Abstract: An olefinic polymer composition comprising at least one polyolefin, as well as a broadleaf tree lignin with pH below 7. The invention further relates to objects obtained from such a composition, and the use of broadleaf tree lignin with pH below 7 in the preparation of an olefinic polymer composition.

Abstract: The Thumb Bar Controller is a bar that runs the width of the electronic musical keyboard playing area, (plus whatever is needed for the lever attachment), connected by two armsrests just below the top, and approximately one inch away from the keys. It gives the performer control over two (or more) functions with the thumb of the playing hand, that would otherwise require the other hand or foot pedals, allowing a person with the disability of one arm/hand, to be as proficient as a person with two. It can be used for controlling pitch bend, modulation, MIDI specification controllers, various electronic controls, and product specific controls. The bar can be attached in numerous ways, could use a variety of spring type mechanisms to control it. It can be mounted externally or made as an integral part of the keyboard, with openings for the bar connections and movement required.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for outputting a sound corresponding to a musical instrument which is input by using a voice are provided. The method includes identifying a sound including an original sound, identifying an output sound object corresponding to an acoustic characteristic of the original sound, and outputting the output sound object, corresponding to musical characteristics of the original sound. Further, various aspects are provided which are related to the method and the apparatus which enable inputting sounds of a musical instrument using a voice.

Abstract: First display object associated with a control operating member and a second display object associated with a tone color effect parameter are displayed, and variation of a displayed position of the first display object is controlled in accordance with operation of the control operating member. Control value of the tone color effect parameter is determined in response to variation in relationship between the first and second display objects, and tone control is performed on the basis of the determined control value. Further, the variation of the displayed position of the first display object is controlled so as to move on and along a set path, so that displayable positions of the first display object is limited to the set path. Control value of the tone color effect parameter is determined on the basis of relationship between displayed position of the first and second display objects to perform tone control.

Abstract: Improved methods and apparatus of producing vibrato on keyboard percussion/tone bar instruments such as the vibraphone and marimba are provided. Means are disclosed for real time control of the expressive qualities of both the speed and strength of the vibrato of such instruments, while eliminating the need for an electrical motor. According to certain embodiments, methods and apparatus are disclosed to easily produce a change of dynamic level (crescendo and diminuendo) after a single strike of a tone bar or chord.

Abstract: The present invention provides an automatic tone-following method and system for music accompanying devices, which detects the frequency of the singer's voice instantly and continuously and compares it with the theme tone frequency of the accompanying music to estimate the error between the tones of the singer and the music so as to adjust the tone of the music to match the tone of the singer's voice. The present invention calculates the fundamental frequency of the user's voice every short section of time through a tone estimator, then converts the fundamental frequency of the user's voice into user scale sequence in a scale sequence recorder, then compares the difference between the user scale sequence and the theme scale sequence through a scale matcher. Whether a transposition is needed through a transposition judger is determined so that the scale parameter in the music synthesizer can be adjusted.

Abstract: Based on the understanding that time-varying characteristics of a tone element, such as an amplitude and pitch, in waveform data acquired through a live performance of a musical instrument include a variation component intended or controllable by a human player and a variation component not intended or non-controllable by the human player, the present invention allows the two components to be adjusted/controlled separately and independently of each other, so as to achieve effective and high-quality control. Discrete variation value train is acquired for at least one particular tone element in original waveform data, and the acquired variation value train is separated, in accordance with a time constant factor, into a “swell” value train of a relatively great time constant and a “fluctuation” value train of a relatively small time constant. The “swell” value train and “fluctuation” value train are variably controlled independently of each other.

Abstract: An automatic player piano is fabricated on the basis of an acoustic piano, and an automatic player is expected to give rise to key motion for reenacting performance with solenoid-operated key actuators; since the hammers of acoustic piano are different in mass, the load against the key motion is also different among the keys; while the motion controller is forcing the keys to travel on reference key trajectories through a servo control loop, the motion controller takes the pitched part into account, and selectively accesses control parameter tables so as to read out the approximate control parameters for the individual keys, whereby the hammers surely reach the target final hammer velocity before striking the strings.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for determining an optimal piano hammer felt voicing technique for voicing an unvoiced tone in a piano so as to achieve a predetermined standard of tonal quality associated with a given voiced tone using a computer program. The method comprises a) creating a library comprising at least two records wherein each record comprises a transfer function and a voicing technique wherein said transfer function mathematically expresses the effect upon tonal quality of said voicing technique; b) determining the harmonic profile for each of said unvoiced and voiced tones; c) identifying the record in said library that contains the transfer function that is most similar to the voiced transfer function that would be calculated from the harmonic profiles of said unvoiced and voiced tones; and d) disclosing the voicing technique that is contained in said identified record.

Abstract: An oscillator for digital music synthesis that provides a smooth waveform that is rich in harmonic content and whose shape is continuously and dynamically variable over a wide range of harmonically rich shapes. The oscillator is efficient in that it generates the shapes in a time consonant with sampling rates commonly used in music synthesis, and is generally free of discontinuities which would otherwise create audible alias components on subsequent signal processing.

Abstract: This patent application describes a low-power electronic music synthesizer (1) which may be combined with a radio transmitter (2) for use in audio-kinetic sculptures or toys. The invention consists of a low-voltage circuit implementing a multiple voice analog music synthesizer utilizing digital CMOS invertors biased in their linear regions as push-pull amplifiers and field-effect transistors as parameter controlling elements. Because of the low-voltage operation, a charge-pump is required to produce a negative control voltage for the field-effect transistors. Variations in sound are produced by touching metal contacts (3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10) which are sensitive to the range of resistance and capacitance of human fingertips. The combination of low-voltage, low-power, high-fidelity sound generation and touch-sensitive controls make this ideal for a new kind of toy. Due to the low-voltage and low-power requirements, the circuit can operate for approximately forty hours using two 1.5 volt AA cells.

Abstract: Synthesizer models for emulating musical instruments can be improved using an analysis model that compares the output signal of the model to a recording of a desired sound and derives a residual signal that can be used to correct the model. When the original model is a good one, the residual signal is small and takes much less memory to store than is required for a sampled sound.

Abstract: A musical tone synthesizing apparatus for generating a musical tone which is influenced not only by blowing pressure and embouchure, etc. but also effected by the movement of a performer's tongue. The apparatus comprises an operating part WC having a mouthpiece part and a reed part; a breath measuring sensor for measuring breath passing through the mouthpiece part; a tonguing detector for measuring the relative position of a performer's tongue to the reed part; a musical tone forming circuit TC for simulating the mouthpiece, the reed, and the resonance tube of the acoustic wind instrument in response to an output signal of the breath measuring sensor so as to create a musical tone signal; and a tonguing effector for changing a simulating characteristic of the reed of the acoustic wind instrument in response to an output signal of the tonguing detector.

Abstract: A key assigner, for an electronic musical instrument that has a plurality of oscillators and that employs for the production of a specific timbre only the number of oscillators that is actually required. The key assigner comprises a control for, upon reception of a tone-ON command, assigning timbre generation to the oscillators by control unit, each of which includes the maximum number of oscillators required for timbre generation. Once timbre generation assignments to all the control units have been effected, and a tone-ON command for a timbre that requires fewer oscillators than compose each of the control units is received, the key assignor assigns the timbre generation to an oscillator, of one of the control units, to which timbre generation assignment has not previously been made.

Abstract: A musical tone control mechanism for an electronic musical instrument in which a musical tone adjustment rotary body having a rotating shaft extending along the longitudinal direction of a keyboard is provided, the rotary body is divided into a plurality of parts, and an operation position of the rotary body is movable along the longitudinal direction of the keyboard, or a means for selecting an adjustment function of the rotary body is arranged. The musical tone control mechanism further includes an operation amount detector for detecting an operation amount of the rotary body as a pivot amount of a pivot shaft body of the operation amount detector, cylindrical intermediate members fitted to both ends of the rotary body for connecting the pivot shaft body to the rotary body, and bearings having bearing holes for pivotally receiving the intermediate members.

Abstract: Variable frequency sawtooth waveforms are often utilized as an excitation signal in a digital musical synthesizer. A problem exists at lower sampling rates in such systems due to an aliasing problem which occurs at frequencies near the Nyquist rate. Low pass filtering may be utilized to mask this problem; however, low pass filtering is very time consuming to implement in a ditigal signal processor. The method and apparatus of the present invention reduces the upper harmonic content of a sawtooth waveform by proportionally converting the sawtooth waveform to a triangle waveform in response to variations in the frequency of the sawtooth waveform. This is accomplished by adding a selectable offset to the sawtooth waveform and then taking the absolute value of the resultant waveform. By restoring this waveform to a zero offset, the sawtooth waveform excitation signal will be converted to a triangle waveform having a substantially reduced upper harmonic content.

Abstract: A distortion synthesizer, having a first distortion circuit, a tone control circuit for altering the tonality of the first distorted signal and a second distortion circuit for introducing harmonics into said tone controlled signal. At least one of the distortion circuits introduces harmonics without clipping. The second distortion circuit also for clips the resultant signal as a function of said resultant signal. The first distortion circuit limits and introduces even harmonics, preferrably predominantly second harmonics. The second distortion circuit introduces odd harmonics, preferrably by predominantly third harmonics, prior to clipping, and also compress the signal. The distortion circuits include a variable gain stage which increases with increased input using a plurality of switches which progressively add parallel resistors to progressively increase output current. A circuit simulating transformer saturation is also provided in the second distortion circuit.

Abstract: The present invention employs gain compensation such that when the amplifier is in the clean mode, the gain is at a selected level and when the amplifier is in the lead mode gain is decreased. In one embodiment a selectable brightness control is employed to raise the high frequency response in the clean mode. In another embodiment, a selectable gain boost control is employed to increase the gain in the lead mode. At least one frequency selectable means is provided in a post distortion stage output circuit for varying the frequency response of the output in the lead mode.

Abstract: A musical-tone-control apparatus having a baton which is provided with an acceleration sensor, and which is swung by a performer is provided. The intensity of a swing of the baton is detected by the acceleration sensor, and controls the tone-generation timing and tone elements such as tone pitches, tone volumes, or tone colors. The intensity of a swing is detected after a predetermined interval has elapsed from the beginning of a swing. As a result, a delay of detection of the intensity due to the inertia of the swing is eliminated. Hence, the swings and the tone-generating timing of musical tones are in harmony, which allows the performer to enjoy a natural feeling of performance.

Abstract: A music synthesizer has a pivotable and slidable bar mounted in front of the keyboard of the synthesizer, the bar disposed generally parallel thereto whereby a wrist of a player may cause the bar either to pivot about an external hinge or pivot, or to slide about an axis of the bar. An actuating member is provided which responds to motion of the bar to mechanically operate potentiometers of the synthesizer to provide variably positioned dependent analog signals as inputs to the synthesizer.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument includes a keyboard, a first tone generator, a second tone generator, a hold switch, and a control unit. The keyboard designates a pitch of a musical tone to be generated. The first tone generator generates a first musical tone signal corresponding to the pitch designated by the keyboard. The second tone generator generates a second musical tone signal corresponding to the pitch designated by the keyboard. The hold switch generates a pitch hold command. When the pitch hold command is generated, the control unit inhibits a pitch change in the second musical tone signal generated by the second tone generator to hold a predetermined pitch.