Illumination control device, illumination control method and illumination control program

A device includes: an information acquisition unit configured to obtain music piece information containing at least information on a beat position in music piece data; a lighting control unit configured to control a lighting fixture with reference to a change point of a lighting effect, whose minimum unit is defined by the beat position; and an operation interlock control unit configured to apply, in response to an operation performed on a music piece reproduction apparatus configured to reproduce the music piece data or a music piece reproduction controller configured to control the music piece reproduction apparatus, the lighting effect corresponding to the operation to the control of the lighting fixture.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a lighting controller, a lighting control method, and a lighting control program.

BACKGROUND ART

In a concert and a night club, it is an important stage factor to match lighting with a music piece or change lighting in synchronization with a music piece.

In order to obtain an accurate stage effect by matching lighting with a music piece, a dedicated lighting staff having a good understanding of the music piece desirably manipulates a lighting device. However, it is difficult in terms of costs and the like that the dedicated staff constantly stays in a small-sized concert, night club, event and the like.

In order to overcome this difficulty, it has been attempted to automatically match lighting with a music piece. For instance, according to the technique of Patent Literature 1 or 2, lighting control data relating to lighting contents matched with the music piece is generated in advance and lighting is controlled in synchronization with the music piece based on the lighting control data during performance, thereby achieving a desired lighting matched with the music piece.

In order to generate the lighting control data, for instance, target music piece data is analyzed in advance and divided into blocks (e.g., a verse, pre-chorus, and chorus), and a lighting pattern suitable to an image of each block is associated with each block.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature 2: JP 2010-192155 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Problem(s) to be Solved by the Invention

For the above-described lighting control of Patent Literature 1 or 2, the lighting control data corresponding to the music piece data is generated in advance. Specifically, for instance, desired lighting patterns are allocated to many blocks of the music piece on a one-to-one basis.

However, a failure in maintaining the synchronized control of the lighting corresponding to each block of the music piece causes temporal mismatch between the music piece and the lighting, so that desired stage effects cannot be obtained.

Especially, for instance, when a disc jockey (DJ) performs special reproduction, such as an operation for changing a time axis (e.g., scratch), on a music piece being reproduced in a concert and a night club, the position of elapsed time of the music piece being reproduced becomes misaligned with that of the lighting control.

Such misalignment is likely to cause the lighting to be mismatched with the music piece being reproduced later, impairing the unity of stage effects.

Accordingly, the DJ who performed the special reproduction would hastily adjust the current position of the lighting control data on site. However, it is considerably difficult to complete accurate timing setting in a short time merely by such an operation on site.

In view of the above, a technique has been demanded to maintain synchronization between reproduction of a music piece and lighting control even after special reproduction is performed.

Such a demand for maintaining synchronization between the pre-generated lighting control data and lighting control has arisen in connection with not only special reproduction as described above but also operations not programmed according to the lighting control data, such as adding effects by the DJ on site as needed and adjusting the volume.

An object of the invention is to provide a lighting controller, a lighting control method, and a lighting control program that allow for the maintenance of synchronization between reproduction of a music piece and lighting control after an unplanned operation is performed.

Means for Solving the Problem(s)

According to an aspect of the invention, a lighting controller includes: an information acquisition unit configured to obtain music piece information containing at least information on a beat position in music piece data; a lighting control unit configured to control a lighting fixture with reference to a change point of a lighting effect, whose minimum unit is defined by the beat position; and an operation interlock control unit configured to apply, in response to an operation performed on a music piece reproduction apparatus configured to reproduce the music piece data or a music piece reproduction controller configured to control the music piece reproduction apparatus, the lighting effect corresponding to the operation to the control of the lighting fixture.

According to another aspect of the invention, a lighting control method configured to be implemented with use of a computer system includes: obtaining music piece information containing at least information on a beat position in music piece data; controlling a lighting fixture with reference to a change point of a lighting effect, whose minimum unit is defined by the beat position; and applying, in response to an operation performed on a music piece reproduction apparatus configured to reproduce the music piece data or a music piece reproduction controller configured to control the music piece reproduction apparatus, the lighting effect corresponding to the operation to the control of the lighting fixture.

According to still another aspect of the invention, a lighting control program configured to enable a computer system to implement the lighting control method according to the above aspect.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S)

Exemplary embodiment(s) of the invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1illustrates a sound responsive lighting system1used at a live-performance space in a night club and the like.

The sound responsive lighting system1includes: a music piece reproduction apparatus10configured to reproduce a music piece; a lighting fixture20configured to provide lighting in the live-performance space; and a lighting controller30configured to control the lighting fixture20.

The music piece reproduction apparatus10includes a general-purpose personal computer (PC) with a music player software and an acoustic system13connected to the PC. The PC includes a reproduction control unit12, which is configured to function when the music player software runs, so that music piece data11stored in the PC can be sent in the form of an acoustic signal to the acoustic system13to reproduce music based on the music piece data11in the live-performance space.

The music piece data11can be supplied to the music piece reproduction apparatus10with use of, for instance, a disc or via a network communication.

The music piece reproduction apparatus10is not limited to a PC audio system including the above general-purpose PC and may be a dedicated disc reproduction apparatus or music piece data reproduction apparatus.

The music piece reproduction apparatus10is connected to a DJ controller19(music piece reproduction controller) used by a user, or disc jockey (DJ), to perform special reproduction (e.g., scratch) and/or an operation for effects.

The DJ controller19includes operation units, such as jog dial, pad, rotary volume knob, volume slider, switch, and selector, necessary for reproduction control of a music piece reproduced by the music piece reproduction apparatus10.

Among the above operation units, the rotary volume knob and the volume slider allow for continuous change in parameters for reproducing a music piece (e.g., total volume, volume of bass, and channel allocation).

The switch and the selector allow for intermittent change (e.g., on/off of reproduction of a music piece and selection of a music piece).

The pad is used for a pad operation (e.g., addition of an effect having been assigned).

The jog dial is used for a jog operation for special reproduction (e.g., scratch) that changes the time position of the music piece data during reproduction.

It should be noted that the DJ controller19is not necessarily externally connected as a music piece reproduction controller to the music piece reproduction apparatus10but may be provided in the music piece reproduction apparatus10.

The lighting fixture20, which provides lighting in a live-performance space and an event space, includes various lighting devices21frequently used as live-performance equipment.

Examples of the lighting devices21include a bar light, an electronic flash, and a moving head, which are frequently used for stage lighting. For each of the lighting devices21, parameters such as on and off of the lighting, brightness thereof, and, depending on the lighting device, an irradiation direction and a moving speed of the lighting device can be specified.

In order to control the above parameters, the lighting devices21of the lighting fixture20, which comply with the DMX512 standard, are connected to each other in accordance with the DMX512 standard, and lighting control signals22, which complies with the DMX512 standard, are sent to the lighting devices21to allow the lighting devices21to provide a desired lighting.

It should be noted that, although the DMX512 standard is a common standard in the field of stage lighting, the lighting fixture20and a later-described lighting controller30may comply with any other standard.

The lighting controller30includes, for instance, a general-purpose PC or a built-in device installed with a lighting control software configured to enable the control according to the exemplary embodiment. The above-described PC for the music piece reproduction apparatus10may be used for the lighting controller30in common.

The lighting controller30includes an information acquisition unit31, a lighting control information editing unit32, a lighting control unit34, an operation interlock control unit39(including a lighting effect setting unit38), which are configured to function when the lighting control software runs.

Among the above units, the information acquisition unit31and the lighting control information editing unit32are configured to generate lighting control data33corresponding to the music piece data11.

Meanwhile, the lighting control unit34is configured to control the lighting fixture20based on the generated lighting control data33. In the exemplary embodiment, the lighting control unit34is configured to function when a DMX control software runs on the PC of the lighting controller30. The lighting control data33is in the form of a DMX control program to be processed by the lighting control unit34.

The lighting control data33and the lighting control unit34each comply with the DMX512 standard of the lighting fixture20. Thus, when lighting operations are written in the lighting control data33in accordance with the DMX512 standard, the lighting control unit34can control the lighting fixture20to perform a desired lighting operation.

It should be noted that the lighting control unit34is not necessarily configured to function when the DMX control software runs but may be provided by a hardware DMX controller connected to the PC used as the lighting controller30. When the lighting fixture20complies with a standard different from the DMX standard, the lighting control unit34also complies with the same standard as that of the lighting fixture20.

In the exemplary embodiment, lighting control information is allocated to each of parts of the music piece data11in the lighting control data33.

Lighting control information331corresponding to each of the blocks111is set in the lighting control data33. Specifically, respective pieces of lighting control information331are allocated to the introduction, the verse, the pre-chorus, the chorus, the break, the verse repetition, and the ending.

For allocating the lighting control information331, the information acquisition unit31and the lighting control information editing unit32each perform a process per beat position in the music piece.

The information acquisition unit31reads the music piece data11from the music piece reproduction apparatus10, conducts a music piece analysis of the registered sound data to detect the beat positions and tempos of the music piece, and registers the detected beat positions and tempos as music piece analysis information. In the music piece analysis information, each of the beat positions can be registered as a temporal position on the music piece data11.

Further, the information acquisition unit31may distinguish a drum sound and a snare sound and, for instance, detect the drum sound at 1stand 3rdbeat positions and the snare sound at 2ndand 4thbeat positions, thereby detecting bar positions. Moreover, the information acquisition unit31may analyze keys and chords of the music piece and, for instance, detect a distribution of phrases, thereby detecting a block (e.g., a verse, pre-chorus and chorus) consisting of a plurality of bars.

A technology of conducting such a music piece analysis is exemplified by the technology disclosed in the patent publication JP 2010-97084 A.

The lighting control information editing unit32is configured to generate the lighting control data33to be sent to the lighting control unit34. For data creation, the lighting control information editing unit32plots a plurality of reference positions for allocating the lighting control information based on the beat positions in the music piece analysis information obtained by the information acquisition unit31.

As shown inFIG. 3, for instance, blank lighting control data333having a length corresponding to a length of the music piece data11is generated in advance and reference positions332are registered at respective temporal positions, which correspond one-to-one to the beat positions, in the blank lighting control data333. As a result, the blank lighting control data333having the length corresponding to the length of the music piece data11and being divided into small sections defined by the reference positions332(there are many) can be obtained.

The lighting control information editing unit32edits the blank lighting control data333sectioned by the reference positions332to allocate the lighting control information331(seeFIG. 2) to each of the target parts of the blank lighting control data.

As shown inFIG. 4, for instance, a DJ (user) determines a lighting image334based on an image of each of the blocks111of the music piece data11. The lighting control information331, which specifically represents the lighting image334, is allocated to the blank lighting control data333.

The lighting control information331includes information specifying the above lighting devices21in the lighting fixture20and specifying the parameters for each of the lighting devices21, such as On/Off of the lighting, brightness thereof, and, depending on the lighting device, an irradiation direction and a moving speed of the lighting device.

The user may define the lighting control information331each time when specifying the above factors. Alternatively, at least one lighting control information set with high versatility may be preset in the lighting control information editing unit32in advance so that the user can select the information set as the lighting control information331.

Still alternatively, sets of lighting control information may be combined in advance to generate a lighting pattern that evokes a predetermined image, which includes a simple image (e.g., “dark”, “bright”, “red” and “blue”) and an emotional image (e.g., “lively”, “cheerful”, “lonely”, “sad”, and “frightening”).

In allocating the lighting control information331, for instance, the blank lighting control data333is displayed on the screen of the PC in the form of a bar graph with the reference positions332shown as a grid. The user can thus roughly allocate the lighting control information331to a position of each of target sections defined by the grid on the screen using, for instance, a keyboard and/or a pointing device (e.g., touchpad) connected to the PC.

Although the lighting control information331would be roughly allocated, the lighting control information editing unit32repositions the lighting control information331to be fitted to the closest one of the reference positions332.

Specifically, as shown inFIG. 4, the lighting control information editing unit32registers the lighting control information331on the blank lighting control data333with reference to the reference positions332. In other words, a start position of the set lighting control information331is forced to be positionally adjusted (so-called sucked) to the nearest one of the reference positions332.

For instance, when a lighting control information set A is set at a verse part of a music piece, the lighting control information editing unit32embeds the lighting control information331corresponding to the lighting control information set A into a part of the lighting control data33corresponding to the verse part.

The lighting control information editing unit32thus generates the lighting control data33containing the pieces of lighting control information331allocated to be neatly fitted to the respective reference positions332.

It should be noted that the start position of the lighting control information331in the lighting control data33may be deliberately misaligned from the closest one of the reference positions332. Specifically, the value representing the temporal position of the lighting control information331allocated in the lighting control data33may be changed to a value representing a position different from the corresponding one of the reference positions332by a user's operation. Alternatively, the user may perform an operation for changing the start position of the lighting control information331shown on the screen to a desired position on the lighting control data33, thereby changing the temporal position.

The lighting control data33, in which the lighting control information331is allocated by the lighting control information editing unit32, is referred to by the lighting control unit34.

The lighting control unit34controls the lighting fixture20based on the generated lighting control data33as described above.

The lighting control unit34usually controls the lighting fixture20by processing the lighting control data33in synchronization with an operation of the reproduction control unit12of the music piece reproduction apparatus10for processing the music piece data11to reproduce it, thus achieving a desired lighting.

Here, when the DJ (user) uses the DJ controller19to perform an operation related to reproducing a music piece, especially, special reproduction (e.g., scratch), or an operation related to a time axis, the control of the lighting fixture20by the lighting control unit34is changed accordingly.

Thus, the lighting control unit34is connected to the operation interlock control unit39, which includes the lighting effect setting unit38, and the operation interlock control unit39is configured to receive an operation signal from the DJ controller19.

It should be noted that the operation interlock control unit39is not necessarily directly connected to the DJ controller19and may be configured such that an operation signal having been inputted to the music piece reproduction apparatus10from the DJ controller19is transferred to the operation interlock control unit39.

The operation interlock control unit39may obtain, instead of an operation signal from the DJ controller19, a displacement of the current reproduction position or a variation in reproduction speed provided to the reproduction control unit12as a result of operating the DJ controller19.

The operation interlock control unit39monitors an operation signal from the DJ controller19and detects, in response to an operation on the operation unit(s) (e.g., jog dial) of the DJ controller19, an operation content (e.g., scratch) related thereto. The lighting effect setting unit38then obtains lighting effect information corresponding to the detected operation content based on preset lighting effect setting information18and sends the lighting effect information to the lighting control unit34.

In the lighting effect setting information18, correspondence is set between each of the operation units of the DJ controller19(e.g., jog dial, pad, rotary volume knob, volume slider, switch, and selector) and “lighting effect information” defining a lighting effect resulting from an operation on the “operation unit” as shown inFIG. 5.

For instance, “change the beam direction right and left with forwarding and reversing” (lighting effect information) is set in connection with the “jog dial” (operation unit).

Thus, when the operation interlock control unit39detects the operation (e.g., scratch) on the jog dial of the DJ controller19, the lighting effect setting unit38selects the lighting effect information of “change the beam direction right and left with forwarding and reversing” and sends the information to the lighting control unit34.

Pieces of such lighting effect information may be set as the lighting effect setting information18in the lighting effect setting unit38in advance by a DJ or a manufacturer of the lighting controller30.

Further, when the operation content is related to reproduction of the music piece data11and intended to change the current reproduction position back and forth and change the reproduction speed, the operation interlock control unit39transfers this operation content, which is categorized as special reproduction requiring an operation on the time axis, to the lighting control unit34. Consequently, a similar operation (an operation for changing the reproduction position back and forth and changing the reproduction speed) is added in processing the lighting control data33by the lighting control unit34.

As shown inFIG. 1, when the reproduction control unit12of the music piece reproduction apparatus10normally reproduces the music piece data11(reproduction at a predetermined constant speed), the lighting control unit34of the lighting controller30processes the lighting control data33at a normal constant speed so that the lighting fixture20achieves lighting matched with the music piece.

In a normal reproduction state, the music piece data11reproduced by the music piece reproduction apparatus10is synchronized with the lighting control data33processed by the lighting control unit34as shown inFIG. 6. Specifically, a current reproduction position ps in the music piece data11for the music piece reproduction apparatus10and a current processing position pi in the lighting control data33for the lighting control unit34are matched with each other and shift at the same speed.

Here, referring toFIG. 1, assume that the DJ controller19is operated such that the current reproduction position ps in the music piece data11is moved back and forth and/or the reproduction speed is changed for special reproduction.

For instance, referring toFIG. 6, assume that the current reproduction position ps in the music piece data11is moved back and forth, forming an operation trajectory119as time t elapses.

In such a state, if the processing of the lighting control data33by the lighting control unit34progresses as before, the reproduction of the music piece data11will become unsynchronized with the processing of lighting control data33.

Accordingly, the operation interlock control unit39monitors an operation signal from the DJ controller19and, in response to an operation on the DJ controller19, moves the current processing position pi in the lighting control data33for the lighting control unit34back and forth and/or change the processing speed.

For instance, referring toFIG. 6, when the current reproduction position ps in the music piece data11is moved back and forth as shown by the operation trajectory119, the current processing position pi is similarly moved as shown by an operation trajectory339in processing the lighting control data33.

This allows for constantly maintaining correspondence between the current reproduction position ps in the music piece data11and the current processing position pi in the lighting control data33even when the special reproduction is performed using the DJ controller19.

Specifically, the operation interlock control unit39allows a change resulting from an operation for the reproduction of the music piece data11to be applied to the control of lighting based on the lighting control data33, thus always synchronizing the music piece data11with the lighting control data33.

It should be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiment but includes any modifications and the like compatible with the invention.

As shown inFIG. 5, the exemplary embodiment uses the lighting effect setting information18containing the different pieces of lighting effect information set in connection with the respective operation units. However, as shown inFIG. 7, some exemplary embodiments use lighting effect setting information18A containing different pieces of lighting effect information set in connection with the respective operation types of the operation units. Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 8, some exemplary embodiments use lighting effect setting information18B containing different pieces of lighting effect information set in connection with the respective functions of units being operated.

Referring toFIG. 7, the lighting effect setting information18A indicates correspondence of each of the operation units (e.g., jog dial) of the DJ controller19, an “operation type” of the operation unit, and “lighting effect information”, which defines a lighting effect, corresponding to the operation type.

For instance, “scratch” is to be performed on the “jog dial” (operation unit). For “scratch”, “change the beam direction right and left with forwarding and reversing” (lighting effect information) is set.

Thus, when the operation interlock control unit39detects “scratch” performed on the jog dial of the DJ controller19, the lighting effect setting unit38selects the lighting effect information of “change the beam direction right and left with forwarding and reversing” and sends the information to the lighting control unit34.

Referring toFIG. 8, the lighting effect setting information18B indicates correspondence of each of the operation units (e.g., jog dial) of the DJ controller19, an “operation type” of the operation unit, a “function group” to which the operation type belongs, and “lighting effect information”, which defines a lighting effect, corresponding to the “function group”.

For instance, “scratch” is to be performed on the “jog dial” (operation unit). The “scratch” belongs to “special reproduction” (function group). For “special reproduction”, “change the beam direction right and left with forwarding and reversing” (lighting effect information) is set.

Thus, when the operation interlock control unit39detects “scratch” performed on the jog dial of the DJ controller19, the lighting effect setting unit38selects the lighting effect information of “change the beam direction right and left with forwarding and reversing” and sends the information to the lighting control unit34.

Although the music piece reproduction apparatus10is a PC audio system in the above exemplary embodiment, the music piece reproduction apparatus10is a dedicated disc reproduction apparatus or music piece data reproduction apparatus in some exemplary embodiments. Further, instead of the music piece reproduction apparatus10being externally connected to the DJ controller19(i.e., separate music piece reproduction controller), the music piece reproduction apparatus10is a music piece reproduction apparatus including therein a DJ controller for DJ operation in some exemplary embodiments. In the latter case, the lighting controller30is configured to detect an operation performed on the operation unit provided to the music piece reproduction apparatus10.

Further, the lighting controller30and the music piece reproduction apparatus10are integral with each other in some exemplary embodiments. For instance, in the above exemplary embodiment, the software allowing a PC to function as the lighting controller30and the software allowing a PC to function as the music piece reproduction apparatus10can be loaded on the same PC so that the lighting controller30and the music piece reproduction apparatus10are allowed to function on the same PC.

Further, the lighting fixture20and the lighting controller30comply with a standard different from the DMX512 standard in some exemplary embodiments.

In the above exemplary embodiment, the beat positions in the music piece analysis information are detected as the reference positions in the music piece, which are referred to for allocating the lighting control information. However, in some exemplary embodiments, instead of or in addition to allocating the lighting control information with reference to a length defined per unit of beat position, the lighting control information is set per unit defined by bars obtained as the music piece analysis information or unit defined by blocks (e.g., verse, pre-chorus and chorus) each consisting of a plurality of bars.

It should be noted that, even when the bar unit or the block unit is defined as the unit for allocating the lighting control information, the reference positions may be defined with reference to the beat positions.

Although being generated by the lighting controller30in the above exemplary embodiment, the lighting control data33can be externally edited and read by the lighting controller30in some exemplary embodiments. In the latter case, the information acquisition unit31and the lighting control information editing unit32of the lighting controller30are not necessary.