A musical tone generating device includes: a nonvolatile storage device that stores musical tone waveform data; a volatile storage device; and a control means that, when a power supply is turned on, performs control to transfer musical tone waveform data to the volatile storage device from the nonvolatile storage device, in the case where an instruction to reproduce a musical tone is given, the control means to read musical tone waveform data from the volatile storage device, and in the case where an error in the read musical tone waveform data is detected, the control means to perform control to overwrite musical tone waveform data obtained by correcting the musical tone waveform data including the detected error to the volatile storage device or transfer normal musical tone waveform data corresponding to the musical tone waveform data including the detected error to the volatile storage device from the nonvolatile storage device.

A communication apparatus and a sound playing method thereof are provided. The method is adapted for a communication apparatus having a first speaker used as an earpiece and a second speaker, in which the first speaker and the second speaker are disposed at opposite sides of the communication apparatus. In the method, an event with a sound notification is detected. A left channel sound and a right channel sound of the sound notification are mixed to generate a mixed sound in response to detecting the event. The mixed sound is played by the first speaker with a fade-in effect.

In order to play waveform data back at a variable performance tempo by using waveform data which complies with a desired reference tempo, the present invention performs a timeline-expansion/contraction control on the waveform data to be played back, according to the relationship between the performance tempo and the reference tempo. The present invention also determines whether to limit the playback of the waveform data according to the relationship between the performance tempo and the reference tempo. In the case that playback is to be limited, the present invention stops playback of the waveform data, or reduces the resolution of playback processing and continues playback of the waveform data. The present invention stops playback of the waveform data when, for example, the relationship between the performance tempo and the reference tempo is a relationship in which the waveform data would be played back at a performance tempo which would cause a processing delay or a deterioration of sound quality. As a result, it is possible to preemptively prevent a system freeze and solve problems such as the generation of music which has a slower tempo than the desired performance tempo, or the generation of music which includes the intermittent cutting out of sound due to noise, or a significant reduction to sound quality.

A communication apparatus and a sound playing method thereof are provided. The method is adapted for a communication apparatus having a first speaker used as an earpiece and a second speaker, in which the first speaker and the second speaker are disposed at opposite sides of the communication apparatus. In the method, an event with a sound notification is detected. A left channel sound and a right channel sound of the sound notification are mixed to generate a mixed sound in response to detecting the event. The mixed sound is played by the first speaker with a fade-in effect.

A musical tone generating device includes: a nonvolatile storage device that stores musical tone waveform data; a volatile storage device; and a control means that, when a power supply is turned on, performs control to transfer musical tone waveform data to the volatile storage device from the nonvolatile storage device, in the case where an instruction to reproduce a musical tone is given, the control means to read musical tone waveform data from the volatile storage device, and in the case where an error in the read musical tone waveform data is detected, the control means to perform control to overwrite musical tone waveform data obtained by correcting the musical tone waveform data including the detected error to the volatile storage device or transfer normal musical tone waveform data corresponding to the musical tone waveform data including the detected error to the volatile storage device from the nonvolatile storage device.