Musical Tone Wave Shape Generating Apparatus

Abstract

A first memory digitally stores the levels of the spectra of the fundamental wave and each harmonic up to the mth harmonic of intended tone color waves, a second memory digitally stores values X.sub.O through X.sub.N of a sinusoidal wave function at the respective points in its one cycle sampled by a sampling number N, and a third memory is for writing incoming information to be thereafter read out. Digital signals (a, b, . . . z) each representing amplitude of the respective tone color are sequentially and repetitiously produced. The levels of the spectra (fundamentals: a.sub.1 b.sub.1, . . . z.sub.1 ; second harmonics: a.sub.2, b.sub.2 . . . z.sub.2 ; . . . ; mth harmonics: a.sub.m, b.sub.m, . . . z.sub.m) for the respective tone color waves are sequentially read from the first memory. The amplitude signals and the level signals are respectively multiplied with each other tone color by tone color, and thereafter are added cumulatively for each of the fundamental waves and the harmonics to produce each cumulative value H.sub.p = (a .times. a.sub.p) + (b .times. b.sub.p) + . . . + (z .times. z.sub.p); where p = . . . ,m. On the other hand, values of the sinusoidal function at the respective address points PQ mod N, where Q = 1, . . . N, are read from the second memory and these read out outputs are multiplied by the respective value H.sub.p. The products of the multiplication are added cumulatively for values H.sub.1 through Hm to obtain a signal ##SPC1## . This signal Y.sub.Q is sequentially written in an address Q in the third memory to constitute the desired musical tone wave shape. Then this musical tone wave shape is read out at an appropriate rate.

Description

This invention relates to a musical tone wave shape generating apparatus.

A musical tone wave shape can be divided into a fundamental wave content and one or more harmonic contents, no matter how complicated the wave shape may appear. Conversely, a desired musical tone wave shape can be obtained by synthesizing its fundamental wave and one or more predetermined harmonics at an appropriate ratio of levels. The present invention makes use of this principle.

A specific musical tone wave shape may be obtained by providing a memory which stores this specific musical tone wave shape and reading it from the memory. It is very difficult, however, to change the contents once stored in the memory. In order to obtain a plurality of different musical tone wave shapes, it is therefore necessary to provide a plurality of memories which respectively store one of the different wave shapes. If the number of required musical tone wave shapes is large, a corresponding large number of memories are required. Furthermore, a desired musical tone wave shape will not always be obtained from one of these memories if the desired wave shape is not stored in any of the memories.

For obtaining a musical tone wave shape, it is also possible to provide memories which respectively store the fundamental wave and each harmonic, read these waves from the respective memories and synthesize them at a suitable ratio of levels. This alternative, however, is still not quite free from the disadvantage that the apparatus requires a large number of memories.

It is, therefore, a general object of the invention to provide a musical tone wave shape generating apparatus capable of producing a desired musical tone wave shape with a relatively simple construction.

It is another object of the invention to provide a musical tone wave shape generating apparatus capable of producing a desired musical tone wave shape by providing a single memory storing sinusoidal waves in digital representation, reading the fundamental wave and each harmonic of the desired musical tone wave shape from this single memory and synthesizing these waves at an appropriate ratio of levels into the desired musical tone wave shape.

It is another object of the invention to provide a musical tone wave shape generating apparatus which comprises means for determining amplitudes of a plurality of tone-colors, a first memory for storing digitally the levels of spectra of each tone-color, a first addition circuit for multiplying the spectra of the fundamental wave and harmonics of each tone-color with corresponding volumes and adding the products of the multiplication for each of the fundamental wave and harmonics, a second memory for storing digitally the sinusoidal wave shape of the fundamental wave shape for one cycle, means for providing readout address signals to said second memory in a predetermined order and thereby reading out each function value of the fundamental wave and harmonics, a second addition circuit for multiplying the signals read from the second memory with the signals from the first addition circuit and adding the products of the multiplication each time the signal corresponding either to the fundamental wave or the highest harmonic is produced from the first addition circuit, means for writing in time sequence digital signals representing the results of the addition from the second addition circuit into a third memory and means for reading out the contents of the third memory at a predetermined clock rate.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a musical tone wave shape generating apparatus which is capable of converting an analog signal representing the amplitude of each tone-color to a digital signal by providing a single analog-to-digital converter.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the description made hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1a and 1b are block diagrams showing one embodiment of the musical tone wave shape generating apparatus according to the invention. The circuit of this embodiment is divided into two parts by line I--I;

FIG. 2a is a graphical diagram showing the wave shape of an input to an analog-to-digital converter;

FIG. 2b is a graphical diagram showing the levels of spectra of each tone-color;

FIG. 3 is a graphical diagram for illustrating the reading from a sinusoidal wave function memory;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing one example of a wave shape stored in a composite wave shape memory CM.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the musical tone wave shape generating apparatus according to the invention. Clock pulses from a clock pulse generator C.sub.1 are applied to a tone-color scanning counter TC. The tone-color scanning counter TC consists, for example, of flip-flops of five stages. The output of each flip-flop is applied to a decoder D.sub.1. The decoder D.sub.1 successively produces its outputs (e.g., negative pulses) A through Z, A . . . in accordance with the contents of the counter TC, producing outputs in a manner similar to a ring counter.

There are provided tone-color selection and control knobs Sa to Sz corresponding respectively to tone colors A to Z. The amplitude of a selected tone-color can be controlled by operating a corresponding knob. Amplitude control devices VR.sub.a to VR.sub.z consists, for example, of variable resistors each slider of which is operable by the knob.

Each slider of the amplitude control devices is connected to the drain of corresponding transistors TR.sub.a to TR.sub.z which respectively constitute gate circuits. The sources of these transistors TR.sub.a to TR.sub.z are connected in common connection to the input terminal of an analog-to-digital converter AD. The gates of the transistors TR.sub.a to TR.sub.z are respectively connected to the output terminals of the decoder D.sub.1.

When the decoder D.sub.1 is actuated to successively produce its outputs A, B, . . . Z, A, B . . . , the transistors of the gate circuit successively and cyclicly conduct in the order of TR.sub.a, TR.sub.b, . . . TR.sub.z, TR.sub.a, . . . . If the tone-color selection and control knobs Sa to Sz are respectively set at predetermined positions, voltages corresponding to the set positions of these knobs are successively applied to the input of the analog-to-digital converter AD. These applied voltages constitute a wave shape such as shown in FIG. 2a where voltage a corresponds to the knob S.sub.a, voltage b to the knob S.sub.b, . . . and voltage z to the knob S.sub.z respectively. These voltages are converted in the analog-to-digital converter AD to digital signals consisting of a suitable bit number, e.g., 5 and thereafter applied to the input terminals on one side of a multiplication circuit ML.sub.1.

The output of the last stage of the scanning counter TC is applied to a harmonic scanning counter HC. The harmonic scanning counter HC consists, for example, of flip-flops of five stages the outputs of which are applied to a decoder D.sub.2. The decoder D.sub.2 successively produces outputs 1, 2, . . . 32, 1, . . . in accordance with the contents of the scanning counter HC. Each of these outputs is used for designating a specific column of a tone-color spectra memory RM.

The tone-color spectra memory RM consists, for example, of a read only memory (ROM) and stores the levels of a fundamental wave component and higher harmonic wave components of each tone-color A, B, C, . . . Z. Each component of the tone-colors A through Z (hereinafter called "spectrum") has a level such as shown in FIG. 2b. In FIG. 2b, small letters a, b, c, . . . z respectively represent the components of the tone-colours A, B, C . . . Z. The numeral 1 affixed to these small letters represents the fundamental wave, the numeral 2 the second harmonic, . . . and the numeral 32 the 32nd harmonic respectively. Accordingly, a.sub.1, for example, represents the level of the fundamental wave component of the tone-color A.

The spectra a.sub.1 through a.sub.32, b.sub.1 through b.sub.32, . . . ; z.sub.1 through z.sub.32 are respectively stored in the tone-color spectra memory RM as digital information. The spectra a.sub.1 through a.sub.32 ; b.sub.1 through b.sub.32 ; . . . ; z.sub.1 through z.sub.32 are respectively stored in each row. Hence, the spectra a.sub.1, b.sub.1 . . . z.sub.1 are stored in the first column, the spectra a.sub.2, b.sub.2. . . z.sub.2 in the second column and the spectra a.sub.32, b.sub.32 . . . z.sub.32 in the 32nd column.

Each output line of the decoder D.sub.1 is connected also to the tone-color spectra memory RM, and each output of the decoder D.sub.1 selects a row of specific information stored in the memory RM. More specifically, when the output A is produced from the decoder D.sub.1, the row of the spectra a.sub.1, a.sub.2, . . . a.sub.32 is selected by this output A, whereas when the output 1 is produced from the decoder D.sub.2, the first column is selected by this output 1. Hence the spectrum a.sub.1 is read out.

As the decoder D.sub.1 operates to produce the outputs A, B, . . . , Z, A, . . . successively and repetitively, the column selecting signal from the decoder D.sub.2 is shifted to a next column at each cycle of the operation of the decoder D.sub.1. Accordingly, the spectra are successively and repetitiously read from the tone-color spectra memory RM in the order of a.sub.1, b.sub.1, through z.sub.1 ; a.sub.2, b.sub.2 through z.sub.2 ; a.sub.3, b.sub.3 through z.sub.3 ; . . . z.sub.32 ; a.sub.1, b.sub.1 . . . . These spectra are read out in the form of digital information consisting of a suitable number of bits, e.g., 8, and are applied to the input terminals on the other side of the multiplication circuit ML.sub.1.

When the decoder D.sub.1 produces the output A, a signal a is applied through the analog-to-digital converter AD to one of said input terminals on one side of the multiplication circuit ML.sub.1 and the signal a.sub.1 is applied from the tone-color spectra memory RM to one of said input terminals on the other side of the circuit ML.sub.1. Consequently, the multiplication circuit ML.sub.1 effects the calculation a .times. a.sub.1 (a times a.sub.1) and provides the result of the calculation to an addition circuit AC.sub.1. When the decoder D.sub.1 produces the output B, the multiplication circuit ML.sub.1 likewise effects the calculation b .times. b.sub.1, providing the result to the addition circuit AC.sub.1. Subsequently, results of calculations c .times. c.sub.1, d .times. d.sub.1, . . . z .times. z.sub.1 are provided to the addition circuit AC.sub.1. The addition circuit AC.sub.1 cumulatively adds the outputs of the multiplication circuit ML.sub.1 successively applied thereto and is reset by the output of the last stage of the tone-color scanning counter TC at each cycle of operation of the decoder D.sub.1. Accordingly, the addition circuit AC.sub.1 effects the following calculation and thereafter is reset:

H.sub.1 = (a .times. a.sub.1) + (b .times. b.sub.1) + . . . + (z .times. z.sub.1)

As the decoder D.sub.1 completes one cycle of its operation and starts a next cycle, the decoder D.sub.2 produces the output 2. The multiplication circuit ML.sub.1 effects calculations a .times. a.sub.2, b .times. b.sub.2, c .times. c.sub.2. . . z .times. z.sub.2 in the same operation principle as has been described above. The addition circuit AC.sub.1 effects the following calculation and thereafter is reset:

H.sub.2 = (a .times. a.sub.2) + (b .times. b.sub.2) + . . . + (z .times. z.sub.2)

The addition circuit AC.sub.1 subsequently makes the following calculations:

H.sub.3 = (a .times. a.sub.3) + (b .times. b.sub.3) + . . . + (z .times. z.sub.3)

H.sub.32 = (a .times. a.sub.32) + (b .times. b.sub.32) + . . . + (z .times. z.sub.32)

The signals H.sub.1 through H.sub.32 are successively applied to a temporary memory HM where they are stored temporarily and thereafter are successively applied to the input terminals on one side of a multiplication circuit ML.sub.3.

These signals H.sub.1 through H.sub.32 are signals which are produced from both the amplitudes of the tone-color selection and control knobs and the levels of the spectra. The signal H.sub.1 represents the level of the fundamental wave of a combined resultant musical tone wave shape to be obtained. The signal H.sub.2 represents the level of the second harmonic of the musical tone wave shape. Similarly, the other signals H.sub.3 . . . H.sub.32 respectively represent the levels of the third and subsequent harmonics of the musical tone wave shape.

The reference characters SM designate a sinusoidal wave function memory which consists, for example, of a read only memory (ROM). A sinusoidal wave shape of one cycle is sampled by a suitable sampling number, e.g., 64, and values of amplitudes X.sub.0, X.sub.1, . . . X.sub.63 at respective sampling points are stored in the memory SM in the form of digital information consisting of a suitable number of bits, e.g., 8.

Each wave shape amplitude is read from the memory SM by means of a device comprising a sample address scanning counter SC, a multiplication circuit ML.sub.2 and a decoder D.sub.3. The reading of the wave shape amplitudes will be described in detail hereinbelow.

The sample address scanning counter SC consists, for example, of flip-flops of six stages. The output of the harmonic scanning counter HC is applied to the first stage of the counter SC. Each bit output of the counter SC (hereinafter referred to as a fundamental wave phase address Q.) is applied to the input terminals on one side of the multiplication circuit ML.sub.2. Each bit output of the counter HC (hereinafter referred to as a harmonic address P.) is applied to the input terminals on the other side of the multiplication circuit ML.sub.2. The multiplication circuit ML.sub.2 multiplies the address P with the address Q and produces a read out address R .ident. P.sup.. Q mod 64 by taking out six consecutive digits including the least significant digit and discarding the overflow outputs of more significant digits than these six digits. The states of the addresses P, Q, P .times. Q, R, etc., are shown in Table I where the address P, Q, P .times. Q and R are represented in decimal numbers only.

__________________________________________________________________________ Harmonic Fundamental P.times.Q Read out Sinusoidal Harmonic Composite address wave phase address wave level wave (P) address (R .tbd. P.sup.. Q function (H.sub.P) shape (Q) mod 64) (X.sub.PQ mod 64) sample value (Y.sub.Q) __________________________________________________________________________ 1 0 0 0 X.sub.0 H.sub.1 2 0 0 X.sub.0 H.sub.2 3 0 0 X.sub.0 H.sub.3 Y.sub.0 4 0 0 X.sub.0 H.sub.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 0 0 X.sub.0 H.sub.32 1 1 1 1 X.sub.1 H.sub.1 2 2 2 X.sub.2 H.sub.2 3 3 3 X.sub.3 H.sub.3 Y.sub.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 32 32 X.sub.32 H.sub.32 1 2 2 2 X.sub.2 H.sub.1 2 4 4 X.sub.4 H.sub.2 3 6 6 X.sub.6 H.sub.3 Y.sub.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 64 0 X.sub.0 H.sub.32 1 3 3 3 X.sub.3 H.sub.1 2 6 6 X.sub.6 H.sub.2 3 9 9 X.sub.9 H.sub.3 Y.sub.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 96 32 X.sub.32 H.sub.32 . . . . . . 1 63 63 63 X.sub.63 H.sub.1 2 126 62 X.sub.62 H.sub.2 Y.sub.63 3 189 61 X.sub.61 H.sub.3 . . . . . . . . . . 32 2016 0 X.sub.0 H.sub.32 __________________________________________________________________________

If the address Q is a decimal number 0 while the address P changes from 0 to 31, the products P .times. Q are all zero and therefore the outputs R of the multiplication circuit ML.sub.2 are all zero. Accordingly, the decoder D.sub.3 produces only the output 0 thereby selecting the address 0 of the sinusoidal wave function memory SM. The memory SM produces the signal X.sub.0 which is applied to one of the input terminals on the other side of the multiplication circuit ML.sub.3. While the address P changes from 1 to 32, the signals H.sub.1, H.sub.2, H.sub.3 . . . H.sub.32 are successively applied to the input terminals on one side of the multiplication circuit ML.sub.3 in the manner described above in synchronization with the change of the address P. Thus, the multiplication circuit ML.sub.3 effects calculations H.sub.1 .times. X.sub.0, H.sub.2 .times. X.sub.0 . . . , H.sub.32 .times. X.sub.0 and provides the results successively to an addition circuit AC.sub.2. The addition circuit AC.sub.2 makes the following addition and provides the result of the addition in the form of a signal having a suitable number of bits, e.g., 12 to a composite wave shape memory CM to be described later:

Y.sub.0 = (H.sub.1 .times. X.sub.0) + (H.sub.2 .times. X.sub.0) + . . . + (H.sub.32 .times. X.sub.0)

When the addition circuit AC.sub.2 has finished the calculation of Y.sub.0, it is reset by an overflow output of the harmonic scanning counter HC to prepare for a next calculation.

The values P .times. Q and R when the address Q is decimal numbers 1, 2, 3 . . . 63 are shown in Table I. The multiplication circuit ML.sub.3 and the addition circuit AC.sub.2 effect calculations in the same operation principle as described above. Thus, the output of the addition circuit AC.sub.2 is represented generally by the equation ##SPC2##

This Y.sub.Q represents the Qth sample value of a composite musical tone wave shape to be obtained. More specifically, the sampled wave shape amplitudes of the fundamental wave, the second harmonic, . . . the 32nd harmonic can be substantially read from the sinusoidal wave function memory SM by using the above described read out address R and, as a result, the signals representing the sampled amplitudes of the composite musical tone wave shape are successively produced from the addition circuit AC.sub.2. This will be explained more in detail with reference to FIGS. 3(a), (b), (c) and (d).

In FIG. 3, the diagram (a) shows the fundamental wave, the diagram (b) the second harmonic, the diagram (c) the third harmonic and the diagram (d) the fourth harmonic respectively. The harmonics higher than the fourth harmonic are obtained by addressing the fundamental wave shape stored in the sinusoidal wave function memory SM in a suitable manner. The horizontal axis which is used as a time base for the second harmonic shown in FIG. 3(b) is double that of the fundamental wave in length for the same period of time. Likewise, the horizontal axis in FIG. 3(c) is three times and the one in FIG. 3(d) four times as long as that of the fundamental wave for the same period of time.

When the address Q is 0, the sinusoidal wave function X.sub.0 is read from the memory SM both for the fundamental wave and each harmonic. The signals H.sub.1`, H.sub.2 . . . H.sub.32 are multiplied one after another with X.sub.0 and the products are added together to obtain the sum Y.sub.0. It will be understood from the foregoing that this Y.sub.0 is a composite signal of the fundamental wave and each harmonic at the address 0, each component wave being provided with its predetermined level.

When the address Q is 1, the functions X.sub.1, X.sub.3, X.sub.4 . . . X.sub.32 are successively read from the memory SM for the fundamental wave, second, third, fourth and thirty-second harmonics respectively. These functions are multiplied with the signals H.sub.1 through H.sub.32 and thereafter are added together to produce the sum signal Y.sub.1. This signal Y.sub.1 is a composite signal of the fundamental wave and each harmonic at the address 1, each component wave being provided with its predetermined level.

When the address Q is 2, the functions X.sub.2, X.sub.4, X.sub.6, X.sub.8 . . . X.sub.0 are read from the memory SM and the sum signal Y.sub.2 is obtained.

Likewise, the composite signals Y.sub.3, Y.sub.4 . . . Y.sub.63 are obtained as the address Q becomes 3, 4, . . . 63.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the signals Y.sub.0 through Y.sub.63 respectively represent composite sample values of the fundamental wave and each harmonic.

The composite wave shape memory CM which consists, for example, of a random access memory (RAM) stores the above described signals Y.sub.0 through Y.sub.63 applied from the addition circuit AC.sub.2 at its predetermined addresses. When the signal Y.sub.0 is applied from the addition circuit AC.sub.2, the address Q is simultaneously applied to the decoder D.sub.4. Thereupon a write address output selecting the address 0 is applied from the decoder D.sub.4 to the memory SM to store the signal Y.sub.0 at the address 0. Likewise, the signals Y.sub.1, Y.sub.2, . . . Y.sub.63 are stored in the addresses 1, 2, . . . , 63.

Thus, the composite musical tone wave shape of one cycle such as shown in FIG. 4 consisting of the sample values Y.sub.0 through Y.sub.63 is stored in the composite wave shape memory CM in the form of digital signals.

Pulses of N.sup.. f Hz (N = 2.sup.n, and f represents the frequency of the fundamental wave of the musical tone wave shape to be obtained.) are applied from a clock pulse generator C.sub.2 to a counter RC of n(e.g., six) stages. Each bit output of the counter RC is applied to a decoder D.sub.5 which in turn applies a read out address to the composite wave shape memory CM in accordance with the contents of the counter RC. ACcordingly, as the clock pulses are applied to the counter RC, the read out addresses 0 . . . 63, 0 . . . are applied successively and repetitively from the decoder D.sub.5 to the composite wave shape memory CM, whereby the signals Y.sub.0, Y.sub.1. . . Y.sub.63, Y.sub.0 . . . consisting of a suitable number of bits, e.g., 12, are successively read from the memory CM and applied to a digital-analog converter DA. This converter DA is provided for converting the digital signals Y.sub.0 through Y.sub.63 to analog signals.

Thus, a musical tone wave shape which is a composite wave shape of each tone-color consisting of the spectra stored in the memory RM and provided with the amplitude determined by one of the tone-color selection and control knobs S.sub.a through S.sub.z is taken out of an output terminal T.sub.0.

In the foregoing embodiment, kinds of the tone-color and the sampling number of each memory have been explained only by way of example and these may of course vary according to necessity.

Further, the tone-color spectra memory RM may be constructed of a random access memory (RAM) so that spectrum information may be variably written through a suitable reading device.

Claims

What we claim is:

1. A musical tone wave shape generating apparatus comprising:

a. a first memory for digitally storing the levels of the spectra of the fundamental wave and of each harmonic up to the mth harmonic of the intended tone color waves;

b. a second memory for digitally storing values X.sub.0 through X.sub.N of a sinusoidal wave function at respective points of a cycle sampled by sampling number N;

c. a third memory for writing incoming information to be thereafter read out;

d. means for sequentially and repetitively producing digital signals (a, b, . . . z) each representing the amplitude of the respective tone color;

e. means for sequentially reading out from the first memory the level of each corresponding wave spectrum of each tone color in succession at a readout rate synchronized with the rate of production of the digital signals representing the respective tone color amplitude to produce spectral level signals (fundamentals a.sub.1, b.sub.1, . . . z.sub.1 ; second harmonics a.sub.2, b.sub.2, . . . z.sub.2 ; and m.sup.th harmonics a.sub.m, b.sub.m, . . . z.sub.m);

f. first multiplication means for multiplying the amplitude signals and the spectral level signals;

g. means for adding the multiplied signals accumulatively for each fundamental wave and its harmonics to produce cumulative signal values H.sub.p = (a .times. a.sub.p) + (b .times. b.sub.p) + . . . + (z .times. z.sub.p) where p = 1, 2, . . . m;

h. means for reading from the second memory values of the sinusoidal wave function at the respective address points PQ mod N, where Q = 0, 1, . . . N, to produce read-out signals;

i. second multiplication means for multiplying the second memory read-out signals by the H.sub.p signals;

j. means for adding the multiplication products from said second multiplication means cumulatively for values of H.sub.1 through H.sub.m to obtain a signal ##SPC3##

k. means for sequentially writing signal Y.sub.Q in an address Q in the third memory to constitute the desired musical tone wave shape; and

l. means for reading out from the third memory the musical tone wave shape at a desired rate.

2. A musical tone wave shape generating apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said means for producing digital signals representing amplitudes of a plurality of tone-colors comprise means provided for each tone-color and producing voltage signals each having a level corresponding to each tone-color, gate circuits the output side of which are connected in common connection and which respectively receive said voltage signals, means for scanning and thereby opening these gate circuits one after another successively and repetitively at a predetermined rate and means for converting analog signals from said gate circuits to digital amplitude signals.

3. A musical tone wave shape generating apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which said means for scanning the gate circuits comprise a binary counter having a plurality of stages in cascade connection and receiving a clock pulse as their input and a decoder receiving the output of each stage of said binary counter and producing outputs corresponding to its counting successively on its output lines each of which is connected to one of said gate circuits.

4. A musical tone wave shape generating apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said first memory is a read only memory, rows of which store the levels of spectra of the respective tone-colors and columns of which store the levels of spectra of the fundamental wave up to the highest harmonic.

5. A musical tone wave shape generating apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which said means for reading out the levels of spectra comprise means for selecting each row of said first memory in synchronization with the scanning of said gate circuits and means for selecting each column of said first memory sequentially and repetitively at each cycle of scanning of said gate circuits.

6. A musical tone wave shape generating apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which said means for selecting each column of said first memory comprise a cascade connected second binary counter which is connected in series to said binary counter first described and a decoder receiving the output of each stage of said second binary counter and producing outputs corresponding to its counting on its output lines one after another successively and cyclicly thereby to select each column of said first memory.

7. A musical tone wave shape generating apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which said means for producing the signal H.sub.p comprise adding means for adding cumulatively the products of said first multiplication means and means for resetting the adding means at each cycle of scanning of said gate circuits.

8. A musical tone wave shape generating apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which said means for reading from the second memory comprise a cascade connected third binary counter having a plurality of stages connected in series to said second binary counter, a multiplier for multiplying the output Q of said third binary counter with the output P of said second binary counter and producing an output containing a plurality of digits including the least significant digit, and a decoder receiving the output of this multiplier and operating in the same manner as a ring counter to produce outputs corresponding to its counting.

9. A musical tone wave shape generating apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which said means for producing the signal ##SPC4## comprise adding means for adding the outputs of said second multiplication means cumulatively and means for resetting said adding means by the output of the last stage of said second binary counter.