Systems and methods thereof for determining a virtual momentum based on user input

1. A computer program product tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions causing a data processing system to:

generate a virtual dual flywheel system including:

a first virtual flywheel configured to generate a first virtual momentum based on a user input and a predetermined virtual mass of the first virtual flywheel; and

a second virtual flywheel configured to generate a second virtual momentum based on the first virtual momentum and a predetermined second virtual mass of the second virtual flywheel;

generate a user interface implemented on a touch-sensitive display for a virtual musical instrument, including a plurality of touch regions, each touch region corresponding to a chord in a musical key and being divided into a number of separate touch zones; and

in response to the user input, generate an expression level based on the second virtual momentum.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising applying the expression level to an audio signal to modulate one or more audio properties of the audio signal.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the one or more audio properties of the audio signal includes a volume of a musical note or chord.

4. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the one or more audio properties of the audio signal includes a lifecycle of a musical note or chord.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 wherein the lifecycle of the musical note includes:

an attack phase;

a sustain phase; and

a release phase, the sustain phase operable to enter the release phase when the expression level while in the sustain phase drops below a first predetermined value, and the release phase operable to return to the sustain phase in response to the expression level rising above a second predetermined value.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the attack phase corresponds to a beginning portion of the lifecycle of the musical note or chord.

7. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the sustain phase corresponds to a middle portion of the lifecycle of the musical note or chord.

8. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the release phase corresponds to an end portion of the lifecycle of the musical note or chord.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

generating, by the computer, a user interface implemented on a touch-sensitive display;

generating, by the computer, a virtual dual flywheel system including a first virtual flywheel system and a second virtual flywheel system, the first virtual flywheel system series connected to the second virtual flywheel system such that an output of the first virtual flywheel system is coupled to an input of the second virtual flywheel system;

receiving, by the computer, a user input on the user interface;

determining, by the computer, a virtual momentum for the first virtual flywheel based on the user input and a predetermined mass coefficient of the first virtual flywheel system;

determining, by the computer, a virtual momentum for the second virtual flywheel based on the virtual momentum of the first virtual flywheel system and a predetermined mass coefficient of the second virtual flywheel; and

generating an output based on the virtual momentum of the second virtual flywheel.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the user input is a swipe gesture, a magnitude of the user input based in part on a speed or duration of the swipe gesture.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the output of the second virtual flywheel modulates a volume or musical characteristic of a musical note or chord.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising applying, by the computer, the output of the second virtual flywheel to modulate a lifecycle of a musical note.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the output of the second virtual flywheel represents a level, and wherein the lifecycle of the musical note includes:

an attack phase,

a sustain phase, and

a release phase, the sustain phase entering the release phase when the level in the sustain phase drops below a first predetermined value, the release phase returning to the sustain phase in response to the level rising above a second predetermined value.

14. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

generate a user interface implemented on a touch-sensitive display;

generate a virtual dual flywheel system including a first virtual flywheel system and a second virtual flywheel system, the first virtual flywheel system series connected to the second virtual flywheel system such that an output of the first virtual flywheel system is virtually coupled to an input of the second virtual flywheel system;

receive a user input on the user interface;

determine a virtual momentum for the first virtual flywheel based on the user input and a predetermined mass coefficient of the first virtual flywheel system; and

determine a virtual momentum for the second virtual flywheel based on the virtual momentum of the first virtual flywheel system and a predetermined mass coefficient of the second virtual flywheel.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the user input is a swipe gesture, a magnitude of the user input based in part on a speed of the swipe gesture.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the virtual momentum of the second virtual flywheel is an output level operable to modulate a volume or musical characteristic of a musical note or chord.

17. The system of claim 14 further comprising applying the virtual momentum for the second virtual flywheel to modulate a lifecycle of a musical note.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the virtual momentum of the second virtual flywheel represents a level, and wherein the lifecycle of the musical note includes:

an attack phase,

a sustain phase, and

a release phase, the sustain phase entering the release phase when the level in the sustain phase drops below a first predetermined value, the release phase returning to the sustain phase in response to the level rising above a second predetermined value.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the attack phase corresponds to a beginning portion of the lifecycle of the musical note or chord, the sustain phase corresponds to a middle portion of the lifecycle of the musical note or chord, and the release phase corresponds to an end portion of the lifecycle of the musical note or chord.