OVERVIEW

Electronics, synthesizers, computers and digital recording have all made an enormous impact on music composition, performance and recording. Despite these advances, the process of becoming an accomplished musician - especially one trained in the theory and complex language of music - has remained essentially the same for centuries. This consists of many years of constant practice of physical patterns in conjunction with the study of diverse approaches to music theory. Most people with the innate potential to express themselves musically are prevented from doing so when faced with such a difficult path. Hotz technology addresses this problem in an elegant and empowering way that enables anyone, regardless of musical experience, to play music on a level that is fundamentally not possible without Translator technology.

TRANSLATOR-BASED PRODUCTS ENABLE ANYBODY TO PLAY MUSIC

Translator-based products enable everyone, including musically untrained people, to creatively play along with music on virtually any medium -- audio CDs, MIDI music files, video, DVD and TV broadcasts. To enable the experience, a Hotz -file, which is a MIDI*-compatible data file encoded with Hotz-code, is created for a song. This file can be a completely self contained musical piece, as in a MIDI file; used with music on media entirely separate from the file, such as a standard off-the-shelf audio CD; or broadcast along with a TV signal.

Created with the Hotz Translator for Windows, a Hotz-file contains information that translates all of the correct notes of the current chord and scale (musical "structure") for the musical piece being played into rows on the playing surface. The "instrument" can be the computer's keyboard and mouse, or an electronic keyboard or other type of MIDI instrument connected to the computer through its MIDI port (the joystick port on the sound card). In real time, as the musical key, scales and chords change so does the translation of the playing surface. The end result is that players have all the creative choices they would have with a conventional musical instrument they practiced for years, but without fear of choosing a "wrong," or out-of-key note. By this simple and elegant process, Hotz Translator technology reduces years of practice and study needed to experience creative music improvisation and performance. Moreover, it allows musicians who have played all their lives to perform music at a level that is impossible on a conventional instrument.

CONTAINS THE LARGEST DATABASE OF MUSICAL STRUCTURES

The Hotz Translator contains the largest database of musical structures (chords and scales) available anywhere in a single reference, with all structures playable using the simplest of finger and hand gestures. The accumulated expert knowledge base of musical structures from around the world, developed over thousands of years, is embodied in the application. Moreover, it contains many unique structures that have not been previously classified. It is inconceivable that a human without computer assistance could memorize or mentally access a musical database even remotely this advanced, let alone have the training and dexterity to flawlessly perform all of these structures. The Translator's open and extensible database of more than one trillion chord/scale voicings includes culturally cross-referenced arrangements from around the world. Many of the new and unique structures playable on a Hotz Translator instrument are physically impossible to play on conventional instruments.

Songs of any style and ethnic origin can have Hotz-files created to translate the playing surface to the chord/scale structures as the song plays. Through a computer sound card, the sound produced can be that of virtually any instrument in the world. It is important to note that the cost of creating Hotz-coded files for music-CDs is quite low. The level of development effort is typically less than one person-day per music track for a trained music technician, depending on the length and musical complexity.

Expansion of notes for an F suspended 4th chord on a standard 6-octave keyboard.

For example, the upper part of this illustration shows the expansion of notes for an F suspended 4th chord on a standard 6-octave keyboard. The lower part shows the full expansion of notes for the same 6 octaves of the same chord on a Hotz translated Instrument. On both instruments, all possible voicings of the chord are available.

SOLVES CHANGES FROM ONE MUSICAL STRUCTURE TO ANOTHER

A critical element of Translator technology is the way in which it solves the problem of changes from one structure to another while the keyboard is played. This crucial process makes it possible to change a table while still sounding notes that the player is sustaining from the previous table. The result is indistinguishable from what a musician does when changing from one chord or scale to another by changing fingering patterns on a conventional musical instrument, such as a guitar or piano.

Prior attempts to change note mapping tables in real-time sound choppy and toy-like because all notes from the previous table have to be turned off when the change takes place. The Hotz Corporation's broad patent protection includes the fundamental Translation process, which separates Translator-based products from toy-like musical devices. Any musical instrument that aims to provide users with similar music performance features would have to incorporate this core technology to deliver realistic improvisational control.

The Hotz coding process automates the structure/table changes without requiring the user to do anything but concentrate on playing music. Thus the user can focus completely on which notes of a particular chord or scale should be played and for how long, which is the very essence of music performance. Structure changes can be under pre-encoded software control, or made by the player as a real-time composer. For those who have never played, the result is real improvisational ability impossible without decades of study and practice. And for those who have played for years, the result is the ability to perform at levels that are simply not possible using conventional instruments.