Abstract: A tone generating system for an organ comprises a first group of tone generators for producing notes of a first chromatic scale and second group of tone generators for producing notes of a second chromatic scale, slightly offset from the first. The tone generators are addressed via a microprocessor in response to keyboard input, wherein the fundamental and a first plurality of selected harmonic components of a given note are generated by respective tone generators of said first group, and the remaining harmonics are provided by generators of the second group. Harmonic amplitude coefficients for particular organ waveforms are stored in random access memory and are subject to change according to stop inputs coupled to the microprocessor.

Abstract: The disclosed picture stabilizing system detects and measures television picture unsteadiness and automatically reduces such unsteadiness by selecting camera motion references within the picture consisting of an horizontal edge and a vertical edge of an object or objects which will normally be stationary, such as a door or a window, continually measuring the motion of the selected reference edges from field to field, and making the necessary vertical and horizontal corrections to the overall picture to substantailly eliminate picture motion due, for example, to unsteadiness of the television camera.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for providing safe locking of the lid of an electronic musical instrument.

Abstract: The herein-described broadcast apparatus for controlling the loudness level of program signals includes a variable gain device for increasing or decreasing the level of incoming program material as a function of program loudness while simultaneously holding the output level below a preset level to assure proper modulation levels and/or to prevent excessive reaction by peak limiters which usually follow the loudness controller in the broadcast chain.

Abstract: The disclosed picture stabilizing system detects and measures picture unsteadiness in recorded or live video caused by an unsteady television camera and automatically eliminates the unsteadiness without destroying intentional panning and tilting of the camera. This is accomplished by selecting camera motion references within the camera field of view consisting of one horizontal edge and one vertical edge of an object which will normally be stationary, such as a door, a window, or a piece of furniture. The stabilizer "locks" onto these edges, continually measuring their motion from field to field and utilizing a frame store, makes the necessary vertical and horizontal corrections to the overall picture to eliminate such motion. The system is able to correct for movement due to random unsteadiness without interfering with planned camera movement.

Abstract: An electronic circuit triggered by pulses derived from the rhythm pattern generator of an electronic organ simulates the sound of a group of people clapping hands by producing in bursts at least two different sound signals of differing characteristics and combining the signal bursts in a predetermined pattern which causes them to occur in close time proximity to each other but not at the same time. When the combined signal is acoustically reproduced, the resulting sound is simulative of that produced by a group of people clapping their hands in unison.

Abstract: An electronic organ circuit includes a multiplicity of keyers receiving control inputs from plural shift and store registers capable of operating any given keyer at different levels. The inputs for a given keyer are applied on a cyclic basis and for differing time periods in such manner that the keyer's output amplitude and waveshape vary in response to the number and duration of inputs. A processor responsive to keyboard key and stop actuation supplies information to shift register chains corresponding bit-wise to the operation of keyboard keys, and corresponding, in respect to bits destined for a given register, to the condition of organ stops. Individual registers are then operated on a duty cycle basis and provide outputs of selected duration for effecting different stop sounds.

Abstract: An improved system for compressing or expanding the dynamic range of an electrical input signal of the type which includes a variable gain device for controlling the gain of the input signal and a circuit for generating a control signal for the variable gain device including a rectifier for producing responsively to the input signal a DC signal which substantially follows dynamic variations of the input signal. The improvement resides in the provision in the control signal generating circuit of a network of at least three signal paths having a common input terminal connected to receive the DC signal and a common output terminal connected to the variable gain device for coupling a control signal thereto, which signal paths have differing time constants and are automatically selectable as a function of the rate and amount of change in amplitude of the DC signal.

Abstract: The economy of manufacture of electric guitars and electric bass guitars is improved, with no loss of quality, by providing an anchor flange in integral relationship with a metal pickguard of the guitar or bass guitar. Extended through the anchor flange are adjustment screws which connect adjustably to bridge barrels over which the strings extend. The adjustment screws and bridge barrels are preassembled to the anchor flange, and all electric components are preassembled to the pickguard, prior to mounting of the pickguard on the body of the guitar or bass. Thus, the ultimate in economy is achieved, yet the anchor flange has very strong support from the pickguard and is located accurately thereby.

Abstract: An electromechanical piano of the type incorporating asymmetrical tuning forks. To increase vastly the dwell of the forks in the high-pitched range of the piano, a fork-mounting construction is employed wherein only a single screw is associated with each fork. Elastomeric means are provided around each screw and also between opposed edge surfaces of adjacent forks, whereby to prevent rotation of each fork about the axis of its associated mounting screw.

Abstract: Measuring instrument which extracts and directly displays the vertical tracking angle of a phonograph pickup during playback of a known test record signal, and which also has the capability of measuring and directly displaying tracing distortion.

Abstract: A stop control panel for an organ includes an elongated support panel on which modular groups of touch sensitive switches are disposed in pairs with an indicating lamp disposed between the switches of each pair, wherein the switches of the pair respectively actuate and de-actuate a given stop while the lamp indicates whether the stop is actuated. The touch sensitive switches are overlaid with a front surface layer through which the switches are operable by touch of the layer and through which the indicating lamps are observable when energized. The surface layer has printed thereon a plurality of color-contrasting outlines, each positioned to circumscribe a different pair of switches and associated indicating lamp to facilitate stop selection, the surface layer otherwise having a "dead front" appearance.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for detecting and significantly correcting bit errors in a pulse code modulated television signal which recognizes the unique spectral characteristics of isolated bit errors in a digital bit stream, which generate spectral energy outside the frequency band of the video signal, and utilizes that energy to detect and correct errors without the use of overhead bits.

Abstract: A system for reproducing a plurality of electro-acoustic signals each corresponding, for example, to a channel signal of a multichannel electronic keyboard instrument, includes an acoustic processing unit which comprises a plurality of electro-acoustic transducers, one for each signal, so arranged within a substantially sealed enclosure as to convert the electro-acoustic signals to corresponding acoustic signals and to mix them to produce a pair of composite sound signals each containing at least one dominant component corresponding to an applied electro-acoustic signal and sub-dominant components related to other applied electro-acoustic signals. In one embodiment, a pair of acoustic transmission paths are provided for coupling the composite sound signals to the left and right ears, respectively, of a listener.

Abstract: The output section of a musical instrument performance amplifier comprises a pair of high impedance power field effect transistors connected to an output transformer to provide a relatively low push-pull drain load that effectively presents a high impedance constant current source to a loudspeaker. The amplifier, having such high impedance constant current source output, amplifies and sustains instrument sound, provides large amounts of power to the speaker over a wide range of speaker impedances, and enables production of high power harmonics.

Abstract: An electric piano has a complete player actuated piano voice of which harmonics are basically controlled by a tuning fork that is struck by the piano key. The piano is also provided with an electronically generated voice of which harmonics are electronically generated. To better enable the two voices to be played simultaneously by striking a single piano key, the amplitude envelope of the electromechanically generated piano voice is imposed upon the electronically generated voice which is gated and amplitude modulated so as to be heard in precise synchronization with a piano note produced by the instrument player. Linearity of modulation is extended to low piano voice amplitudes by use of modulating and gating diodes in oppositely poled feedback paths of an operational amplifier.

Abstract: A flangeless winding core for magnetic tape, adapted for stacking between like winding cores, has an annular body with parallel top and bottom annular surfaces, an outer circumferential surface around which the tape is wound, and an inner circumferential surface from which a plurality of angularly spaced lugs extend radially inward, the inner ends of which are curved to define a discontinuous inner circumferential core surface. The lugs have the shape of a sector of an annulus, are spaced from each other by a like number of similarly shaped gaps, and project equally above the top and bottom surfaces of the annular body a distance greater than one-half the axial dimension of the annular body.