Abstract: A wind instrument is provided having a basic body in which extends a central duct which is bounded by a peripheral wall of the basic body, a plurality of openings in the peripheral wall which connect the duct with the surrounding air, a plurality of valves mounted on the basic body and each having a closure member co-acting with an opening and having a control assembly connected to the valves. The control assembly guides the closure member for movement between a closed position in which the opening is closed by the closure assembly and an open position in which the opening is left clear. The closure assembly has a plate of stiff material which is provided on the side facing toward the opening with sealing material and which in the closed position engages sealingly around the opening. The closure member is connected to the control assembly by a yieldable member.

Abstract: A musical instrument includes a two-dimension array of note producing elements wherein the elements along one dimension of the array have three-quarter steps or increasing fundamental frequencies F.sub.n according to the equationF.sub.n =F.sub.0 *2.sup.n/8wherein F.sub.0 is the fundamental frequency of the first note producing element in the one dimension and n is the number of the note producing element in the one direction from the first note producing element. The note producing elements along a second dimension of the array have fundamental frequencies which differ by frequency differences (such as perfect fourth intervals) greater than the frequency differences between adjacent note producing elements along the one dimension of the array.

Abstract: A system and a method for the notes of one track to move in a harmonically separate manner from the notes of another track when the notes of each track are played against a chord progression. Each track is associated with a chord function. The notes of the tracks are then played against a progression of polychords, where each polychord consists of one or more chords. In addition, each chord of a polychord is associated with one or more chord functions. During operation, each note of a track is mapped against a chord of the currently playing polychord. The chord for each track is selected by identifying the chord of the polychord that is associated with the same chord function as the track. Furthermore, individual tracks, groups of notes, or single notes can be assigned to one of several playback modes. Each note includes a field that identifies a playback mode. In addition, each track is associated with a playback mode.

Abstract: An object is to provide an antibacterial keyboard which keeps to be clean and can be prevented from being discolored by growing or grown bacteria. Methyl methacrylate resin as acrylic resin, and a ceramic body as an antibacterial agent prepared by mixing and sintering calcium phosphate and silver metal are used: 0.5% to 2% by weight of the ceramic body prepared by mixing and sintering calcium phosphate and silver metal is blended and uniformly dispersed in the methyl methacrylate resin. The blend is injection molded, to form piano natural key coverings. The piano natural keys covered with such coverings are superior in an antibacterial, keep to be clean and can be prevented from being discolored by growing or grown bacteria.

Abstract: An improved plate assembly of woodwinds comprising a body being longitudinally provided with a plurality of tone holes is provided. Each of the tone holes is provided with a pair of posts at both sides. A copper shaft is pivotally mounted within the posts. A plate which may cover the tone hole is pivotally mounted onto the copper shaft. The lower portion of one of the posts is disposed with a resilient pin. The copper shaft is disposed with a projected pin shaft and a depressing key rod. The resilient pin is disposed such that the projected pin shaft is biased. When the depressing key rod is depressed, the copper shaft is rotated and the tone hole can be opened or closed by the plate to generate a special tone. The upper portion of the post is provided with a ball socket and both ends of the copper shaft are provided with a mounting hole respectively. One of the mounting hole of the pipe is provided with a groove.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for generating audio-visual musical accompaniment signals corresponding to a musical program, there is provided a recording medium which has an audio storage unit, a lyric storage unit and a video storage unit separate from the audio storage unit and the lyric storage unit. The audio storage unit and the lyric storage unit respectively have a plurality of audio music data and a plurality of lyric data corresponding to a plurality of the musical programs stored therein. The video storage unit has a plurality of video segments to be commonly shared by the plurality of the musical programs stored therein. In operation, the audio music data and the lyric data corresponding to a selected one of the musical programs are retrieved from the recording medium, while at least a section of the video segments are retrieved from the recording medium in an order.

Abstract: A snare drum design attaches snare string(s) in a manner to protect the snare string(s) from damage at the snare gate. More particularly, the snare drum design prolongs the useful life of snare strings by providing a friction resistance member along an inner periphery of a snare gate formed in the snare rim.

Abstract: A composite structure for a stringed musical instrument or an acoustic guitar. The stringed instrument structure having a one piece neck and body cast of a fiber reinforced single resin matrix. Encapsulated are continuous longitudinal fibers which extend distal to the bridge and nut, encircle the periphery of the neck, intermediately connect the peripheral matrix, and which surround the longitudinal fibers integral with the body and head of the instrument. The acoustic guitar having a fiber reinforced single resin matrix, of which the acoustic chamber is not integral to the region below the playing surface such that the neck does not increase in overall depth until the end of the playing surface.

Abstract: A keyboard assembly for an electronic musical instrument comprises at least a plurality of keys, a key support member and a plurality of key-return springs. The key support member rotatably supports the keys; and the key-return spring is provided between the key and key support member so as to press up the key to a normal position. Mechanical parameters which affect a key scaling to key-touch responses of the keys are sizes, shapes and locations of parts of the keyboard assembly, which are set by analyzing motions of an action mechanism of an acoustic piano. For example, weight of the key is adjusted using a deadweight member so as to provide a specific key-touch response for the key. An amount of elastic resilience, made by the key-return spring, is adjusted by changing at least one location, at which one end of the key-return spring is terminated, so as to provide a specific key-touch response for the key.

Abstract: A wide angle tom-tom holder including a mounting base having a bottom coupling hole coupled to a top end of an upright support, two ball socket assemblies respectively fastened to the mounting base, two balls respectively turned in the ball socket assemblies, and two L-shaped supporting rods respectively connected to the balls and adapted for holding a respective drum, wherein the mounting base has an extension block at one side, two upward coupling chambers respectively defined within the extension block, two projecting blocks respectively disposed in the upward coupling chambers, two mounting through hole respectively made through the center of the projecting blocks; each ball socket assembly has an upper shell and a hollow bottom shell fixedly fastened together and defining a ball socket therebetween for holding one ball, the upper shell having a vertical through hole connected to one mounting through hole of the mounting base by a screw bolt and a nut, and a tubular flange downwardly raised from a bottom

Abstract: For a given tone generating channel, tone waveform sample data corresponding to a plurality of sampling cycles (e.g., 100 samples) are arithmetically formed collectively. Once performance information such as MIDI event data is supplied to a tone generator MIDI driver from an application program such as a MIDI sequencer, the MIDI driver, in response to an input MIDI signal, assigns new tone generation to a designated tone generating channel of a tone generator task, and prepares tone controlling parameters to be set in the designated channel. The tone generator task arithmetically forms tone waveform data by use of the tone controlling parameters and passes the tone waveform data to a CODEC circuit functioning as an A/D converter. The program and a general-purpose operating system are sequenced and executed by a preemptive multitask management program. In this way, it is possible to reduce overheads involved in arithmetically forming tone waveform samples.

Abstract: There is provided an electronic musical instrument capable of contributing to a higher speed in display, and also of displaying music in page feed format easy to see. In the electronic musical instrument, music data are developed into image data by a tempo clock interruption from a tempo clock unit in accordance with performance data. In addition, a part of the image data stored in a temporary memory is transferred to a VRAM in response to a timer interruption from a timer. In this manner, a page feed of the music displayed on a display unit is carried out being accompanied with an animation motion.

Abstract: A pickup for an electric guitar includes a housing made to fill an existing cavity in an electric guitar body originally used for a dual-coil humbucking pickup. The pickup also has a single pickup coil mounted in the housing.

Abstract: A trombone includes a bell flare, a tuning slide connected with the bell flare via a tuning-slide crook, a bell brace securely connected between the tuning slide and the bell flare, a hand slide which has a first end slidably received within the tuning slide and a second end which is detachably connected with a cup, and an outer slide brace securely connected between the hand slide and the tuning slide further has an adjustable support securely mounted onto the bell flare for the user to distribute the weight of the trombone evenly onto the user's upper arm. Furthermore, a grip portion provided between the hand slide and the tuning slide is able to provide the user a comfortable grip effect when holding the trombone. An adjusting device mounted on the tuning slide and a distal end of which is adjustably and detachably engaged with a bell lock mounted at an intersection of the hand slide and the tuning slide is able to provide a suitable length for the extension of the user's arm.

Abstract: An apparatus (20) controls a seat positioning motor (32) and a seat heater (44) of an occupant seat (22). The apparatus includes common switches (62, 70) electrically connected to both the motor (32) and the seat heater (44). The common switches permits connection of the motor and the seat heater to a source of electric energy (B+). A controller (38) is connected to the common switches for selectively controlling actuation of the motor and the seat heater through the common switches.

Abstract: A mute device for use with music drums including tom-toms, snares, and the like. The device includes a drum stick strike plate, and at least one sound post projecting from the strike plate. The sound post contacts the drum skin at a location where the skin is supported on the drum shell housing, when the strike plate is mounted on the drum.

Abstract: A control circuit (10) is provided for an electric motor brake (12) having an electromagnetic brake coil (14) energizable to actuate the brake to a released condition permitting rotation of an electric motor (16), and de-energizable to enable actuation of the brake setting the brake to a braking condition stopping rotation of the motor. The control circuit includes a switch (102) having an on state energizing the brake coil, and an off state de-energizing the brake coil.

Abstract: An improved drumhead construction for drums of the type used in percussion sections of bands and orchestras utilizes a sound absorbing muffling ring attached to the drumhead to minimize the amplitude and duration of undesirable resonance sounds or over-ringing. The muffling ring according to the present invention includes a flat annular ring having a sound absorbing surface such as felt adjacent to the inner, or non-battered surface of a drum head membrane. The sound absorbing ring is attached to the drumhead membrane only at certain locations of the ring, thereby permitting unattached portions of the ring to float with respect to the drumhead membrane, away from the membrane in response to initial brisk movement of the membrane in response to a drum beat, thereby minimizing attenuation of initial drumhead membrane vibrations which produce desired sharp attack sounds.

Abstract: A bassoon equipped with a key mechanism is constructed by a tube which consists of a tenor joint, a double joint, a long joint and a bell joint. Herein, three sound holes corresponding to sounds of E, B.music-flat. and F.music-sharp. are located in the double joint. Three keys corresponding to E, B.music-flat., F.music-sharp. are provided to open or close the three sound holes respectively and are all manipulated by the fingering using only a thumb of a right hand of a performer. Herein, an E key which is the center of the three keys is specialized in construction. That is, the E key which is located to cover the E sound hole is constructed by a pad cup and a key body whose size is reduced as compared with the conventional one. Two recesses are formed at both sides of the key body respectively. In addition, two rollers are held by the two recesses above the pad cup.

Abstract: A network system is constructed for operating a music apparatus having a function as an electronic musical instrument under control by a local terminal which is communicable with a host computer through a network. In the system, the host computer is installed with a capability utilized to compute data effective to extent the function of the electronic musical instrument. The local terminal is connectable to the host computer through the network to remotely control the capability of the host computer so as to compute the data prepared for the music apparatus. The local terminal downloads the computed data from the host computer into the music apparatus through the local terminal. The music apparatus operates according to the downloaded data to extend its own function as the electronic musical instrument. Further, the capability itself can be transferred from the host computer to the music apparatus through the local terminal.