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Method for encoding music printing information in a MIDI message
2010-03-10
electronic instrument was the music (piano) keyboard, a system was devised to represent all possible (musically "likely") keys on the keyboard. The note, middle C, normally designated C4, was assigned the number 60. Each successive key above C4 was assigned a successively higher integer, and each successively lower key was assigned a successively lower integer. This system has served its original purpose well, since each note (key) on the keyboard has one and only one number associated with it.

The Problem with MIDI and the printing of music

The MIDI Interface

The MIDI system is well known. A wide variety of instruments and MIDI-compatible devices have been patented. For a good general background on the MIDI system, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,421 by Lisle et al, a portion of which is reproduced here.

MIDI was established as a hardware and software specification which would make it possible to exchange information such as: musical notes, program changes, expression control, etc. between different musical instruments or other devices such as: sequencers, computers, lighting controllers, mixers, etc. This ability to transmit and receive data was originally conceived for live performances, although subsequent developments have had enormous impact in recording studios, audio and video production, and composition environments.

A standard for the MIDI interface has been prepared and published as a joint effort between the MIDI Manufacturer's Association (MMA) and the Japan MIDI Standards Committee (JMSC). This standard is subject to change by agreement between JMSC and MMA and is currently published as the MIDI 1.0 Detailed Specification, Document Version 4.1, January 1989. Various revisions and extensions of this system have been described in the literature but the basic standard is still followed.

The hardware portion of the MIDI interface operates at 31.25 KBaud, asynchronous, with a start bit, eight data bits and a stop bit. This makes a total of ten bits for a period of 320 microseconds per serial byte. The start bit is a logical zero and the stop bit is a logical one. Bytes are transmitted by sending the least significant bit (LSB) first. Data bits are transmitted in the MIDI interface by utilizing a five milliamp current loop. A logical zero is represented by the current being turned off. Rise times and fall times for this current loop shall be less than two microseconds. A five pin DIN connector is utilized to provide a connection for this current loop with only two pins being utilized to transmit the current loop signal. Typically, an opto-isolator is utilized to provide isolation between devices which are coupled to...

Control system for a musical instrument
2010-03-09
AbstractA control system for a musical instrument, e.g., an electric guitar, which is programmable so that a tremolo characteristic can be applied to the audio signal produced by the musical instrument. The tremolo characteristic can be comprised of a combination of three preset amplitude components and three preset frequency components. The control system can also be used to dynamically vary the volume characteristic of the audio signal produced by the musical instrument. Specifically, the control system includes a tactile member which produces a signal proportionate to the pressure exerted on the tactile member by the musician. This signal can be used to increase the volume characteristic of the musical instrument while the musician is playing the musical instrument.Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A control system to be used to change one or more characteristics of an audio signal produced by a musical instrument comprising:

a plurality of user inputs including a tactile member which produces a first signal which is proportionate to the pressure exerted on said tactile member by a musician while said musician is playing said instrument;

a controller which receives said first signal, said controller having a program mode, wherein preset component values for audio characteristics can be programmed by said musician, and an operation mode wherein audio characteristics for an audio signal produced by said musical instrument can be modified by said musician manipulating said plurality of user inputs; and

an audio signal modifier, responsive to signals from said controller which modifies said audio signal produced by said musical instrument in response to signals received from said controller.

2. The control system of claim 1, further comprising a transducer and wherein said tactile member comprises an air filled tube mounted on a surface of said musical instrument wherein depression of said air filled tube towards said surface of said musical instrument results in a proportionate change in pressure within said air filled tube and wherein said transducer produces said first signal in response to detecting said proportionate change in pressure.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein said tactile member is positioned on the musical instrument in a location where said musician does not have to remove his or her hands to manipulate said tactile member.

4. The control system of claim 3, wherein said air filled tube has a square base with a rounded upper hemisphere, wherein said square base is mounted on said surface of said musical instrument.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein said musical instrument comprises an electric guitar and said tactile member is mounted on said neck of said electric guitar.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein said controller, when in said program mode, can be programmed by said musician to set an initial starting volume for a volume audio characteristic of said audio signal produced by said musical instrument.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein said controller, when in said operation mode, produces an audio signal having a volume audio characteristic which is at least said initial starting volume and wherein said controller increases said volume audio characteristic from said initial starting volume in proportion to said first signal generated by said musician exerting pressure on said tactile member.

8. The control system of claim 7, wherein said controller, when in said operation mode, sustains the volume audio characteristic of said audio signal produced by said musical instrument at a first level, which is proportionate to the greatest amount of pressure exerted on said tactile member by said musician, until said musician exerts a greater amount of pressure on said tactile member.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein said controller, when in said program mode, can be programmed by said musician to set a plurality of initial starting frequencies and a plurality of initial starting amplitudes of a tremolo audio characteristic of said audio signal produced by said musical instrument.

10. The control system of claim 9, wherein said controller, when in said operation mode, produces an audio signal having a tremolo audio characteristic having one of said plurality of initial starting frequencies and having one of said plurality of initial starting amplitudes.

11. The control system of claim 10, wherein said controller, when in said operation mode, increases the frequency of said tremolo audio characteristic in response to said musician exerting pressure on said tactile member.

12. The control system of claim 11, wherein said controller is configured, in said operation mode, so that said musician can switch between said plurality of starting frequencies and said plurality of starting amplitudes of said tremolo audio characteristic by manipulating said plurality of user inputs.Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a system for controlling the output-of a musical instrument and, in particular, concerns a system which includes a pressure sensitive control device which is mounted on a musical instrument to allow the player of the instrument to alter various characteristics of the audio output signal of the musical instrument.

2. Description of the Related Art

Electric guitars are extremely popular musical instruments as they can produce a wide range of different sounds when they are used in conjunction with an amplifier. The musician can produce sound signals having a wide range of volume with an electric guitar and the musician can also produce a sound signal from the electric guitar that has a particular sound quality. For example, using the amplifier, the musician can produce a sound signal having a characteristic which varies in volume over time. This characteristic is generally referred to as tremolo. Other types of sound signals that can be produced using an electric guitar include reverberation, vibrato and the like.

The sound signals produced by ...

Musical apparatus detecting maximum values and/or peak values of reflected light beams to control musical functions
2010-03-08
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receiving radiation from an object within the specified space;

generating at least one detection value based on a characteristic of radiation received from the object;

detecting a condition in which the detection value exceeds a predefined threshold; and

outputting music and modifying the outputted music upon the detection value exceeding the predefined threshold.

33. A method as recited in claim 32, further comprising emitting radiation into the specified space.

34. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein the radiation comprises a light.

35. A method as recited in claim 32, wherein the radiation comprises a light.

36. An apparatus as recited in claim 32, wherein the characteristic of the radiation comprises the quantity of radiation.Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention is electronic musical apparatuses such as electronic musical instruments, music-related sound generation devices, music-related sound modification devices, and their controllers, including, for example, synthesizers, keyboards, drum machines, effects processors, effects pedals, sequencers and sound modules. More specifically, the electronic musical apparatus embodying the invention is controlled by detecting the location and/or movement of an object (e.g., a hand) within a space by using a light beam, including an infrared light beam.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Non-contact musical control devices have been known in the past which issue control instructions by optically detecting the movement of a hand or the like within a specified space. These devices provided a pair consisting of one light source (infrared emitting diode or the like) which shines a light into the space and one light receiving element (infrared sensor or the like) which receives the light of the light source which has been reflected by the hand when said hand proceeds into said space, and if reflected light was received by the light receiver, the device performed a switch-like control which turned the instruction for a specified operation ON when said received light quantity exceeded a certain threshold value, and turned it OFF when it was below the threshold value.

The intensity distribution of the light beam irradiated from the light source in the conventional non-contact musical control devices described above is as shown, for example, in FIG. 26. In this case, the light quantity received by the light receiver will differ, even if the hand is held at the same height from the light receiver, when the hand is held directly above the light source as compared to when it is held to the side. Consequently, in a case where ON/OFF operation instructions are performed according to whether or not the quantity of received light exceeds a specified threshold value, the probability of erroneous operation is high if the operation instruction is performed based purely on the height of the hand as the only scale. In other words, a problem with this type of prior musical control device is that it was difficult for the operator to discern at what proximity to the sensor the switch will be turned ON or OFF. In addition, the type of the operation instruction was limited to whether to perform a certain control, i.e., no more than the binary ON/OFF control of a single specified process could be accomplished.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Electronic musical apparatuses described herein include electronic musical instruments, music-related sound generation devices, music-related sound modification devices, and their controllers, including, for example, synthesizers, keyboards, drum machines, effects processors, effects pedals, sequencers and sound modules.

A ...

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PLAYING IN SYNCHRONISM WITH A DIGITAL AUDIO FILE AN AUTOMATED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
2010-03-04
An apparatus for playing an automated musical instrument in synchronism with a digital audio file, the apparatus including: a source for a music sequence including time stamped articulation events; a source for a digital audio file; the controller in communication with the source for a music sequence a source of a digital audio file and in communication with the automated musical instrument, the controller providing the articulation events to the automated musical instrument, the controller further including a digital to analog converter to convert the digital audio file to an analog signal for play, the digital to analog converter providing the controller with a progress status of the time since the beginning of the play of the analog signal, the controller using the progress status of time as a time base for providing the time stamped articulation events to the automated musical instrument.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, where the music sequence is a MIDI file.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, where the source of a music sequence is digital media.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, where the digital media is selected from the group of compact flash cards, or SD cards.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, where the digital audio file is an MP3 file.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, where the source of a music sequence and the source for a digital audio file are the same media.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, where in the media is selected from the group including: optical disc, digital audio tape, SD cards, hard drives, and compact flash cards.

8. A controller for playing an automated musical instrument in synchronism with a digital audio file, including, a media reader; a DAC subsystem; a microprocessor; memory storing a music sequence; the media reader in communication with the microprocessor and the DAC subsystem, the media reader providing the DAC subsystem with digital audio data, and providing the microprocessor with information regarding identity of the audio track; the DAC subsystem including a digital to analog converter to convert the digital audio data into an analog signal for transmission to a transducer; the DAC subsystem in communication with the microprocessor and providing the microprocessor with information regarding the time progress of processing the digital audio data; the microprocessor in communication with the memory storing a music sequence, the microprocessor sending the music sequence to the automated musical instrument based on the time progress of processing the digital audio data.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the music sequence is a MIDI file including time stamped articulation events.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the microprocessor sends the events in music sequence to the automated musical instrument at a discreet time prior to the time called for by the time stamp for the event.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the discreet time is between 100 msec and 500 msec.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor sends the events in music sequence to the automated mus...

High density sound enhancing components for stringed musical instruments
2010-03-03
of a musical instrument comprised of a soundboard, a plurality of strings, a bridge system, a neck, and a body. The system acoustically interconnects the major sound components of the musical instrument in a time-correct sound transfer loop. An acoustically high sound conductivity material selected from the group comprising minerals, ceramics, metals, and combinations thereof, is employed as an interconnect member to produce a balanced, compressed, and naturally equalized sound, with extreme clarity and sustain, and with minimal distortion. The low end sound that is produced by the unified components are coherent, tight, and well defined. The acoustically high sound conductivity material has a specific gravity on the order of at least 2, and preferably at least the specific gravity on the order of the specific gravity of granite. Advantageously, the specific gravity is at least four, and can be six or higher.ClaimsWhat is claimed is:

1. A stringed musical instrument comprising a body section, a head secured to said body by a neck region, said head having means for securing the distal ends of a pluralityof strings to said musical instrument, a bridge to support the proximal ends of said strings above said body section, anchoring means for securing said proximal ends of said strings to said musical instrument, a soundboard secured to said body section,said soundboard being a layer of granite having a thickness in the range from about an eighth to about eleven sixteenths of an inch, a bridge member and a bridge-contacting block, said bridge member being secured to said bridge-contacting block, saidbridge contacting-block being a high acoustic transfer material having a specific gravity of at least two, and being in acoustic contact with said soundboard.

2. A stringed musical instrument comprising in combination; a body section; said body section being a solid piece of wood having at least one recess and at least one block of a high vibratic transfer, high density material having a density atleast equal to the density of granite, said at least one block being within said at least one recess, and said block being in acoustic contact with said soundboard; a head secured to said body by a neck region, said head having means for securing saiddistal ends of a plurality of strings to said musical instrument; a bridge supporting the proximal ends of said strings an anchoring means, said proximal ends of said strings being secured by said anchoring means to said musical instrument; asoundboard secured to said body section; said soundboard being a layer of a high density solid mineral; and an electric pickup in acoustical contact with, and supported by, said at least one block.

3. The stringed musical instrument of claim 2, further comprising at least a second electric pickup and at least a second block, said solid wood having a second recess, said at least a second block being a high acoustic transfer material havinga specific gravity of at least two, and being within said second recess, and being in acoustic contact with said soundboard and said second electric pickup.

4. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said body section is a solid piece of wood having at least one recess, a first block, said at least one high acoustic transfer material having a specific gravity of at least two, and beingwithin said at least one recess, and said first block being in acoustic contact with said soundboard.

5. The stringed musical instrument of claim 2, further comprising a transfer rod, said transfer rod being a high acoustic transfer material having a specific gravity of at least 2, and being in acoustic contact with said soundboard and said atleast one block.

6. The stringed musical instrument of claim 5, further comprising a second high vibratic transfer block, said second transfer block being a high acoustic transfer material having a specific gravity of at least two, said second block being inacoustic contact with the base of said neck region and said transfer rod.

7. A stringed musical instrument comprising a body section, a head secured to said body by a neck region, said head having means for securing the distal ends of a plurality of strings to said musical instrument, a bridge to support the proximalends of said strings and anchoring means for securing said proximal ends of said strings to said musical instrument, and a soundboard secured to said body section, said body section being a hollow bodied member, at ...

Electronic music system and stringed instrument input device therefor
2010-03-02
7 further characterized by said means for applying a discrete fret voltage to each of said frets comprising a plurality of resistors connected in series with one another with each of saidresistors being electrically connected between a respective pair of said frets and means for providing a constant valued flow of current through said resistors.

11. An electronic music system as defined in claim 10 further characterized by said means for providing a constant valued flow of current being arranged so that said current flows in the direction from the highest tone valued one of said fretsto the lowest tone valued one of said frets whereby said highest tone valued fret has the highest discrete fret voltage applied to it.

12. A means for providing voltage signals for driving a voltage controlled tone generator in an electronic music producing system, said means comprising: a stringed musical instrument having a plurality of spaced parallel strings located over afret board having a plurality of frets extending transversely of said strings and spaced from one another along the length of said fret board with each string-fret pair representing an assigned musical tone, and means responsive to any one of saidstrings being pressed into contact with any one of said frets for producing a voltage signal having a voltage value analogously related to the frequency of the musical tone assigned to the contacting string-fret pair.

13. A means for providing voltage signals for driving a voltage controlled tone generator in an electronic music producing system said means comprising: a stringed instrument having a plurality of spaced parallel electrically conductive stringslocated over a fret board having a plurality of electrically conductive frets extending transversely of said strings and spaced from one another along the length of said fret board, with each string-fret pair representing an assigned musical tone, meansfor applying an electric voltage to each of said frets with each of said frets having a voltage different from that applied to the other of said frets, an offset voltage source providing a plurality of offset voltages each assigned to a respective one ofsaid strings with each of said offset voltages being different from the other of said offset voltages, and means responsive to any one of said strings being pressed into contact with any one of said frets for adding the voltage appearing on said one fretto the offset voltage assigned to said one string to produce an output signal, said fret voltage and said offset voltage being so selected that said output signal has a voltage value analogously related to the frequency of the musical tone represented bythe contacting string-fret pair.DescriptionBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to electronic music producing systems having a voltage controlled tone generator or synthesizer, for sequentially producing electrical audio frequency signals, for driving a loud speaker or other electro-acousticaltransducer, having fundamental frequencies controlled in accordance with the values of input voltage signals, and deals more particularly with a device for producing such input voltage signals which device is generally in the form of a guitar or otherfretted stringed instrument.

Electronic music systems having voltage controlled tone generators or synthesizers are well known in the art. The tone generator of such a system usually includes a large number of manually adjustable controls for varying various tonecharacteristics, such as timbre, attack, decay, vibrato, tremolo, etc. to obtain different sounds or effects. However, the basic sequence of the tones and their timing is usually controlled manually through a generally conventional keyboard played in agenerally conventional manner. Thus, persons performing on presently known synthesizer systems should be relatively skilled keyboard instrument players, and such systems are of limited usefulness to musicians skilled primarily in the playing ofnon-keyboard instruments.

The g...

Generation of noise-like tones in an electronic musical instrument
2010-02-27
digital words transferred in time coincidence with the pulses from the random signal generator.DescriptionFIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to musical tone synthesizers, and more particularly, to a noise generator for a digital tone generator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The generation of musical tones electronically, either by analog or digital circuits, is well known. In attempting to duplicate the sounds of conventional musical instruments it may be desirable to superimpose sounds which can only becharacterized as "noise" onto the musical tones. Such added noise may be introduced to simulate the air noise, hiss, or breathiness characteristic of wind-operated instruments, such as the organ pipes of a conventional organ, or other types of windinstruments. In prior art digital type organs tones have been created imitative to noisy wind-blown organ pipes, by using a frequency modulation technique. This has been accomplished by adding or subtracting a fixed constant to the frequency numberused to address the tone data. Alternatively, the noise has been added to the reference voltage of the analog output signal from the digital-to-analog converter to produce an amplitude modulated noise. Noiselike tones have been created in digital tonegenerators by the type which calculate musical waveshapes by computation with an algorithm that uses sets of harmonic coefficients. However, the resulting tonal effect is not easily controlled. If the harmonic coefficients are varied in a randomfashion, noise having a very wide spectrum is produced and has the effect of substantially obliterating the basic musical tone being generated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In copending application Ser. No. 603,776, filed Aug. 11, 1975, entitled "Polyphonic Tone Synthesizer", now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,644 there is described a digital tone generator in which a master data list is calculated and stored ina main register. The master data list consists of a series of digital values representing the amplitudes of a corresponding series of points defining the waveform of one cycle (or fraction of a cycle) of a musical tone. The master data list istransferred from the main registe...

Electronic musical instrument with exponential keyboard and voltage controlled oscillator
2010-02-26
AbstractAn electronic musical instrument includes an oscillator for generating a signal at a frequency corresponding to that associated with a depressed key of the keyboard. The key selects a control voltage, from an exponential voltage divider, for controlling the frequency of a voltage controlled oscillator, which produces a frequency which is directly proportional to the control voltage and inversely proportional to a reference voltage. The reference voltage compensates for variations in the level of the supply voltage, so that the oscillator frequency is independent of the supply voltage.ClaimsWhat is claimed is:

1. An electronic musical instrument having a voltage controlled oscillator for producing a sound signal having a frequency proportional to a control voltage applied to it, akeyboard having a plurality of keys, a plurality of switches, one for each of said keys, each adapted to be operated by depression of its associated key, and a voltage divider connected with said switches for connecting a control voltage to saidoscillator which corresponds to the position of the key associated with an operated one of said switches, said voltage divider comprising a plurality of resistance elements connected in series, each of said elements having different resistance valueswhich bear an exponential relation to the resistance values of the adjacent connected resistors such that the voltage at successive junctions of said resistance elements correspond to a geometric series, said resistance elements being formed of the samematerial and being physically located in close physical juxtaposition with each other, so that all said resistors are maintained at approximately the same temperature, with approximately constant relative resistances.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said resistance elements are formed simultaneously as portions of a single integrated thick-film circuit.

3. In an electronic musical instrument having an electrical power supply, a voltage controlled oscillator for producing a sound signal having a frequency proportional to a control voltage applied to it, a keyboard having a plurality of keys, aplurality of switches, one for each of said keys, each adapted to be operated by depression of its associated key, and connecting means connected with said switches for connecting a control voltage to said oscillator which corresponds to the position ofthe key associated with an operated one of said switches, the combination comprising a reference voltage generator connected to said electrical power supply for producing a reference voltage, and means connecting said oscillator to said reference voltagegenerator, said reference voltage generator being adapted to produce a shift in the level of said reference voltage in response to a change in the level of voltage of said electrical power supply, said shift having a magnitude and direction tending tocompensate for said change in power supply voltage level, whereby said oscillator frequency is substantially independent of said change.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said reference voltage generator comprises an inverter having an input connected with said power supply.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said oscillator comprises an integrator for integrating a voltage derived from said voltage divider, a comparator connected to said integrator and operative to compare an output produced by saidintegrator with said reference voltage, and means connected with said comparator and operative upon a comparison of said integrator output and said reference voltage for resetting said integrator for a subsequent cycle of integration.

6. An electronic musical instrument having a voltage controlled oscillator for producing a sound signal having a frequency proportional to a control voltage applied to it, a keyboard having a plurality of keys, a plurality of switches, one foreach of said keys, each adapted to be operated by depression of its associated key, a voltage divider connected with said switches for connecting a control voltage to said oscillator which corresponds to the position of the key associated with anoperated one of said switches, said voltage divider comprising a plurality of resistance elements connected i...

Rotary valve for a musical instrument
2010-02-25
path of a musical instrument is disclosed. The valve includes a cylindrical rotor housed in a cylindrical casing coupled to the instrument's lead pipe, main bore and slide loop leading and trailing ends. The rotor has two passages extending through it. The first passage is generally "Y" shaped with two leading ends and a trailing end, while the second passage is generally straight having a leading end and a trailing end. In a first valve position, the first leading end and the trailing end of the "Y" shaped rotor passage coaxially align with the instrument's lead pipe and main bore, respectively, providing an air pathway excluding the additional slide loop. In a second valve position, the second leading end and the trailing end of the "Y" shaped passage coaxially align with the instrument's lead pipe and slide loop leading end, respectively, while the leading end and trailing end of the straight rotor passage coaxially align with the instrument's slide loop trailing end and main bore, respectively, to provide an air pathway including the additional slide loop. The present rotor design eliminates undesirable noises during rotor operation common to prior rotors while not adversely affecting the integrity and quality of the air column during play.Claims

What is claimed:

1. A rotary valve for musical instruments having a lead pipe, a main bore pipe leading to a horn bell and an alternate slide loop with a leading end and a trailing end, the valve comprising:

a cylindrical casing having a cylindrical sidewall, a top end, a bottom end and an inner circumferential surface, the casing being formed to include radially spaced apart first, second, third and fourth apertures extending through the cylindrical sidewall, the lead pipe, slide loop leading end, slide loop trailing end, and main bore pipes being coupled to the casing in communication with the first, second, third and fourth apertures, respectively; and

a cylindrical rotor having an outer circumferential surface, the rotor being coaxially mounted in the casing for rotation about a rotor axis between predetermined unswitched and switched positions such that the outer rotor surface maintains sealing contact with the casing inner circumferential surface, the rotor being formed to include a first generally "Y" shaped passage having first and second leading ends and a trailing end, and a second passage having a leading end and a trailing end, the first and second passages being aligned through the rotor s...