Abstract: An electronic portable keyboard instrument includes: a lower casing that includes a plurality of supporting members that support the fulcrums of a plurality of hammers, and a plurality of reinforcing members arranged in the first direction, each reinforcing member having a shape of rib that is erected upward from the lower casing and that is running in a length direction of the keys, wherein each of the plurality of supporting members sandwiches, from sides in the first direction, the corresponding hammer at the fulcrum so as to restrict movement of the hammer in the first direction, and wherein each of the reinforcing members is disposed in a gap between adjacent hammers, and a portion of the reinforcing members that corresponds to the weights of the adjacent hammers in position is lower than any other portions of the reinforcing member to avoid contacting the weights of the adjacent hammers.

Abstract: A keyboard device for a keyboard instrument, capable of obtaining excellent touch feeling and stable key stroke without giving sponge feeling or unpleasant vibration during key depression. The keyboard device includes a keyboard chassis, keys pivotally supported on the chassis, hammers swingably supported on the chassis and swinging along with key depression, a hammer upper limit stopper provided on a chassis rear end and contacted by a hammer rear end from below during key depression, and a key lower limit stopper provided on a chassis front end and contacted by front ends of the keys from above during key depression. The hammer upper limit stopper has predetermined flexibility that allows deformation of the hammer upper limit stopper such that after contact of a hammer during key depression, an associated key reaches its lowest position in a state in contact with the key lower limit stopper.

Abstract: A rotation mechanism includes a shaft portion, a bearing portion, a protruding portion, and a stopper. The bearing portion configured to rotate with respect to a predetermined axis as a center of rotation and configured to slide relative to an outer periphery of the shaft portion. The protruding portion protrudes from the shaft portion. The stopper is integrally formed the bearing portion. The stopper faces the protruding portion. A length of the protruding portion in a direction in which the protruding portion protrudes is larger than a distance from the center of rotation to a sliding portion where the bearing portion slides relative to the outer periphery of the shaft portion.

Abstract: A keyboard device for a keyboard instrument, capable of largely reducing noise generated when a hammer contacts a lower limit stopper during key release immediately after key depression. The keyboard device includes a keyboard chassis disposed on a keybed, keys pivotally supported on the chassis, hammers pivotally supported on the chassis below the keys and each vertically pivotally moved, an intermediate rail mounted on the chassis below a rotational shaft of the hammers and its vicinity in a state floating from the keybed, and a lower limit stopper mounted on the intermediate rail, such that each hammer is placed thereon via its placement-contact portion when in a key-released state and contacts the same from above via the placement-contact portion when pivotally moving downward in accordance with key release after being moved upward by key depression, whereby further pivotal motion of the hammer is stopped.

Abstract: A stopper rail of a silent piano, which can make collision noise generated when a hammer shank collides against the stopper rail, blurred in the sense of pitch thereof and difficult to be recognized by the human ear, in a silent performance mode. In this mode, the stopper rail is contacted by the hammer shank of a hammer being pivotally moved to stop pivotal movement of the hammer. The stopper rail includes a rail body having a predetermined flexural rigidity allowing vibration, a first cushion provided on one surface of the hammer shank, for being contacted by the hammer shank being pivotally moved, and a vibration suppressing portion provided on an opposite surface of: the rail body to the first surface so as to apply a load to the rail body to suppress vibration of the rail body when the hammer shank contacts the rail body.

Abstract: An instructional method of an electronic keyboard includes the following steps: obtaining a playing script, wherein the playing script is generated by a recording electronic keyboard; the recording electronic keyboard generates the playing script according to a pressed second key and the time of pressing the second key, and the playing script is used for indicating a corresponding relationship between a to-be-pressed key and the time of pressing the to-be-pressed key; controlling an indicator light on the first key of the instructional electronic keyboard to be turned on/off according to the playing script. In this implementation mode, a user can be prompted for the key by an indicator light on the electronic keyboard, which facilitates the user to learn the electronic keyboard.

Abstract: A pivot mechanism includes: a shaft portion; a bearing configured to contact the shaft portion and pivot about a pivot axis; and a reinforcement protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion. The outer circumferential surface includes a first region contactable by the bearing in a range of its pivotal movement and a second region not including the first region in a region opposed to the first region via the pivot axis. The reinforcement extends from at least a portion of the second region to an outside of the bearing in a pivot-axis direction.

Abstract: Provided are an input device and an electronic apparatus each including capacitive elements and being capable of allowing a plurality of information items to be separately input by simple operations. The input device includes: a capacitive element; a conductor that can be electrostatically coupled to the capacitive element; an operation portion that allows a load to be applied to the conductor; and a retaining portion that retains the conductor apart from the capacitive element. The retaining portion is capable of displacing the conductor with respect to the capacitive element in a stepwise manner in accordance with the load that is applied to the conductor through intermediation of the operation portion, and is capable of retaining the conductor at a plurality of positions with respect to the capacitive element.

Abstract: A variable-speed controller for use with an electric device including: a variable resistor element having a variable resistor element contact surface; a membrane including a first membrane contact surface spaced-apart from the variable resistor element contact surface by a spacer element, and, a second membrane contact surface; a slider configured for slidable movement along the second membrane contact surface wherein responsive to the slider slidably moving along the second membrane contact surface, the first membrane contact surface is able to be urged into contact with the variable resistor element contact surface in a plurality of contact point configurations whereby the effective resistance of the variable resistor element is configured to change in response to the first membrane contact surface being urged into contact with the variable resistor element contact surface in each of the plurality of contact point configurations.

Abstract: The present invention disclosed an apparatus and method for capturing directly the dynamic motion of a finger to create digital music with enhanced expressive qualities through the use of a capacitance sensor that is configured to continuously produce an analog output of capacitance change upon the approaching but not yet touching, touching and leaving the key or space between keys by a finger.

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: A split keyboard with an optional middle section of keys for controlling regular PC input to a host, to play music, and to input and play music with a multiple octave keyboard that when the middle section of keys are removed can be portable to travel. And when working on just the split keyboard inputting data to a host the operator arms are not abducted due to the perpendicular advantage or slide apart keyboard where an operators arms are perpendicular to the keyboard keys.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument has a front side, back side, right side, and left side with respect to a perspective of a performer of the musical instrument, and comprises: a planar surface having a first speaker positioned on the front side and the left side, a second speaker positioned on the front side and the right side, and a third speaker positioned on the back side; a first localized sound processing section receives left and right channel signals of tone signals assigned as first localized sounds and produces sound signals to the first speaker, the second speaker and the third speaker to form a first sound image; and a second localized sound processing section receives left and right channel signals of tone signals assigned as second localized sounds and produces sound signals to the first speaker, the second speaker and the third speaker to form a second sound image.

Abstract: An electronic piano includes a tone signal synthesizing system implemented by software, keys and key sensors monitoring the keys and reporting the key positions to the tone signal synthesizing system, and the tone signal synthesizing system includes damper model calculating modules for determining resistance against vibrations of wires of an a piano, a hammer model calculating module for determining force exerted on the wires, string model calculating modules for determining force exerted on an instrument body of the piano by the wires on the basis of the resistance and force exerted on the wires, an instrument body model calculating module for determining displacements of instrument body on the basis of the force exerted on the instrument body and an air model calculating module for determining a sound pressure at an observation point from the displacement of instrument body.

Abstract: In the present invention, a click sound corresponding to key depression speed is generated, and the production timings of fundamental and harmonic components respectively corresponding to each footage are changed to vary from one another in accordance with a wait time, whereby the fundamental and the harmonic components to be synthesized by additive synthesis are changed to differ from one another. Next, a click sound corresponding to key release speed is generated, and the stop timings of the fundamental and harmonic components are changed to vary from one another in accordance with a wait time, whereby the fundamental and the harmonic components to be muted are changed to differ from one another. Accordingly, by the click sound being mixed with the drawbar sound having these slight tone changes, a unique drawbar sound such as that generated by the sound producing mechanism of an actual drawbar organ is generated.

Abstract: A customizable electronic musical instrument comprising a mounting frame for securing a plurality of user-installable electronic musical modules of various types including a type for generating at least one real-time control signal responsive to user operation, a type for generating audio signals, responsive to a real-time control signal, and a for processing audio signals responsive to at least one of a real-time control signal. The instrument can transmit electrical signals to an external system and can include internal sound amplification. The instrument can include one or more of a keyboard, touchpad, strumpad, impact sensor, slider control, expression wheel, joystick, ribbon controller, button, switch, pressure sensor, multiple-position selector, knob potentiometer, and music synthesizer elements. Signals may be routed among modules by a switch or bus.

Abstract: A musical tone control system for an electronic keyboard instrument, which is capable of calculating a key depression velocity of a key with high accuracy without being adversely affected by a large rotational resistance of the key during a let-off, and stopping sounding of a musical tone in appropriate timing. The system detects first key depression information on a key at a first position corresponding to a key depression depth obtained before start of a let-off, second key depression information on the key at a second position which corresponds to a larger key depression depth than the first position does, and third key depression information, obtained after termination of the let-off, on the key at a third position which corresponds to a larger key depression depth than the second position does. The tone volume of a musical tone is set based on a key depression velocity of the key.

Abstract: A hammer device of an electronic piano with keys which swing in accordance with key depression, includes a hammer support that is made of a synthetic resin and has a fulcrum shaft, and a hammer having a shaft hole part for being fitted on the fulcrum shaft and configured to pivotally move about the fulcrum shaft in a manner interlocked with the swinging key. The fulcrum shaft has an outer peripheral surface formed by a pair of arcuately-curved surface portions opposite to each other and a pair of planar surface portions each extending between the pair of arcuately-curved surface portions and parallel to each other.

Abstract: A split keyboard with an optional middle section of keys for controlling regular PC input to a host, two play music, and to input and play music with a multiple octave keyboard that when the middle section of keys are removed can be portable to travel. And when working on just the split keyboard inputting data to a host the operator arms are not abducted do to the perpendicular advantage or slide apart keyboard where an operators arms are perpendicular to the keyboard keys.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard instrument with a hammer action, in which a circuit board for generating electronic musical tones can be disposed at a location for easy maintenance and for effective space utilization. Front and rear bars are bridged between side plates of an instrument main body so as to extend parallel to each other in the left-right direction and reinforce the instrument main body. A hammer action mechanism having hammers for respective keys is disposed rearward of a key-depression part of a keyboard and upward of a rear end portion of the keyboard, and a board tray is bridged between the front and rear bars. The board tray and the circuit board are located upward of the hammer action mechanism.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard musical instrument which is placed on a supporting surface when it is used, includes an instrument main unit which includes a keyboard having a plurality of keys and which generates electrical signals in response to depressions of the keys, a speaker which has a front side and a rear side and which produces sounds corresponding to the electrical signals from the instrument main unit, and an instrument main unit supporting member which is placed on the supporting surface. The instrument main unit supporting member includes an outer surface facing an external space, an internal space surrounded by the outer surface and housing the instrument main unit at a position apart upward from the supporting surface, and an opening formed in the outer surface and communicating the internal space with the external space. The speaker is attached to the outer surface with the front side facing the opening.

Abstract: An electronic piano includes a tone signal synthesizing system implemented by software, keys and key sensors monitoring the keys and reporting the key positions to the tone signal synthesizing system, and the tone signal synthesizing system includes damper model calculating modules for determining resistance against vibrations of wires of an a piano, a hammer model calculating module for determining force exerted on the wires, string model calculating modules for determining force exerted on an instrument body of the piano by the wires on the basis of the resistance and force exerted on the wires, an instrument body model calculating module for determining displacements of instrument body on the basis of the force exerted on the instrument body and an air model calculating module for determining a sound pressure at an observation point from the displacement of instrument body.

Abstract: A musical tone control system for a grand-type piano, which not only enables a shutter to be mounted on a hammer without any inconvenience even when a space above the hammer is small, but also is capable of properly controlling musical tones to be sounded. In this system, first to third optical sensors are disposed along the length of a hammer shank. Depression or non-depress of a key and a pivoting direction of an associated hammer are determined based on signals from the first and second optical sensors, respectively. Further, the pivoting speed of the hammer is calculated based on a signal from the third optical sensor. A musical tone to be sounded is controlled based on the determined depression or non-depression of the key and pivoting direction and the calculated speed of the hammer.

Abstract: A media application for providing outputs (e.g., audio outputs) in response to inputs received from an input device is provided. The media application may connect input mechanisms of an input device with parameters of channel strips (e.g., which may define output sounds) using an intermediate screen object. The media application may first assign an input mechanism to a screen object, and separately map a screen object to a channel strip parameter. The media application may map a screen object to several channel strips simultaneously such that, based on the value of the screen object, the volume of each of the several channel strips changes. The media application may provide a graphical representation of available channel strips using layers. As the media application accesses a channel strip, the appearance of the portion of the layer associated with the channel strip may change.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard instrument is provided and methods of playing and assembling the same. The instrument comprises a controller for enabling activation of electronic signals having audible, visible, amplifiable, recordable and/or like characteristics, and a power source for operating the controller. A first keyboard is provided having a first selected length and being oriented in a first direction such that (i) audible notes of music from at least one internal sound module and/or at least one external sound module, (ii) recordable data to be enhanced or modified by an external sequencer or program controlled apparatus, (iii) photoelectric signals, and (iv) processes or mechanisms, triggered or controlled by external signals or data, for controlling machines, video playback or lighting, and/or the like may be generated and/or activated using a first hand of one or more users.

Abstract: There is provided a touch detecting device of a keyboard instrument, which makes it possible not only to enhance the mounting density of a plurality of optical sensors, but also to detect touch information of a key with high accuracy without being affected by light from the other optical sensors.

Abstract: Respective sets of black keys and white keys of respective octaves of a keyboard 10 are defined as specific key range, respectively, to assign various tone colors of percussion instruments of a drum set to a plurality of keys included in the respective specific key ranges of the octaves. A specific key range has secondary key ranges to assign tone colors produced by different playing techniques of the same musical instrument. A depression of any key of a specific key range results in generation of a musical tone having a tone color of a percussion instrument assigned to the specific key range. To a pedal unit 20, a tone color of “bass drum” is assigned. Tone colors of “hi-hat” assigned to the keyboard 10 are controlled such that a depression of any key to which “hi-hat” is assigned with or without operation of the pedal unit 20 results in generation of a musical tone of open hi-hat or closed hi-hat.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard instrument which is capable of easily carrying out an arpeggio performance rich in variety by a simple operation on a touch strip. The electronic keyboard instrument has a belt-like touch strip on which a player slides his finger while touching it to carry out an arpeggio performance. A CPU causes musical tones of respective pitch names included in respective designated component pitch names to be sounded, in a predetermined arpeggio pattern having a predetermined sounding order, according to detected touch positions on the touch strip, for the arpeggio performance. A musical tone generating circuit for generating musical tones for the arpeggio performance is switched between first and second tone generator circuits for generating musical tones based on key-on information detected on swingable keys and a third tone generator circuit dedicated to generation of musical tones for the arpeggio performance.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument includes a keyboard having a plurality of keys, a top board located in the rear of the keyboard and having a space for placing external equipment, a music stand that is erected on the top board, and a plurality of connection terminals that are located in the rear of the music stand and on a top surface of the top board, and that are freely connected with and disconnected from the external equipment.

Abstract: Keys 1, 2 are supported by a frame 3 in a freely swingable manner. Massive bodies 8, a lower limit stopper 10 and an upper limit stopper 11 are situated below keys 1, 2. Massive bodies 8 are supported by a frame 3 in a freely swingable manner and pivot in synchronization with key-depression. A lower limit stopper 10 restricts a lower limit of pivoting range of the massive bodies 8. An upper limit stopper 10 restricts an upper limit of pivoting range of the massive bodies 8. Fixing portions (erected potions) 3g1 for fixing the upper limit stopper 11 are provided on the frame 3 in one-to-one corresponding with keys 1, 2. The upper limit stopper 11 is fixed to the undersurface of the fixing portions 3g. An upper part of each fixing portion 3g is situated inside right and left side walls of each key 1, 2.

Abstract: An electronic proof system is provided in association with an automatic player piano; while a human player is practicing a music tune on the acoustic piano, the electronic proof system monitors the pedals of piano to see whether or not the player brings the pedals to target pedal positions; if the current pedal position is spaced from the target pedal position, the electronic proof system gives rise to fine vibrations of the pedal, and makes the player notice the pedal staying at incorrect pedal position through the tactile impression.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard musical instrument includes a body unit of the musical instrument and a stand attached to the body unit. The stand includes a pair of side boards disposed in a standing manner so as to interpose the body unit therebetween. The body unit includes a pair of lateral surfaces. Each of the pair of lateral surfaces faces one of the pair of side boards and includes a first engaging portion disposed thereon. Each of the pair of side boards includes a first engaged portion engaged by the first engaging portion and disposed on an inner lateral surface thereof, which faces one of the pair of lateral surfaces of the body unit. The first engaging portion and the first engaged portion are engaged with each other by at least one of the body unit and the stand being moved in a predetermined direction.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard instrument is assembled on a frame member. A keyboard has a plurality of keys pivotably supported by the frame member. A lower case is formed integrally with or separately from the frame member under the keyboard. An electroacoustic transducer is accommodated in a space between the keyboard and a bottom plate of the lower case, and outputs an acoustic wave. The acoustic wave outputted from the electroacoustic transducer is radiated outwardly through sound passages configured as gaps in the frame member and gaps between the plurality of the keys.

Abstract: A keyboard apparatus configured that heavy loads to support keys and hammers are perpendicularly applied to front-side and rear-side contact portions and the area of a front part of a frame as seen from side can be reduced, thereby suppressing an amount of use of resin. The keyboard apparatus includes a frame integrally formed by resin and mounted with a stopper mounting portion to which an initial stopper is mounted. The frame is supported on a keybed only by front-side and rear-side supporting portions respectively contacting the keybed at locations beneath hammer pivot shafts and beneath key supports. In a longitudinal region between the stopper mounting portion and the front-side supporting portion, the height position of a lowermost part of the frame become higher at a position closer to the stopper mounting portion.

Abstract: Sounds in different frequency range are generated from the rear, top and/or front face of the musical tone apparatus, sounds are generated and spread in all directions around the musical tone apparatus, and the tones sound very realistically acoustic. Vibration of the sound board does not resonate, tones generated from the sound board are not changed unintentionally, and tones of real acoustic musical instruments are realized. Vibration from the sound board is not directly transferred to the whole musical tone apparatus, by means of not allowing the sound board to touch the body of the musical tone apparatus and of pressing and fixing the soundboard to the attachment component with the thickness of the attachment component compressed.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard instrument having a keyboard provided with a plurality of keys, a first and a second switches provided corresponding to each key of the keyboard and being sequentially turned on at a time interval corresponding to a key depression speed of the keyboard, a counting unit for counting a count value corresponding to the time interval during which the first and the second switches are sequentially turned on, a correcting unit for correcting the count value or a value corresponding to the count value based on a variation of the time interval, and a velocity conversion unit for converting the corrected value into a velocity, is provided.

Abstract: A key structure which is capable of giving a woody appearance to the key, and increasing the freedom of mounting at least one functional part formed as a separate part from the key structure, while maintaining excellent machinability. An upper plate has an increased width part corresponding to an end of a white key toward a player. In the key structure, a wood part is secured to the lower surface of at least the increased width part of the upper plate, and has an increased width part having substantially the same width as the increased width part of the upper plate. The key structure is mountable in a keyboard apparatus, for functioning as a white key pivotally moved by key-depressing operation. A recess is formed in a part of the wood part including the increased width part, which opens downward and has a width (W0) not less than 50% and not more than 80% of the width (B0) of the increased width part of the wood part.

Abstract: While an automatic player piano is reenacting a music tune, the automatic player piano sometimes fails to miss a tone or tones in a repetition due to a high-speed key movement; a controller searches a music data file for a series of key events expressing the repetition, and makes the key movements uniform without changing the lapse of time from the last key event before the repetition and the lapse of time to the first key event after the repetition so that the automatic player piano is less liable to miss a tone.

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: A testing system is incorporated in an automatic player piano for specifying a half pedal point of a damper pedal at which the loudness of tones is lessened, and an automatic player moves the damper pedal to the half pedal point so as to lessen the loudness of tones in an automatic playing; the testing system accumulates pieces of experimental data expressing relation between the loudness of tones and a current pedal position of the damper pedal, and searches the pieces of experimental data for points of reflection; and the testing system determines the half pedal point through an internal division on the line between the points of reflection.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard instrument is provided and methods of playing and assembling the same. The instrument comprises a controller for enabling activation of electronic signals having audible, visible, amplifiable, recordable and/or like characteristics, and a power source for operating the controller. A first keyboard is provided having a first selected length and being oriented in a first direction such that (i) audible notes of music from at least one internal sound module and/or at least one external sound module, (ii) recordable data to be enhanced or modified by an external sequencer or program controlled apparatus, (iii) photoelectric signals, and (iv) processes or mechanisms, triggered or controlled by external signals or data, for controlling machines, video playback or lighting, and/or the like may be generated and/or activated using a first hand of one or more users.

Abstract: Key frame has a key support section that pivotably supports thereon a plurality of keys. Hammer structures are pivotably provided in corresponding relation to and below the keys, each of which pivots in interlocked relation to depression operation of a corresponding one of the keys. On a rear portion of the key frame, there is provided an upper stopper that is elongated and extends in a direction where the keys are arranged. The upper stopper defines an upper end limit of pivoting movement of each of the hammer structures. Opening portion is formed between the key support section and the upper stopper. Wiring cable connected to a circuit board, having switches corresponding to the keys, is run below the key support section, then passed through the opening portion and thence drawn upwardly beyond the upper stopper so that it is led out to a region above the upper stopper.

Abstract: Embodiments of an electronic, frameless, musical keyboard with the ability to couple to other frameless musical keyboards are described. In one embodiment, a first musical keyboard section includes an arrangement of black and white keys, similar to a layout of a piano keyboard, disposed over a base. The keys at the left and/or right sides of the keyboard section have exposed sides, so that a second keyboard section can be integrated with the first keyboard section to give the appearance of a single keyboard. To integrate the first keyboard section with the second keyboard section, the base of the first keyboard section extends past the right-most key to a width and length that is substantially equal to the dimensions of a left-most key from the second keyboard section. The left-most key can then be laid to rest over the extended base portion. The reserved space formed by the base of the first keyboard section having dimensions of a key (e.g.

Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument, when a musical tone delay time T1 read from a delay time table TBL depending on a velocity generated by a key being pressed has elapsed, a hammer string-striking sound is generated from musical tone waveform data selected in correspondence with the velocity. At the same time, when an impact delay time T2 read from the delay time table depending on the velocity has elapsed, a shelf board impulsive sound is generated from impact waveform data. The generated hammer string-striking sound and shelf board impulsive sound are added and outputted. As a result, a relationship between the shelf board impulsive sound and the hammer string-striking sound is simulated, and tone variations of an acoustic piano are reproduced.

Abstract: An invention extending functionality and applications of traditional music keyboards. Individual musical keyboard keys may have individual key displacement sensors measuring key travel. Individual keys may further include surface sensors measuring two additional parameters, creating three independent continuous parameters essential for controlled rendering of vowel sounds and orchestral timbre spaces. Surface sensors may comprise pressure sensor arrays, which, via geometric image-processing, may produce five to six readily controlled independent parameters per key, useful in controlling expressive soloing and long-duration background sounds. Per-key pressure sensor arrays may comprise mass-produced modular components including intelligent distributed image processing to simplify manufacturing and substantially reduce cost. Synthesized tactile feedback may render variable keyboard actions or create ‘multi-level’ key travel functionality. Outgoing MIDI signals may also be provided.

Abstract: A versatile portable keyboard musical instrument has a number of separable portions including a first keyboard portion detachable from a second supporting base portion for use alone, or the second supporting base portion may be removed from a support stand and the first portion to enable the musical instrument to be easily transported and played by a musician in any desired manner or position, such as vertically, horizontally, at an angle, or while standing, sitting down or moving across a stage or floor. The keyboard musical instrument includes cavities for insertion of a wireless MIDI device, various finger control devices, an electrical power source or adapters to be connected to a power source, to enable the instrument to be used without cables. Each of the different portions is sized and shaped with open areas or spaces for artistic appearance, to lessen the weight thereof and to serve as carrying handles.

Abstract: A mobile device (160) and method (300) for generating wind instrument sounds is provided. The mobile device can include a microphone (102) for capturing an air turbulence in response to a blowing action, a keypad (104) for selecting a virtual valve to associate with the air turbulence, a synthesis engine (106) for synthesizing a musical note in response to the blowing and the virtual valve, and an audio speaker (108) for playing the musical note. One or more keys of the keypad can be depressed during the blowing action on the microphone for synthesizing a musical note of a wind instrument. A display (110) can present a musical notation (800) and a fingering chart (810) for musical notes.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to assignment of fingering for performance of a musical piece. In one example, a processor of an electronic system receives a file having data relating to at least one musical piece. The processor parses the file and assigns keys to occurrences of notes within the musical piece. In certain embodiments, the key-to-note assignments are based on predetermined factors, such as common patterns of learned fingering and a user typing proficiency level, and/or predetermined assignment rules, such as physical or spatial limitations with respect to the user's fingers and the keys of the keyboard. Furthermore, embodiments of the invention allow for different keys to be assigned to different occurrences of the same note or allow for a single key to be assigned to multiple notes, such as a chord, or to different notes occurring at different points in the musical piece.

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: A portable electronic musical device has a keyboard disposed in a housing connected to a strap and a support plate connected thereto for suspension of housing by strap on shoulders of a person while housing is simultaneously supported on waist of person to allow person to easily move from one geographical position to another while playing instrument. Housing is pivotally connected to support plate by at least one member defining an axis around which housing is rotatable to playing of instrument and to facilitate viewing of hands of person and keys of keyboard while user is playing instrument. To further facilitate playing of instrument and visibility of hands and keys housing is curved with keyboard generally aligned therewith.