Abstract: In response to an operation of a key, a drive signal indicating a sound waveform corresponding to the key is supplied to an excitation unit provided on a soundboard. The soundboard is vibrated in response to a mechanical vibration generated by the excitation unit and generates an actively-vibrated-soundboard sound as well as an acoustic effect generated by propagation of the vibration of the soundboard to a string. The excitation unit has a voice coil excited by the drive signal. The length of the voice coil is equal to or smaller than a sum of a magnetic path width (mw) of a magnetic path space and a double of a maximum deflection amount (sw) of the vibration member connected to the soundboard. In this way, an effective drive force for exciting the soundboard can be obtained and an enhanced responsiveness in a high frequency band can be obtained.

Abstract: In a predetermined sound generation mode, a drive signal having a frequency characteristic corresponding to an operated key is supplied to an excitation unit provided on a soundboard. In response to a mechanical vibration generated by the excitation unit, the soundboard is vibrated so as to generate an acoustic vibration sound corresponding to the operated key. The excitation unit is supported by a supporting unit such that less or no load of the excitation unit except a vibration member vibrated in response to the drive signal is applied to the soundboard. Thus, only a load of the vibration member which is a very light portion of the excitation unit is applied to the soundboard, thereby vibration characteristics of the soundboard being hardly affected. When a sound damping mode is selected, a stopper is permitted to prevent a hammer from striking a sounding body.

Abstract: In response to an operation of a key, a drive signal indicating a sound waveform corresponding to the key is supplied to an excitation unit provided on a soundboard. The soundboard is vibrated in response to a mechanical vibration generated by the excitation unit and generates an actively-vibrated-soundboard sound as well as an acoustic effect generated by propagation of the vibration of the soundboard to a string. The excitation unit has a voice coil excited by the drive signal. The length of the voice coil is equal to or smaller than a sum of a magnetic path width (mw) of a magnetic path space and a double of a maximum deflection amount (sw) of the vibration member connected to the soundboard. In this way, an effective drive force for exciting the soundboard can be obtained and an enhanced responsiveness in a high frequency band can be obtained.

Abstract: In a predetermined sound generation mode, a drive signal having a frequency characteristic corresponding to an operated key is supplied to excitation units provided on a soundboard. The soundboard is vibrated in response to a mechanical vibration generated by the excitation units to generate an acoustic sound by the vibration of the soundboard. The frequency characteristics of the drive signal to be supplied to each of the excitation units is set in association with the vibration characteristics of the soundboard at a position of a vibration member of each excitation unit connected to the soundboard. For example, the frequency characteristics of the drive signal is set to characteristics capable of suppressing resonance of the soundboard.

Abstract: In a predetermined sound generation mode, a drive signal having a frequency characteristic corresponding to an operated key is supplied to an excitation unit provided on a soundboard. In response to a mechanical vibration generated by the excitation unit, the soundboard is vibrated so as to generate an acoustic vibration sound corresponding to the operated key. The excitation unit is supported by a supporting unit such that less or no load of the excitation unit except a vibration member vibrated in response to the drive signal is applied to the soundboard. Thus, only a load of the vibration member which is a very light portion of the excitation unit is applied to the soundboard, thereby vibration characteristics of the soundboard being hardly affected. When a sound damping mode is selected, a stopper is permitted to prevent a hammer from striking a sounding body.