Patent Grant
11532293
The present invention relates generally to a computerized system and method for improved selection and generation of color sets (color series and color combinations) and aesthetic color effects, via the use of music relationship methods and data. Color sets may be selected for viewing simultaneously or in animated sequences. This process is important for a number of fields, including those that employ pigment chemistry for color output, those that employ colored lighting for color output, and those that employ both lighting and pigment chemistry, such as in storefronts and theme parks. With respect to colored lighting output uses, effective selection of color sets is useful for marketing and entertainment purposes, such as for colored signage and colored product display uses, for architectural lighting, casino lighting, and entertainment and theatrical lighting.
Effective selection of color sets for computer games, console games, and virtual media may increase appeal or create intrigue and thereby interest. Effective selection of color sets is also beneficial in music visualization and VeeJay performance tasks. Color set selection is also important in pigment-employing fields including the field of personal beautification (clothing selection, cosmetic color-related decision-making), the field of interior and exterior design, and the field of marketing (e.g. logo design, packaging).
Often in the above cases it is desirable that sets of colors, in series or combinations, exhibit properties and qualities of color harmony along with exhibiting the traits of the individual colors. There is no general consensus, however, on what comprises effective color harmony. Without such a consensus there has generally been implementation of only basic color harmony rules for selection of color sets in software-utilizing systems that output variations of color for aesthetic purposes. Moreover where standardization of such software, including calibration means, would increase functionality and improve economy in certain scenarios (large scale events and theme parks for example) it has not been possible without more knowledge and consensus than what exists in the prior art. Moreover, in favor of use of the prior art “color harmony rules”, there is much more often simply the employment of either methods of user direct and tedious selection, or artist-contributed presets. Or in some cases randomization is used. User selection requires skill, which is not always present, whereas obtaining artistic contributions are often expensive.
Apparently a robust and automatable algorithm-driven method appears lacking. Such a method should be capable of reducing the costs and limitations of generating improved color sets, and would provide the possibility of standardization. Ideally, such a method would be comparable to methods and technologies employing music theory which allows musicians and recording to compose and improvise musical pitch material.
Present day color harmony systems often employs methods and principles developed by, or extended from, those of Johannes Itten. Itten is often credited with having originated the term “color chords”. He writes in his book, The Elements of Color, that, “Color chords may be formed of two, three, four or more tones, herein referred to as dyads, triads, tetrads, etc.” While the term “chord” may bring to mind the chords of music, we were unable to find a record of Itten having a significant music theory background, so we do not know if music rather than geometry was the inspiration for his descriptive choice of “color chords”. Over at least the past 500 years or so the functions of music intervals in chords and melodies (seen in discussions of voice leading, counterpoint, chord substitution and re-harmonization, and other music theory methods) have been written about extensively. With the advent of modern music technology, such functions now often receive intricate application by musicians who may not realize how much knowledge and theory they apply, especially relative to what was understood several centuries ago. This knowledge can often be applied independently from the particular pitches and tunings that are to be used, in what is known in music as ‘transposition’. How one should compound Itten's “color chords”, in contrast, is less precisely defined, although Itten's method does appear on the surface to offer useful music-like ‘transposition’ of color harmony relationships (whereby any relationship that is ‘transposed’ remains somehow similar). But Itten did not use the scientific primaries that are in use today when creating his relationships (e.g. dyads, triads, tetrads); rather he used the painter primaries (RYB). And the extensibility of his color chord relationships, in terms of their precise uses with one another, is not described, while in music theory the use of intervals and chords is given such added dimension (chords form progressions; melodies relate to chords, etc.). So, extending Itten's color chord relationships to more involved color sets comes down to artistic sensibility rather than understood processes, whereas musical relationships are quite extensible. The set of the pitches C and G is a good example of the way such extensibility arrives. C is understood as the harmonic root of this pair of pitches, and the function of the G:C relationship includes an understanding of how it relates and connects to other relationships; in the relationship each of the two pitches has a distinct role. Typically, other pairs of pitches (in the comfortably audible range) of approximately the same ratio can be assumed to function similarly. But for the dyads in Itten's theory, and the theory of color complements in general, the key color and complement are in a relative position with one another such that they can be considered interchangeable. If a certain yellow is considered the complement of a certain blue, then that blue is also the complement of that certain yellow; whereas G and C are not interchangeable, regardless of the octave in which each one appears—G is never the harmonic root of C (but F always is). Itten's further relationships of triads, tetrads, and etc. are also not defined in terms of larger constructs (i.e. constructs containing more colors). The rules for the applications of such color sets is simplistic; whereas in music common methods allow working in a variety of ways with a variety of interval types, each with unique attributions and distinctions, that can depend for their function on greater context (especially rhythmic context, such as downbeats versus off-beats). Unlike with Itten's system of dyads, triads, tetrads, etc., in a piece of music a chord's pitches can have different functions (for e.g. root, third, fifth, seventh, color tones). The stronger functions influence the building of melody. Even independent of knowing a chord harmony source, the pitches of the melody can often be distinguished as being particular chord tones, or passing tones, or chromatic tones. Simple melodies like “Three Blind Mice” often exist within understood harmonic contexts that are fairly clear even without seeing what chords should accompany them. In music this precision of contextual definition, with regard to such extensible relationships, exists whether the pitches are displayed in series or simultaneously. This permits one to predictably create pitch progressions of interesting intricacy, extending them into long sequences. Such extensibility would be the hallmark of a music-theory-like color harmony system.
Josef Albers's book Interaction of Color helps demonstrate that in color harmony, context is essential to describing relationships. Meanwhile physiological impact of each specific color in the set is a fundamental influence, added to unique and sometimes predictable psychological and cultural influences. These and other influences have been usefully surveyed in a variety of books, including Color Image Scale, by Shigenobu Kobayashi; Color Me Beautiful, by Carole Jackson; Making Colors Sing, by Jeanne Dobie; Art and Visual Perception, by Rudolph Arnheim; Visual Illusions; Their Causes, Characteristics and Applications, by Matthew Luckiesh; Color Science: Concepts and Methods, by Günther Wyszecki and W. S. Stiles; and Computer Generated Color, by Richard Jackson, Lindsay MacDonald and Ken Freeman. Such material includes methods that could be incorporated into a robust method of color harmony, that would bring it to a level resembling the more precise nature of applied music theory, in which both interval constructs and the unique contexts and tonal textures are taken into consideration in methods of composition and orchestration. It would be most helpful if rules of music could somehow be incorporated into technologically applied color harmony algorithms.
We note that a fundamental connection between music and color, as had been sought by Isaac Newton and others, has appeared not to exist. Isaac Newton formulated his breakthrough discovery of the nature of light seen in a prism in approximately 1666 (which he published in 1672), and during this period he also documented his concept of a possible association between visible spectrum colors and musical pitches. Although his music-color association was not given merit by the scientific community, his concept of the “color wheel” (connecting the bottom and top of the visible spectrum in a circle) remains a useful visual reference.
More recently, other methods of relating colors and pitches have been offered. But wide adoption has not occurred. One particular method that has been postulated for some time, is referenced by the musical tuning researcher Charles Lucy. In Lucy's method one simply multiplies the frequencies of musical pitches by a high enough number until they reach the frequencies of visible colors. These visible color frequencies are then held to aesthetically correlate to the source musical pitches. This method holds that a color scale directly corresponds with the musical scale. But there are individual colors that have no associated frequencies (e.g., red purple colors). One can obtain these colors only through an admixture of colors. This awkward theoretical approach has not been shown to be effective.
None of the prior art methods of relating colors and pitches have been widely confirmed and widely adopted within technological markets.
Presently there are popular music visualization methods that are quite effective in producing visually harmonious experiences while listening to music, but they do not offer a correlation between generated color sets and the music interval structures that are being visualized namely chord and melody progressions. Instead, the pixels arrangements generated by these methods follow the music's waveform, but the colors are selected via are color presets (called color maps) that are entirely unrelated to the musical content. The music's waveforms, as interpreted by such methods do generate pixel motion that correlates both with the musical dynamics and the music's evolving frequency mixtures. This result is then further modified using a math-aesthetics-based methodology (that is also unrelated to musical input), to provide an aesthetic spatial flow. Again, neither the color maps (of these methods), nor the modifiers (applied to ‘move pixels’ over time and create the illusion motion) are musically related. So, while these methods could be integrated with a new method that would correlate music interval structure with colors sets (as color series and color combinations), they are presently devoid of such a correspondence.
Meanwhile prior art color harmony often limits the number of vibrant colors to allow it to remain effective, such as by use of monochromatic color harmony themes or analogous themes, or by using split complements. This limitation is acceptable when artistic input is achievable (due to available economics and time). But in certain applications it can be a significant shortcoming to require severely limiting the number of vibrant colors within a color set; for example, in intense multimedia and advertising applications, concert lighting, casino lighting, signage, and music visualization. It is definitely a shortcoming when such applications require or benefit from rapid color changes or benefit from use of a more extensive palette of vibrant colors (or more than one such palette), or when the applications should operate and provide intricate changes in real time.
In summary a consensus regarding color harmony methodology is lacking, and in the prior art there is not a method of color harmony having the extensibility of music theory methods. Nor is there the ability in the prior art to algorithmically offer reasonably intricate and harmonious use of a multitude of vibrant, changing colors. Furthermore, in the prior art there is no widely accepted correlation between music and color, whereby musical interval constructs relationships may be utilized or visualized as qualitatively functionally corresponding color sets. (E.g., major, minor chords, diminished, augmented, and dominant seventh chords, and the like.)
The present invention relates to systems and methods for generating colors sets based on principles of musical harmony and dissonance. Just as musical pitches may be combined in pleasing combinations and sequences, different color hues may be combined to create pleasant visual experiences akin to those experienced while listening to music. Furthermore, the music listening experience may be enhanced by presenting colors which take their visual harmonic cues from the music being performed.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a system for generating color sets based on concepts of musical harmony includes an input device, a computer processing unit a computer memory and a color output device. The input device is adapted to receive pitch interval data. The computer processing unit is adapted to execute software instructions which are stored in the computer memory. The software instructions include a pitch analysis module for identifying pitches and pitch intervals within pitch interval data received by the input device. The software instructions further include a music-harmony-to-color-harmony module that executes at least one music-to-hue process that identifies one or more color sets based on one or more pitch intervals identified in the pitch interval data. Finally, a color output device is provided which is adapted to generate one or more color objects having a hue belonging to a color set identified by the music to hue process. The music harmony to color harmony module defines a music to hue index that defines a spectrum-like tuned hue gradient that includes a plurality of discrete dominant-wavelength hue notes ordered by increasing wavelength. The hue gradient includes a relatively smaller plurality of interpolated hue notes which mix varying amounts of color from each end of the hue gradient. The interpolated hue notes provide a smooth color transition between each end of the hue gradient. Each hue note, both dominant wavelength and interpolated hue notes, is assigned a unique tuned hue interval variable and a unique tuned hue interval angle between 0° and 360° such that each hue note corresponds to a unique angular location around a tuned hue chromatic circle. The at least one music to hue process includes identifying a pitch interval received by the input device. Such pitch intervals generally include a bottom pitch and a top pitch. The music to hue process identifies an interval angle associated with the received interval. The music to hue process associates a first hue note with the bottom pitch to define a color key and identifies a second hue note separated from the first hue note by a tuned hue interval angular amount equal to the pitch interval angle associated with the received pitch interval. Finally, tuned hue interval variables associated with the first and second hue notes are provided to the output device, which generates color objects the color of the first and second hues.
According to another embodiment, a method of generating a color set calls for generating a pitch index including a plurality of pitch classes. Each pitch class is separated by a predetermined frequency ratio, and all of the pitch classes together correspond to a musical octave. The method then calls for assigning a pitch angle to each pitch class such that the pitch classes represent unique locations around a single octave music chromatic circle. A first pitch class is designated as a pitch root. The pitch root is assigned a pitch angle of 0°. A hue index is also generated that includes a plurality of differently colored hue notes arranged in a tuned hue gradient. A hue angle is assigned to each hue note such that the hue notes represent equally spaced unique locations around a tuned hue chromatic circle. The inventive method then calls for designating a first hue note as a hue tonic and assigning a hue angle of 0° to that hue note. When a first pitch is received the method calls for determining which pitch class the pitch belongs to. Then a first pitch interval angle is identified that is equal to an angular separation between the pitch classes of the first pitch and the pitch root. A second hue note is then identified which is separated from the hue tonic by a hue interval angle corresponding to the first pitch interval angle. A color set is generated that includes the first hue note and the second hue note.
In still another embodiment, a method of generating harmonious color sets calls for creating a tuned music chromatic circle that represents a plurality of tuned pitch classes evenly distributed around the circumference of the tuned music chromatic circle; creating a first tuned hue chromatic circle co-centered with and having a diameter different from the diameter of the tuned music chromatic circle; and creating a second tuned hue chromatic circle substantially identical to and co-centered with the first tuned hue chromatic circle but having a diameter different from the first tuned-hue chromatic circle and the tuned music chromatic circle. The first and second tuned hue chromatic circles represent tuned hue gradients including a plurality of distinct hue notes evenly arrayed around the circumference of the tuned hue chromatic circles. The inventive method then calls for specifying a music root note on the tuned music chromatic circle and a particular hue note as a hue root note on the first and second tuned hue chromatic circles and aligning the hue tonic notes on the first and second tuned hue chromatic circles with the music root on the tuned music chromatic circle. Once the tuned hue chromatic circles are appropriately aligned pitch interval data can be received and analyzed. Pitch interval data includes a first pitch belonging to a first pitch class and a second pitch belonging to a second pitch class. Analyzing the pitch interval data includes identifying the first and second pitch classes and identifying a first interval angle between them. Once the incoming pitch interval data has been analyzed, the method then calls for rotating the second tuned hue chromatic circle by an amount corresponding to the first interval angle and creating a color set that includes a first hue note from the first tuned hue chromatic circle and a second hue note in radial alignment with the first hue note from the second tuned hue chromatic circle.
Referring to
By ‘music protocol data’ in the present disclosure we refer to data representing music in a non-analog or in more-than-analog way, where music intervals are distinguished in the data; Examples of such data include music protocol hardware interface data and music protocol sequence data (e.g. MIDI or OSC data or similar).
When describing hue intervals, we are most typically referring to color relationships formed of vibrant colors. While the precision to be obtained can depend upon the purpose of an embodiment, it is assumed per present research that both more precision and greater color vibrancy of the colors being output will markedly improve effectiveness. With respect to vibrancy there are certain hues that may be problematic. When one is attempting to use the full range of possible hue interval constructs, in every hue tonality, as provided by the method, one should take care that these are as vibrant as possible.
As far as vibrancy is concerned the Bluish-Green and Cyan ranges can sometimes be problematic in additive 3-primary systems since it does not use a Cyan primary (images viewed on typical computer displays containing cyan water often appear whitish for example when viewed next to the actual thing), and the Blue range and Warm Green range can be problematic in subtractive 3-primary systems which do not use a Blue or Green primary. Meanwhile unfortunately the Orange range is apparently somewhat problematic in both systems, where when attempting the most highly vibrant Orange obtainable on one of these system types, it can still often appear moderately or slightly brownish. And while apparently we are not used to exceptionally vibrant orange from either 3-primary computer displays or 3-primary print media, for the present method there is a decrease in functional correspondence that comes as a result of this diminished vibrancy (especially notable when attempting to establish a hue tonic of orange). To better appreciate and understand this one can compare certain flowers in nature or compare the orange band produced from Sunlight through a prism or diffracted by the surface of a CD, both of which are known to display intensely vibrant Orange. It bears mentioning that this decreased sufficiency of 3-primary systems with respect to Orange may partly relate to where Orange appears on the Munsell Color Solid. Note that it extends out into the higher Chroma ranges only at high Value levels. These high Value levels require brilliance and intensity not always easy or economical to achieve. The failure may also partly be because, along with that requirement of intensity, Orange in typical 3-color primary systems is itself neither an additive or subtractive direct primary—and the requirement to mix two primaries significantly (each of which have some impurity) may decrease the vibrancy of a target color. (Yellow has an advantage in additive 3-primary use since it is often achieved by full intensities of Red and Green. One must reduce Green to achieve Orange, decreasing intensity and thus decreasing the appearance of vibrancy at the same time).
Thus, when viewing the additive examples in this disclosure, particularly concerning hue tonality, do please note that hue tonalities featuring such problematic colors (particularly Orange and Cyan; since these are the most problematic of the additive-3-primary hues) are less effectively demonstrated, and to demonstrate them most effectively will require the more vibrant hues not always obtained on typical workplace display screens. And note that for the present invention hues will be most appropriate when those that relate to music intervals occurring on downbeats are displayed in the most vibrant state available.
A few basic aspects that relate to color science and color selection will now be delineated. Target colors are often described herein in terms of Dominant Wavelengths and in terms of CIE-based color science. After much experimentation and observation, the present invention appears to be the result of conceptually parallel (but very distinct) functions of human sound and light perception physiologies. But these conceptually parallel functions are not obvious. Foremost, human physiology does not allow human eyes to perceive even an octave's worth of frequencies or wavelengths of light. Also, one might have assumed at first glance that there is a somewhat definite division between the range of visible spectrum colors and the colors outside this (i.e. colors not able to be approximated using monochromatic wavelengths such as red). But actually, one apparently needs a minimum of three ranges to describe the invention. It seems that at the boundaries (borders) of the visible spectrum range our human perception may not abruptly cease. For this reason, in the present disclosure we use a construct we call a Dominant Wavelength Window (DWW) with the intention of excluding colors that may be in a range of gradual cessation of color perception (typically erring greatly on the side of caution). Herein we will define a DWW as ranging from 425 nm to 625 nm. We limit the descriptions involving dominant wavelengths and monochromatic wavelengths to this Dominant Wavelength Window (DWW).
Again, embodiments will vary in terms of color output devices and their capabilities. An embodiment that can produce a full color wheel's worth of vibrant colors will demonstrate the invention more fully. And moreover, many of the perceptual effects of color sets of the present invention are most strongly obtained when colors are highly colorful like their 1-nm-limited monochromatic cousins (if within the DWW). (Using the diffraction properties of a typical CD held in sunlight can also reveal such vibrant colors). When the color is derived from a particular dominant wavelength, if it is less than exceptionally vibrant then it should be found and determined in reference to lines of constant hue (understood in prior art color science). The hue of the color should appear as similar as is possible to the hue of the intended monochromatic wavelength value by which the dominant wavelength is named. (E.g. a vibrant color with a dominant wavelength of 450 nm will appear like a monochromatic wavelength of 450 nm, but a less vibrant color may not, and may need to be adjusted using the aforementioned lines of constant hue as a reference). This concept with respect to lines of constant hue will be elaborated on a bit more later.
Next, to describe the invention requires outlining a few basic music theory concepts, including the musical Chromatic Circle, and Octave Reduction. (Herein ‘Chromatic Circle’, unless otherwise indicated, refers to the musical Chromatic Circle). We will also describe the “Tuned Hue Chromatic Circle” (THCC), which will be based on the musical Chromatic Circle. The THCC illustrates the colors to be determined by the m2h process (such as in an m2h index and/or by an m2h computation/interpolation process.
We can use the modern piano as a typical Western musical instrument. Musical notes on the modern piano repeat at a rate of every 12 piano keys, and these repeating notes sound similar to, and can substitute for, one another. A handy way of showing this repeating music note relationship is the musical Chromatic Circle. The musical Chromatic Circle is a geometrical space showing relationships between the 12 pitch classes making up the familiar chromatic scale (ordering them around the circle at −30° [as central angles] each as they progress upwards by semitone). We can explain it like this: Starting on any pitch of in the mid ranges of the piano and repeatedly ascending or descending by the musical interval of a semitone, one will eventually land on a pitch with the same pitch class as the initial one, having passed through all the other equal-tempered chromatic pitch classes in between. The musical Chromatic Circle shows this circular relationship among pitch classes.
Larger motions than a musical octave on the piano (or in pitch space) can be represented by paths that “wrap around” the musical Chromatic Circle, once for each octave. Wrapping clockwise represents going up an octave, and wrapping counter-clockwise represents going down an octave.
Note that though the musical Chromatic Circle most aptly describes the 12-ET tuning, it is also used herein to roughly describe many modern tunings. With generic semitones (not divided into 100 precise 12-ET cents) it can represent most 12-pitch-per-octave tunings (with enharmonic pitches that are tuned so as to equal the same pitch, e.g. Ab, G #, etc.) because it can generically describe how typical semitone intervals behave when combined into chords and melodies, as well as how octaves repeat in such tunings. The present method of working with pitch as functionally corresponding with hue requires this degree of tuning precision. So the generic intervals comprised of musical semitones are achievable in a variety of tunings, and numerous of these tunings can be used to perform pieces of music; so they could be used as a basis for a basic THCC. But more precision is desirable and readily obtainable. To this end we prefer to use a 12-ET musical Chromatic Circle for a descriptive aid and GUI in embodiments of the present invention, and in this preferred 12-ET musical Chromatic Circle we prefer to further subdivide each −30° semitone. We can further subdivide each into one hundred 12-ET cents (a −0.3° central angle for each upward musical cent), or into fractions of cents, to show correspondence with precise cent and semitone intervals per 12-ET tuning, so that interval relationships comprised of smaller-than-semitone values can also be conceived of and viewed in terms of central angles. This enabled the conception and viewing of the nuances of vibrato and pitch bend. It also permits the representation, on both this precise 1200-ET musical Chromatic Circle, and a THCC based upon it, of all octave-based tunings, including non-enharmonic ones. But herein in our examples we will only subdivide the semitones of the musical Chromatic Circle into 20 increments of 5 cents each because it is sufficient to demonstrate the concepts.
In music the pitch classes repeat in octaves, and the repeating notes sound similar to, and can often substitute for, one another. And cent-based intervals repeat and sound similar in octaves as well. So conceptually, and programmatically in terms of music theory-related technologies, pitches and finer interval divisions like cent-based ones may be sometimes treated as being within the compass of a single octave. This conception is called octave reduction. The musical Chromatic Circle can be used to show this conception of octave reduction if one assumes one of the pitches on the musical Chromatic Circle is the interval bottom of the interval construct; this interval bottom need not necessarily be the pitch A, or the pitch C. Simply speaking, to represent intervals in octave-reduced form one is stating them and considering them (often in ratio form) in relation to a specific interval bottom. (The interval construct can be a simple two-pitch interval or it may comprise more than two pitches. If the interval construct is a chord then the interval bottom can be its chord root. If the interval construct is a piece of music, this interval bottom can be the music tonic. If the interval construct is unknown, as with some embodiments of the present invention, then the interval construct is generic, having an arbitrary music interval bottom, aka AMIB) (I.e. the starting pitch that is the bottom of the interval construct is selected as the starting point on the circle. The other octave-reduced members of the interval construct are located on the circle as ray points at various degrees from the interval bottom, and neighboring ray points have negative central angles between them as well. Since by convention the musical Chromatic Circle pitches travel upward clockwise, and by convention clockwise central angles on a circle are described as being negative, central angles for intervals within the single octave of the musical Chromatic Circle will be from −0 to −360 degrees of that starting point. These are referred to herein as ‘interval angles’.)
Note that although we use the term ‘tonic’, the incoming music-interval-comprised data may at a given time comprise a single music chord, and the hue data being processed at a given time may comprise a single hue chord. In these cases the terms music root and hue root may sometimes be more appropriate, but the intended meaning of ‘central member of a set of intervals’ will be the same.
With the above music theory understood, next an exemplary conception of the invention is obtained by visualizing two circles that share a common center. Interval angles from the centers of both of these circles are representational of tuned intervals. We can begin such an angle from any arc starting point. The starting point represents the tuned interval bottom. Interval angles on one circle represent music intervals. Interval angles on the other circle represent hue intervals. (Note that specific pitches and colors in this conception are less significant than the intervals formed on the two circles.) One of the two circles is the musical Chromatic circle described immediately above, and it represents pitch classes and octave-reduced music intervals (of analog musical pitch). In our two-circle visualization this musical Chromatic Circle essentially represents the measuring of music intervals.
The second circle will represent hue intervals (comprised of vibrant analog colors). We call this the Tuned Hue Chromatic Circle (THCC), and it visualizes the hue intervals that the present system and method will produce as analog color output. We can visualize the musical Chromatic Circle as being within the THCC for consistency with the later figures.
The THCC forms a tuned hue gradient that is designed to approximately functionally correspond to a one-octave continuum of generic music intervals. For simplicity herein we term this a hue octave (figuratively only; not implying that the range is an actual octave). While some less common variations of the method may alter the THCC slightly, relative to successive octaves of musical pitch (not akin to stretching musical octaves, but to slightly distinguish different octaves of the same pitch) nonetheless the gist of the conception remains the same, in that the THCC approximately corresponds to musical octaves.
The suggested accuracy of the THCC is at least to within 1/24 of the THCC. A special series of 24 hue names is given in
It is important to understand that the tuned hue gradient being visualized in analog form in the THCC represents a measured ordering of hue intervals. On the one hand it represents the tuned hue gradient producible by the thiv's of a m2h process as analog output if their hues were produced in series (but with the important feature being that the thiv's exist in mathematically predictable positions). So the THCC represents the tuned hues of the m2h process, which provides a hue tuning. The hue tuning offers a parallel effect to what would happen if one a) played a succession of intervals on a tuned musical instrument; wherein the purpose is to provide a similar ability to that of being able to easily trigger musically desirable values on a tuned musical instrument.
In one embodiment a display screen is made available to visualize the THCC as an interface to select and view hue intervals.
Types of thiv's (or types of an m2h process based on them) can be formulated according to the nature of the color output device being used to produce the analog color.
In one type of m2h process each thiv defines a mechanical setting for obtaining the intended hue, such as an orientation for a multicolored lens, or a set of digital lighting protocol controller values (such as a set of DMX color mixture controller values).
In another type of m2h process each thiv stores an electronic state that results in the intended hue.
In yet another type of m2h process, each thiv defines a color mixture value (e.g. an RGB or CMYK pixel value).
In yet another type of m2h process each thiv is a variable value quantifying the hue-component portion of a complete color value, for example such as exists in a hue-component-comprised color space (such as the spaces HSB, HSV, HSL, and more accurate modern spaces of color science where applicable). When this type of thiv is accessed, this hue-component variable value is then combined with any other color-component values needed (in the particular space), as will be defaulted, generated, or accessed from other data sources available in the system, to generate a complete color. (As an example, the last MIDI velocity value on a channel could generate a Saturation level.) This enables achievement of a hue interval that can be adjusted creatively, or to reflect different music note timbres, or to reflect progress through note envelope of various kinds.
In still yet another type of m2h process, each thiv is a variable value quantifying the hue-component portion of a complete color value, which is to be approximated after procedurally including texture components, or texture and lighting components, for cases where the target color object is a texture-based color object (an color object that is generated using texture methods, that permits control of a significant portion of the object's hue property.) In non-realistic lighting scenarios the target color object can be color-adjusted by direct adjustment. In more realistic lighting scenarios the target color object can have its appearance color-adjusted through a test/evaluate process run on a set of pixels so as to approximate a target hue—for instance if a target color object was comprised of a glass or metal texture, to reach a target hue the procedure would require computing the scene lighting onto the glass/metal texture for multiple iterations in order to arrive within a hue range deemed a passable approximation of the thiv hue.
At step 270, the music interval feeding process feeds the music intervals received in the music-interval-comprised-data into the music-harmony-to-color-harmony software module. At step 280, corresponding hue intervals for said music intervals are determined by the music-harmony-to-color-harmony software module's m2h process. At step 290, the system outputs the determined tuned music-like hue intervals on a color output device, via a color output device adapter. If the music-interval receiving process has been terminated, decision 300 proceeds to the ‘Yes’ branch to End at step 310. If the music-interval receiving process has not been terminated, decision 300 proceeds to the ‘No’ branch to loop back to step 270.
The m2h index and THCC may be used in a resolution comprised of as few as 12 hues (A 12-Res m2h index and a 12-Res THCC), but this is not extremely useful. The nuances of music that exist in the finer pitch variations than semitones add a great deal of impact to our musical experience. The approximate minimum resolution that should be employed to achieve functional correspondence with musical vibrato, pitch bend, and also tuning variations is about 240-Res (Humans are said to be able to distinguish about 200-400 hues but these are not distributed in any equal way so actually higher resolutions are preferred). In terms of measurement in 12-ET musical tuning (that the THCC will most often approximately correspond with for reasons stated above) there are 1200 musical cents in a musical octave. 1200 cents/240 color chips=5 hue cents per color chip. In other words each color chip corresponds to a musical interval of 5 cents.
In summary the two circles are a means to visualize offset-able functional correspondence between intervals of the musical pitch and visual color domains. This functional correspondence is actually achieved using the m2h index, which is fed, via a music interval feeding process, music intervals obtained from data from the music-interval-comprised-data receiving device. Once fed into the m2h index by the music interval feeding process, corresponding thiv's for the music intervals are found in the m2h index.
In one embodiment the music-interval-comprised-data receiving device would be a hardware device that provides music interval source data. In another embodiment the music-interval-comprised-data receiving device would be a software device that provides music interval source data. In one embodiment the source data received is stamped to indicate multiple music interval source tracks. In one embodiment the source data is stamped to indicate multiple music interval source channels. The music interval feeding process finalizes the music-interval-comprised data for entry into the m2h index. In one embodiment the m2h index is constructed so as to look up octave reduced music intervals, and finalization includes octave-reduction of the music intervals prior to feeding them into the m2h index.
In one embodiment finalization by the music interval feeding process also includes creation of one or more of the following: time stamps, track stamps, channel stamps, and layer stamps. In one embodiment finalization by the music interval feeding process also includes routing per one or more of the following: time stamps, track stamps, channel stamps, and layer stamps. And in one embodiment, additionally, the music-harmony-to-color-harmony software module includes a distribution process module that will distribute the hue notes obtained from the music intervals, per one or more of their time stamps, track stamps, channel stamps, and layer stamps, onto particular color object arrays, and, in accordance with the time/channel/track information, onto particular color objects within said color object arrays. See
The music interval feeding process, relative to this time stamps, track stamps, and channel stamps information, may allow user configuration to direct such varied input to the specific color object arrays, according to specific mapping methods (see
A system can have a basic setup that includes a basic music-interval-comprised-data receiving device. More advanced systems can include music-interval-comprised-data receiving devices attached to music interval generating or processing devices. There are many creative music theory processes of music generation and re-composition. Improvisation generators can be used that weigh a group of weighted pattern segments and pleasingly fabricate a resulting music interval output. Chord substitution, harmonization, and re-harmonization can also be used on existing music intervals. These are all well understood and can be accomplished via simple mathematics, and/or simple lookup tables. For example, one can take a group of intervals in one scale (for e.g. C Ionian) and re-harmonize them into a new scale (e.g. C Dorian). If one doesn't know the original scale, or if the new scale has less notes, one can force music intervals into any ‘target’ mode by simply making the rule to always move out-of-key notes up to the next available in-key note (or down to the next available in-key note).
Other methods in music, such as arpeggiators, step sequencers, and single-note-to-chord tables can also be used in combination with user MIDI instrument performance, or with computer-interface & GUI-aided music sequence entry methods, to originate or creatively enhance the music-interval-comprised data.
The music interval feeding process may be configured so as to accommodate the receipt and coordination of such varieties of possible material. Such configuration may be made to accommodate and appropriately route material indicating (e.g. by inclusion of a “stamp” in the data) that it is sourced from a variety of track types, and/or indicating that it is from a variety of channels, and/or indicating that should be processed onto specific layers. Preferred Correspondence Of The THCC With 12-Et Tuning
While a multitude of 12-pitch-per-octave tunings are validly representable as music and hue data with our 2-circle convention, for simplicity and for more precision later we will prefer to use the example of the commonly used 12-ET tuning system. So we specifically use a 12-ET musical Chromatic Circle, and a 12-ET-based THCC intended to functionally exhibit this 12-ET tuning's characteristics.
(Note that within the 12-ET octave the pitch values correspond with successive P5's that are each only about couple of cents sharp, in the order of F, C, G, D, A, E, B. This difference is not easily audible to humans. However musical thirds in the 12-ET tuning system are considered impure and this can easily be perceived by certain skilled musicians. Instruments such as guitars (through note bends) and violins (by virtue of being fretless) are regularly used to access variations of such intervals. Tension between pure and impure intervals has a significant use. From our research we believe that accessing such precision has benefits in the hue domain. Using cent-based increments and a THCC based on 12-ET tuning, any other octave-based tuning may also be visualized, as a deviation from 12-ET tuning. In other words octave-reduced intervals of the other octave-based tunings can be measured relative to the cent positions of this 12-ET musical Chromatic Circle. Furthermore, with modern computing technologies dynamic tonality may be utilized, for instance to enable the use of pure thirds only within portions of a given musical progression where it is deemed appropriate.) On the 12-ET musical Chromatic Circle angles of −30° and −0.3° represent 12-ET musical semitones (half steps) and cents respectively (these are upward-frequency spans). Therefore angles of −30° and −0.3° on the THCC will functionally correspond to these, being called hue semitones (hue half steps) and hue cents (when within the DWW these hue intervals can correspond with upward wavelength spans).
Sorted musical pitches and intervals being received within music-interval-comprised data may be visualized as ray end points and central angles (that we will call ‘interval angles’) on the musical Chromatic Circle. These will be deemed to functionally correspond (largely) with angle rays (hue note rays) and interval angles (hue interval angles) formed on the THCC. It is significant that the functional correspondence between the interval angles of the musical Chromatic Circle and the interval angles of the THCC is NOT determined by the orientation of one circle with the other. The THCC can be rotated in relation to the musical Chromatic Circle (and vice versa), causing a new orientation between the two circles, but the hue semitones and hue cents will be deemed to continue to function.
So basically, to relate incoming music intervals from music with the hue intervals on the THCC one can simply do the following: 1) Choose a) a static (fixed, unchangeable) orientation, orb) an offset-able default orientation (either of which can be arbitrary) between the pitch domain and hue domain. 2) Octave-reduce the incoming music intervals. 3) Sort these now-octave-reduced music intervals to find the corresponding thiv's. 4) Output the color values of the thiv's on at least one-color output device via at least one-color output device adapter.
The m2h index orientation methods that can be illustrated by the relationship between the musical Chromatic Circle and the THCC will get much deeper and will be described later.
But to conceive of the general system and method of the present invention one can conceptualize a musical Chromatic Circle and THCC, both with the same geometric center, and with one being larger than the other (so as to see what's going on). One can then imagine offsetting the rotation between the musical Chromatic Circle and the THCC to any orientation (resulting in a new set of functional alignments between incoming pitch values and outgoing hue values), i.e. spinning one circle in relation to the other. We find that any orientation can work (this applies to our visualization of musical Chromatic Circle to THCC, and also to the intervals obtained in the music interval feeding process, that may be ‘musically transposed’ relative to the thiv's of the m2h index). Nonetheless it should be stated that the interval context (and tonics) in a given piece of music will have implications: Our testing indicates that the more relaxing vibrant hues (e.g. violet, blues) are more able to functionally correspond with a musical tonic than the less relaxing ones (e.g. oranges and reds). (Aligning a musical tonic with a relaxing vibrant hue apparently requires no ‘set up’, whereas aligning the musical tonic with orange or red, for e.g., can be better accomplished by ‘set up’. (For e.g. if the hues are displayed after a pause, then ‘Set up’ means employing an introductory segment. Or if there has been prior hue material shown, then ‘set up’ means the use of musical modulation techniques to encourage the ‘key change’.) When the implementation of the system is per an offset-able default orientation as in b (as given immediately above), then in common practice the default will probably most often be music tonic=violet, and after system operation is initiated, when a user is providing new music-interval-comprised data the user may set the new alignment as desired.
In the present invention we use “intervals” to refer to relationships between pitches or colored hues defined according to their spans. An interval construct is any set, of whatever size or span range, of member intervals. An interval construct is designated from a specified point either on the THCC (or Interval Helix which is described later) or in the m2h index. This specified point is known herein as the ‘interval bottom’. A music interval construct may have a significant “interval bottom”, such as a momentary or lasting tonal center (music tonic), musical chord root, or musical arpeggio root. These are all significant locations in pitch space. And in one embodiment of the present invention, a hue interval construct may have a similarly significant interval bottom location (such as the hue tonic, hue chord root, or hue arpeggio root). Note that music interval constructs may be specific or generic. With generic intervals the placement into actual pitch space or hue space is a separate step from the initial selection or creation of the interval construct. And in one embodiment of the present invention, stored hue interval constructs are specific. And in one embodiment of the present invention stored hue interval constructs are generic (e.g. ii-V-I, figured bass, or by complete hue interval relationships with no specific hue info, but only with any necessary rhythmic relationships. Generic hue interval constructs may be manipulated in generic form (as by adding additional intervals to chords or melody, or applying chord substitution or re-harmonization principles). These generic constructs may then later be flexibly applied in specific analog color form as needed for a particular purpose.
Later on we will describe embodiments using the methods and rationale of music interval data transposition and hue interval data transposition. But for the first several music-to-hue (m2h) examples, that will be shown in
As noted, musical notes on the modern piano repeat at a rate of every 12 piano keys, and it was said that these repeating notes sound similar to, and can substitute for, one another. In fact, within the middle range of the piano, sets of intervals starting from one particular ‘lowest piano key’ can be shifted so as to begin on another ‘lowest piano key’—the shifting whole interval constructs (which is called musical transposition). This applies to music intervals and also to hue intervals on the THCC and using the m2h index. We will call a shifting of interval constructs around the THCC ‘music-like transposition’. We will call a shifting of an interval construct within a wrapping table of a m2h index ‘music-like transposition’ as well. This fact of ‘music-like transposition’ of colored hues allows a multitude of functions in the present method, including allowing hundreds of possible hue tonics, hue chord roots, hue arpeggio roots, etc.
In the paragraphs concerning the DWW it was earlier stated that we are referring, when describing hue intervals, to target color relationships formed from target colors. Optimum target colors may not always be achievable in a particular use or due to particular economic considerations. But optimum target colors create the best functional correspondence. So to specify this we will use ‘necessary 3 criteria of functional correspondence’. Satisfying these enables the hue intervals to functionally correspond with music intervals, and preferred values are additionally given below for achieving a higher degree of functional correspondence, including by using 12-ET cent-based interval constructs that may mimic other constructs of non-12-ET tunings; and that may be used with dynamic tonality to mimic pure intervals such as a 5:4 Major Third and 6:5 minor third and 7:4 harmonic seventh. Note that the following m2h index relationships are examples only. To better understand this one may refer back to
The necessary 3 criteria for functional correspondence are shown by example in
In one embodiment of the present invention, one sorts an incoming octave-reduced music interval (as may be visualized on the musical Chromatic Circle) against the thiv's of the m2h index (as may be visualized on the THCC), and the thiv located by the sorting process (which will be found at a central angle ray on the THCC representing the interval's top in octave-reduced pitch space) is output as an analog hue interval on at least one color output device via at least one color output device adapter.
Thus far the m2h index and its THCC hue interval angle representation have been briefly described. Now we can look at basic usages for selecting color sets for the generation of color harmony effects. We can briefly state that visual hue correspondence is possible with music in at least 5 commonly discussed aspects of musical harmoniousness, namely rhythm, melody, bass, chords, and tonality. But we need to lay some terminology groundwork.
Concerning visual rhythm, for now we can simply reference a typical, broad definition of artistic rhythm from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1973): “In painting, sculpture and other visual arts, a regular or harmonious pattern created by lines, forms, and colors.” We can add to this that such relationships will factor in as well when apportioned rhythmically within displayed sequences (such as when such relationships are apportioned in a sequence of frames or in a sequence displayed on an LED display screen).
Hue Melody, Bass, Chords, and Tonality
The prior art has lacked a functional correspondence between sets of colors and music chord types and melodic scale types and modes, and such. In the present method we utilize what we call hue melody, hue bass, hue chords, and hue tonality, all being comprised of sets of hue notes. We understand that musical pitches form music substantially because of their music interval relationships (as evidenced by one's ability to transpose a Beatles song and still retain the mood and flow of the song). And in the present invention hue notes form hue music substantially because of the properties of their hue interval relationships as well. In the present method we will describe these hue notes as being displayed on (or through) color objects. A color object can be a colored light or a virtual object on a display screen. Or it can be an object formed (within an overall image) of colored pigment; such as a printed, stenciled or automatically painted object. Color objects are managed using software, such as in the form of arrays. They can be presented in animated combinations and series or static combinations or series, the latter being possible because a path along a static image can be followed by a viewer, providing the “time” aspect of musical experience in viewing the static image.
Sets of hue note intervals, displayed on color objects (comprised of hue melody and/or hue harmony) have qualities that are understood to correspond with the qualities of comparable music intervals. Music-interval-comprised data of various types can be used as sources for creating sets of hue notes. Per the present method hue notes are empirically and quantifiably connected with musical notes. Music note data and hue note data are interchangeable using the present system. Hue-interval-comprised data from the present method may even be substituted for music-interval-comprised data as input. Further, hue note sets may be modified using known music-theory-based methods and algorithms with the results of such modifications being predicted according to music theory, although it would be completely unexpected. While it is certainly true that individual colors have a great impact on the perceived qualities of any color set, nevertheless the present method allows for selection of color sets that do, to an effective degree, functionally correspond to music interval constructs. Such music interval constructs include chord types and chord progressions, and melodic scale types, modes and progressions, including processes influencing the experience of tension and resolution. Such music relationships have inherent extensibility, and their effect is independent of the response caused by the individual pitches. The same is true for tuned hue relationships, although it has until now been an unobserved phenomenon since particular hues do arguably have a much greater influence than particular pitches. But it is because of this strong effect of the particular hues in a given hue relationship that methods of music transposition, chord substitution and re-harmonization are as useful in the present method, or perhaps even more so, than in the domain of music; because one can transpose or substitute so that a very explicitly desired color relationship can be obtained, via use of simple GUI methods such as palettes and the thiNC interface described below, that also match desired cadential properties from the perspective of an end user.
According to the teachings of the present method we follow the principle that color relationships of less-than-vibrant colors (such as tints and shades) do not have as strong a functional correspondence, and function less and less predictably with less and less vibrancy of the colors. As colors de-saturate we may for now assume they gradually move from operating similarly to musical instruments of definite pitch, to operating more similarly to musical instruments of semi-definite pitch (e.g. pitched percussion), and then gradually, as bluish or brownish grays, whites, and near-blacks, begin operating similarly to non-pitched percussion instruments. Furthermore just as musical instruments of poor quality sometimes produce notes of undesirable timbral quality even though this is not the intent, sometimes less than vibrant color can be unintentional, such as when a new color of paint fails to obscure the prior color. Conversely there can be positive instances such as glazes added to paints or 3D texturing, which offer pleasing variation of wavelength while not significantly obscuring the purity of the constituent colors, similar to so many musical timbres that may have definite pitch, but with unique overtonal ‘color’ and ‘motion’ (as from pitch and amplitude modulation) of varying degrees (flutes, saxophones, trumpets, violins, etc.). Of course in terms of both degree of vibrancy and physiological color response, viewer distance (and often angle) will vary the effects of the present method. These variations may both be understood according to the prior art.
In one embodiment a display screen is made available to view a graphical user interface (GUI) that provides nesting, and independent rotation around a common center, of multiple THCC's so as to form color sets. This GUI allows a user to audition color sets for particular purposes. It should also help us convey invention features, and the present invention's methods of applying music theory to color harmony.
Herein we call this GUI a ‘hue interval nested chromatic circle’ interface (a thiNC interface).
The THCC's are each in essence a rotatable THCC ring in a color set display mechanism. This color set display mechanism, via producing relative rotation alignments of set of THCC rings, allows the embodiment user to choose and visualize color sets. The concentric THCC rings progressively get smaller from outermost to innermost (according to some arbitrary rate of progressive shrinking). In use typically the outermost, larger THCC ring represents the lowest non-octave-reduced pitch being visualized, and the successively smaller THCC rings represent successively higher non-octave-reduced pitches. The reason for this is explained later. The thiNC interface basically “visually voices” sets of colors and their progressions, and may do so according to the full resolution (Res) of Hue Tonics of the system, or according to a particular Hue Root or Hue Tonic, by way of introducing a cover over the top of it that covers all but one “hue spoke” (see below). A thiNC interface comprises n THCC rings (4 in the case of the drawing), each with n possible hue notes (same number of hue notes in every THCC ring, which is the resolution of the thiNC interface). The hue notes are in the form of colored circles, or color chips, or other colored shapes (n=a multiple of 12; 48 in the case of the drawing; a 48-Res thiNC interface).
In the thiNC each of the THCC rings is like an instance of a THCC as described above, except that it need not represent the full resolution of the m2h index. (Selection of a single specific hue note by human interface device (computer arrow keys/mouse/touchscreen) can be easier when that hue note is larger).
It is not that the specific decrease in size of a THCC ring from its outer neighbor represents a very specific relative increase in pitch (for e.g. an octave, or a M2). Rather it is that we have found that larger hue notes tend to impose some imprecisely known influence on other hue notes in the present hue harmony that acts similarly to the influence that musical notes further in the bass impose on other notes in the present musical harmony. Larger hue notes occupy more space in the visual field, similar to the way bass frequencies spread out more in space in the audio field.
By rotating each ring so the color shapes on each come into angular alignment with one another, the colored shapes (serving as hue notes) can be aligned along straight lines called hue spokes, that can be seen in
In default orientation (called null rotation position) every hue note in each hue spoke will contain the same hue value, akin to a series of “unison” intervals (a series of n−0° angles of rotation). It is preferred that in null rotation position the spoke comprised of the Violet color shapes will be on a radius crossing the 6- o'clock position of the thiNC interface.
The thiNC interface can represent musical interval constructs, such as chords, according to the amount of central angular rotation of each of the THCC rings clockwise.
In the case of representing chords, every spoke represents a voicing of the chord, and each THCC ring each provides one chord voice. One typically represents a series of intervals of an interval construct with the outermost hue note of the spoke representing the lowest pitch; with successively higher musical pitches being represented on successively smaller THCC rings. The thiNC interface can also represent a scale or mode; or an entire music progression. In fact the central angular orientation of each THCC ring can represent one monophonic music sequencer track, with the smaller THCC rings tending to be used for tracks with higher pitches. Generally the angle that each THCC ring is rotated from its −0° position (null rotation position) will be based on the current octave-reduced music interval above the interval bottom, broken into the resolution of the thiNC interface. In a 48-Res thiNC interface each THCC ring would rotate −7.5° for each musical quarter semitone. In a 240-Res thiNC interface each THCC ring would rotate −1.5° for every 5 musical cents. A 1200-Res thiNC interface would advance −0.3° for every single musical cent; not that this would necessarily be practical.
So each hue spoke shows 1 of the n possible visual voicings of the hue intervals being visualized. Shown in
The system can “visually voice” the hue intervals as hue notes on “color objects”, along color object paths and within color object dimensions. This is accomplished using arrays. After deriving hue intervals using the m2h index, such use of arrays achieves further correlation with musical aesthetics. By utilizing just a few procedures of storing and updating the hue notes in arrays, the hue note spatial presentation maintains a mathematical correlation to the non-octave-reduced and rhythmic properties of the music-interval-comprised data. These procedures are further illustrated in
One method of using such a color object array would be: Sort a received set of pitches into pitch order (non-octave-reduced pitch order), converting each into an octave-reduced interval value, using the octave-reduced interval of the lowest pitch to define the thiv of the first element (color object) in the array, the octave-reduced interval of the second-lowest pitch to define the thiv of second element in the array, and so on, until the all the pitches define respective thiv's, with any pitches exceeding the available array elements being “overflowed. There is more to this obviously that will be described later. The thiNC interface, as for viewing in virtual form on a display screen, is best programmed through the use of vector graphics to create the colored shapes. It is useful for viewing a given hue chord simultaneously in all available hue transpositions (within the current THCC resolution). (By hue transposition is meant the corresponding concept to music transposition). These transpositions can be chord, scale or mode transpositions. Viewing them can equate to auditioning them. (For visual clarity, in order to view scales and modes there should be enough THCC rings so that both the outermost and innermost represent the interval of unison for that particular tonic).
In one embodiment a sequence track plays the intervals of a chord progression on the thiNC, with the sequence storing the timing of changing angles of each of the THCC rings. During playback of such a sequence a great multitude of color relationships are in flux, and with such a number of colors one would expect dissonance, but to the contrary, per our test subjects when harmonious musical material is used as input, it is perceived as aesthetic. We can herein call this hue spoke ‘polytonal color harmony’. Polytonal color harmony based on hue intervals is a very useful color harmony effect. This effect can be achieved not only using the thiNC interface, but by offset of tuned hue gradients so as to achieve the same patterns, in any geometries in which such tuned hue gradients can be generated. Sequences of polytonal color harmony, as such, can be appropriate for RGB LED-covered casino exterior walls, and theme park and amusement park visuals, and for architectural adornment in cultural gatherings. One can display any musical material as ‘polytonal color harmony’.
It was said above that the THCC rings each serve up one voice of a musical chord or progression in a given spoke. In music, transitions on consecutive beat pulses between nearby pitches (usually 1-4 semitones with smaller spans being smoother) are described as having ‘smooth voice leading’ apparently because they are easy for the listener to follow. In the present method ‘smooth hue note voice leading’ is achieved when the location of the consecutive-pulse nearby-in-pitch intervals is on hue notes that are spatially proximate. This is one type of ‘temporal-to-spatial’ translation of aesthetics that we use in the present method. This type is essentially the translation of ‘pitch transition smoothness’ from the musical domain to the hue domain. Another type of temporal-to-spatial translation has to do with frequency. Frequency in music is in inverse relation to wavelength; with relatively lower pitch frequencies being of relatively larger wavelengths; and with relatively higher pitch frequencies being of relatively smaller wavelengths. As mentioned above, since the color shapes of the outer THCC rings are larger they can often apparently best represent the function of the larger-wavelength lower pitched intervals of music.
Therefore, for example, most typically if a musical progression contains a bass melody voice as well as a series of chord changes, then the bass melody voice may be voiced on the outermost THCC ring. And typically if a musical progression contains a top melody voice then the top melody voice may be best voiced on the innermost THCC ring.
As was stated above, the thiNC Interface provides a means to convey some features and methods of the present invention.
Also, as mentioned above, the angle of each THCC ring (each voice) is based on an octave-reduced music interval from the interval bottom that is being used in the computation. We will now describe the use of a few types of interval bottom. As was mentioned above the interval construct could be a chord. This chord could be input with or without known duration. If the interval construct were a known chord with a known chord root, then its interval bottom would be its chord root. If the interval construct were a music progression of known tonality, its interval bottom would be the music tonic. However, one could wish to input interval constructs that are chords of unknown roots; or musical progressions of unknown tonality. To allow for this, by default, until a chord root or tonal center is known, such incoming music intervals can be treated from an arbitrary music interval bottom (AMIB), for instance in terms of what are called ‘absolute cents’ by the prior art. Using a default AMIB allows the widest, most flexible use of interval constructs in the system. Music theory structural information on tonal center, scale, and chords (including their roots) can be determined by or provided to the system later. In the case of musical progressions, further structural information can be determined by, or provided to, the system later as well, either be for the purpose of permitting more analysis, or for permitting creative manipulations using music theory rules and procedures. This further structural information may include information about the rooting strength of the intervals making up chords and arpeggios (the relative stability of the intervals expressed by the pitches), and harmonic and melodic rules or weightings, etc.
The THCC rings (each of the voices) will typically be defined from only one interval bottom. The AMIB is an improvement. Using the AMIB as a default provides a consistent interval bottom for all interval constructs, and provides a fallback position if the user changes their mind as to the tonic (or chord root); the data remains referenced to the original AMIB. To provide a convention for this disclosure we have selected for absolute cent zero the approximate frequency 8.199445678 hertz (represented as C-1, i.e. C “octave minus 1”). Again, this is merely a convention to allow multiple systems to communicate.
It will be understood that central angles from these three types of interval bottoms (chord root, tonic, AMIB) can be understood with basic arithmetic. As an improvement the music interval feeding process will receive or convert the data into a format commensurate with the MIDI system, in which note values are known by both non-octave-reduced central angles, comprised of −360° per octave, as well as the octave-reduced version (pitch, aka C or Eb), which falls between −0 and −360°. This is because the system will sometimes use non-octave-reduced intervals in methods for mapping the color sets on color object arrays. One can think of the non-octave-reduced form (MIDI Note #'s from 0-127, also expressed as Pitch plus Octave (e.g. C5 or G #2, etc.) as a helix, and the Chromatic Circle form as having had the octaves ‘reduced out’ by repeatedly dividing by −360° until the value falls between −0 and −360°. (The result of the division will be rounded off per the resolution of the THCC rings. Note that the number of times one needs to divide by −360° to achieve this is the number of octaves of the original interval bottom pitch). After dividing out the octaves the procedure will be to take the remainder (central angle) and rotate the THCC ring by this amount. In terms of a 12-Res thiNC interface the process is the equivalent of counting intervals on a piano. One could count up (and/or down) to all members of an interval construct from any arbitrary starting pitch on the piano (using it as an AMIB), and then octave-reduce each semitone span (number of piano keys, aka semitones) by dividing the semitone span by 12 until one has a value less than 12. To find the angle one would then multiply this amount by −30° (the central angle for half steps in the Chromatic Circle and THCC, which we could represent as twelve thiv's in a 12-Res m2h index). The intervals in the monophonic music sequencer track, for each THCC ring, will be some octave-reduced central angle span from the AMIB to the interval. It may also be possible to denote this interval as the sum of an octave-reduced central angle span from the AMIB to a current tonic (if known), plus the octave-reduced central angle span from the tonic to the interval. And it may also be possible to denote this interval as the octave-reduced central angle span from the AMIB to a current tonic (if known) plus the octave-reduced central angle span from the tonic to a current chord root (if known), plus the octave-reduced central angle span from the current chord root to the interval.
As mentioned above, the polytonal color sets that can be generated from feeding in musical chords and progressions in this way, function as hue spoke-comprised palettes. Each hue spoke shows one possible example of the interval construct (if the interval construct is a chord, each spoke represents the chord from one particular potential hue root; if the interval construct is a progression, viewing the progression along one spoke only, [covering all but one spoke with a graphical cover] shows the progression from one particular potential hue tonic). The user can audition hue chords and progressions, and choose which hue chord root or hue tonic to use. And a user can create new color set relationships by auditioning music-theory-prescribed chord substitutions or variations for the progression on the hue spokes.
Display of the polytonal color sets (all spokes simultaneously) can be performed as color harmony effect of the present invention as well, such as on LED lights on a casino wall.
More commonly, once a particular hue chord or progression palette is chosen, the user will want to select a single hue chord root or hue progression tonic, and visually voice hue intervals using it (similar to the common case in music, which is not polytonal)
To enable the user to accomplish this, an improvement of the GUI will be to provide a “cover” (preferably black) that can be turned on or off by the user (e.g. made visible or invisible as a vector graphic element) that completely covers all the rings except for in a single sliced-out section, that reveals a single hue spoke (or perhaps a small hue spoke range if the resolution of the thiNC is high enough). With this cover turned on the user may then audition the hue interval constructs according to a single chord root or a single musical progression tonic. By default it is preferred for the visible hue spoke revealed by the sliced-out section to be along a vertical radius (crossing the 6-o'clock or 12-o'clock position of the thiNC interface—with the sliced-out section being vertical).
In typical music chord changes usually occur less frequently than ⅓ times per a second. But melody notes sometimes change faster than this. If the thiNC interface is intended to be covered, so as to visually voice hue intervals with a single hue tonic or hue chord root, and if the innermost THCC ring is to represent a top melody line voice, then it is preferred that a separate cover, a melody cover (with a sliced out section revealing a single hue note) be provided over this innermost THCC, and it is preferred that rotation be handled differently for this top melody voice.
This adaptation of special methodology with respect to melody voices is because they often contain note changes happening at a rate faster than ⅓ sec. Color transitions at a particular constant viewing angle will preferably not happen very quickly, per limitations of typical human vision. Changing the position of subsequent hue notes (or the color object on which the hue note transition occurs) in relation to a viewer's eye pigment helps remedy this. Therefore this innermost THCC ring can remain stationary whereas the interval angle for that top melody line voice can be used to rotate the melody cover instead. Thus the melodic intervals will be displayed ‘around the ring’ rather than on a spoke. A similar methodology, but on color objects such as colored lights, is applicable for visual display of any melody or bass line with rapid series of notes, including for a bass line, or when a rapid musical “riff” occurs in the middle voices. (Keeping hue notes moving is also applicable when they are “percussive hue notes' such as in embodiments where rhythmic material is visualized as flashing white or non-saturated colored objects, such as tints or shades of color).
This stationary THCC ring can then be considered to represent a special melody color object array (in which the color objects making up the array are based on a form of temporal-to-spatial translation in which relative cent or semitone interval increments are translated into relative spatial position increments according to some viewer-recognizable defining geometry, for instance along a line formed of a series of color output device pixels (per the definition of pixel given below) for viewing hue notes.
As an aside, one thing that may be observed is that as one looks at a thiNC interface such as the one illustrated in
Turning now to
Above in the section about relating the musical Chromatic Circle with the THCC it was said one could 1) Choose a) a static (fixed, unchangeable) orientation (between music and hue as representable by the musical Chromatic Circle in relation to the THCC), or b) use an offset-able default orientation (either of which can be arbitrary) between the pitch domain and hue domain. Here for simplicities sake, for
Hue Tonality of Iv-V-I
An interval construct may already have a known music tonic, or not. And this interval construct will often be auditioned, by transposition, into a variety of hue keys (with different hue tonics) until the most suitable one is found. So it makes sense to store intervals such that music tonics can be adjusted to best depict the proper Western-music-theory-determined tonality of the construct itself, and ALSO according to the chosen suitable hue transposition that arrives at the most desired color set, relative to the determined music tonic (this is what we call herein the hue tonic). The hue tonic is usually chosen with regard to aesthetic effect. Or it may be set to a desired key color in a logo or stage backdrop. Settings or changes in hue tonics are also occasionally made to arrive at desired particular hues (or their shades and tints). Sometimes experimentation to arrive at these desirable conditions includes a combination of transposition, chord substitution and reharmonization, until the most desirable color set is achieved. Note that while in Western music quite a good percentage of cases are fairly explicit, there may sometimes be ambiguous conditions with respect to what the current tonal center is. And less than absolute tonal situations will affect user decision-making. For instance a real or perceived momentary change in tonality may be a good time to introduce a hue key change. The improvements in
Helix GUI of the present invention.
Value Of Non-Octave-Reduced Intervals- & Use Of intervals From AMIB Equiv To Midi Note Number Notation Including Octave As Well As Pitch (For E.G.CS Or D #3).
The m2h index is configured to look up hue intervals that have functional correspondence with the received music intervals being looked up. Octave-reduction is typically performed on the music intervals in the system prior to routing them to the m2h index, to put them into a form consistent with the one-hue-octave dimension of the THCC tuned hue gradient. In a more preferred embodiment the received music intervals are put into a form comprised of both the octave-reduced and non-octave-reduced values, from the AMIB. This convention is equivalent to MIDI music sequencers that reference MIDI Note Numbers by the pitch name and a number indicating the octave of the pitch. Non-octave-reduced intervals are important in the present invention. Both the octave-reduced and non-octave-reduced intervals should be clearly deducible in a GUI (This is a feature of a piano roll GUI, which shows the pitch relationships against a piano key representation so as to recognize the pitch class of the value against the repeating one-octave black-white-key pattern). Similar to the way that non-octave-reduced voicings play a role in the aesthetics of music, in the aesthetics of color we find a similar role is performed by hue voicings (expressed via relationships of color objects and their sets—as will be described later in
As in
If the m2h index lookup method doesn't incorporate an Offset Variable, this alignment is an embodiment choice (fixed, non-adjustable to users). But music & hue intervals can both be musically transposed in the present method so normally at least basic offset capability is provided using an m2hOffVar. This permits auto & user-selection of different alignments, with values stored in sequences (written to memory or storage media). More optimally an embodiment will use 2 separate indices (a first for lookup of music intervals & a second for look-up of hue intervals) whose orientation may be incrementally offset, so the hue index may be re-calibrated in case of hardware fluctuations. It is yet more preferred to offer one Offset Variable to set a Music Tonic, & a separate 2nd Offset Variable to set a Hue Tonic. This will be elucidated below.
In one embodiment a fixed, arbitrary orientation is chosen during embodiment design so that an arbitrary musical note is aligned with a functionally corresponding hue; this system has no capability for offset; it is non-adjustable to users.
In one embodiment Violet is selected by the embodiment designer to be in fixed alignment with the music tonic of the source music data (as this alignment is likely to function well). This relationship is fixed and non-adjustable.
In one embodiment basic offset capability is added for the users, using a single m2h Offset Variable (m2hOffVar) implemented in a “wrapping” lookup table consisting of m2h-cent-measurement bins (m2hcmb's) containing thiv's (see
4) In one embodiment members of a subset of m2hcmb's (which are equidistant to one another) that contain the thiv's are made into specialty points called interpolation basis points (IBP's). When one of a neighboring pair of IBP's is adjusted by user input then the program causes automatic re-calibration of points between the neighboring pair. (see
5) In one embodiment use of a constant ‘arbitrary music interval bottom’ (AMIB) is implemented as a reference point, making music intervals potentially independent from their pitches & tonics (for storage & processing).
6) In one embodiment a convention for the AMIB is chosen of C-1, & MIDI Note #0, =8.175798916 hz, an ‘absolute cents’ version of an ‘arbitrary music interval bottom’ (AMIB) that is especially suitable to MIDI input but may also be used with respect to audio input.
7) In one embodiment that offers offset capability, the Pitch C is chosen as a preferred default music tonic because music in the key of C is common, and this music key has no sharps or flats, and as such it is more often simplest to work with.
8) In one embodiment, that allows offset capability, the Hue Violet is used as the default hue tonic.
9) In one embodiment, offsetting so as to compensate for a change in music tonic away from the default music tonic is made possible by a new Offset Var called the Music Tonic Offset (MTO), and offsetting so as to compensate for hue tonic a change in music tonic away from the default hue tonic is made possible by a second new Offset Var called the Hue Tonic Offset (HTO). While one could arrive at the same alignment with m2hOffVar, it is useful to have these two distinct functions because they apply differently, and should be able to be controlled separately, as well as stored separately in memory, in files & on media. This lets users keep track & refine choices, as changes in aesthetic preferences & understanding of interval constructs naturally evolve. In this point [point 9], the MTO and HTO are utilized with a simple ‘2-step operation’ (without dividing the m2h index bins (which have m2hcmb's directly associated with thiv's) into a set of two indices known as Prime Pitch Interval index (PPI) bins (compare m2hcmb's) and Prime Hue Interval index (PHI) bins (compare thiv's) as in the next embodiment. Rather than divide the m2h index into two separate indices, one may simply re-use the same index, after each mathematical action of offset (from MTO and HTO). So in this embodiment the music intervals and hue intervals are provided in the same m2h index (but necessarily there cannot be an independent resolution for music and hue). Herein the system is instructed to find a music pitch interval, add the current MTO, then add the current HTO, and finally locate the m2hcmb # to find the tuned-hue-variable-value. The drawback is that an unnecessary high m2h index resolution is required; and it must be repeatedly used if musical pitch bend and vibrato and portamento functions are to be accurately tracked. This is an unnecessary computational redundancy at times when hue intervals are being applied or re-applied solely in the hue domain, so to avoid it the m2h index is split into the PPI bins and PHI bins.
10) (PPI bins and PHI bins referred to in this paragraph and in this present document are independent cent measurement bins for absolute music cents and absolute hue cents respectively, to treat them separately, rather than having an equal number of m2hcmb's and thiv's). In one embodiment the m2h index comprises 2 indices (or tables within it), comprising the music interval span ‘index points’ (acting as an absolute-cent music interval map) and the hue interval span ‘index points’ (acting as an absolute-cent hue interval map). This solves the problem of unnecessary computational redundancy as described in the preceding embodiment and is more customizable for specific color output hardware as well as specific music input means. The one-table m2h index was simply comprised of m2hcmb's, containing the thiv's. In this 2-table embodiment these are now called Prime Hue Interval bins (PHI bins). Among the PHI bins can be the subset of the Interpolation Basis Points (IBPs). Both are shown in
(This additionally allows the same basic software to be used with a multitude of color output devices. Thus in the case of some particular color output device that requires a lower hue Res, the music can still be detected in a high resolution (high Res PPI bins), and this information can be used to drive other properties besides hue in high Res, but rounded off for the lower hue Res (sorted via the lower Res of available PHI bins for that specific color output device). A single Offset Variable still shifts the orientation between PPI and PHI (similar to musical transposition).
We will continue to elucidate the points mentioned above as we go forward. First, we will return now to our exemplary visualization described in preceding sections, which was obtained by forming the mental concept of two circles, the musical Chromatic Circle (on the inside), and the THCC (on the outside), both sharing a common center. It was said that central angles (interval angles) from the centers of both of these circles were representational of music intervals and hue intervals. Once the tuned hue gradient is appropriately tuned and the color output device can reasonably produce saturated colors for the required hue notes, any alignment of the THCC with the musical Chromatic Circle will work. In one embodiment a fixed alignment can be used that is designed to match a particular color setting or need. For instance a Christmas Wreath embodiment can be made, and Christmas colors such as red and green can serve as possible color keys to accompany play back of Christmas tunes.
In one method the configuration of a m2h index is done by mathematically defining the bin frequency threshold demarcations using the AMIB frequency as the lower threshold of the first m2hcmb. From this one calculates n number of top threshold demarcations as the nth root of 2. For example if 240-Res is desired (a resolution of every 5 cents, i.e. 240 m2hcmb's per hue octave), then one multiplies the frequency of the arbitrary music interval bottom by the 240th root of 2 (which is approximately 1.00289228786937) to find and store the top of the first m2hcmb, and then multiplies the result (which also acts as the bottom of the 2nd m2hcmb) by the 240th root of 2, to find and store the top of the second m2hcmb, and continues until one has found and stored the top and bottom values of all 240 m2hcmb's. Thiv's are then associated with the m2hcmb's to form the m2h index.
In one embodiment the m2h index is created in a resolution of 240 m2hcmb's, as shown in
In one embodiment, a frequency is detected in a set of incoming music-interval-comprised data events; that frequency is octave-reduced to a real number; and then a sort is performed to locate the m2hcmb # containing the span within which that real number is be found. The located m2hcmb # is the one that contains the thiv approximate for the interval being measured.
Note, that in
Thus far we have illustrated how the m2hcmb's might function. We have described the m2hcmb's and the IBP's that one may simply visualize basic offsetting, per the m2hOffVar, as simply rotating the THCC around the musical Chromatic Circle according to the amount of the m2hOffVar. This basic principle of offset, as applied to
Since the music-interval-comprised data being used by the present invention will often have the property of tonality (although note that both the degree of tonality and its stability will vary) the use of offset by a user will often be to either 1) find a more appropriate hue tonic than the default, for the character of the music (if the default is not ideal), or 2) to assume a tonic based on need, such as to match a mood, or the key color in a logo, architecture, or a stage backdrop. Tonality means that a particular pitch will “sound like home”, i.e. it will be the resolution of the other pitches forming the music intervals in the music-interval-comprised data. The term tonic is related to the term key, so a music tonic has its related music key, and a hue tonic has its related hue key. (The term key signature is not the same, because a key signature is shared by all of the modes it contains. For instance C Major has the same key signature as A minor, but the pitch ‘C’ is the music tonic of the former, while the pitch ‘A’ is the music tonic of the latter.)
Next we must consider tonality and keys. We did not need a music tonic default and a hue tonic default as long as alignment between music and hue were assumed to each be flexible for the same reasons. This assumption isn't true, but if it were then the more subtle ramifications could be ignored. And so in such a system if a certain preference of alignment was desired (such as aligning the music tonic with Violet or some other color) this could be done simply by increasing the offset within modulus (thus ‘stepping through’ the alignment positions) until the known music tonic of the data (or a test case music tonic) was aligned with the desired hue tonic
In this case, in one embodiment the m2hOffVar could be controlled in real time directly by the user. In another embodiment an m2hOffVar could be controlled by placing m2hOffVar “change events” at multiple locations in a sequence.
But because of subtle aspects of hue and music tonality (which do differ both in use and effect), ideal use depends on the capability of the user to independently store, modify, and organize hue and music tonic settings, in the form of MTO and HTO settings and their “change events”.
In one embodiment the MTO and HTO may be controlled in real time directly by the user. In one embodiment MTO and HTO change events are placed in sequence locations to create desired changes.
The purpose of assigning a music tonic to files is to allow for control based on the harmonic relationships comprised in the music-pitch-interval data, which in the most common music is easily determinable using music theory algorithms. On the other hand, hue intervals are much more defined by their particular colors (that greatly effect mood and energy) along with their color context (which is akin to, but even more essential to aesthetical decision-making than, a singer transposing a piece to fit within their range or purpose). Because each distinct hue has such unique physiological and psychological impact, selecting the hue tonic is unique and significant as a process. So choosing the hue tonic may be thought of as a primary function, and it may at times be the first function performed.
In one embodiment the choice of a hue tonic is made possible by providing, for a user to view, a set of palettes in potential hue keys from which to make a momentary or permanent hue tonic selection.
Moreover, the significance of hue tonics is that they derive strength from specific music-interval-comprised data that by its nature has a particular “home” position. So to create a “hue tonic” means, with respect to the specific music-interval-comprised data being operated on, to locate a particular hue to be in alignment with that “home” position within a particular set of music interval data. (And in that alignment other hues will serve important functions, such as when comprising a Dom7 type hue chord.) So, as was noted above, in one embodiment the music-interval-comprised data, or sections thereof, can be marked with pre-determined music tonic change events. Further, if a user were to manually change to a new music tonic in the system in real time (such as if the pre-determined music tonic for the section were deemed incorrect), this should immediately re-orient the system, creating an alignment between the new music tonic and the existing hue tonic. The music tonic is often like the music theory-related aspect, of finding the “home” amongst the music intervals, whereas affecting the hue tonic is often done like the singer transposing a piece to fit within their range or purpose or desired quality. But this common approach can also be turned on its head. Nevertheless the MTO and HTO are intrinsically related. In one preferred embodiment the angles causing their alignment are summed together to find the position in the m2h index from which the interval of an incoming musical pitch will be measured. The measurement of this interval will determine the thiv used to color the hue note, and this sum equals the m2hOffVar relative to the default music tonic of the Pitch C (which in non-octave-reduced form is the AMIB. Note that from this position in the preferred embodiment we form an absolute cents index of PPI bins based upon it. In the most preferred system embodiment we will utilize both the octave-reduced and non-octave-reduced values based on absolute cents from the AMIB. The AMIB is also default-aligned with the default hue tonic of Violet, which can act as ‘hue cent zero’ upon which an absolute-cents-based index of PHI bins may be formed). While changing the music tonic by its nature affects the hue output, doing so must leave unchanged the system's internally defined current HTO (which corresponds with the current hue tonic). And also while changing the hue tonic affects the alignment with musical pitch, doing so must not change the system's internally defined current MTO (which corresponds with the current music tonic).
An m2h index may comprise PPI and PHI bins (independent bins for music intervals and hue intervals). Although shown as a single table, PPI and PHI may be in separate but connected tables. On receipt of an incoming music interval, the MTO and HTO values are summed and the sum is octave-reduced, giving the number of PHI rows to move down from the row position of receipt in PPI. (PPI and PHI are m2hcmb's for measurement of music cents and hue cents respectively).
When an AMIB is implemented, a convention is chosen for it of C-1, & MIDI Note #0, =8.175798916 hz, the Pitch C is chosen as a preferred default music tonic, and the Hue Violet is chosen as the default hue tonic.
To show the relation between the AMIB, m2hOffVar, MTO and HTO to the TMIH and THIC we will use
In
In
One can visualize using the hue tonic handle, from the state it is in
In one embodiment, m2hOffVar is available as a function along with the functions of MTO and HTO. In this embodiment, changing the m2hOffVar on a pitch-to-hue basis may be done, in case the user forgets or doesn't understand what music tonic and hue tonic is in the system at the time. In this embodiment a user is provided with a hue selection interface; Then, if the user has been playing the Pitch F and seeing Greenish-Yellow, but wants to see a different and somewhat remote hue when playing that pitch—such as Purple-Indigo. The user can store the Pitch F (the pitch to which the user wishes to create the new m2h association), and then touch the position of that desired hue Purple-Indigo hue on that hue selection interface, so that the system will compute the difference between the hue currently corresponding with F, and the desired Purple-Indigo hue. The computed difference will be added to the HTO, and the MTO will remain the same, and the new HTO and MTO will be added together to obtain the new m2hOffVar.
There are instances when the present invention benefits from pitch detection and chord root detection. (See, e.g.
Color object arrays are made up of some polyphony of array elements. A helpful method of determining distribution of the hue notes of musical chords and melodies into such array elements (that may have very limited polyphony in some cases) is to use triggering methods. These can be used in real time, as is the case of “trigger mode” within Spectrasonics' Omnisphere. Ableton Live refers to a related method that we will call ‘clip launching’. In the case of ‘trigger mode’ in Omnisphere, this is used in real time and affects notes being played into the MIDI stream. It depends on the internal clock pulse (MTC in this case), which continuously defines tempo and temporal beat locations. To use ‘trigger mode’ a user sets a ‘triggering pulse’, such as 8th note, quarter note, or bar. Say that a user selects a selected pulse, such as one 8th note. Between pulses the notes are “bucketed”; they are then sounded when the ‘triggering pulse’ (for e.g. 8th note) is reached (thus the next 8th note becomes the ‘activating pulse’). This allows non-musicians and keyboard players to more easily create music, by freeing them from the concern of being “off the beat”. This use of Omnisphere trigger mode also permits the present invention to wait and ‘finalize’ the distribution of the hue notes of hue chords on the ‘activating pulse’. This means that non-keyboard players could use a keyboard and trigger very rhythmically precise lighting performances, but also it means that voice leading can be better transferred to the color object arrays (see below). Similarly, use of the method exemplified in Ableton Live's clip launching will also help the present invention to obtain with rhythmically precision. But in this case, it would be to cue the triggering of pre-existing clips of lighting material. At the ‘activating pulse’ these would then be triggered (aka “launched”, as a “clip”). In either case the ‘triggering pulse’ setting is present, even though it may be “off” or “on”. IF it is “off”, the clip will be triggered immediately. If it is “on” the clip will be triggered at the next pulse occurrence. (Clips would contain hue note events, or “continuous controller” messages, and the clips would play these events when triggered). (The ‘triggering pulse’ for either ‘trigger mode’ or ‘clip launching’ could be anything useful, including 16th, 8th, quarter note, half note, and whole notes, etc. In the case of ‘clip launching’ the ‘triggering pulse’ could also be, two-whole notes, four whole notes, 8 whole notes etc. Clip launching is a bit like launching “Lighting Chase Sequences” that subsequently follow MTC (which can be adjusted in real time by knob or by performing repetitive hits on a MIDI instrument); but when combined with the method known in Omnisphere as ‘trigger mode’, it will permit emotive performances by lighting performers whose rhythmic capabilities are limited.
Regarding color object arrays, bucketing the live-performed notes until the ‘triggering pulse’ is reached, as in trigger mode, or clip launching (of a “lighting material clip”) is most helpful. It is not just a way for rhythm-challenged lighting performers to obtain more rhythmic precision. It also provides a means for more predictable distribution of hue note melodies and chords onto array elements. For example imagine that a lighting performance is being triggered on a MIDI keyboard. Since keyboardists often play chords in slightly broken tempos, if distributed in near-real-time, the temporal ordering of the chord notes performed will often differ completely from their ordering in pitch height, and if a color object array has far less available color objects than the number of musical notes in the composition (its complete multi-octave range), to follow the keyboardist's ordering requires complicated and imperfect methods to help distribute the hue notes so pitch height of the music notes does correspond to the position of hue notes on the color objects. The ‘activating pulse’ provides a good rhythmic time when the ordering of chord notes according to pitch height can occur (benefiting from good voice leading of existing music compositions is aided by maintaining significant correspondence between pitch height of the compositions and ‘hue note display location’ on the color objects). The selection of shorter ‘triggering pulse’ settings can be made as the performer's rhythmic precision becomes greater.
In one embodiment of the present invention, just prior to the ‘activating pulse’, the “bucketed” hue notes are ‘finalized’ into pitch order up to the polyphony of available array elements of a chosen array (pitches exceeding the polyphony of available array elements may simply be ‘overflowed’), the number of remaining pitches is divided by the number of available array elements. If there is a remainder percentage this is divided in half and approximately this portion of color objects is used as a buffer at the front and end of the color object array. In this very rough method the hue notes are kept in pitch order and are distributed into successive array positions roughly in the middle of the series of array elements. This does avoid the case of hue chords ‘seeming to clump’ on one side or the other of the color object array. In one embodiment a more sophisticated, ‘proportion-based’ method of distributing bucketed notes is used, of 1) obtaining bucketed notes within the pre-established pitch range and polyphony limit, and 2) determining the proportional pitch height within that pre-established pitch range for every pitch in the bucket. Then, when the next occurrence of the selected pulse occurs the hue notes are distributed on the color object array so as to approximate that music pitch proportionality (rounding up or down to whole numbers [whole numbers represent the array elements] as necessary). The intent of this method is to more closely approximate the music's voice leading. (Voice leading in this particular context does not actually refer to “voices” as separated by channel or track. Rather it refers to apparent voices. Transitioning, successive notes in a chord can be presumed likely to form apparent “musical lines” to a listener, from one note to another, when the successive notes are relatively closer in pitch to one-another than to other successive notes transitioning at approximately the same beat. In the prior art, the closer a pair of successive notes is, the more weight it is given in a “voice-leading weighing function”. In this embodiment of the present invention a visual correspondence to this “apparent voice leading” is achieved by distributing hue notes in a similar proportionality to their distribution vertically on a music staff (very compact forms of this method can be used in which only a hint of the proportionality still exists, but it is nonetheless often helpful for the visual correspondence.)
In another embodiment of the present invention the prior art's method of “latching” notes is used to latch hue notes (as in Omnisphere “latch mode”).
To configure the exemplary system, in step 810 are defined the functional correspondences between music and hue intervals (typically with hues based on the incoming octave-reduced intervals). In step 820 is defined the correspondences between input sources and color object arrays, which will typically define a filtering of the incoming non-octave-reduced intervals (as per track, channel, pitch filter, etc.), thus defining what will be received by the separate color object arrays (aka “visual voicing arrays”. In step 830 is determined the temporal-spatial-voicing mapping, meaning the mapping of the incoming non-octave-reduced intervals within their “visual voice arrays” (as determined from step 820), e.g. to map hue notes to the array elements relative to actual melodic interval if comprising a solo or melody, current chord member pitch height position if comprising chords, or position within the bar or beat grouping, etc. such as if comprising percussive notes. In step 840 is defined the visual-harmony performance mapping, which can call up preset variations of steps 810, 810, and 810. In systems with virtually modifiable color objects and color object arrays, step 840 can involve modulating the position and rate of flow of the virtually modifiable color objects (e.g. onscreen) and virtually modifiable color object arrays (e.g. onscreen). For use of the exemplary system, in 850 music-interval-comprised-data is obtained. In 860 music intervals are obtained from said music-interval-comprised data, and hue intervals are obtained from them. In 870 based on track, channel, pitch filter, etc., the system obtains ‘hue note part’ (i.e. chord, solo, bass, etc.) mappings to arrays, and based on non-octave-reduced interval relationships (depending on mapping methods being employed on that array) obtains the hue note mapping within each array. I.e. in step 870 is obtained the current mapping logic for the music-harmony-relationship events (this mapping logic directs the hue notes [based on non-octave-reduced musical intervals] to their determined color object arrays, and then directs the individual hue notes onto the color objects within those arrays). And in step 880 visual output is generated.
In describing the thiNC interface above it was mentioned that in our research we have found that larger hue notes tend to impose some imprecisely known influence on other hue notes in the present hue harmony that acts similarly to the influence that musical notes with pitches lower in the bass impose on other notes in the momentary musical harmony (perhaps because larger hue notes occupy more space in the visual field, similar to the way bass frequencies spread out more in space in the audio field). When music composers do their work, they are aware of this influence. In one embodiment of the present invention relatively lower pitches are placed on relatively larger color objects. Music composers are also aware of the way that rhythm and harmony interrelate such that the roots of chords are often played in the bass register on the downbeat. For this reason, in one embodiment of the present invention the chords of a music file can be “mined” for their chord roots, and these chord roots can be displayed on a color object array comprised of relatively larger color objects.
We mentioned that rapid note changes, such as those that occur in a melody, might overwhelm the human visual sense if they were displayed as successive hue notes at the same location. This is why in one method of the present invention hue melodies are displayed so as to move along “paths”. Also in the section regarding the thiNC interface it was said that in music, when transitions occur on consecutive beat pulses between nearby pitches (usually 1-4 semitones with smaller spans being smoother) the music is described as having ‘smooth voice leading’, apparently because these closely-spaced pitch transitions are easy for the listener to follow. In the present method ‘smooth hue note voice leading’ is achieved when the location of the consecutive-pulse-&-nearby-in-pitch intervals is on hue notes that are in similar relative ‘spatial distance’ positions to their loosely-approximate relative ‘interval distance’ (or, less often, ‘pitch distance’) positions. In one method of the present invention approximate translation is made from the proximity between the music intervals obtained by the music-interval-comprised-data receiving device and the proximity of color objects as distributed in the color object array.
Next are described some methods of mapping to color object arrays in order to effectively “visually voice” the color sets (of hue intervals) as hue notes on “color objects”, using color object paths and dimensions. These methods involve obtaining music-interval-relationship data such as ‘melodic interval proximity’, ‘pitch height’, ‘chord tone member pitch hierarchy position’ (the relative pitch height of chord tones), two-octave-reduced chord tone height above the chord root (this is a root position form of the chord), and ‘music note event's musical rhythmic interval position’ (so as to map events so that relative nearness in time is mapped to relative nearness in space). This information is obtained from the received music interval data, it is used by the music-harmony-to-color-harmony software module for mapping onto the color object arrays per some selected and defined mapping method (aka “output procedure” method) such as those described below.
In one embodiment of the present invention relatively lower pitches generate relatively larger color objects.
In one embodiment of the present invention the music note event's relative musical rhythmic interval position is mapped to relative spatial position along a path. In one embodiment of the present invention the music note event's rhythmic closeness determines the hue note's spatial closeness.
In one embodiment the system is a color-in color-out system 1100.
Application examples would be to take a digital camera photograph of a person's eyes, hair and skin, interpret these as music intervals, and determine the complementary hue intervals based on music theory, or determine “hue intervals to avoid” based on music theory. “Hue intervals to avoid” can be colors producing unpleasing hue chords, based on music theory. One may wish to avoid wearing colors that produce a set of augmented or diminished hue intervals, including when taking into account the eyes, hair, and skin. “Hue intervals to avoid” can also be those hue intervals that would tend to focus or strengthen the awareness of a viewer upon other hue intervals that should more appropriately be de-emphasized. The system can be used to notify a person of this regarding their personal beautification choices. For example certain yellow and green tones can be disadvantageous as skin tones in personal appearance. And wearing these in makeup or clothing, or wearing certain other hue intervals (particularly a P5 away but also a hue Major or hue minor 3rd away) may emphasize these to others that see this person, making this person appear pale. For example the software can warn a person not to wear a specific blue hue interval that is a P5 from those yellow or yellow-green tones one wishes to avoid, and instead suggest wearing another blue hue interval that instead theoretically may “bring out” (e.g. by being itself a P5 away from them) other hues in the skin tone that suggest health (e.g. warmer or more ruddy hues).
In one embodiment the system is a color-in music-out system 1200.
In one embodiment music-interval-like hue intervals, as are derived by the present method, may be stored and re-used.
In one embodiment such music-interval-like hue interval data can have music-like transposition methods applied to it.
In one embodiment music-interval-like hue interval data may include a music tonic and a hue tonic, as well as hue chord roots.
Note that while hue chord roots may simply be the same as their source music chord roots, however because a music tonic and a hue tonic are different constructs, the subject of designated music tonics within the music-interval-like hue data requires clarification. So we must point out that the meaning of “music tonic” is “the tonic that exists for a set of music intervals or music-interval-like hue intervals by reason of music theory”.
Sometimes in music a progression is described generically, for instance as an ii-V-I progression. This description is possible because of the ability of music theory methods to enable recognition, irrespective of the chord inversions used in the voicings, that certain interval constructs perform certain functions. Two fundamental such interval construct functions are the function of the chord root and the function of the music tonic. (Probability weighting can be assigned when these functions are found not to be definite, as in the case of the chord C6 which can be difficult to distinguish between Am7 in some musical contexts, so what we will call herein the “rooting strength” of the comprised intervals of the chord can weighted. A weighting process could examine the octave-reduced intervals as if each one were the chord root in turn, and see which interval construct was most strengthening or least defeating of that particular root. If a weighting algorithm is constructed properly the pitches “C” and “A” should inevitably come out higher in the weighting that the other intervals, and a “tie breaker” approach is recommended if the rooting strengths of “C” and “A” are precisely equal. So that if there is a “tie” between these two pitches then the lower of the two pitches, in its non-octave-reduced form, will be chosen as the strongest root [the potential root with the most pull]). See the example rooting strength evaluation method below for a slightly fuller example. The present invention makes such determined or weighted music tonics and such determined or weighted chord roots applicable to color harmony theory. In the case of the generic ii-V-I progression mentioned above, the root of the I chord will be the music tonic. In music this progression can be musically transposed so that this music tonic can be any pitch. Similarly in the method of the present invention, when made into music-interval-like hue intervals, this music tonic can be any hue—but this root of the I chord remains the music tonic. The hue chosen (by system or user) is what is meant by the term ‘hue tonic’. (Perhaps the term ‘hue tonic’ could be replaced by the term ‘chosen hue key root’.) But regardless of this decision to transpose the progression so as to have different hue tonics, the ‘music tonic’ remains the generic music-interval-like hue interval structure tonic, with its certain intervallic relationship to the other generic hue intervals; so the music-interval-like hue intervals may include both a designated music tonic and a hue tonic. (Of course it may include neither).
Weightings for intervals given are examples only. (Evaluate the chord (set of chord tones) by testing each chord tone as a “test root”, i.e. as if it could be the chord root, finding intervals in the CRVI table, then pulling the weights for each “found interval” from the CRWI table below.
Procedure:
Values in the table are {0, 1, 2, . . . , 9, a, b}, for the 12 semitones of the octave (a and b symbolize 10 and 11, and act as such in any formulae below)
E.g. start at top left cell and check if that interval exists relative to the present test root. For each interval that exists in the set of chord tones, cumulate its value from CRWI (in the respective cell) into the weighting for the test root until the table is read through as in the following description. If an interval does not exist, go to the cell below and see if that related interval exists. (E.g. if no P5 exists, only then check below to see if a #5 or b5 exists; if no Major 3rd exists, only then check below to see if a minor third or suspended third exists; if no major seventh exists, only then check if a minor seventh exists; if no ninth exists, only then check if a b9 or #9 exists, etc.) After either finding the interval in the top cell, or one of the intervals in the cells below it, or exhausting all the cells with values in them in that column, proceed to the next column to the right and do the same.
Once all chord tones are looked up for their interval weights in CRWI, and their weights are cumulated into a total, find the test root with the highest total test root weight. If there is a tie between multiple test roots, take the test root that is the chord tone that is lowest in terms of its non-octave-reduced pitch, and add 10, making it the strongest root.
This procedure is not only for finding a (presumably) most likely chord root, but it results in a set of rooting strength weights for every chord tone in the set of chord tones.
In one embodiment the music-interval-like hue interval data, as per the m2h index, is incorporated into DVS (Digital Vinyl System) data and media, allowing a light show sequence, one that corresponds to the intervals received by the music-interval-comprised-data receiving device, to be played and controlled via a DVS turntable. This light show (that corresponds to the music intervals received by the music-interval-comprised-data receiving device as a source music sequence) can be displayed on a color output device while synchronized to playback of its source music sequence; or it can be synchronized to music output that has been creatively manipulated from the source music sequence (and as long as it maintains a fair amount of correspondence with that source music sequence it may remain desirable as a light show product). The tempo of both the light show sequence and the source music sequence can be altered while synchronized to one another. By a setting in the software, the tempo shifting (which will normally shift musical pitch) can be allowed to shift hue in the corresponding manner; or not. Meanwhile, by a setting in the software, while leaving tempo alone, either the hue intervals or the music intervals may be transposed without transposing the other.
If the source music sequence is being output as music protocol data, as into a MIDI instrument, then transposition simply involves moving the set of intervals up or down in pitch. If the source music sequence is being output as an audio file then transposing the intervals is accomplished by algorithmically shifting the notes up or down by stretching or shrinking the duration, but this basic manipulation by stretching or shrinking changes both duration and pitch. Duration and pitch can be altered independently using more advanced algorithms such as those by zplane's Elastique, and Serato.
In one embodiment the music-interval-like hue interval data is chemically printed or formulated into a circular lens that can be rotated on a turntable platter (like a record player platter) to affect at least one fibre optic light strand, as the color output device (as to serve for lighting on a Christmas tree).
Various embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated; however, the description and illustrations are by way of example only. Other embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the invention and will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details of the representative embodiments and illustrated examples in this description. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except as necessitated by the accompanying claims and their equivalents.
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