Abstract: A musical tone producing device of a waveform readout type has a reference waveform memory and a difference waveform memory.The reference waveform memory stores a reference waveform which is similar commonly to each of divided waveforms belonging to a plurality of blocks into which a musical tone waveform of a musical tone to be produced is divided.The difference waveform memory stores difference waveforms, each of which is a difference between the reference waveform and each of divided waveforms.The reproduction of the musical tone waveform is accomplished by reading out the reference waveform and the difference waveforms successively and by successively adding the read out reference waveform and the difference waveforms. This musical tone waveform synthesis according to utilization of difference waveforms contributes to the reduction of memory size.

Abstract: An electrically-keyed musical instrument has a double-row keyboard in which back digitals alternate with front digitals throughout the keyboard. The keyboard is provided with two sets of landmarks to assist playing from either the traditional notation or a six-tone notation. The musical instrument has an electronic key signature actuator apparatus which may be set to physically actuate any key signature of music written in the traditional notation, so that the diatonic tones in the selected key can be played entirely on the front digitals of the keyboard. The other five tones of the chromatic scale must be played on back digitals of the keyboard. The electronic apparatus also allows the front digitals to play the whole-tone scale or a hexachord scale, and to play the hexachord scale in any selected one of twelve different hexachord keys. A person trained on the instrument in a six-tone notation can, by throwing a switch, easily play music written in the traditional notation.

Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument which generates a musical waveform by calculating the waveform amplitude value at each sample point through Fourier synthesis, note-range variations of the musical waveform and its timbre variations in accordance with a touch response are controlled with respect to readout addresses for reading out a set of harmonic coefficient data for the Fourier synthesis from a memory having stored therein a plurality of sets of such harmonic coefficient data, thereby changing the component ratio of a harmonic coefficient which will ultimately be used as a Fourier coefficient.

Abstract: In a method for providing musical accompaniment in response to playing of a processor-controlled musical instrument, a plurality of processes corresponding to different musical components of the accompaniment are executed in a pseudo-concurrent manner. Each component includes a plurality of musical events related according to a tempo at which the accompaniment is to be sounded. A portion of one of the processes is executed to perform at least one of the musical events, whereupon the process is suspended for a musically appropriate period of time substantially equal to the time before the next event of the process. While the first process is suspended, a portion of at least one other process is executed to perform another musical event. The other process is then suspended for another musically appropriate period of time. Execution of the processes is continued in this manner, one portion of a process at a time, such that the processes overlap to produce a coherent musical accompaniment.

Abstract: Two waveshapes corresponding to an attack portion and a part of portion succeeding the attack portion of a tone to be produced are stored in a waveshape memory. The waveshape of the attack portion is read out once and thereafter the other waveshape is repetitively read out. In order to connect smoothly the repetitively read out waveshape, an interpolation operation is performed in specified sections at the end and at the beginning of the waveshape. A tone waveshape to be finally formed is constituted by the other waveshape itself in other section than the specified sections and by a new waveshape formed by the interpolation operation in the specified sections in the other waveshape, thereby realizing the smooth connection of the repetitive read out waveshapes.

Abstract: A tone generating glove includes switches and a tone generating circuit. The switches are connected to the tone generating circuit, and both the switches and the tone generating circuit are mounted in the glove. The tone generating circuit produces a tone or tones in response to the actuation of one or more of the switches. Preferably, a switch is positioned at each finger joint of the glove. The tone generating glove may also include a transmitter for transmitting the tone or tones that are produced to an AM or FM receiver. Each switch may include a flexible insulating sheet having upper and lower surfaces and an opening formed through its thickness. Flexible and electrically conductive first and second outer laminas are respectively attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating sheet. They are positioned on the surfaces of the insulating sheet so as to bridge the opening in it.

Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument, note frequency data corresponding to a plurality of temperaments are prestored and are selectively read out in accordance with a selected one of the temperaments, generating a note frequency corresponding thereto. Further, a plurality of note frequency data corresponding to each transposition operation for each temperament and selectively read out in accordance with a selected temperament and the transposition operation, thereby generating a note frequency corresponding thereto. Thus the temperament selection and the transposition operation can be performed with satisfactory stability and high frequency accuracy.

Abstract: A musical tone signal generator for an electronic musical instrument is constructed by a waveshape generator, a function generator and an interpolator. The waveshape generator successively generates adjacent two waveshapes of a plurality of different waveshapes which have been intermittently sampled in an actual produced tone. The function generator generates an interpolation function which is a function of time. The interpolator weights the adjacent two waveshapes in accordance with the interpolation function, combines the weighted two waveshapes and outputs the combined waveshape as a musical tone waveshape to be produced at a rate corresponding to a frequency of the musical tone waveshape. In the waveshape generator, the generation of next two adjacent waveshapes are performed when a value of the interpolation function has become equal to a predetermined value. As a result, it is made possible to obtain a good quality timewise spectrum change of the musical tone waveshape.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument comprising detection means to detect time positions of an initial part and a terminal part of a voice, extraction means to extract pitch data of the voice, a plurality of processing means to subject the pitch data to different processing operations, means to successively select the processed pitch data of the plurality of processing means in correspondence with the respective detected time positions, and musical sound production means to produce a musical sound on the basis of the processed pitch data delivered from the selection means.

Abstract: A speech synthesizer includes a lattice-type multi-stage digital filter modified in the next to last stage thereof by incorporating an increasing circuit for slightly effectively increasing the absolute value of a parameter K.sub.2 so as to reduce an attenuation factor. The device is useful for generating tones of a sustained quality, such as musical tones.

Abstract: A tone generation circuit can generate digital tone signals in a plurality of channels on a time shared basis and these digital tone signals are supplied to a digital-to-analog converter provided commonly for the respective channels. The digital-to-analog converter converts the digital tone signals of the respective channels into analog signals individually for each of the channels in the time division multiplexed state. Analog memory circuits are provided for the respective channels for demultiplexing and individually holding the time division multiplexed analog tone signals supplied from the digital-to-analog converter. The analog tone signals held in the respective analog memory circuits are individually read out in synchronism with pitches of notes assigned to the respective channels. An analog adder is provided, when required, for summing up the read out analog tone signals of the respective channels.

Abstract: In a method for providing musical accompaniment in response to the playing of a musical instrument, wherein the accompaniment has a plurality of musical components performing different musical functions, a preselected number of virtual channels implementing the musical components of the accompaniment are mapped into a smaller number of physical channels such that the allocation of physical channels between the musical components fluctuates over time. In another embodiment, one of the musical components of the accompaniment is a fill note component, and the allocation of physical channels between it and at least one other component of the accompaniment may be either static or dynamic.

Abstract: A digital sound synthesizer produces a variable spectral line width to synthesize tones by accumulating phase quanta sequentially for each of a set of tone samples. The rate of accumulation of phase for each tone is randomly altered with preset values of phase increment to broaden the spectral line. The broadened spectral lines provide a display with a spectral presentation of sounds more closely resembling naturally occurring sounds. The embodiment shows how one-hundred non-harmonic frequencies can be generated (using integrator 64), each of which can be independently amplitude controlled and band-width modulation controlled using random deviation of a sine wave.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating acoustic or visual effects by human body actions, including transducer for generating electrical signals upon influence of human body actions attached to various portions of the human body and, upon a dancing movement and/or rhythmic touching of at least one of the transducers, signal generating means are selectively activated via a logic means for driving predetermined means for creating acoustic and/or visual effects.

Abstract: A method of (and apparatus for) extracting the fundamental pitch period of a complex electrical signal V.sub.2 (t), that includes the serial steps of deriving a time varying reference signal V.sub.ref (t) from the complex electrical signal V.sub.2 (t), which reference signal V.sub.ref (t) adapts continuously (i.e., each cycle of the complex electrical signal) to peak amplitude excursions of the complex electrical signal V.sub.2 (t); sensing ascending values of the signal V.sub.2 (t) to a first point at which the maximum magnitude of the signal V.sub.2 (t) of one polarity is reached and reversal of direction thereof occurs; storing the first substantially instantaneous difference in magnitude between the complex electrical signal V.sub.2 (t) and the time varying reference V.sub.ref (t) at the point of maximum magnitude of the signal V.sub.2 (t); thereafter sensing a point at which the magnitude of the signal V.sub.

Abstract: A musical instrument for producing musical sound including a wavetable for storing a plurality of samples in wavetable locations. An address generator addresses wavetable locations for selecting stored samples to provide audio output signals and for selecting stored samples to be modified and restored. New addresses for specifying wavetable locations are provided employing a modification operation independent from an output operation.

Abstract: An input device for an electronic musical instrument, has blown air apertures and suction air apertures alternately disposed on the front face of its main body. This input device also has elastic members provided within the blown air apertures and suction air apertures, in such a way as to be deformed by the force of the air caused to flow through said blown air apertures and suction air apertures. The input device also has magnets or pressure members serving as operation members, which magnets or pressure members are each displaced by an elastic member, and a plurality of musical tone input switches are driven by the displacement of the magnets or pressure members.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument are provided a plurality of tone production channels to produce musical tones polyphonically. Each of the tone production channel includes a first counter which divides clock pulses by either one of N and N+1 to deliver an output pulse. A second counter and a control circuit are further provided in the instrument, which are commonly used for respective tone production channels. The second counter counts, on the time division basis, the output pulses from the first counters, and the control circuit designates the dividing number of the first counter is relation with the counted value of the second counter. Each of the tone production channels produces a tone signal having a frequency predetermined by the combination of N and N+1. By time divisionally using the second counter and the control circuit, the construction of the instrument is simplified.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument is provided of the type in which a musical tone signal is formed by executing computations according to a mathematical formula such as a frequency modulation formula. Tone formation of each of musical tone signals to be simultaneously formed is assigned to each time-division-multiplexed time channel which is cyclically repeated over cycles of a plurality of time slots. A computation for forming each single musical tone is divided into a plurality of sub-computations, and those subcomputations are executed respectively using a plurality of cycles of time slots of each single time channel. Thus tone formation according to a complex computation formula is realized. Parameters necessary for the computation are generated respectively for each time slot so that any computational formula is adopted as desired by selecting predetermined parameters for each time slot.

Abstract: Tone data produced by operating a keyboard is stored in a RAM to be saved into a tape recorder through an interface. Of a plurality of music numbers saved in the tape recorder a selected one is loaded into the RAM through the interface. A tone generator converts the tone data from the RAM into a tone signal which is sounded from a loudspeaker. The save and load operations are all controlled by a CPU.

Abstract: In an automatic music playing apparatus, musical data entered at a keyboard are temporarily stored in a RAM and are sequentially recorded on a magnetic tape. The RAM has a memory capacity larger than the longest musical data to be recorded on the magnetic tape and has memory areas which are all accessed by a CPU. The musical data is then recorded in a predetermined data area on the magnetic tape.

Abstract: In response to the data input from a keyboard, a tone clock generator generates a tone clock signal. The tone clock signal is counted by a waveform step counter. The output of the counter is used for making an access to a waveform memory. The waveform memory stores first and second waveform data of which the periods respectively are divided into a different number of addresses. One of the first and second waveform data read out from the waveform memory by the output of the counter is selected, according to the key-in data.

Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument which generates a musical waveform by calculating the waveform amplitude value at each sample point through Fourier synthesis, there is provided a musical waveform generator for caculating and synthesizing a temporally varying musical waveform at a plurality of sample points, memory circuits for storing two kinds of musical waveforms obtained by the musical waveform generator one after the other and an interpolation circuit for interpolating the two musical waveforms at time intervals shorter than the time intervals used in the musical waveform generator.

Abstract: A synthesizer is disclosed which has the function of generating synthesized human voices and melodies in the form of synthesized sounds. The speech synthesizer may be implemented with one or more LSI devices which include a central processor unit for receiving word codes or melody program codes and for controlling the synthesizer, a memory for storing the sequence of synthesis for each word and melody, a synthesized word generator for providing audible indications of the respective words in the form of a synthesized sound and a melody generator for providing melodies in the form of a synthesized sound. A decision circuit decides if word codes or melody programs are provided.

Abstract: A tone wave synthesizing apparatus comprises a phase address generator; a time frame generator; an elementary wave generator; an incremental wave generator; and an adder. The phase address generator generates a phase address signal which designates phase addresses for phase angles of a waveform to be produced progressively and repetitively. The time frame generator generates a time frame signal which sequentially designates a series of time frames one after another. The elementary wave generator repeatedly generates, for each designated time frame, a period of elementary tone wave in the form of a series of wave sample values in accordance with the phase address signal, which elementary tone wave represents a tone wave at a beginning of the designated time frame.

Abstract: A keyboard operated musical instrument is disclosed in which a musical tone having an extended range of harmonics is produced by combining two waveshapes at different fundamental frequencies. The first waveshape has a fundamental frequency corresponding to an actuated keyboard switch and has a spectrum containing a maximum of Q harmonics. The second waveshape is created by a single side-band modulation of two orthogonal musical signals each having a maximum of Q harmonics and has a phase coherence with the first waveshape. The second waveshape is generated at a frequency which is Q+1 greater than the fundamental frequency of the first waveshape. The first and second waveshapes are combined to produce a musical tone which has an extended range of harmonics.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transforming audio input signals with variable amplitude and narrow bandwidth into outputs with relatively fixed amplitude and variable bandwidth responsive to input signal amplitude, by the steps of dividing the range of amplitude into an odd number of equal intervals, detecting the interval of amplitude instantaneously occupied by said signal, shifting said instantaneous signal to the central interval, and smoothing the resulting discontinuous signal with a continuous and bilaterally tapered transfer function. This method permits bandwidth expansion and control of the output bandwidth of musical tones produced in electronic musical instruments in response to control of the input amplitude of the tones.

Abstract: An interface circuit for converting analog signals from a musical instrument and/or a microphone to digital pulse signals for use with electronic music synthesizers and the like includes an input amplifier for receiving analog signals from a musical instrument and/or a microphone. A precision rectifier is coupled to the input amplifier for generating full-wave rectified analog signals. A strictly digital output circuit is connected to the rectifier for generating a strictly digital pulse signal. A quasi-digital output circuit is connected to the rectifier for generating a quasi-digital pulse signal in synchronism with the strictly digital pulse signal. The digital pulse signal from the digital output circuit and the quasi-digital pulse signal from the quasi-digital output circuit are adapted to drive a music synthesizer.

Abstract: Performance data is comprised of a successive serial arrangement of note data formed with paired pitch data and note duration data and of rest data formed with only rest duration data and having no pitch data. A performance data processing apparatus judges whether a rest datum following a note datum is shorter than a predetermined duration, and in case the result of this judgment if YES, the apparatus integrates the rest datum and the note datum preceding the rest datum into an integrated note datum having a note pitch of the note datum and a note duration which is equal to the sum of the duration of the note datum and the duration of the rest datum, whereby, in case a music score is displayed or printed out based on the performance data, rests having a duration shorter than the predetermined duration are eliminated to prolong the duration of the respective preceding notes each by an amount of the duration of the eliminated rest.

Abstract: A digital tone generator for a keyboard electronic musical instrument is described. The generator is of the waveshape memory type and repetitively interpolates between successive stored sample points thereby to effectively multiply the number of samples representing the waveshape so as to produce an output tone signal having reduced quantization error. Envelope errors are minimized by using cascade-connected multiplying digital-to-analog converters for multiplying the waveshapes derived from the interpolation with digital signals representative of an envelope waveshape. The system also includes a novel modification of a known multiplying digital-to-analog converter which greatly increases its speed of operation and makes possible the generation of clean output tone signals at the extremely high bit rates required to accomplish the interpolation.

Abstract: On an electronic musical instrument, a loudspeaker is fitted to a space through a bellows. Therefore, it can be freely pulled out and push into the space. Further, the use of the bellows contribute to making the space smaller and an acoustic effect easily changeable.

Abstract: In a keyboard operated electronic musical instrument in which a plurality of data words corresponding to the amplitudes of a corresponding number of evenly spaced points defining a cycle of an audible musical waveform are transformed at an average rate corresponding to the fundamental frequency of the tone being generated, a computation means is provided whereby the number of data words is varied adaptively with the fundamental frequency. The adaptive variation in the number of data points per waveshape cycle is accompanied by an associated adaptive variation in the maximum number of harmonics for the generated musical tone.

Abstract: A wave generating method and a wave generating apparatus using the method are arranged such that plurality of wave samples, each being generated successively, are respectively weighted by, for example, being multiplied by a plurality of wave functions generated corresponding to the plurality of wave samples. The plurality of weighted wave samples are summed to obtain a desired wave. The kind of each of the plurality of wave samples generated successively is changed at each time when the value of corresponding one of the plurality of wave functions becomes zero.

Abstract: Speech and melody information are separately inputted and stored. The speech timing is modified (corrected) to alignment with the melody.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument employs a novel technique to produce a musical sound. A major part of a musical sound producing section of the electronic musical instrument is constructed by digital circuitry which is well adapted for an LSI fabrication. The electronic musical instrument comprises a volume control means to digitally perform a volume control to increase or decrease a performance volume, a period counting means to count one cycle of a musical sound wave by a plurality of counting steps in order to form a musical sound wave under digital control, a period control means to control the period counting means in accordance with the scale represented by a depressed performance key, and a means to instruct the rise and the fall of a musical sound wave by a value which is an integral multiple of a control value of the volume control means, for each block including a predetermined number of counting steps.

Abstract: A waveshape memory is divided into memory zones having memory capacities which differ depending upon respective tone pitches or tone ranges. In each memory zone, waveshapes of plural periods having characteristics of the corresponding tone pitch or tone range are stored. The memory zone in the waveshape memory is designated in accordance with the tone pitch or tone range of the tone to be generated. A tone signal is produced by reading out waveshapes of plural periods from the designated memory zone.

Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument, a tone generation designating circuitry provides, upon depression of each playing key, a set of parameter signals designating properties such as pitch and timbre of a tone to be generated and a key-on signal indicating the depression of the key, and in response to these parameter signals and key-on signal, a tone generator generates a vibratory wave signal having the designated tone properties at the designated timing as a tone signal for the depressed key. The tone generation designating circuitry includes a microcomputer to control and perform data processing. There are further provided a first clock pulse generator which generates time frame clock pulses defining consecutive time frames, and a second clock pulse generator which generates pitch clock pulses defining fundamental frequencies of human voice for the respective time frames.

Abstract: A guitar controller for an electronic music synthesizer, especially a programmable music synthesizer of the VOYETRA (trademark) type, utilizes a Mylar pressure-resistive switch along the neck of the guitar for note selection and vibratile elements on the sound board for the strumming effect. Additional expression can be provided by the use of a tremolo bar, a sensor for the striking of said board and the pressure applied to the neck.

Abstract: A keyboard operated electronic musical instrument is disclosed which has a number of tone generators that are assigned to actuated keyswitches. Musical tones are produced by computing a master data set which defines the data points for a period of the musical waveshape. The computation uses a preselected set of harmonic coefficients. The time required to complete a master data set computation is reduced by dividing the set of harmonic coefficients into a number of subsets of coefficients. The harmonic coefficients are combined by a combination of a reverse addressing and complementing in a logic that decreases the required number of computation time intervals.

Abstract: A play data detecting system for an electronic musical instrument in which in the case of multiplexing together and scanning note select signals from key switches and function select signals from tablet switches and analog volumes, these signals are divided into a plurality of scan blocks of different scan periods. For the tablet switches, a processing routine is executed twice in one cycle of a main routine in view of a required number of scan addresses and, for the analog volumes, the results of parallel processing are used once in one cycle. This permits high-speed processing of the key switches and low-speed processing of the tablet switches and the analog volumes with sampling periods fit for them, respectively.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument has input elements such as tone selector keys and control knobs which send input signals representing desired tone parameters to a primary computer. The primary computer, which includes a primary microprocessor and a primary memory, is connected with several voice modules and several effect-producing modules by means of a primary bus. Each voice module has a plurality of tone outputs for generating different tones. The tones for each voice module are produced by a respective subsystem including an auxiliary microprocessor, a clocking device and a digital-analog converter unit which are connected by an auxiliary bus. The auxiliary bus is connected with the primary bus via a bus switch. An auxiliary memory belonging to the subsystem is connected with the bus switch which permits the auxiliary memory to alternately communicate with the primary bus and the auxiliary bus.

Abstract: A keyboard operated electronic musical instrument is disclosed wherein the number of tone generators is less than the number of keyswitches in a keyboard array of keyswitches. If all the available tone generators have been assigned to actuated keyswitches, the actuation of an additional keyswitch causes the oldest tone generator to be assigned to the newest keyswitch. The assignment action does not depend upon the release of any keyswitch. A phase addition means is used to remove the oldest tone generator so that release key clicks are not generated.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument includes a fingerboard having a plurality of switches which are player-actuated to produce musical tones through electronic tone-generating means. The fingerboard, which is on an elongate neck, has, underneath its exterior surface, one or more rows of cavities, each cavity containing a pressure-actuable membrane switch. The surface of the fingerboard above each cavity is flexible, and each switch is closeable in response to a localized deformation of the flexible fingerboard area above the cavity in which the switch is located. A continuous flexible bar is situated on the fingerboard above each row of cavity enclosed switches. Pressure applied to the bar by a player at a location above a selected cavity results in a localized deformation of both the bar and the underlying fingerboard, thereby transmitting sufficient pressure to the switch in the selected cavity to close it. The deformation is sufficiently localized to result in the closing of only one selected switch.

Abstract: A note ROM is addressed in response to a note code signal generated from a note code generator, and basic data is read out from the note ROM. The basic data is shifted by one higher bit and is thus doubled, and the shifted data is supplied to the A terminals of a full-adder. The basic data read out from the note ROM is supplied to the B terminals of the full-adder. The full-adder generates integer multiple data which has a value three times that of the basic data. This integer multiple data is decremented by one every time a clock is generated. When the integer multiple data becomes zero, a one-shot waveform data read clock signal is generated through an inverter.

Abstract: A waveform step counter receives an output clock from a tone clock generator and an envelope status signal from an envelope counter. The waveform step counter generates an address signal for performing predetermined address skip, and a waveform memory is accessed in accordance with this address signal. Since the address signal performs the predetermined address skip, waveform information read out from the waveform memory indicates a timbre different from the original information stored in the memory.

Abstract: A digital electronic musical instrument is constituted by detector, a phase angle, information generator and a musical tone generator. The detector detects an end portion of a period of a musical tone to be produced. The phase angle information generator repetitively generates phase angle information representing an instantaneous phase angle of the musical tone during from start to end of the period of the musical tone in response to the detection of the end portion of the period. The musical tone generator synthesizes the musical tone in accordance with the phase angle information. Operations of the detector, phase angle information generator and tone generator are performed on the basis of clock pulses having a predetermined frequency which is an integer multiple of a fundamental frequency of the musical tone to be produced, thereby realizing the so-called pitch synchronous system and simplifying the construction of the musical instrument.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for generating complex sounds having a more natural and agreeable quality wherein fundamental and higher order components may be uniquely and independently controlled to inexact integer relationships.

Abstract: A sound generator including a note generating circuit for outputting a sequence of note signals corresponding to audible notes, an acoustic transducer receiving said note signals and outputting audible notes, memory means for storing data characterizing a note signal and including an inhibit signal, inhibit means, and means responsive to the inhibit signal from the memory means for transmitting said inhibit signal to said inhibit means to block passage of the terminal portion of the note signal to the transducer means.

Abstract: A keyboard operated electronic musical instrument is disclosed which has a number of tone generators that are assigned to actuated keyswitches. Musical tones are produced by computing a master data set which defines the data points for a period of the musical waveshape. The computation uses a preselected set of harmonic coefficients. Provision is made for altering the harmonic coefficients to produce waveshapes which are derivatives or integrals of the basic waveshape. The order of differentiation or integration can be varied to produce time variant tone effects.

Abstract: A device for detecting a key switch operation capable of detecting an operating state of a plurality of key switches which are commonly connected with respect to each row line (block line) at one terminal thereof and commonly connected with respect to each column line at the other terminal thereof, thereby constituting a switch matrix. If a signal is provided on all column lines, the signal is transmitted to a block line through a key switch which is in operation and thereby a block including the key switch in operation is detected. A signal is then supplied from the detected block line to a column line only through the key switch in operation in the detected block. The position of the key switch in operation is known by detecting the columnn line on which the signal arrives. According to an embodiment of the invention, capacitance elements are provided both on the block lines and on the column lines for effecting delivery of the signal by charging and discharging of these capacitance elements.