Abstract: A memory card connection device includes an upper card connector stacked on a lower card connector. The card connectors have a rear connector section from which two guide racks extend toward a front card receiving port thereby defining therebetween a first space sufficient for accommodating a type I or type II memory card. A single cover plate is positioned on and fixed to the upper card connector. The cover plate has a low level section directly fixed to the rear connector section of the upper card connector and a high level section positioned above the guide racks and connected to the low level section by a riser panel thereby forming a step-like configuration. The high level section of the cover plate is distant from the upper card connector thereby defining a second space therebetween in communication with the first space of the upper card connector thereby defining an enlarged overall space for receiving a type III memory card without interfering with the lower card connector.

Abstract: An initial note series is collected from a real-time source of musical input material such as a keyboard or a sequencer playing back musical data, or extracted from musical data stored in memory. The initial note series may be altered to create variations of the initial note series using various mathematical operations. The resulting altered note series, or other data stored in memory is read out according to one or more patterns. The patterns may have steps containing pools of independently selectable items from which random selections are made. A pseudo-random number generator is employed to perform the random selections during processing, where the random sequences thereby generated have the ability to be repeated at specific musical intervals. The resulting musical effect may additionally incorporate a repeated effect, or a repeated effect can be independently performed from input notes in the musical input material.

Abstract: An initial note series is collected from a real-time source of musical input material such as a keyboard or a sequencer playing back musical data, or extracted from musical data stored in memory. The initial note series may be altered to create variations of the initial note series using various mathematical operations. The resulting altered note series, or other data stored in memory is read out according to one or more patterns. The patterns may have steps containing pools of independently selectable items from which random selections are made. A pseudo-random number generator is employed to perform the random selections during processing, where the random sequences thereby generated have the ability to be repeated at specific musical intervals. The resulting musical effect may additionally incorporate a repeated effect, or a repeated effect can be independently performed from input notes in the musical input material.

Abstract: An electric guitar pickup system is provided to generate a plurality of selectable desired Gibson and Fender tonality sounds from a single guitar. The pickup system includes a bridge pickup unit, a neck pickup unit, and a multiple position tonality select switch for selectively connecting the bridge pickup unit and the neck pickup unit in a plurality of desired pickup combinations, thereby selecting from a plurality of desired Fender and Gibson tonality signals. The bridge pickup unit includes a dual coil flat humbucker pickup to produce Gibson tonalities and further includes a dual coil bridge stacked humbucker pickup to produce Fender tonalities. The neck pickup unit similarly includes a dual coil flat humbucker pickup together with a dual coil neck stacked humbucker pickup to produce both Gibson and Fender tonalities.

Abstract: A karaoke apparatus accompanies a vocal performance with a karaoke accompaniment reproduced according to karaoke data. In the karaoke apparatus, an input device separately converts a plurality of singing voices vocalized by different singers into respective ones of initial voice signals. At least one pitch sifter is utilized to shift a pitch of the initial voice signal to create a modified voice signal representative of a harmony voice made consonant to the singing voice. A distributor operates according to control information contained in the karaoke data to selectively distribute at least one of the initial voice signals to the pitch sifter so as to create the modified voice signal corresponding to the distributed initial voice signal. An output device selectively mixes the initial voice signals and the modified voice signal to reproduce the vocal performance composed of selected ones of the singing voices and the harmony voice in synchronization with the karaoke accompaniment.

Abstract: After centuries of compromise and frustration, the unacceptable distortion created by equal-tempered-scale tuning can finally be eliminated and a musical keyboard instrument will be able to produce perfect harmony in any playing key. The invention is a natural-scale tone-generator apparatus, which requires a conventional MIDI keyboard to transmit key selection as a binary input signal, and a conventional stereo system for sound output. The invention uses a digitally-controlled, phase-locked-loop circuit as an independent tone generator for each note and a unique programming method to change tempered-scale tuning and create the rich tones of the natural scale according to key selection. The MIDI binary code and programming method is formatted for an organ-kit assembly layout and is explained in Motorola flowchart-symbolic language suitable for keyboard hobbyists and experimenters.

Abstract: A karaoke system acoustically outputting karaoke musical accompaniment together with a singing voice input from a microphone, and in the conjunction therewith, performing video output for image of lyric in synchronism with progress of karaoke musical accompaniment, is capable of announcing calorie consumption achieved by singing a song. The karaoke system includes sound volume integrating part for sampling singing voice input volume from the microphone at a given interval and sequentially integrating respective sampled values, converting part for converting an integrated value derived by the sound volume integrating means into a calorie consuming amount of a physical exercise by singing a song according to a predetermined algorithm, and announcing part for announcing the calorie consuming amount derived by the converting means to a user.

Abstract: A sensor assembly for a stringed musical instrument having a plurality of movable strings includes a bobbin extending longitudinally, at least one magnet disposed within the bobbin for producing a magnetic polarity, and a coil extending longitudinally on each side of the bobbin for damping hum in the sensor assembly due to stray magnetic fields.

Abstract: An awning, in particular an awning with a supporting arm, the cloth (1) of which can be unwound from a tube or winding shaft (2) driven by an electric motor (9) and in which are provided means for measuring the drive torque which supply a variable representing the windforce acting on the awning cloth. The measuring means are associated with a logical processing unit (15) in which are recorded three torque values, namely a danger, a safety and an all-clear value, on the basis of which values the LPU allows or activates the partial or complete unwinding or winding of the cloth.

Abstract: A generally rectangular shaped universal pickup cradle (50, 154 or 156 ) for an electric musical stringed instrument (20 or 150) allows a plurality of different pickups (50, 154, 156) to be interchangeably inserted into the stringed musical instrument. In addition, there are one or more receptacle cavities (36, 38, 40, 152) in the stringed musical instrument (20, 150) so that any of the universal pickup cradles (50, 154, 156) may be placed within any of the receptacle cavities. The universal pickup cradles (50, 154, 156), in combination with a separate electronics module (177, 200), provide a flexible and upgradeable system for an electric stringed instrument.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument having a neck assembly, a body portion, and a plurality of strings, the neck assembly having a composite central structure made of a composite material which is sufficiently strong to withstand the entire load imposed on the neck assembly by the tension of the strings without deformation or the need for structural reinforcement. The neck assembly also includes at least one non-structural, non-load bearing wooden insert carried by the composite central structure and extending substantially along the length of the neck assembly, for enabling the stringed instrument to have the response and tonal coloration of stringed instruments with traditional wooden neck assemblies, a fingerboard carried by the composite central structure, and a non-structural, non-load bearing truss rod assembly for relief adjustment of the neck.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved CF card adapter comprising a synthetic resin frame, upper and bottom metal covers attached to the synthetic resin frame, a CF card receptacle formed on the rear side of the synthetic resin frame, a pin header having pin contacts exposed on its rear side; a printed circuit board whose printed circuit is connected to the pin contacts of the pin header, and a female receptacle connector part formed on the front side of the adapter body. The female receptacle connector part is electrically connected to the printed circuit, and is adapted to be inserted in the PC card slot of an electric or electronic device. One of the upper and bottom metal covers has grounding pieces integrally connected to the length round the outside of the rectangular metal sheet. These grounding pieces are CF card grounding pieces, printed circuit grounding pieces, and grounding pieces to the PC card slot and the other metal cover.

Abstract: A system for editing and reproducing sounds according to pre-stored waveform data and recorded waveform data is disclosed. Pre-stored waveform data including timing information and musical tones are stored in memory. Musical tone waveform data including timing information from external sources such as electronic musical instruments, non-electronic musical instruments, and voices can also be stored in memory. The waveform data stored in memory can be edited before it is sequentially read out and a musical tone signal is reproduced.

Abstract: A chord display apparatus for use with a musical instrument is provided, which displays chords so as to enable the player to give diversified performance, and a storage medium that stores such a chord display program. Sequence data are stored in a storage device, which comprise a plurality of data including at least chord data that are arranged in accordance with a predetermined chord progression are sequentially read out. A first operating manner, which is a standard manner of operating the playing elements of the musical instrument so as to produce a chord represented by the chord data, is determined when each of the chord data is read out and displayed by a display device. The storage device stores operating manner data that indicates a second operating manner different from the first operating manner, such that the operating manner data is associated with the chord data.

Abstract: An initial note series is collected from a real-time source of musical input material such as a keyboard or a sequencer playing back musical data, or extracted from musical data stored in memory. The initial note series may be altered to create variations of the initial note series using various mathematical operations. The resulting altered note series, or other data stored in memory is read out according to one or more patterns. The patterns may have steps containing pools of independently selectable items from which random selections are made. A pseudo-random number generator is employed to perform the random selections during processing, where the random sequences thereby generated have the ability to be repeated at specific musical intervals. The resulting musical effect may additionally incorporate a repeated effect, or a repeated effect can be independently performed from input notes in the musical input material.

Abstract: Disclosed a thermal- and sound-insulating container having a chamber, which is defined by multilayer wall structure including vacuum layers therein. The chamber is made as small as possible the surface area thereof to achieve the high insulating effectiveness. The thermal- and sound-insulating container is comprised of the multilayer wall structure with vacuum layers therein, which constitutes the chamber defined in a hollow cylinder partially having a flat secant face, the hollow cylinder having a cross section of a circle or an ellipse that closely resembles the circle. The multilayer wall structure is composed of a pair of confronting frames arranged spaced away from each other, surface panels attached to the frames to define an empty space between the confronting frames, and sealing members arranged between the frames and the peripheries of the surface panels so as to keep the space at vacuum.

Abstract: A pedal for a musical instrument, or the like, includes a pedal plate and a heel plate that are pivotable with respect to each other. An axle extends between axle insertion holes in the heel plate and extends axially outward into axle receiving holes in the pedal plate. A tightening screw at the heel plate is tightened down on the axle for preventing upward and downward movement. A holder which is tightened into the heel plate has a tapered surface for urging the axle forwardly for preventing forward and rearward movement. At each axle receiving hole in the pedal plate, for holding the axle against axial movement, a sliding bearing around the axle is received in a collar inside the receiving opening. The sliding bearing is tightened into the collar squashing an O-ring between the collar and the sliding bearing which prevents axial movement of the axle.

Abstract: A wavetable audio synthesis system includes a simplified burst data transmission interface and a modified wavetable data structure in a system memory to transfer wavetable data from the system memory to a wavetable audio synthesis device with reduced hardware complexity. The system memory is configured to store voice data in patches including a plurality of voice data samples beginning at an initial address and extending through a plurality of ramp voice data samples to a starting loop address. The voice data in the patches then includes a plurality of looping voice data samples from the starting loop address to an ending loop address. The voice data patches are extended by repeating the voice data samples beginning with the sample at the starting loop address and extending toward the samples at the ending loop address. The number of repeated samples extend for a number of samples equal to the size of a burst transfer.

Abstract: A tremolo system for a stringed musical instrument, comprising a tremolo arm member which extends outwardly from the instrument body and is rotatable about its longitudinal axis; a bridge member which engages with the instrument strings and is capable of pivoting about an axis so as to alter the tension of the instrument strings; and a mechanism for rotating the bridge member about an axis in response to manual rotation of the tremolo arm member, including a cam member which is connected to the tremolo arm member, and a cam follower member which is movable within the instrument body and which is suitably connected to the bridge member.

Abstract: The electronic apparatus comprises a processing unit for classification and storage of a plurality of musical compositions, and a control device, such as a keyboard or MIDI connection, for performing of sequences of connoting musical events, to be stored and related to each single musical composition. The same control device may then be, used for performing of one or more sequences of searching musical events, in order to automatically find and subsequently read-out an associated musical composition from a storage memory of the CPU. For this purpose, the processing unit comprises program means for comparing a searching sequence with the connoting sequence of musical events, reading-out one or more of the stored musical compositions in the event of total or partial equivalence between the compared sequences of musical events.