Abstract: A magnetic pickup assembly for use with a musical instrument having a plurality of strings, each in magnetic relation with at least one polepiece of a magnetic pickup. The assembly includes means for selectively adjusting the reluctance between a polepiece and its associated string, either of a plurality of polepieces as a unit, or of an individual polepiece relative to its string. The assembly is housed in a casing having acoustic absorptive material surrounding the major portions of the assembly, to provide acoustic isolation from the environment including mechanical vibration of the instrument itself.

Abstract: A magnetic pickup for an electronic amplification system of a stringed musical instrument wherein the variable electrical signal produced in response to the string traversing the lines of flux from a permanent magnet is generated by a Hall effect sensor, thereby eliminating the usual inductively coupled coil(s). The invention is disclosed in embodiments employing bar and horseshoe magnets with the sensor positioned on the opposite or on the same side of the magnet as the string. The sensor is an essentially planar device which may be positioned in a plane substantially normal to the lines of flux in contact with or spaced a predetermined distance from the associated magnet or positioned in a plane non-perpendicular to the lines of flux, or adjustably positioned with respect to the direction of flux lines to achieve the desired degree of sensitivity.

Abstract: There is disclosed a system for encoding of bass and treble expression effects while recording from the keyboard of an electronic player piano wherein the intensity of the music being recorded is reflected in variations in the power of the acoustic waveform produced thereby. The key note or key switch actuations are multiplexed in a serial bit stream of data and stored in a shift register and then separately combined with the bass and treble expression data bits in a format which, upon re-creation of the original musical presentation, results in a more faithful rendition of the original performance.

Abstract: An electromagnetic pickup device for use in a tone generator of an electronic piano includes a plurality of vibratory reeds and pole pieces of pickups which are so shaped that each reed and pole piece are opposed to each other in a range from the neutral position of the reed to a position within its maximum vibrating amplitude at one side. In output signals of the pickups, the balance of fundamental and odd- and even-numbered harmonics is improved to generate a tone which is close to that of a normal string piano.

Abstract: A system for the selection and phase control of humbucking coils in electromagnetic guitar pickups to permit the musician to easily select different sounds using digital memory means for storing different combinations of gate control bits to select the pickup coils to be used, the phase of the coils selected and the output level of the selected coils combined. A three-way switch is used to count up, count down or hold a memory address for selection of a combination. The address is displayed for verification. Memories may be prestored ROMs, or alterable RAMs in which write enable control is controlled by a three-way switch. Three address counters may be provided to permit the musician to quickly select from three predetermined combinations through operation of a three-way switch.

Abstract: An accessory for use on a guitar or similar stringed instruments comprises the combination of a rigid member adapted to be manually held against the strings of the instrument along the finger board, there being a vibration-responsive electrical pickup fixedly secured to the rigid member and adapted to be connected to an electrical audio amplifier.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for reducing the power required to activate the soft and playing mechanism of an electronic player piano and similar instruments. In accordance with the invention, full voltage on the solenoid is maintained for a short period of time which is more than sufficient to allow full travel of the solenoid and then the power is reduced by reducing the applied voltage. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, a timer is started when the solenoid is commanded on and then when the timer times out, the command gate signal is turned on and off with a waveform which can be set at a duty cycle sufficient to maintain the solenoid in the held-in position.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a new and unique type of circuit control for an electric guitar. Simply stated, it varies the resonant frequency of the pickup itself in addition to filtering out frequencies which are suppressed or rolled off. The mechanism by which this is brought about includes a potentiometer connected to a center tap of the coil assembly.

Abstract: There is disclosed an electronically adaptive player piano roll to magnetic tape formatting system which adapts itself to play the expression music generated from different sources. A plurality of control bits are inserted into vacant or unused bit positions of a prior art time division multiplex frame of musical data encoded, preferably, in a bi-phase mark/space code. The control bits identify the particular type of player piano roll music which has been well known in the prior art, such as a Welte, Ampico or Duo-Art, each of which have different manners of expression for reproducing the playing style of the original artist.

Abstract: This invention relates to an electronic pickup system for a stringed musical instrument. The system includes three pickup coils positioned under the instrument strings and oriented one behind the other along the length of the strings. Each of the coils is wound around a coil form in a predetermined direction and has a selectively poled magnet passing through its center. The coils are selectively electrically connected, at least two at a time, to each other and to the system output. The manner in which the coils may be connected include connecting any two of the coils in a maner such that signals induced in the coils as a result of string vibration are in phase, at at least selected frequencies, and thus additive. The coils normally are also connected in a manner such that noise signals induced in the coils are out of phase and therefore cancel.

Abstract: A metal surface electric guitar is described which incorporates a metal plate attached to the solid body of the electric guitar, this plate overlying a hollow area in the body beneath the strings of the guitar. At least one electric pickup is attached to the portion of the plate over the hollow area in the solid body. Thus, the electrical signal produced by this pickup includes both components produced by the vibrating strings and components produced as a result of the resonance of the metal plate over the hollow area, this combination producing a unique sound. While the pickup may be positioned between the plate and the strings, it also may be located within the hollow area of the body if desired.

Abstract: A rhythm instrument utilizing improved sound producing element combinations for the bass, tom-tom and snare sections of an electronic drum to provide an advantageous audio reproduction of the sounds of conventional drums. Specifically, the improved sounding elements provide more accurate snap, staccato, roll, and rim sounds. In overall concept, the audio producing mechanisms include dynamic impact between an extended vibrationally displaceble element secured on opposing ends thereof to a base surface and a resilient band stretched across an upper surface of the vibrational element. Sounds are produced by causing a striker arm having a hard tip portion member to impinge upon the resilient band causing it in turn to strike the displaceable element. A bass sound is provided by a single such unit utlizing a wide metal strip as the displaceable element.

Abstract: A pick-up for attachment to a guitar or the like is disclosed. The pick-up comprises an elongate flexible body having a thin, lower, magnetic base which affixes to the body of the guitar with an adhesive, the base comprising a sheet magnet. The sheet magnet is cut in the form of a rectangle, and it approximately matches the profile of a second sheet magnet cut in approximately the same rectangular shape. The second magnet serves as a core for supporting a coil wrapped around it on the periphery. The magnet and the coil wrapped around it are together sandwiched between opposite layers of sheet tin foil to serve as shielding. This, in turn, is placed in a plastic body which is shrink-wrapped around the turns of the coil. The lower magnet adhesively affixed to the body transfers vibrations from the body into the coil in the form of electrical signals. In addition, strings made of magnetic material co-act with the upper magnet to additionally form electrical signals.

Abstract: An array of magnetic pickup coils are mounted by a support assembly secured to the bridge of a stringed musical instrument. The assembly is preferably for use with a base violin or cello and is easily adjustable relative to the strings. The support assembly for the coils permits adjustment of the coils along each string, adjustment between each coil and its associated string, adjustment of the coil so as to center on the string and proper planar orientation between coil and string.

Abstract: There is disclosed a circuit for controlling the expression of an electronically controlled keyboard instrument and is an improvement on the circuit disclosed in application Ser. No. 680,996. The circuit works on the principle that by switching a solenoid on and off at a rapid rate and then varying the time on versus the time off, the energy supplied to the solenoid varies and therefore the striking force of the piano is changed. In accordance with the present invention, precise control over the width of the pulses is achieved by first setting a set voltage level and then adding thereto increments of set voltage according to a binary weighting. These voltages are then added and compared with a triangular voltage in a comparator. Both the up ramp portion and the down ramp portion of the triangular waveform are utilized and compared against the sum voltages. The pulse width of the comparator output is thus a function of the intersection of the ramp voltage, both up and down ramps, with the sum voltage.

Abstract: An electric pickup for a lute-type musical instrument such as a guitar, has generally circular axial adjustment openings with internal wrench flats in unhardened steel or iron pole pieces. Two bar-type permanent magnets are disposed with like polarities adjacent and straddling one end of the pole pieces. A keeper of steel or the like bridges the permanent magnets.

Abstract: There is disclosed an expression system for playback of a magnetic tape record rendition of a musical presentation. The detected intensity level for the bass and treble halves of the keyboard are assigned different data bit positions in the frames of recorded data bits of a time division multiplexed record system. The binary bits are weighted and used to modulate the width of pulses supplied to selected solenoids which actuate the striker-hammer members of the instrument so that the average drive energy applied to the solenoid is proportional to the desired intensity thereby more faithfully reproducing the manual action of the original performer.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for reproducing a musical presentation wherein musical data, from such presentation, such as keyboard actuations of a keyboard-type musical instrument, is encoded and stored in a code which has information contained in the transitions only and the sense and direction of such transitions are ignored. This avoids several major drawbacks of bi-phase level code previously disclosed in the prior art because the (1) phase of the signal need not be maintained and, (2) the bi-phase level code cannot be recovered following a dropout until a 1-0 or a 0-1 transition occurs.There is also disclosed a data dropout detection system for assuring that the wrong music is not played.

Abstract: A sound resonator apparatus including side walls and a sounding board the grain fiber of which is arranged from end to end of the resonator. A plurality of wooden strips are mounted on the exterior surface of the sounding board and substantially in parallel relationship with the grain thereof.

Abstract: There is disclosed a system for demultiplexing and storing time division multiplexed frames of musical data encoded ina bi-phase mark/space code. Data in sequential groups of data bit cells is stored in a shift register while a counter counts the data bit cells. A plurality of latch circuits, each capable of storing one said group of data, are sequentially enabled to receive and store the data, in the groups, respectively. After all of the data bit cells in a given time frame are stored, they are simultaneously gated to transistor driver circuits for operating solenoids which, in turn, re-create the music.

Abstract: An electric guitar with steel strings feeds into a stereophonic amplifier and loudspeaker system with two channels and is fitted with a pickup which senses each guitar string individually and proportions the signals from each string differently, so that each guitar string sounds from the loudspeakers as though that string is in a different position from all the other strings. For each guitar string the pickup has a respective pair of coils of varying numbers of turns and a respective permanent magnet. Electrical connections to the coils enable one channel to receive a signal from one coil of each pair and the other channel to receive a signal from the other coil of each pair, so that there are two composite signals, one per channel.

Abstract: A carillon keyboard instrument is provided for playing bells and auxiliary bell tones, with a pedal provided for allowing the player to adjust the relative intensities of the major and minor tones of the bells. The instrument utilizes two sets of vibrator bars, a first set for generating major tones, and a second set for generating minor tones. By mixing the derived signals from corresponding major and minor vibrator bars, and adjusting the relative intensity of the minor signal strength, a new flexibility is provided to the instrument player for generating desired Flemish bell tones.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein an electronic digital system for allowing encoding and storage of note value and time value for one or more musical instruments and which, upon playback, controls a light display to indicate to the musician the notes to be played and their time value. The system is particularly described for use with guitars, and similar instruments, and has an X-Y display to indicate, for example, both the particular string and the note to be played, as well as the time value of the note. In addition, the system will accommodate a plurality of such musical instruments to thereby enable display of the notes to be played, and their time values, for all of the instruments simultaneously. The system includes a keyboard for entering note value and note timing for each of one or more instruments, and a memory for storing data bits indicative of the notes for each instrument and the timing thereof.

Abstract: An electric guitar has a neck and body formed from a solid metal rod. Fret bars are pressed in slots cut across the rod to extend outward from the rod in its neck portion. Combination pickups and tuners are longitudinally positioned adjacent to the body portion of the rod and secured by two positioning bars and a bridge.

Abstract: An apparatus for initiating and sustaining vibrations of a string in a musical instrument. A hand-held (or permanently mounted) device senses the vibration of the string and provides an output driving signal for sustaining the vibrations.

Abstract: An electric guitar is described which provides signals from each of its electrically conducting strings by the cutting of magnetic field lines. The magnetic fields are produced by removably mounted permanent magnets which produce concentrated fields. The return wire or wires of the strings are near the surface of the neck. Various circuit configurations are used to minimize noise pickup, to combine the signals from each signal and to modify the sound produced by each string.

Abstract: A generally triangular base of electrically insulative material has a base edge and a vertex area opposite the base edge. A guitar pick is mounted in the base at the vertex edge thereof and extends therefrom to form a triangular configuration. A sheet of electrically conductive material is embedded in the base in spaced parallel proximity with the base edge. A microphone is embedded in the base and extends between the pick and the sheet of electrically conductive material and in close proximity with each. Electrically conductive material is electrically connected to the microphone and to the sheet in the base and extends out of the base for connection to an amplifier.

Abstract: An electrical musical instrument is provided with a tone generator comprising a plurality of vibratory tone bars each supported with its both ends free. The tone bars are struck by key-actuated hammers and the vibration of each tone bar is picked up by a mechanical-electrical transducer associated with the tone bar. With such tone generator, the tone produced by the musical instrument of this invention is very much improved, especially in that the tone is rich in a solid and percussive constituent.

Abstract: A method and device for tuning each tone generating element of a musical instrument having solenoids electrically connected to an amplifier and a manually moveable magnet capable of being moved along each tone generating element individually to and from said solenoids.

Abstract: An electromagnetic pickup is provided for musical instruments, particularly of the type having vibrating magnetizable strings, which pickup device includes a permanent magnet having a configured surface adjacent to the magnetizable strings to provide a varying magnetic field effecting respective ones of the strings in accordance with their magnetizability, and a low impedance coil surrounding the permanent magnet. The permanent magnet is a rectangular bar magnet being magnetized perpendicularly to the configured surface, with the configured surface providing a cross-sectional variation of a dimension of the bar magnet, thereby varying the magnetic field effecting the different strings. Particular cross-sectional variations of this dimension are included, each of which achieves the natural tone of the respective strings and enhances the balance therebetween of the pickup output.

Abstract: An electric organ utilizes digital encoding and time division multiplexing to transfer both function selection and note selection information from manually operable switches to respective memories, and to simultaneously produce tone signals corresponding to stored note selection information. A single encoding circuit encodes in binary form the function and note selection information during successive scanning periods established by a single multiplexing circuit. A plurality of stored note codes are transferred on a time division multiplexing basis to a note selector which selectively produces all of the selected tone signals, on one output in multiplexed form. The tone signals are demultiplexed to generate a corresponding plurality of tone signal outputs. An octave selection circuit which is responsive to a part of each note code selectively reduces the frequency of the demultiplexed tone signals.

Abstract: The present electromagnetic pickup and method, and the piano incorporating the pickup, make use of a protuberant magnetic pole piece portion which is so constructed and related that (a) the lines of magnetic force loop back therefrom, and (b) the concentration of such lines is sharply more dense on one side of such portion than on the other side thereof (the magnetic field adjacent such portion being therefore highly asymmetrical). The tine tip is caused to vibrate adjacent such portion, which produces in an associated coil a musical signal characterized by a high degree of brilliance and piano-like musicality -- without an excess of the second harmonic. The pole piece portion is preferably offset from the axis of the coil. Preferably, there are two such offset portions, spaced on opposite sides of the coil axis, and each has a peak shaped as a substantial point or edge.

Abstract: A magnetic pickup for a stringed instrument has one or two coils juxtaposed with the strings each coil having an inner polepiece disposed centrally therein. A single polarity is induced in each inner polepiece by two bar magnets, one at each side of the polepiece externally of the coil. An outer polepiece is magnetically coupled to an outside edge of each of the bar magnets and extends toward the strings. Each polepiece has a preselected shape, with an upper edge which is either continuous, or discontinuous with a plurality of pole legs, one common to each string of the musical instrument. The distance between the pickup and strings is adjustable to select a desired response. When pole legs are used, they are selectable in height by shearing off the distal end of each leg to obtain a selected pickup sensitivity for each string.

Abstract: Music encoding and decoding apparatus which divides a keyboard instrument into groupings of designated lengths such as octaves wherein each octave is scanned, either in sequence or on triggering of a key in that octave; the apparatus includes a master encoder which encodes a key closure, the encoding being in the form of a word of multiple bits having a specified word length. The apparatus further encodes the expression of the note. The expression constitutes a portion of the word. Decoding apparatus is likewise incorporated. It reverses the sequence and drives a solenoid for operation of a keyboard instrument.

Abstract: An acoustical system of magnetic pick-ups and connecting circuits are provided for an electric guitar, wherein the output of the pick-ups is amplified and fed into separate speakers. The system provides stereophonic effects in which the sound appears to move around the room.

Abstract: A guitar or similar stringed musical instrument includes an electrical pickup located beneath the strings for transforming the string vibrations into electrical signals subsequently amplified to provide an electronically enhanced reproduction of the string sound. The pickup is of the magnetic induction type having no direct mechanical connection with the strings. The system for mounting the pickup from the body of the instrument inhibits the transmission of vibrations from the instrument body to the pickup to minimize extraneous noise in the output signal, and it is also one which is of relative simplicity and low cost and which provides for easy adjustment of the pickup relative to the strings.

Abstract: A variable reluctance pickup system for steel string musical instruments is described which provides a highly asymmetrical magnetic field for preferentially sensing and generating electrical signals responsive to string vibrations perpendicular to the string plane. The described pickup system includes individual magnetic circuits with pole pieces, and a sensing coil for each string. The pickup system further includes special planar poletip faces which modify the spatial configuration of the magnetic fields emanating from the polepieces to render the pickup system relatively insensitive to "bending" of a string from its normal quiescent position. The described pickup system is designed to provide electronically amplified musical instruments with tonal characteristics similar to the tonal characteristics of acoustic string instruments.

Abstract: A single face, variable reluctance pickup for steel string musical instruments is described which provides a highly asymmetrical magnetic field for preferentially sensing and generating electrical signals responsive to string vibrations perpendicular to the string plane. The described pickup features a single permanent bar magnet, common shaping faces, oriented parallel the string plane and perpendicular the strings and a plurality of sensing circuits having cores which magnetically and mechanically couple the shaping faces and the bar magnet. The described pickup provides a magnetic field in the string plane having a large flux gradient perpendicular the string plane and a minimum flux gradient parallel the string plane. The pickup is insensitive to "bending" and provides electronically amplified musical instruments with tonal characteristics similar to the tonal characteristics of acoustic string instruments.

Abstract: A magnetic induction type electrical pickup for a stringed musical instrument has two coils each having an opening receiving one or more permanent magnet elements. The magnet elements establish a magnetic circuit through the two coils the reluctance of which is varied by the vibration of a string to induce signal voltages in the coils. The arrangement and polarities of the permanent magnet elements, and the arrangement, winding direction and interconnection of the two coils is such as to minimize the effect of stray magnetic fields, having any random direction, on the output of the pickup. That is, the pickup is one which is highly effective in suppressing noise arising from ambient magnetic fields generated by nearby electrical devices. Also, microphonics or squeals are inhibited by construction features which repress resonant vibration of internal parts of the pickup.

Abstract: When a beating force is applied to a beat plate having a magnet attached to the lower surface thereof, an output responsive to the strength and application speed of the beating force is produced in a sensing means comprised by a Hall element disposed below the magnet. The output is used for controlling an oscillation circuit for generating a percussion instrument sound signal and an output therefrom is converted into a percussion instrument sound by means of a speaker.

Abstract: An automatic performance system in an electronic musical instrument comprises circuits for forming digital performance information signals by converting the displacement of movable members operated according to the contents of a performance into digital signals, and circuits for forming musical tone information signals corresponding to the contents of the performance from harmonic rich tone signals by controlling predetermined signal paths with electronic switches operated in response to the performance information signals, the digital performance information signals being detected and stored, and read out into the electronic switches at proper time instants, whereby all of the performance information signals are automatically reproduced as musical tone information signals with fidelity.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument, such as an organ, includes a multiplexing system for simultaneously scanning key switches on all of the manual keyboards and pedalboards sequentially an octave at a time and further for simultaneously and sequentially scanning all coupler controls to produce a digital output signal having pre-assigned positions for each of the different notes represented by operation of a coupler switch or a key switch in all of the coupler control sections and the keyboard sections of the organ. This digital signal is supplied to de-multiplexer keyer circuits for reproducing sound signals supplied to the output loudspeakers of the organ.

Abstract: An electronic organ, and a method of operation in which the keyboard is scanned and a series of signals is established in conformity with the pattern of keys that are depressed. The signal pattern is stored in a plurality of shifted positions and the composite pattern is then employed for actuating keyers to key signal tones of respective pitch. In this manner, a plurality of organ footages can be obtained in a simple and effective manner.

Abstract: An electric piano, using only one string per note and no soundboard, employs special mechanical and electrical means capable of controlling all of its various characteristics in order to duplicate the sound and other characteristics of a conventional piano. A floating bridge, floating on the strings and supported solely thereby, is used not for the pickup or transfer of string vibrations to any other device, but to control the characteristics of the string vibrations. Magnetic pickups consisting of a series of coils with adjustable permanent-magnet cores are arranged in special positions along the active lengths of corresponding strings and, in conjunction with frequency responsive capacitor circuitry, convert the vibration of each string into an electrical signal, shape the signal, and provide a composite signal output containing all the tone characteristics needed to produce a true piano sound.