Musical notation system
View Patent ↗An integrated system and software package for creating and performing a musical score including a user interface that enables a user to enter and display the musical score, a database that stores a data structure which supports graphical symbols for musical characters in the musical score and performance generation data that is derived from the graphical symbols, a musical font that includes a numbering system that corresponds to the musical characters, a compiler that generates the performance generation data from the database, a performance generator that reads the performance generation data from the compiler and synchronizes the performance of the musical score, and a synthesizer that responds to commands from the performance generator and creates data for acoustical playback of the musical score that is output to a sound generation device. The synthesizer generates the data for acoustical playback from a library of digital sound samples.
1. A system for creating and performing a musical score comprising:
a user interface that enables a user to enter the musical score into the system and displays the musical score;
a database that stores a data structure which supports graphical symbols for musical characters in the musical score and performance generation data that is derived from the graphical symbols;
a musical font comprising a numbering system that corresponds to the musical characters;
a compiler that generates the performance generation data from data in the database;
a performance generator that reads the performance generation data from the compiler and synchronizes the performance of the musical score; and
a synthesizer that responds to commands from the performance generator and creates data for acoustical playback of the musical score that is output to a sound generation device
wherein the synthesizer generates the data for acoustical playback of the musical score from a library of digital sound samples; and
wherein the user interface enables the operator to enter a desired time span for performance of the musical score and wherein a tempo for the musical score is automatically calculated based on the input time span.
2. A system for creating and performing a musical score comprising:
a user interface that enables a user to enter the musical score into the system and displays the musical score;
a database that stores a data structure which supports graphical symbols for musical characters in the musical score and performance generation data that is derived from the graphical symbols;
a musical font comprising a numbering system that corresponds to the musical characters;
a compiler that generates the performance generation data from data in the database;
a performance generator that reads the performance generation data from the compiler and synchronizes the performance of the musical score; and
a synthesizer that responds to commands from the performance generator and creates data for acoustical playback of the musical score that is output to a sound generation device;
wherein the synthesizer generates the data for acoustical playback of the musical score from a library of digital sound samples; and
wherein the system mathematically calculates numbers in the numbering system of the musical font to manipulate the musical characters.
3. A system for creating and performing a musical score comprising:
a user interface that enables a user to enter the musical score into the system and displays the musical score;
a database that stores a data structure which supports graphical symbols for musical characters in the musical score and performance generation data that is derived from the graphical symbols;
a musical font comprising a numbering system that corresponds to the musical characters;
a compiler that generates the performance generation data from data in the database;
a performance generator that reads the performance generation data from the compiler and synchronizes the performance of the musical score; and
a synthesizer that responds to commands from the performance generator and creates data for acoustical playback of the musical score that is output to a sound generation device;
wherein the synthesizer generates the data for acoustical playback of the musical score from a library of digital sound samples; and
wherein the performance generation data comprises pitch commands that support algorithmic pitch bend shaping.
4. A system for creating and performing a musical score comprising:
a user interface that enables a user to enter the musical score into the system and displays the musical score;
a database that stores a data structure which supports graphical symbols for musical characters in the musical score and performance generation data that is derived from the graphical symbols;
a musical font comprising a numbering system that corresponds to the musical characters;
a compiler that generates the performance generation data from data in the database;
a performance generator that reads the performance generation data from the compiler and synchronizes the performance of the musical score; and
a synthesizer that responds to commands from the performance generator and creates data for acoustical playback of the musical score that is output to a sound generation device;
wherein the synthesizer generates the data for acoustical playback of the musical score from a library of digital sound samples; and
wherein the performance generation data comprises pan commands that apply surround sound panning to individual musical notes.
5. A system for creating and performing a musical score comprising:
a user interface that enables a user to enter the musical score into the system and displays the musical score;
a database that stores a data structure which supports graphical symbols for musical characters in the musical score and performance generation data that is derived from the graphical symbols;
a musical font comprising a numbering system that corresponds to the musical characters;
a compiler that generates the performance generation data from data in the database;
a performance generator that reads the performance generation data from the compiler and synchronizes the performance of the musical score; and
a synthesizer that responds to commands from the performance generator and creates data for acoustical playback of the musical score that is output to a sound generation device;
wherein the synthesizer generates the data for acoustical playback of the musical score from a library of digital sound samples; and
wherein the performance generation data comprises pedal commands that indicate, on an individual pitch basis, whether to turn a pedal effect on or off.
6. A system for creating and performing a musical score comprising:
a user interface that enables a user to enter the musical score into the system and displays the musical score;
a database that stores a data structure which supports graphical symbols for musical characters in the musical score and performance generation data that is derived from the graphical symbols;
a musical font comprising a numbering system that corresponds to the musical characters;
a compiler that generates the performance generation data from data in the database;
a performance generator that reads the performance generation data from the compiler and synchronizes the performance of the musical score; and
a synthesizer that responds to commands from the performance generator and creates data for acoustical playback of the musical score that is output to a sound generation device;
wherein the synthesizer generates the data for acoustical playback of the musical score from a library of digital sound samples; and
wherein the synthesizer maintains a buffer so that it receives timing information for each event in the musical score in advance of each event to reduce latency in performance.