The present invention relates to systems and methods for visual image audio composition. In particular, the present invention provides systems and methods for audio composition from a diversity of visual images and user determined sound database sources.

To generate a melody, one or more machine-readable constraints are accepted from a user through a user interface. The constraints include rhythm constraints and pitch constraints. A sequence of musical elements is generated based on the constraints, each of the musical elements specifying, in machine-readable data, a musical pitch or silence and a duration of the musical pitch or silence. The pitch constraints prescribe pitches in the sequence of musical elements and the rhythm constraints prescribe rhythm of the sequence of musical elements. The sequence of musical elements is rendered in human-perceivable form as a melody.

An environment awareness system includes a memory and first and second modules. The memory is configured to store environmental data, one or more music composition templates, and one or more maps, where the environmental data is indicative of at least one of a state, condition, or change in an environment in which the environment awareness system is located. The first module is configured to receive and store the environmental data in the memory. The second module is configured to: based on the one or more music composition templates and the one or more maps, convert the environmental data to a music signal including modifying variables in the one or more music composition templates based on the environmental data; and based on the music signal, play out a musical composition via an audio system to audibly indicate the at least one of the state, condition, or change in the environment.

A musical instrument system is described to operate as a human to machine input device. The musical instrument outputs an audio signal that is processed to control the movement of an indicator in a computer.

A method of displaying drum-strike velocity information is provided. The method includes receiving trigger data. The trigger data includes a strike velocity of a drum-pad zone on a drum pad. The method includes displaying an image of a drum associated with the drum pad on a display, displaying a first portion of the drum in a first color, and changing the first portion of the drum to a second color. The second color is determined by a magnitude of the strike velocity.

An automatic accompaniment apparatus including a determiner that determines a current position in a music piece in progress, a selector that selects an accompaniment element data set to be used out of a plurality of accompaniment element data sets every time the determined current position arrives at a predetermined switching position, an accompaniment data generator that generates accompaniment data indicating automatic accompaniment based on the selected accompaniment element data set, a calculator that calculates time information corresponding to a time required until the determined current position arrives at a next switching position, and a display controller that controls a display to display arrival advance notice information indicating the calculated time information.

To assist a human player in performing a foot operator group (pedal keyboard) including a plurality of foot operators operable with a human player's foot, a foot operator image indicative of the foot operator group is displayed on a display screen. Model performance data each designating a pitch to be performed are sequentially acquired, and it is determined whether the pitch designated by the acquired model performance data should be performed by use of the foot operator group. Upon determination that the designated pitch should be performed by use of the foot operator group, a particular foot operator corresponding to the designated pitch is visually designated on the displayed foot operator image (for example by adding a marker image to the particular foot operator). Thus, the human player can easily operate the foot operators while visually confirming, on the foot operator image, each foot operator to be operated.

To assist a human player in performing a plurality of foot operators (pedal keys) operable with a human player's foot, a foot operator image indicative of the foot operator group is displayed on a display screen. Chord information of a chord to be performed is acquired, and a pitch of a bass note corresponding to the chord indicated by the acquired chord information is identified. A particular foot operator corresponding to the identified pitch of the bass note is visually designated on the foot operator image displayed on the display screen. An object indicative of a chord name is displayed on the same display screen. Objects indicative of one or more chord names corresponding to a chord progression over a plurality of measures is displayed. A display object highlighting one object indicative of a particular chord name is added in accordance with a progression of a performance.

A device is provided as part of a system, the device being for capturing vibrations produced by an object such as a musical instrument. Via a fixation element, the device is fixed to a drum. The device has a sensor spaced apart from a surface of the drum, located relative to the drum, and a magnet adjacent the sensor. The fixation element transmits vibrations from its fixation point on the drum to the magnet. Vibrations from the surface of the drum and from the magnet are transmitted to the sensor. A method may further be provided for interpreting an audio input, such as the output of the sensors within the system, the method comprising identifying an audio event or grouping of audio events within audio data, generating a model of the audio event that includes a representation of a timbre characteristic, and comparing that representation to expected representations.

Systems, devices, apparatuses, components, methods, and techniques for cadence determination and media content selection are provided. An example media-playback device comprises a media-output device that plays media content items, a cadence-acquiring device, and a cadence-based media content selection engine. The cadence-acquiring device includes an accelerometer and a cadence-determination engine configured to determine a cadence based on acceleration data captured by the accelerometer. The cadence-based media content selection engine is configured to identify a media content item based on the cadence determined by the cadence-determining engine and cause the media-output device to playback the identified media content item.