Systems and methods for creating, modifying, interacting with and playing
music are provided, particularly systems and methods employing a top-down process,
where the user is provided with a musical composition that may be modified and
interacted with and played and/or stored (for later play). The system preferably
is provided in a handheld form factor, and a graphical display is provided to display
status information, graphical representations of musical lanes or components which
preferably vary in shape as musical parameters and the like are changed for particular
instruments or musical components such as a microphone input or audio samples.
An interactive auto-composition process preferably is utilized that employs musical
rules and preferably a pseudo random number generator, which may also incorporate
randomness introduced by timing of user input or the like, the user may then quickly
begin creating desirable music in accordance with one or a variety of musical styles,
with the user modifying the auto-composed (or previously created) musical composition,
either for a real time performance and/or for storing and subsequent playback.
The graphic information preferably is customizable by a user, such as by way of
a companion software program, which preferably runs on a PC and is coupled to the
system via an interface such as a USB port. A modified MIDI representation of music
is employed, preferably, for example, in which musical rule information is embedded
in MIDI pitch data, and in which sound samples may be synchronized with MIDI events
in a desirable and more optimum manner. The system architecture preferably includes
a microprocessor for controlling the overall system operation. A synthesizer/DSP
preferably is provided in order to generate audio streams. Non-volatile memory
preferably is provided for storing sound banks. Preferably removable non-volatile
storage/memory is provided to store configuration files, song lists and samples,
and optionally sound bank optimization or sound bank data. A codec preferably is
provided for receiving microphone input and for providing audio output. A radio
tuner preferably is provided so that output from the radio tuner may be mixed,
for example, with auto-composed songs created by the system, which preferably includes
a virtual radio mode of operation.
