Patent ID: 8373055

Claim:
A musical tone output switching method wherein: switching between a multi-timbre state in which tones with various timbres are outputted or inputted simultaneously and a non-multi-timbre state in which tones with a single timbre are outputted or inputted with the multi-timbre state removed; switching between an out-communication state in which tone data is transmitted to the external apparatus connected to a tone apparatus, an in-communication state in which said tone data is transmitted only inside said tone apparatus, and a both-communication state in which the out and in-communication states are provided simultaneously, selecting said both-communication state for different sets of timbre each representing at least one timbre to send and receive said tone data when said multi-timbre state is selected; selecting at least one of the out, in, or both-communication states of said tone data when the musical tone output switching apparatus is turned on, the musical tone output switching apparatus is initialized, or processing to initialize the musical tone output switching apparatus is carried out; selecting the out-communication state for a first musical tone, selecting the in-communication state for a second musical tone, and transmitting separately the first musical tone corresponding to the out-communication state and the second musical tone corresponding to the in-communication state, all when said non-multi-timbre state is selected, wherein said tone data sent and received is timbre data or musical factor data the timbre data or the musical factor data of only the external apparatus is changed in said out-communication state, the timbre data or the musical factor data of only the musical tone output switching apparatus is changed in said in-communication state, and the timbre data or the musical factor data of both the external apparatus and tone output switching apparatus are changed in the both-communication state.