Abstract: Multiplexed serial data from the keyboard of a musical instrument, such as an electronic organ, is delayed in a shift register to cause generation of musical tones related to the keyswitches closed on the keyboard and combined with the non-delayed serial data for producing mutation voices or chords.

Abstract: Electronic circuits are provided for producing an electronic timbre modulation for effecting celeste or vibrato similar in sonic results to the well-known Leslie rotating speaker system. Electronic signals corresponding to audio tones are generated and are modified by appropriate filters. Three controlling oscillators are locked in exactly 120.degree. phase relation to one another and act through three voltage controlled oscillators respectively to modulate three bucket brigade circuits through which said modified electronic signals are passed substantially in parallel. A roving band pass filter further modulates those of said electronic signals corresponding to flute tones to simulate other aspects of a Leslie speaker system.

Abstract: A touch responsive envelope control system is provided for use in an electronic musical instrument having a multiplexed keyboard, a plurality of assignable tone generators, each being assignable to producing a single note of one or more notes corresponding to one or more actuated keys of the keyboard and a keyer associated with each tone generating means for keying the generated tone with controlled attack time and decay rate and a controllable peak amplitude. The touch responsive system comprises a peak amplitude control system responsive to the actuation of each key for keying the associated tone with a peak amplitude corresponding to the intensity of actuation thereof. The peak amplitude control system includes an encoding circuit responsive to the actuation of each actuated key for producing an encoded intensity signal corresponding to the intensity of actuation thereof and a decoding circuit responsive to each encoded intensity signal for producing a corresponding peak amplitude control signal.

Abstract: A programmable tone generator for an electronic musical instrument generates a tone signal having a desired fundamental frequency and harmonic content. A binary counter serves as a time base for encoding each period of a tone signal waveform onto plural outputs in the form of a binary code. A plurality of programmable tone generation circuits are coupled with selected counter outputs to comprise plural tone signal branches, each providing a tone signal at a selected fundamental frequency and having selected harmonic content. A signal processing circuit associated with each tone signal branch includes a programmable variable code generator and determines the initial content of the output waveform, subsequently either maintaining or changing the fundamental frequency and harmonic content thereof.

Abstract: A soundboard for a piano comprises three plies of wood bonded together, the front and back plies being of substantially equal thickness and the center ply being of a thickness greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the front and back plies. The center ply comprises a plurality of elongate boards each having a preselected curvature from side-to-side, these boards are bonded together edge-to-edge with the curvature of each board in the same direction to form a composite board having a substantially continuous curvature, concave on one side and convex on the other side. Consequently, the assembled, three-ply soundboard has a curvature imparted thereto by the center ply.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory system for an electronic musical instrument having a plurality of player actuatable instrument controls, comprises a readable, writable memory. The memory includes addressing inputs and data input/outputs. The data input/outputs are coupled with at least selected ones of the plurality of player actuatable instrument controls. Player actuatable memory controls are also provided for selecting either the memory or the selected ones of the player actuatable instrument controls for control of the instrument.

Abstract: A piano action is provided for an electronic piano. Tones are generated electronically, but the action retains the feel of a conventional piano action without the necessity of a hammer or hammer-like member. The piano key is provided with a rounded, convex shoulder which presses against a rounded, convex surface on a lever. The two convex surfaces are configured and positioned so that one slides over the other to provide the feel of let-off of a conventional piano action. The lever is spring-biased by means of two different springs to rest position, and acts to move a spring wire contact from a first bus to a second bus.

Abstract: A soundboard for a piano comprises three plies of wood bonded together, the front and back plies being of substantially equal thickness and the center ply being of a thickness greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the front and back plies. The center ply comprises a plurality of elongate boards each having a preselected curvature from side-to-side, these boards are bonded together edge-to-edge with the curvature of each board in the same direction to form a composite board having a substantially continuous curvature, concave on one side and convex on the other side. Consequently, the assembled, three-ply soundboard has a curvature imparted thereto by the center ply.

Abstract: A record operated control system is provided for use with a vending machine and a record reading/writing apparatus having a read/write head for reading and writing data on a record during relative movement between the record and the read/write head. The control system includes a decoding circuit coupled with the read/write head for decoding data read from the record thereby. A data storage circuit is coupled with the decoding circuit for receiving and storing the decoded data. A comparing circuit compares at least a portion of the stored data to predetermined data and produces a compare signal if these data compare. A data altering circuit is responsive to the compare signal for altering the stored data in accordance with the amount of credit required to vend a selected item. An encoding circuit is coupled with the storage circuit and with the read/write head for causing writing of the altered stored data onto the record.

Abstract: A detuning control circuit is provided for producing a pitch variation effect in an electronic musical instrument. The instrument includes at least one integrated circuit tone generator chip having at least one tone generator and a detuning circuit responsive to a predetermined detuning control signal for detuning the signals produced by the tone generator. The detuning control circuit comprises a detuning control signalling circuit for producing a predetermined detuning control signal and for selectively applying the predetermined detuning control signal to the detuning circuit of the tone generator chip so as to produce a predetermined pitch variation effect.

Abstract: An automatic chord control system is readily incorporated in an electronic organ by means of large scale integrated circuit chips. The automatic chord control causes a chord or group of notes within an octave played on the lower manual keyboard to play through the upper manual voice in the octave below the lowest melody note being played on the upper manual keyboard. The proposed automatic chord control system has two operating modes. In the first mode, the notes transferred to the upper manual are generated in direct correspondence to the keys activated on the lower manual. In the second mode, the notes transferred to the upper manual are generated by a set of preset chords activated by single lower manual keys.

Abstract: Most of the circuitry of an electronic organ is made up of a plurality of digital large scale integrated (LSI) circuit chips. Certain of the chips can be duplicated or substituted for others of like type to provide an organ with more or less tone generators, more or less features, etc., whereby organs of various price levels can be constructed from the same basic parts. In operation, essentially all of the organ functions and features are provided by carrying out logical and arithmetic operations on digital pulse trains generated under control of a master clock.

Abstract: A sequence generator system is disclosed for use in an electronic musical instrument wherein scanning circuits scan the instrument and produce a serial data stream corresponding to notes played on the instrument. The sequence generator system comprises sequence generating circuits responsive to the serial data stream for generating a further, predetermined data sequence and data steering circuits for receiving the serial data stream and for normally steering said serial data stream to a data output. Actuation of the system causes the data steering circuits to substitute the predetermined data sequence produced by the sequence generating circuits for the serial data stream at the data output.

Abstract: A touch responsive tonal envelope waveshape control system is provided for an electronic musical instrument which includes cooperating tone generating and keying circuits which are responsive to actuation of a key for initiating the generation and keying of a corresponding tone. The system of the invention includes encoding circuits responsive to the actuation of a key for producing encoded signals corresponding to the intensity of player actuation of the key and an amplitude control circuit responsive to these encoded intensity signals and cooperative with the keying circuits for controlling the peak amplitude of the tonal envelope waveshape in accordance with the intensity of player actuation of the key for initiating that tone.

Abstract: A control system for a vending machine which accepts coins or bills of different denominations assigns a given amount of credit to each such monetary unit (i.e., a coin or a bill) accepted. The novel structure of the invention allows operation with monetary units in different monetary systems and alterations of the amount of credit assigned to each monetary unit accepted to be effected easily and simply. The control system responds in the same fashion to either a request for refund or change or a selection of an article to be vended: by comparing the accumulated credit from monetary units accepted with the price of each selected article and the request for a refund or change and allowing or inhibiting the dispensing of an article and/or dispensing of a refund or change accordingly. The pricing of articles may also be readily altered to accommodate different articles or changed prices.

Abstract: A bass bridge for a piano is provided wherein a runner is fixed to the soundboard, an apron is fixed to the runner and is cantilevered therefrom along one edge, and a bridge cap is fixed to the other edge. The runner and apron have a plurality of slots extending therethrough substantially perpendicular with the bridge cap.

Abstract: An accompaniment system for an electronic musical instrument is selectively actuatable for producing accompaniment effects such as arpeggio in accordance with selectable notes or chords and with selectable rhythm patterns. The electronic musical instrument includes one or more conventional keyboards, a set of chord switches for selecting one of a plurality of predetermined chords and a set of rhythm switches for selecting one of a plurality of predetermined rhythm patterns, respectively. The accompaniment system includes a ROM containing note position signals arranged in a plurality of groups, each group corresponding to one of the selectable rhythm patterns. An electronic circuit selects one of the groups in response to activation of one of the rhythm pattern selector switches and sequentially combines each note position signal in the group with a chord displacement signal developed in response to actuation of one of the keyboard notes or chord selection switches.

Abstract: In an electronic organ or the like constructed of a plurality of large scale integrated circuit (LSI) chips, the present disclosure relates to a generator chip. The chip is operative over one octave of notes, and a string of chips is cascaded to provide as many octaves as there are in the instrument.

Abstract: The notes of an accompaniment manual of an electronic keyboard musical instrument such as an electronic organ are multiplexed. The key switches are sequentially scanned and the serial information produced is fed into a shift register. Digital circuitry reads the position of data in the shift register to determine whether a recognized chord has been played. After recognition of a recognized chord a counter operating in conjunction with the shift register clock input operates in connection with comparators and frequency generators to produce the necessary notes for the chord played.An automatic mode of operation also is provided in which only the key corresponding to the root partial of a chord need be played. By utilizing the mathematic relationships in a chord, the simple note played by depression of one key is extrapolated into a chord.

Abstract: In a modular, expandable organ system comprising a plurality of large scale integrated circuit (LSI) chips an LSI chip is provided which produces chord and bass frequency generation and identification. It automatically coordinates with another chip in rhythm production. It incorporates frequency generators, identifies a chord played, and provides keyers for chord notes.