to step S440. If the stomp-side control unit 650 determines that the wah switch 636 has not been pressed down (S414: NO), the process proceeds to step S416.

In step S440, the stomp-side control unit 650 determines whether the effect flag stored in the stomp-side memory unit 653 is in the effect-on state. If it is determined in step S440 that the effect flag is not in the effect-on state (S440: NO), the stomp-side control unit 650 proceeds to step S418. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S440 that the effect flag is in the effect-on state (S440: YES), the stomp-side control unit 650 proceeds to step S442 and determines whether the wah/volume switching flag stored in the stomp-side memory unit 653 is in the wah effect application mode.

If it is determined in step S442 that the wah/volume switching flag is not in the wah effect application mode (S442: NO), the switching processing unit 659 of the stomp-side control unit 650 switches the wah/volume switching flag to the wah effect application mode and stores it in the stomp-side storage unit 653 (switching process) (step S444), and proceeds to step S418. As a result, in the second control device CD2, the control state for controlling the musical tone in response to the detection value signal from the first control device CD1 is set to the wah effect application mode. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S442 that the wah/volume switching flag is in the wah effect application mode (S442: YES), the switching processing unit 659 maintains the wah effect application mode without executing the switching process and proceeds to step S418.

In step S416, the stomp-side control unit 650 determines whether the volume switch 638 has been pressed. If the stomp-side control unit 650 determines that the volume switch 638 has been pressed (S416: YES), the process proceeds to step S450. If the stomp-side control unit 650 determines that the volume switch 638 has not been pressed (S416: NO), the process proceeds to step S418.

In step S450, the stomp-side control unit 650 determines whether the effect flag stored in the stomp-side memory unit 653 is in the effect-on state. If it is determined in step S450 that the effect flag is not in the effect-on state (S450: NO), the stomp-side control unit 650 proceeds to step S418. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S450 that the effect flag is in the effect-on state (S450: YES), the stomp-side control unit 650 proceeds to step S452 and determines whether the wah/volume switching flag stored in the stomp-side memory unit 653 is in the volume control mode state.

If it is determined in step S452 that the wow/volume switching flag is not in the volume control mode state (S452: NO), the switching processing unit 659 of the stomp-side control unit 650 switches the wow/volume switching flag to the volume control mode state, stores it in the stomp-side memory unit 653 (switching process) (step S454), and proceeds to step S418. As a result, in the second control device CD2, the control state for controlling musical tones in response to the detection value signal from the first control device CD1 is set to the volume control mode state. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S452 that the wow/volume switching flag is in the volume control mode state (S452: YES), the switching processing unit 659 maintains the volume control mode state without executing the switching process and proceeds to step S418.

The process of outputting the information on the currently set effect application from the stomp side communication unit 656 to the first control device CD1 can use the results of the judgments of steps S420, S430, S440, and S450 for judging the on/off state of the effect flag, and can be executed following the processing of each step. The timing of outputting the information on the application of the effect effect from the stomp side communication unit 656 is not limited to immediately after executing steps S420, S430, S440, and S450, and may be any timing after the judgment of the on/off state of the effect flag. The process of outputting the information on the currently set volume of the musical tone from the stomp side communication unit 656 to the first control device CD1 can be executed after the volume control mode state is turned on, for example, after steps S452 and S454.

In step S418, the stomp-side control unit 650 determines whether the power of the second control device CD2 has been turned off. If the stomp-side control unit 650 determines that the power switch of the second control device CD2 has been pressed down to turn off the power (S418: YES), it ends the switching process. If the stomp-side control unit 650 determines that the power of the second control device CD2 has not been turned off (S418: NO), it returns to step S410 and executes the process of step S410. In the musical tone control system 510, the switching process is executed as described above.

As described above, in the musical sound control system 510 according to this embodiment, the detection value detected by the force sensor 30 of the first control device CD1 is input to the second control device CD2, and the musical sound is controlled according to the input detection value. Furthermore, the control mode of the musical sound is switched by the performer pressing down each switch unit 630 of the second control device CD2 while playing, etc. Therefore, the performer can reliably switch the control mode of the musical sound by pressing down each switch unit 630 with his/her foot while controlling the musical sound by changing the way the guitar strap 210 is pulled, etc. Furthermore, the performer can play away from the second control device CD2 except when switching the control mode of the musical sound, so that the performer is not restricted by the place of performance and can concentrate more on the performance and the performance's dramatic effect can be enhanced.

In addition, in the musical sound control system 510, the first mode, the effect-on state, is a control mode in which an effect effect is applied to the musical sound, and the second mode, the effect-off state, is a control mode in which no effect effect is applied to the musical sound. This makes it possible to realize a specific configuration for switching the control mode of the musical sound between the effect-on state and the effect-off state.

In addition, in the musical sound control system 510, the first mode, the locked-on state, is a control mode in which the input detection value is held and the musical sound is controlled, and the second mode, the locked-off state, is a control mode in which the input detection value is not held and the musical sound is controlled in response to changes in the input detection value. This makes it possible to realize a specific configuration for switching the musical sound control mode between the locked-on state and the locked-off state.

In addition, in the musical sound control system 510, the first mode, the wah effect application mode state, is a control mode in which the frequency band of the musical sound is changed according to the detection value, and the second mode, the volume control mode state, is a control mode in which the volume of the musical sound is changed according to the detection value. This makes it possible to realize a specific configuration for switching the control mode of the musical sound between the wah effect application mode state and the volume control mode state.

In addition, in the musical sound control system 510, the first control device CD1 is equipped with a sensor side LED 41L that notifies the user of imparting information regarding whether or not an effect effect is to be applied to the musical sound, the stomp side control unit 650 executes a first output process that outputs the imparting information to the first control device CD1, and the sensor side control unit 550 executes a first notification process that changes the notification mode according to the input imparting information and notifies the user with the sensor side LED 41L. This allows the performer to recognize whether or not an effect effect is to be applied to the musical sound by looking at the sensor side LED 41L.

In addition, in the musical sound control system 510, the first control device CD1 is equipped with a sensor side LED 41L that notifies the volume information of the musical sound output from the electric guitar 200 as information about the envelope of the detection value signal, and the stomp side control unit 650 executes a second output process that outputs the volume information to the first control device CD1, and the sensor side control unit 550 executes a second notification process that changes the notification mode according to the input volume information and notifies the sensor side LED 41L. This allows the performer to recognize the volume information of the musical sound by looking at the sensor side LED 41L.

In the musical tone control system 510, the stomp side control unit 650 executes a third output process that outputs a start-up signal to the first control unit CD1 to turn on the power of the first control unit CD1, and the sensor side control unit 550 has a start-up processing unit 557 that executes a start-up process to turn on the power of the first control unit CD1 on the condition that a start-up signal is input when the power of the first control unit CD1 is off. This allows the performer to turn on the power of the first control unit CD1 by operating the second control unit CD2 arranged at the performer's feet without directly operating the first control unit CD1. In general, it is easier to operate equipment at the feet than to operate a switch or the like attached to a guitar strap, so operability is improved. Also, the second control unit CD2 may output a start-up signal to the first control unit CD1 in conjunction with the power of the second control unit CD2 being turned on.

In addition, in the musical tone control system 510, the second control device CD2 is equipped with a stomp-side LED 630L that notifies remaining capacity information regarding the remaining battery capacity of the first control device CD1, the sensor-side control unit 550 executes a fourth output process that outputs the remaining capacity information to the second control device CD2, and the stomp-side control unit 650 executes a third notification process that changes the notification mode according to the input remaining capacity information and notifies the stomp-side control unit 650. This allows the performer to recognize the remaining battery capacity of the first control device CD1 by looking at the stomp-side LED 630L.

Note that the above-described embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims.

For example, in each of the above embodiments, a configuration in which communication is performed between the sound processor 100 and the musical sound control device 10 via wireless communication means has been exemplified, but instead of the sound processor 100, a configuration in which communication is performed between the musical sound control device 10 and a smartphone or PC on which an effect app is installed, etc., may be used. When a PC is used, the receiving device may be connected via USB. In this case, the effect app may be wirelessly connected to a speaker, etc., and the effect app may apply an effect to the musical sound emitted from the speaker in response to a control signal from the musical sound control device 10.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, a configuration is exemplified in which the second judgment processing unit 58 judges that a "predetermined condition" exists when the detection value of the force sensor 30 exceeds the MAX value from a neutral value state and falls below the MAX value within Δt milliseconds, but the conditions required to satisfy the "predetermined condition" are not limited to this. Also, the configuration may be such that the performer can arbitrarily set the conditions required to satisfy the "predetermined condition."

In addition, the above first embodiment exemplifies a configuration in which the output state of a control signal switches between an output on state and an output off state, and the above second embodiment exemplifies a configuration in which the output state of a MIDI message switches between a program change mode state and a pitch bend mode state, but the output state of a signal that is switched by the switching process of the present invention is not limited to these.

In the above third embodiment, a configuration was exemplified in which the lock-on state and the lock-off state are switched each time the lock switch is pressed down, but a configuration in which the lock-on state is established only while the lock switch is pressed down and the lock-off state is established when the lock switch is released may be used. In the above third embodiment, a configuration in which each switch unit is a circular switch is exemplified, but each switch unit may be a rectangular pedal-type switch that is easy to step on with the foot. In the above third embodiment, a configuration in which one second control device is connected to one electric guitar is exemplified, but a configuration in which multiple second control devices are connected to one electric guitar depending on the type of effect to be applied to musical sounds may be used.

1A, 1B Performance system 10 Musical tone control device 10 Musical tone control device 11 Connection button section 11a Connection button 12 Connection ring section 12a Connection opening 15 Strap pin 20 Case 21 Front case 21a Inclined section 21b Indicator section 21c Front surface 21d Button opening 22 Rear case 22b Battery cover 25 Battery 30 Force sensor 31 First shaft 31d First connection shaft 32 Second shaft 32d Second connection shaft 33 First metal plate 34 Second metal plate 38 Load cell 40 Board 41 LED 42 Button section 50 Control section 51 Arithmetic processing section 52 Notification processing section 53 Memory section 53A Program 53B Data 54 Input section 55 Instruction receiving section 56 Output processing section 57 First judgment processing section 58 Second judgment processing section 59 Switching processing section 80A First receiving device 80B Second receiving device 100 Sound processor 110 Electric signal input section 120 Effect section 130 Electric signal input section 140A First control signal input section 140B Second control signal input section 200 Electric guitar 210 Guitar strap 211 Slit 220 Shielded cable 300 Guitar amplifier 410 Musical tone control device 510 Musical tone control system 550 Sensor side control section 551 Arithmetic processing section 552 Sensor side notification processing section 553 Sensor side storage section 553A Program 553B Data 554 Sensor side input section 555 Sensor side instruction receiving section 556 Sensor side communication section 557 Start processing section 620 Housing 622 Connection jack section 630 Switch section 630L Stomp side LED 632 Effect switch 634 Lock switch 636 Wah switch 638 Volume switch 640 Volume knob section 642 Sense volume 644 Tone volume 646 Frequency volume 648 Minimum volume adjustment volume 650 Stomp side control section 651 Calculation processing section 652 Stomp side notification processing section 653 Stomp side memory section 653A Program 653B Data 654 Stomp side input section 655 Stomp side instruction receiving section 656 Stomp side communication section 657 Effect section 658 Output section 659 Switching processing section CD1 First control device CD2 Second control device W Waveform

Claims (8)

a detection unit that detects a tension generated between the musical instrument and the musical instrument holder;
A control unit,
The control unit is
When the detection value detected by the detection unit changes to a value larger than a predetermined threshold value and then changes to a value smaller than the threshold value within a predetermined time, the detection value is determined to be a predetermined change;
executing a switching process of switching an output mode of a signal between a first mode and a second mode depending on whether or not a change in the detection value detected by the detection unit is the predetermined change;
A musical tone control device comprising: when the control unit determines that the change in the detection value is the predetermined change, the control unit changes the output mode to the second mode on condition that the output mode is the first mode, and changes the output mode to the first mode on condition that the output mode is the second mode.
2. The musical tone control device according to claim 1, When the control unit determines that the change in the detection value is not the predetermined change, the control unit outputs a signal in the first mode on condition that the output mode is the first mode, and outputs a signal in the second mode on condition that the output mode is the second mode.
2. The tone control device according to claim 1, The first mode is an output mode for outputting the signal,
The second mode is an output mode in which the signal is not output.
4. The musical tone control device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second inputs are connected to the first and second inputs. The first aspect is an output aspect in which a detection value detected by the detection unit is converted into one of discrete values, and a signal corresponding to a parameter according to the converted value is output,
The second aspect is an output aspect in which the detection value detected by the detection unit is converted into a continuous value, and a signal corresponding to a parameter according to the converted value is output.
4. The musical tone control device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second inputs are connected to the first and second inputs. a notification unit that notifies the user that the tension is occurring,
The control unit has a notification processing unit that executes a notification process in which the notification unit changes a notification mode in response to the detection value and notifies the user.
2. The musical tone control device according to claim 1, A receiving device capable of wireless communication with the receiving device connected to an effect device that applies effects to the musical tones of the musical instrument.
2. The musical tone control device according to claim 1, A computer of a musical tone control device having a detection unit that detects tension generated between a musical instrument and a musical instrument holder,
When the detection value detected by the detection unit changes to a value larger than a predetermined threshold value and then changes to a value smaller than the threshold value within a predetermined time, the detection value is determined to be a predetermined change;
executing a switching process of switching a signal output mode between a first mode and a second mode depending on whether or not the change in the detection value detected by the detection unit is the predetermined change;
A musical tone control program comprising:

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