Abstract: Comb (1) for a wind instrument, in particular a harmonica, comprising a plurality of cavities (2) forming channels, the comb (1) being constructed from a plurality of thin strips (3) glued together, which extend with a longitudinal dimension (4) along a width (5) of the comb (1) and are cut from bamboo and joined together so that the longitudinal dimension (4) of the thin strips (3) in each case follows the alignment of the grain orientation (6).

Abstract: Electric guitar with a neck and a body which has a first side wall, facing the guitar player, and a second side wall, facing away from the guitar player, said side walls delimiting a front and a back of the body at the edges, wherein the second side wall has an associated arcuate bow extending along it at least in sections which can have its distance from the second side wall adjusted and whose arc shape can be rotated into a concave and a convex position relative to the side wall.

Abstract: Electric guitar with a neck and a body which has a first side wall, facing the guitar player, and a second side wall, facing away from the guitar player, said side walls delimiting a front and a back of the body at the edges, wherein the second side wall has an associated arcuate bow extending along it at least in sections which can have its distance from the second side wall adjusted and whose arc shape can be rotated into a concave and a convex position relative to the side wall.

Abstract: A harmonica is comprised of three components, namely a housing shell, a lid and a sounding board. The lid snaps into engagement with the housing shell and, when so engaged, urges the sounding board against internal walls on the housing shell which define reed compartments.

Abstract: A keyboard circuit for an electronic musical instrument which, with the depression of a key, couples an AC signal to an allocated multiplexer input. The output of the multiplexer is connected via a rectifier and a sample-and-hold circuit to a depression recognizing circuit. The coupling is preferably inductive.

Abstract: The realism by which the sound produced by various musical instruments may be electronically simulated is enhanced by the storage of digital data commensurate with scanning values of several periods of a note including the release portion thereof. Command words are also memorized and, in response to the reading of a command word and the state of the input command to the instrument by the player, indicative of whether the note is to be sustained or terminated, the reading of a command word may cause the addressing of the waveform memory to be jumped to the release portion where the read-out will be continued from a scanning value approximately equal to the value read immediately prior to the reading of the command word. The waveform memory may contain a segment of the sustain portion of the note which will be repetitively read so long as the player's input command indicates that the note is to be sustained, the repetition also being in response to memorized command words.

Abstract: An automatic improvisation circuit for an electronic musical instrument. "Short" rhythm and "short" melody data is read from memories under the control of random number generators, and this rhythm amd melody data is combined and varied as a function of preselected basic rhythms and tonics, and in accordance with rules, to improvise an accompaniment.

Abstract: In a key board system for an electronic musical instrument, input signals for the instrument generated in response to key actuation have an electrical characteristic which varies as a function of the key actuation force. The foregoing results from the deflection of a mass-carrying leaf spring in response to a key stroke, the input signal being generated by a piezoelectric element mounted on the leaf spring and being deformed in response to the deflection thereof.

Abstract: The touch dynamics of the operation of keys of an electronic musical instrument are determined through the use of pressure sensitive transducers associated with the keys, the transducers providing signals which are analyzed to determine their variation in magnitude as a function of time. Additionally, after a preselected time period, if a key remains operated and the pressure exerted thereon is varied, the output voltage of the key associated transducer will be further analyzed to determine if the player is calling for the reproduction of a secondary effect.

Abstract: A mouth organ comprising two molded plastic half air slot bodies with integral voice reeds. The half air slot bodies are joined together and are protected externally with respective cover shell halves which are also preferably molded plastic parts.

Abstract: An "orchestra effect" is produced in an electronic musical instrument by mixing a signal at the commanded frequency with a second signal which is displaced in frequency from the commanded signal, the second signal also periodically varying in frequency. The difference in frequencies between the commanded signal and the signal which is mixed therewith is preferably less than one-half the total variation in frequency of the latter signal.

Abstract: The identification of the last-actuated of a plurality of parallel connected switches is provided by energizing a light source associated with the last-actuated switch and by providing a coded output signal which identifies the switch. The identification of a closed switch is accomplished through the use of logic circuitry which periodically imposes a potential difference across all of the switch associated light sources. The potential difference is sensed via the closed switch and functions as an initiation signal which causes generation of a coded output signal and maintains energization of the light source.

Abstract: Envelope curves for a large number of individual sounds to be digitally synthesized are generated by storing sample envelope shapes. The duration of the stored curves is varied by exercising control over the sampling of the stored envelopes. The smooth transition from one envelope curve to another is accomplished by sampling the new curve at a fast rate until substantially matching values of the previous and new curve are found and then proceeding with the sampling of the new curve at the desired rate.

Abstract: Stringed instruments of the clavichord type, wherein playing key operated tangent cooperate with a fixed stop to both sound and stop associated strings without the noise associated with the tangent impacting the stop. This noise elimination is accomplished by providing that the tangent is offset from the respective stop, such that a free string portion exists between the opposing stop and the tangent.

Abstract: The type and root of a chord played on a chromatically tuned musical instrument are determined by assigning sequential numerical values to the notes of the chromatic scale and, when a chord is played, calculating the intervals between the individual notes comprising the chord arranged in numerical order. In a preferred embodiment the smallest interval and the interval immediately following the smallest interval are compared with prerecorded interval values commensurate with all defined chord types to identify the type of chord played. The recorded information also contains a root value for each defined chord and these root values are employed, along with the starting note of the smallest interval, to determine chord root.

Abstract: Polyphonic sound may be produced through the use of a tone generator which divides the high frequency output of a clock pulse generator by numbers which are allocated to individual keys or pedals of an instrument. The divisor values are stored in main and intermediate memories, the values in the intermediate memory subsequently being counted down to zero. An output signal, for control of a sweep voltage generator, is produced which is a function of all of the divisor values in the intermediate memory at any one time.

Abstract: The phase of digitally synthesized audio frequency signals of the same frequency is synchronized prior to conversion of the signals into analog form. The phase synchronization is accomplished, in a musical instrument of the keyboard type, by comparison of the digitally coded signals which are commensurate with all of the simultaneously generated input commands and, when frequency coincidence is detected, employing the phase value of the first of plural commanded signal at the same frequency as the starring phase value for subsequently generated signals at the common frequency.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument comprises a sound generator connected to a loudspeaker by way of several parallel channels including respective delay lines constituted by charge-transfer devices of the bucket-brigade type stepped by different high-frequency pulse generators. Each pulse generator comprises a voltage-controlled oscillator whose output frequency is varied by a composite periodic signal obtained from a respective stage of a chain of operational amplifiers each provided, except possibly for the first stage, with an RC network acting as a frequency-dependent phase shifter for a nonsinusoidal modulating signal consisting of at least two sub-audio-frequency components. The modulating signal may be synthesized from a plurality of stepped waveforms generated by the concurrent readout, at different sampling rates, of a set of amplitude values stored in a read-only memory.

Abstract: A plug for the mouthpiece of a wooden recorder, molded integral from plastic material, has a concave and a flat end wall interconnected by side and intermediate walls. A lower side wall, or an intermediate wall parallel thereto, has one or two outer humps designed to contact the inner mouthpiece surface and is sufficiently deformable to flex inward upon insertion into the mouthpiece.