GB2105089A

GB2105089A - Recording system

Info

Publication number: GB2105089A
Application number: GB08220325A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Berardo Massari
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-07-13
Filing date: 1982-07-13
Publication date: 1983-03-16
Also published as: ZA824741B; JPS5817507A; IT8122892A0; DE8217736U1; ES8400210A1; ES513209A0; AU8591282A; FR2509501A1; SU1095888A3; DE3223129A1; BR8203581A

Abstract

A system enabling the user to record tunes with his own voice and his own instruments with a pre-recorded musical accompaniment comprises a recording apparatus (63) for producing double-track audio tape cassettes (10) cartridges or the like in which the first track is used for recording musical accompaniments, the second track being clean for recording by the user, and a record/playback device (14) with means for playing back the musical accompaniment recorded on the first track and with means enabling simultaneous recording on the second track by the user. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Recording system The invention relates to a system enabling the user to record tunes on audio tape cassettes for audio provided with musical accompaniments.

Audio tape cassettes used for reproduction of a certain number of musical pieces recorded on them, are universally known.

It is to be understood that throughout this specification and claims the term "cassette" is understood to include cartridges and like audio tape devices.

It frequently happens that a person would like to use his own voice and his own instruments to record a tune benefitting from a musical accompaniment similar to those available for celebrated performers.

Unfortunately, however, it is almost impossible for an amateur to have access to the same means as those accorded to a professional; at the best he will have to make recordings without an accompaniment or with an improvised and probably unsatisfactory one.

The invention seeks to allow the user to make recordings of his own voice and his own instruments on tape cartridges for audio or similar devices, accompanied by the original music, namely with the musical accompaniment which a professional performer normally has.

According to the invention, there is provided a recording system enabling the userto record tunes on a audio tape cassette cartridge or the like, with his own voice and his own instruments with a pre recorded musical accompaniment, wherein the system comprises a recording apparatus for producing double-track audio tape cassettes in which the first track is unerasable and is used for recording musical accompaniments to pieces, the second track being clean for recording by the user and a record playback device for audio tape cassettes with means for playing back the musical accompaniment recorded on the first, unerasable, track, and with means enabling simultaneous recording on the second track by the user.

Each audio tape cassette may include the words of the songs to go with the recorded accompaniment, with indication of the points at which the profession al singer's voice comes in or stops.

Having purchased the double-track audio tape cassette the user may put it into suitable play-back equipment and, following the words that may have been provided with the audio tape cassette, may then make his own recording on the second track.

The system described also envisages play-back equipment that takes two cassettes: one will be the "complete" audio tape cassette, namely the one recorded with the tune performed by the profession al with a musical accompaniment, orchestra, etc., and the other an audio tape cassette recorded with the musical accompaniment only.

It is thus possible to listen, with or without a headset, to the original performer and simultaneous- ly record the tune, sung by one's own voice and with one's own instruments, and then compare the two executions.

The musical accompaniments recorded on each audio tape cassette which has only these, must be identical to those recorded on the "complete" audio tape cassette, the only difference between the two audio tape cassettes- the complete one and the other with accompaniment only -being that the second one is without the melody.

The 'complete' audio tape cassette may be supplied by the maker to the user with or without the one on which the accompaniment only has been recorded.

A perfected form of the invention may comprise preparation and sale of "personalized" audio tape cassette, this being one on which the musical accompaniment to a certain piece has been recorded on a double-track audio tape cassette; for this the user will have placed a specific order to satisfy his personal wishes.

The producer makes use of an automatic recording system which includes a store containing a certain number of musical pieces, naturally chosen from among those likely to be in greatest demand and of a topical nature.

The user may make his choice from among the pieces available in a catalogue published by the producer.

The catalogue may list the titles of the accompaniments available, these of course being chosen from among pieces used for accompanying professional singers, the performers of the music and the choir, if any, the specific code number for each title, the time taken for playing the whole audio tape cassette as well as that for each piece in it.

The system for recording the musical accompaniments may include a central memory store, a computer with a punched card reading unit, equipment for recording the audio tape cassettes, the machines for printing the words to go with the pieces, and labels to affix to the audio tape cassettes themselves.

The computer may include a transit memory unit, a logic-mathematical unit, another unit constituting the working memory and a further one for control and operation. The central memory store may operate using a set of magnetic tapes, disks or the like, and these may be recorded, in accordance with their codes, with all the pieces shown in the catalogue, together with all the words of the songs having these musical accompaniments and with all the data needed for controlling and recording.

The recording equipment may comprise a series of decks for recording audio tape cassettes each of which is connected to a peripheral memory.

In accordance with the orders received from the computer, the printers may print, in the same sequence, the words of the songs corresponding to the accompaniments, as well as labels to affix to the audio tape cassette.

The user may choose from the catalogue those pieces whose musical accompaniments he wants to have recorded on a single audio tape cassette and gives the producer the code number, by letter or by some other means; the producer may then make up a punched card for this order and places it in the reading unit.The computer reads the data and, according to these instructions, it may operate the peripheral memories connected to the recording units and to the printers which respectively record the accompaniments on the audio tape cassette, as requested by the user, and print the words and the labels for these accompaniments The personalized audio tape cassette with its musical accompaniment may be delivered to the user together with the words of the songs and, if requested, together with an ordinary audio tape cassette recorded with the tune sung by the professional chosen, accompanied by exactly the same musical accompaniment. Then, making use of a single or double-track play-back instrument, the user may complete the audio tape cassette with his own recorded execution "guided" by that of the professional.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a double-track tape cassette for audio; Figure 2 shows a player and recorder, Figure 3 shows a player and recorder for two tape cassettes for audio; Figure4shows a set of recording and printing equipment for double-track tape cassettes for audio with musical accompaniment only; Figure 5 shows a lay-out of the principal pieces of equipment.

Figure 6 illustrates a catalogue for selection of the desired music.

Figure 7 illustrates a punched card for use in reading the selected music; and Figure 8 illustrates a book of words for accompanying the music.

Figure 1 shows an audio tape cassette with a double-track magnetic tape 11.

The musical accompaniment is unerasably recorded on the first track 12 while the other track 13 is clean for receiving the tune recorded by the user.

Figure 2 shows a record play back deck 14.

The following can be seen on the surface of the deck: a recess for holding the audio tape cassette for audio 15, an eject button 16, a play back button 18, a fast forward button 19, a fast return button 20, a pause button 21, an on-off switch 22, controls 23 for recording and playback levels, a display 24, sockets 25 for a headset, amplifier and microphone.

Figure 3 shows a deck 26 with two recording positions. In a first recess 27 the audio tape cassette 10 can be placed while an empty cassette 29 can be placed in a second recess 28.

The buttons 30-33 simultaneously carry out the following functions for both tape cassettes for audio: fast-forward 30, fast-return 31, pause 32, eject 33.

The buttons 34, 35 are used for playing back the first audio tape cassette 10 and for recording the second cassette, or vice versa. Switches 36, 37 select playback of one of the two audio tape cassettes.

Controls 38,39 regulate the levels of recording and playback for the two tape cassettes. A display 40 is synchronised with the recording. A headset 41 is connected by cable 42 to the deck 26.

Figure 4 shows the equipment for recording musical accompaniments on to audio tape cassettes 10' while in Figure 5 there is a diagram for use in explaining the general layout.

Cabinet 43 contains a computer 44 and a reading unit 45 for punched cards 46. (See also Figure 7). The computer 44 comprises: a transit memory 47, a logic-mathematical unit 48, a working memory 49 and a drive and control unit 50.

A set of pilot lights 51 enables the operational stages to be followed from the outside. The reading unit 45 has two compartments 52, 53 respectively for the incoming punched cards 46' and the outgoing punched cards 46"; this unit is hand operated by the controls 54 and 55.

Cabinet 56 contains two sets of memories 57,58.

(See Figures 4 and 5.) The first set 57 contains the musical accompaniments and the second set 58 the words, if any. The sets of memories are in the form of magnetic tapes 59 or disks may be used instead.

Manual controls 60 and the pilot lights 61 showing operational stages as they occur, are visible on the outside. A peripheral cabinet 62 contains a set of decks 63, 63' for recording the audio tape cassettes 10, and a set of units 64,64' constituting the peripheral memories.

The following parts are situated on the upper surface of the deck 63 : a recess 65 holding the audio tape cassettes 10 to be recorded, a display 66 for controlling recording, buttons 67,68 for moving the audio tape cassette, and a display 69 on which the customer's code appears.

Another cabinet 70 houses two printers 71,72 and two units 73,74 constituting peripheral memories.

The following parts can be seen from outside: the two loading points 75,76 for paper, a binding strip 77, two intermediate levels 78, 79, two slides 80,81 completed booklets 82 and labels 83 to stick onto the audio tape cassettes. The different structures are wired together by cables 84 and 87.

The way the system operates is therefore clear.

In a catalogue 88 (Figure 6) the titles 89 of the musical accompaniments are listed in alphabetical order and, for each one, a code number 90 is indicated and playing time 91 in seconds.

The maker prepares the punched cards 46 to suit his selling plans orto execute customers' orders.

When ready, the cards are placed in compartment 52 of the reading unit 45. These cards 46 are collected and processed by the machines laid out as shown in Figure 5. The reading unit takes the data from the cards 46 and transmits it directly to the transit memory 47.

This memory is controlled by unit 50 which, aided by two other units the logic-mathematical unit 48 and the working memory 49 - searches among the units 57, 58 of the central memory for the words and related musical accompaniments.

For each group of titles to be recorded on each single tape cassette, unit 50 transmits to peripheral memory units, such as 64,64' and 73,74, the musical accompaniments to be recorded on the tape cassette 10, the words for making up the booklets 82 and the titles to be printed on the labels 83.

The customer's order code 92 appears on the display 69 of the recording decks 63, and this code is printed on the booklets 82 and on the labels 83.

By inserting the tape cassettes 10 and 10' into the recorder 14, (Figure 2) and by making use of the booklets 82 (see Figure 8) which give the words 94 and the times 95 when the performer is heard and when he stops, the user has available all the aids for recording the tune with his own voice or with his own instruments.

When the recorder 14 is switched on, and the button 17 for playing and recording is depressed, the accompaniment on the unerasable track 12 can be heard and the recording of the user's performance on the other track 13 of the tape cassette (Figure 1).

The display 24 in the form of a digital clock on the recorder 14 (Figure 2) assists the user in following the times 95 when the original performer starts and stops (Figure 8).

By means of the headset 41 during recording, the recorder 26 makes it possible to hear the piece already recorded on the tape cassette 29 with the professional's original performance.

The advantages of the invention are evident.

Anyone can execute the various pieces using his own voice or his own instruments backed by the musical accompaniments played by his favourite professional performer. For example, a guitar player can play a famous piece using a tape cassette on which an accompaniment has been recorded using all the instruments except his own.

By using a player for two tape cassettes, an exact comparison can be made between the amateur's rendering of the piece and that of the professional, and the amateur can thereby improve his performance easily and quickly.

As the applications of the invention are here described merely as examples without limiting them to these, it is understood that any equivalent applications of the inventive concepts explained and any present and/or operating product functioning in accordance with the characteristics of the invention will be covered by its field of protection. Thus, for example, instead of the cassettes shown, cartridges could be used or even reel to reel tape.

Claims

1. A recording system enabling the user to record tunes on an audio tape cassette, cartridge or the like, with his own voice and his own instruments with a pre-recorded musical accompaniment wherein the system comprises a recording apparatus for producing double-track audio tape cassettes in which the first track is unerasable and is used for recording musical accompaniments to pieces, the second track being clean for recording by the user and a record playback device for audio tape cassettes with means for playing back the musical accompaniment recorded on the first, unerasable, track, and with means enabling simultaneous recording on the second track by the user.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each audio tape cassette is produced for sale together with the words of songs, whose musical accompaniments have been recorded on the first track, printed in exactly the same sequence as that of the accompaniments, and furnished with an indication of the starting and stopping times of the professional performer in the original sequence.

3. A recording system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the record playback equipment is designed to hold two audio tape cassettes: one "completed" one recorded with pieces complete with musical accompaniment and with the tune rendered by a professional, while the other has two tracks on one of which the musical accompaniment only is recorded so that it is possible to hear simultaneously, with or without a headset, the original rendering and record on the second tape cassette for audio one's own performance thus making possible an immediate comparison between the two renderings.

4. A recording system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the equipment used for making doubletrack audio tape cassettes comprises a central memory store in which, recordings are made of a series of musical accompaniments to musical pieces; on magnetic tapes, disks or the like, a computer with a reading unit for pre-recorded instructions, an apparatus connected to peripheral memories, used for recording the musical accompaniments, and in accordance with instructions given by the pre-recorded instructions the computer searches in the central memory store for one or more musical accompaniments and transmits them to the peripheral memories of the recording apparatus, such equipment then recording audio tape cassettes for audio corresponding to those indicated in the pre-recorded instructions.

5. A recording system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the reading unit comprises a punched card reader and the pre-recorded instructions are punched into a card.

6. A recording system as in claim 5, wherein, in combination with the apparatus already described, the recording equipment also includes: a second central memory store where, using magnetic mem on/ tapes, disks or the like, memories are recorded with the words corresponding to the song tunes, accompaniments for which are recorded in the first central memory store, and also memories with the labels to be affixed to the audio tape cassettes when recorded, a machine for printing the words to go with the musical accompaniments, a machine for printing the labels to affix to the audio tape cassettes, a search being made by the computer, as instructed by the punched card, to find in the second central memory store those memories relating to the words and to the labels executing the orders given by the punched card, and to transmit instructions to the printing machines which then print the words and the labels to stick onto the audio tape cassettes, in the same sequence as that of the various musical accompaniments recorded.

7. A recording system as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the manufacturer makes available for the customers, a catalogue, or the like, in which are given the titles of the musical accompaniments he has to offer, the names of those executing the music, a separate numerical code for each title, indication of the time taken to play through the whole audio tape cassette and also for each single piece on it, all to enable the user to make a choice from the catalogue of the musical accompaniments he wants included in a single audio tape cassette and, by quoting the code number, to inform the maker of the choice made so that, in accordance with the user's wishes, the latter can prepare a special punched card to put into the computer so as to effect automatic operation of the recording equipment and printing machines.

8. A recording system enabling the user to record tunes on an audio tape cassette, cartridge or the like, with his own voice and his own instruments with a pre-recorded musical accompaniment, substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.