Abstract: Among other things, wind energy can be harnessed without using an outmoded rotational windmill model, which is inherently inefficient because much of the wind energy is bypassed; blade stresses are pronounced; and there is a danger to birds, animals, and in smaller models to people. Efficiency directs rotational devices to be quite large, unaesthetic, and a slur on the environment. Here, the quasi-random movements of hundreds of flexible flaps, called wixels, in an array generates electricity through neodymium magnets and wire coils which move relatively to one another in the wind. Each flap generates small amounts of electricity; the random-like contributions of the many flaps are added electronically using standard methods. The sum is fed negatively into the grid, as in solar panel arrays. Multiple arrays can be arranged as wind farms or can be used on rooftops or back yards without danger.

Abstract: Among other things, a wind catching surface is supported to face an oncoming wind and not to rotate continuously in one direction under the influence of the oncoming wind, and an energy converter converts motion, caused by the surface catching the oncoming wind, into electricity.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for shaping amplitude contours of musical notes. A method for shaping amplitude contours of musical notes in time of particular pitch and duration includes processing musical notes to modify a contour of an amplitude shape curve of each note differently in accordance with its relationship to its succeeding note, the processing including calculating an initial amplitude shape curve, modifying a first portion of the calculated initial amplitude shape curve to be more convex or more concave, and independently modifying a second portion of the calculated initial amplitude shape curve to be more convex or more concave, the resulting modifications improving a timbre quality.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for shaping amplitude contours of musical notes. A method for shaping amplitude contours of musical notes in time of particular pitch and duration includes processing musical notes to modify a contour of an amplitude shape curve of each note differently in accordance with its relationship to its succeeding note, the processing including calculating an initial amplitude shape curve, modifying a first portion of the calculated initial amplitude shape curve to be more convex or more concave, and independently modifying a second portion of the calculated initial amplitude shape curve to be more convex or more concave, the resulting modifications improving a timbre quality.

Abstract: A method includes receiving digital inputs from a joystick linked to a computer causing affects to music generated from a first music file, and storing the affected generated music in a second music file. The digital inputs can include movements resulting positioning the joystick.

Abstract: A method for the algorithmic expressive intonation tuning (EIT) and performance of electronic, computer and MIDI musical works relies on melodic intervals, rather than on chordal harmony, and acts by desirably modifying the pitch of a note slightly (compared to equal temperament tuning), depending on the next melodic note. This dynamic, non static, melodic tuning emulates, and can even possibly augment, aspects of outstanding live human musical performance achieved with regard to pitch subtleties, as it enhances the living sounding, real aspects of the performance of electronic, computer and MIDI music, by sensibly causing a slightly different pitch of particular notes, depending on the size of an interval and on whether an interval is ascending or descending, with the same note subtly having more than one pitch often, depending on melodic context.

Abstract: A method for the algorithmic expressive intonation tuning (EIT) and performance of electronic, computer and MIDI musical works relies on melodic intervals, rather than on chordal harmony, and acts by desirably modifying the pitch of a note slightly (compared to equal temperament tuning), depending on the next melodic note. This dynamic, non static, melodic tuning emulates, and can even possibly augment, aspects of outstanding live human musical performance achieved with regard to pitch subtleties, as it enhances the living sounding, real aspects of the performance of electronic, computer and MIDI music, by sensibly causing a slightly different pitch of particular notes, depending on the size of an interval and on whether an interval is ascending or descending, with the same note subtly having more than one pitch often, depending on melodic context.

Abstract: An electronic music system adapted to generate tone waves of different pitch, amplitude and duration which, when reproduced, create musical tones whose expressive qualities emulate the expressive quality of natural tones producible by acoustic instruments or the human voice. The system includes a tone wave generator, the carrier of which is frequency modulated by an asymmetrical wave whose major component is a sinusoidal wave and whose minor component superimposed on the sinusoidal wave is the second harmonic of that wave. The frequency of the sinusoidal wave is such that as the carrier is frequency-modulated, its frequency is periodically varied above and below its normal value so that the resultant tone exhibits a vibrato effect. And the carrier is at the same time amplitude modulated so that it is periodically varied in amplitude to impart to the resultant tone a tremolo effect whereby the tone yielded by the system emulates a natural tone.

Abstract: An information highway for music performance and interpretation in which a plurality of subscribers are linked by an interactive network to a central computer station. In the memory of the station is stored a library of music scores, each being defined by the nominal notation of a particular composition, the memory also storing microscores which render the music scores expressive and meaningful. Many different microscores may be stored for each score. The memory may also have stored therein global microstructure information. Music resulting from the combination of a music score and a microscore may be reproduced either at the central computer and then transmitted to the subscriber, or may be reproduced at the subscriber's post. The subscriber chooses the music score to be reproduced and also selects or creates the microscore to be imparted to the respective notes of the music score so as to render the performance of the composition expressive.

Abstract: A computer system in which the sounds of different speech messages are stored or synthesized, the system being adapted to reproduce a selected speech message and to impart emotional expressivity thereto whose character depends on the user's choice. To this end, stored in the system is a set of sentograms whose respective wave forms reflect different emotions, the selected speech message being reproduced, being modulated as a function of the wave form of the sentogram in the set selected by the user whereby the reproduced speech message is emotionally colored and therefore has a human quality.

Abstract: A system including a touch pressure-sensitive transducer and a computer responsive thereto for producing a sentic cycle and for recording touch expression in the course of which cycle different emotions are expressed and generated by applying appropriate finger pressure to the transducer actuator. Stored in the memory of the computer is a set of words representing the different emotions, the computer being programmed to sequentially select these words at timed intervals and to audibly reproduce the selected word. Each word is followed by a series of time-spaced audible start clicks, each commanding the subject when to express with finger pressure on the transducer actuator. The signals yielded by the transducer reflecting vector components of the applied finger pressure are processed in the computer whose display terminal then presents on its screen a sentogram, the shape of which characterizes the emotion sensed by the transducer.

Abstract: A self-sufficient sentic cycler unit usable by a subject to generate and express emotions as an art form of touch and in doing so to overcome inhibitive and repressive tendencies, and to relieve stress and dissipate anxiety. The unit includes a solid-state memory having digitally stored therein a set of words representing different emotions, such as love or anger, as well as a click or other command signal instructing the subject to tactilely express the emotion represented by the word selected from the memory. The memory is controlled by a clock and a programmed microprocessor to produce a sentic cycle in the course of which words are selected from the set in a predetermined sequence, each selected word being followed by a series of time-spaced clicks. The digital output of the memory is converted into an analog signal that is reproduced so that it can be heard by the subject.

Abstract: A technique for imparting an emotionally expressive microstructure to the respective notes in the score of a musical composition constituted by successive notes whose notation gives the nominal value for each note in regard to its pitch and duration. The techinque includes the steps of entering into a digital computer data representing the nominal pitch and duration of each of the successive notes in the musical score to be processed therein; processing the notes in the computer to contour the amplitude of each note in accordance with its relationship to the succeeding note in the score; and generating and audibly reproducing tones representing the amplitude-contoured notes in the processed score to impart expression to the reproduced music derived therefrom.

Abstract: A computerized system into which is fed the nominal values of a musical score, the system acting to process these values with respect to the relative loudness of different tones in a succession thereof, changes in the duration of the tones and other deviations from the nominal values which together constitute the microstructure of the music notated by the score. The system yields the specified tones of the score as modified by the microstructure, thereby imparting expressivity to the music that is lacking in the absence of the microstructure.

Abstract: A computerized system into which is fed the nominal values of a musical score, the system acting to process these values with respect to the amplitude contour of individual tones, the relative loudness of different tones in a succession thereof, changes in the duration of the tones and other deviations from the nominal values which together constitute the microstructure of the music notated by the score. The system yields the specified tones of the score as modified by the microstructure, thereby imparting expressivity to the music that is lacking in the absence of the microstructure.