Abstract: A compact active pickup module, directed particularly to bodiless stringed musical instruments, has a main enclosure machined from dense solid material to provide a complex of internal compartments and is configured with a six-sided, diagonally-elongated shape consistent with the appearance of The Chapman Stick (R). Mounted in an elongated channel running diagonally across the instrument through-neck structure in a thick portion thereof near the lower (bridge) end, the module can be easily installed and removed sideways without removing the strings or disturbing their tuning. The module is held in place with two machine screws that are accessible between strings, and is mounted resiliently for isolation against unwanted vibrations from the bodiless through-neck structure.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument, such as a guitar, mandolin, or a violin, has an elongated frame to which modular components such as necks, electronic pick-ups, electronic control boxes, bridges, tail pieces, decorative components, or body parts can be adjustably placed and clamped. This not only allows the position of many such components to be customized, but also allows different components to be easily substituted for each others; allows the instrument to be quickly taken apart for more compact storage or shipment; and allows the instrument to be changed so as to produce a different sound or look. Preferably some the components, including the body parts, are rotatably mounted relative to the frame, so their angle relative to the plane of the fingerboard can be adjusted to suit a user's tastes or physical disabilities, such as carpel-tunnel stress syndrome.

Abstract: An electronic stringed instrument having a first pickup device and a second pickup device. When any one of the strings is picked at a picking position between the first pickup device and the second pickup device, vibrational waves propagate from the picking position toward both sides of the string. When the advancing waves pass the first and second pickup devices, the first and second pickup devices output electrical signals. A time difference between the electrical signals provided by the first and second pickup devices is calculated to determine the picking position. Note tone color and other tonal parameters are controlled based on the picking position.

Abstract: An acoustic drum capable of triggering an electronic sound source is provided by a combination of a drum body shell, conventional drum heads held at adjustable tension across open ends of the shell, and a sound-to-electrical transducer mounted within an open space of the interior or exterior shell wall surface. The sound-to-electrical transducer is connected to an audio jack assembly which in turn allows the drum to be connected to conventional downstream electronics. The sound energy attenuating characteristics of the mounting material and the surrounding shell wall prevent the transducer from being falsely triggered by ambient sound exterior to the drum, by sympathetic vibrations of the drum, and resists false triggering due to lightly, inadvertently hitting the drum stand. A sound energy transfer arm with elastomeric pad having limited contact with the striking head couples vibration to the embedded transducer in the shell wall for enhanced trigger sensitivity and tracking.

Abstract: An electronic cymbal (10) has a first cymbal unit (12) for normal playing and a second cymbal unit (13) for cup playing which are vertically separated and attached to a common instrument holder (11). The second cymbal unit (13) of a smaller size than the first cymbal unit (12) is positioned above the first cymbal unit (12) with an intervening felt washer (22). Transducers (15, 19) are provided on the back surface of respective cymbal units (12, 13).

Abstract: An Exchangeable Stacked Pickup Assembly for Stringed Instruments is disclosed. The preferred system and assembly permit the user to change magnet characteristics and/or the number of coil windings without necessitating string removal and subsequent guitar re-tuning. The pickup system further includes a lower coil assembly for attaching to the face of a guitar or other stringed instrument, and an upper coil assembly for attaching to, and detaching from the lower coil assembly. As described, the lower coil assembly and the upper coil assembly include conventional pickup coil assemblies, which are in electrical circuit when attached to one another. Furthermore, the preferred system includes a variety of upper coil assemblies, each having unique electromagnetic qualities, such that the user need only exchange one upper coil assembly with another in order to effect a desired change in sound to the stringed instrument.

Abstract: There is provided a method of determining the pitch in string instruments that are excited by plucking or striking, wherein a vibration of a string is converted by a transducer into an electrical signal and the electrical signal is evaluated.Up to now, the transducers have primarily been electromagnetic transducers for which a plurality of evaluation algorithms and methods are available. Now however, one also wants to be able to use pressure transducers without having to use new evaluation algorithms and methods.To this end, a pressure transducer is used as the transducer and the electrical signal is subjected to differentiation with respect to time.

Abstract: A guitar has a removable neck section including fretboard, electronic pick up system with a built in headphone amplifier system for private listening. The detached main body also has an amplifier with a built in loudspeaker which can be activated when the neck section is attached, or used as a stand alone amplifier for a microphone, tape player, radio, cd player, or other electronic instrument. The instrument can also be played as a standard electronic guitar by plugging it into an external amplifier. The built in sound system enables the performer to move around the room without being constrained by a cord to external amplifiers or speakers. Also, power requirements can be reduced since the speaker moved with the guitar and is not being left in a disadvantageous position.

Abstract: A bridge for supporting the strings of a musical instrument including an instrument body and an acoustic transducer, for example, a diaphragm microphone and an air space chamber which is closed airtight and located in front of the sound receiving side of the transducer, wherein the air space chamber extends transversely of the longitudinal extension of the strings and over the zone in which the strings are located next to each other, and wherein the bridge supporting the strings forms a boundary surface of the air space chamber or the bridge is mounted on a wall which forms a boundary surface of the air space chamber.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting, measuring the intensity of, and determining the location of a deformation of a membrane. In one embodiment, the intensity and location of membrane deformations is used as control input to a sound generation system that simulates the sound of a drum. The disclosed system and method may be capable of responding to distinct simultaneous deformations of the membrane.

Abstract: An electromagnetic pickup for stringed musical instruments has at least one bobbin mountable to the instrument beneath the instrument's strings, each of the bobbins having a body and a coil wrapped around the body, the body having one or more holes therethrough positioned below the strings. A magnetic device for generating a magnetic field around the bobbins and one or more pole pieces extended through the holes is also included. Ferromagnetic material is positioned within the body of one or more of the bobbins or between the bobbin(s) and the musical instrument to increase the device's inductance.

Abstract: A pickup for an electric guitar includes a housing made to fill an existing cavity in an electric guitar body originally used for a dual-coil humbucking pickup. The pickup also has a single pickup coil mounted in the housing.

Abstract: A feedback eliminating device for acoustical instruments is designed to be used with in-hole amplification devices, without the need to modify either the instrument or the amplification device. The device is preferably in the form of a two-piece cover for the sound hole of an acoustical instrument. Used in conjunction with an in-hole amplification device, the device completely covers the sound hole of an acoustical instrument.

Abstract: Tuner apparatus for tuning an electric stringed musical instrument includes a pickup in a pickup cavity formed in the instrument. A pickup ring extends around the pickup and includes a pickup ring wall forming a visual display panel. Tuner circuitry includes a flexible printed circuit strip adjacent to the pickup and positioned in the pickup cavity. The flexible printed circuit strip is electrically connected to a light module positioned next to the visual display panel of the pickup ring.

Abstract: An acoustic drum capable of triggering an electronic sound source is provided by a combination of a drum body shell, conventional drum heads held at adjustable tension across open ends of the shell, and a sound-to-electrical transducer mounted within an open space of the interior or exterior shell wall surface. The sound-to-electrical transducer is connected to an audio jack assembly which in turn allows the drum to be connected to conventional downstream electronics. The sound energy attenuating characteristics of the mounting material and the surrounding shell wall prevent the transducer from being falsely triggered by ambient sound exterior to the drum, by sympathetic vibrations of the drum, and resists false triggering due to lightly, inadvertently hitting the drum stand.

Abstract: In an electronic musical apparatus having an acoustic instrument manually operable to commence an acoustic vibration and a tone generator responsive to the acoustic vibration to generate a musical tone having a pitch corresponding to that of the acoustic vibration, a pitch detecting device utilizes a pickup for picking up the acoustic vibration to convert the same into a waveform signal. Further, a first detector operates according to a fast algorithm for processing the waveform signal so as responsively produce a first output representative of the pitch of the acoustic vibration, and a second detector operates in parallel to the first detector for processing the same waveform signal according to a slow algorithm so as to stably produce a second output representative of the pitch of the acoustic vibration.

Abstract: A device (1) for varying pitch manually on electronic keyboard instruments having electronically generated tones is made as a stick or rod. The upper portion of the stick is also the upper part of handle (5) which extends upwards, through a window (11) above the top surface of a casing (13) of the instrument. The handle (5) is attached to an elastic leaf spring (3), the bending of which is sensed by means of strain gauges (21) mounted on the plate (3) at the lower portion thereof, adjacent the attachment region thereof to a rigid cantilever (19). When the handle (5) is moved by means of a finger in its cup-shaped, top surface, the leaf spring (3) is deflected, the deflection signal being provided to the electronic circuits that generate the tones and that then give them a higher or lower pitch depending on the deflection.

Abstract: A wind instrument is provided with electronic tubing control. The wind instrument has at least a pair of an acoustic sensor and an acoustic actuator in a straight pipe portion of a wind instrument and an electronic control for supplying a delayed output of the acoustic sensor to the actuator to electronically control a change in pressure in a pipe by variably changing the delay amount in correspondence with a performance of the instrument thereby electronically changing the pitch of a produced musical tone.

Abstract: An automatic performance control apparatus provides a hand controller which contains gyro sensors in X, Y directions. The gyro sensors are employed to accurately detect hand-swing motion applied to the hand controller without being affected by gravity. When the hand controller is swung by a human operator like a conductor's baton, angular velocity applied to the hand controller is detected based on detection values of the gyro sensors. The angular velocity becomes bottom at a change point of direction in a locus of the hand-swing motion of the hand controller; and a peak of the angular velocity appears between bottoms. So, peak detection process is performed on the angular velocity to determine a beat timing designated by the human operator. If the peak is detected, beat-timing detection data are automatically created and are transmitted to an electronic musical instrument having an automatic performance function.

Abstract: There is a gel drumhead mechanically coupled to an mechanoelectrical transducer. The gel drumhead is constructed and arranged to present substantially the same resistive forces to drum sticks when struck presented by an acoustic drum correspondingly struck.

Abstract: In an electric guitar, the sound produced upon playing on a string thrown, to a predetermined tension, along and over the fingerboard between the bridge and the head is checked by ear to determine phantom semitone frets with the fingerboard extended imaginarily toward and closer to the bridge and the pickup is mounted on the body at one of the phantom semitone frets. The determination of the installation position for the pickup by reference to vibrations of the string on the basis of the above principle of phantom frets not only assures an improved reproducibility of guitar sounds but enables one to obtain nearly infinite and original sounds from the electric guitar.

Abstract: A transducer assembly for an electronic music system for use with a stringed instrument includes a plurality of transducers and a quick connect device for detachably securing the transducers to the stringed instrument without marring, defacing, or altering the stringed instrument. The transducers generate analog signals representing the sound generated by playing the instrument. An interface converts the analog signals to digital signals and a computer receives and processes the digital signals. The location of the transducer assembly relative to the strings of the instrument is adjustable.

Abstract: A tone synthesizer, for brass instruments, is equipped with a performance information input device such as a mouthpiece having a contact area sensor for detecting the contact area of the lips, a pressure sensor for detecting the push pressure of the lips, and an aperture sensor for detecting the opening surface of the lips. The tone synthesizer is also equipped with an apparatus indicating the strain of the lips, a tone generator, a blow pressure sensor, and a signal transmission apparatus.

Abstract: A guitar pickup structure includes pickup elements which are arranged below the lower surface of a guitar string saddle that is provided on a guitar bridge. The bridge is installed on the top surface of the guitar. Vibrations of the strings are transmitted to the pickup elements through the saddle, for generating amplified sounds by means of the electric signals. Two vibration transmitting bars run through the bridge and the top surface of the guitar body and contact the lower side of the saddle. A pickup member, having two pickup elements which correspond to and engage the two vibration transmitting bars, is arranged beneath the guitar body top surface. The pickup member is fixed by means of an installation member or bolt arranged on the guitar bridge below the saddle.

Abstract: An educational and amusement device for the development of a sense of rhythm with eye and hand coordination is described. An embodiment device combines the action of a helical spring with a pressure-actuated tone generator, annunciated through a transducer in the form of a musical melody.

Abstract: This electronic musical instrument, having several sound sources, can generate one tone several times according to tone generation one operation, and generate chord. It can control the tone generation level and tone generation timing based on the instruction input and tempo clock.

Abstract: A control apparatus, for an electronic musical instrument and other electronic apparatuses, comprises a freely operable operation rod having an operation gripping portion at a distal end of the rod, X- and Y-position detectors for respectively detecting X- and Y-positions of the operation rod, and a pressure or rotation amount detector for detecting an operation pressure operating on the operation rod or a rotational amount of the operation rod about an axis thereof. The control apparatus can input a pressure or rotational amount detection signal of the operation rod to a control object together with X- and Y-position detection signals. An electronic musical instrument has the control apparatus as a performance operation member for controlling electronic tone generation parameters in correspondence with a performance function of a kind of instrument, and a physical sound source for generating an electronic tone on the basis of inputs from a keyboard and the performance operation member.

Abstract: A planar wave transducer assembly comprising a rigid, unitary structure formed by a pair of foot pads attached to a planar surface, each foot pad having an upstanding leg, and a span bar extending across the tops of the legs. A piezoelectric transducer element extends between the legs of the transducer assembly in spaced, parallel alignment with the span bar to convert wave motion in the planar surface into an electrical signal. That is, the movement of one leg towards the other in response to planar wave energy causes the one leg to flex or bend so as to apply a compressive force to the piezoelectric transducer element connected between the legs. The transducer assembly herein disclosed has been found to be particularly effective as a pick up when applied to a soundboard of a musical instrument, such as a piano, and the like.

Abstract: An improved bass drum foot pedal having a variable drive lever linkage with variable arc ratios connecting the foot pedal to the beater arm and having an electronic device actuator carried by a beater support member and adjustable to vary the impact force and strike point of the actuator, said actuator being operable with or without said pedal being attached to a drum.

Abstract: A musical tone control apparatus controls a musical tone corresponding to a movement itself of an object and the like which is detected by a detector Such detector detects also a moving speed, a moving force, a moving angle or an intensity of given impulse of the object. In the case where the detector is mounted in the vicinity of a player's joint, the detector detects a revolving or bending angle of the player's joint. Hence, the musical tone can be controlled based on such angle of the player's joint. Thus, through this musical tone control apparatus, the player can generate a musical tone having, for example, a desirable tone pitch, a desirable volume and a desirable tone color based on the movement of the object or the player's joint.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling electronic tone generation determines a type of gesture used by a player to contact a performance surface provided with an array of pressure sensors. The performance surface repeatedly is scanned to determine which of the sensors has been activated at each scan time. When a player contacts the performance surface, parameter data associated with the incoming gesture is compared with gesture recognition rules corresponding to various reference gestures. The gesture recognition rules may be preset, and/or the control system may be provided with an optional programming capability which allows the player to establish individualized gesture recognition rules in accordance with reference gestures input by the player. An electronic tone generator is controlled in accordance with the reference gesture which is determined to best fit an incoming gesture.

Abstract: An electronic rubbed-string instrument of a type which generates musical tones in response to rubbing operation of operation member across an instrument body or string in a similar way to a violin and a viola. When a part of instrument body is rubbed with an operating member, characteristics (e.g., tone color characteristics, pitch characteristics) of a musical tone to be generated are controlled in response to a speed of the operating member. Further, the characteristics of the musical tone are controlled in response to pressure applied to a part of the instrument body with the operating member. Furthermore, the characteristics of the musical tone are controlled in response to a direction in which the bow is moved across the strings.

Abstract: This invention discloses an electronic musical instrument, which shifts the tone pitches of a series of externally input voice signals in real time, and outputs the shifted voice signals from a loudspeaker. Data for shifting the tone pitches of voice signals is pre-programmed in a memory circuit as music piece data. Every time a user operates an operation switch, the music piece data is sequentially read out, and the tone pitches of voice signals input from a microphone are shifted by a tone pitch converter. The shifted voice signals are output from a loudspeaker in real time. The input voice signals can be shifted to a melody corresponding to the music piece data.

Abstract: In a contact mike, a pair of coils are formed so as to be directly connected to the resonating surface of a musical instrument or other vibrating object. The coils are coaxial and oppositely wound such that a single space is defined at their common center. A magnet is resiliently suspended within the coils and is resiliently isolated from the vibration of the resonating surface. Since the coils vibrate in the vicinity of the magnet, which remains relatively stationary due to its own inertia, an alternating current is induced in the coils which anologues the vibrations of the surface. In one embodiment the resonating member of the instrument itself is used to form part of the resilient connection between the magnet and the coil.

Abstract: A grand piano is equipped with a sound controller for controlling qualities of a sound to be produced in a sound board and top boards of the grand piano, and the sound controller comprises a parameter switches for providing parameters indicative of qualities of a modified sound, sensors for detecting the qualities of the sound originally produced in the boards, a data processor responsive to the parameters for producing an actuating signal, and actuators associated with the boards for producing additional vibrations therein, wherein the additional vibrations are overlapped with the vibrations originally produced so that composite vibrations with the qualities indicated by the parameters take place in the boards, thereby controlling the acoustic sounds.

Abstract: The cymbal system comprises a cymbal member mountable on a cymbal stand, the cymbal member having a playing feel approximating that of a conventional cymbal. A transducer is affixed to a surface of the cymbal member for translating any substantial percussive impact on the cymbal member to electrical signals. These electrical signals are converted into MIDI "note-on" messages serving as trigger messages. At least one conductive element is mounted on the cymbal member. A MIDI interface system is included which detects the alternation in an electrical signal between two stable states in response to a user's manipulation of the conductive element, each stable state representing a digital signal. The MIDI interface system also includes a software system for recognizing and then interpreting the digital signal into MIDI SYSEX messages, or note off and note on messages, serving as MIDI choke/send messages.

Abstract: An electric guitar has a plurality of strings stretched over a rigid body and a neck, and a vibration detecting unit embedded into the rigid body, and the vibration detecting unit has a plurality of photo emitting elements paired with a plurality of photo detecting elements spaced apart from the associated photo emitting diodes in directions parallel to the associated strings, wherein the photo emitting elements radiate light spots toward the associated strings for causing the reflections to be fallen upon the associated photo detecting elements so that the photo detecting elements produces photo currents without any diffraction of light.

Abstract: A planar wave transducer assembly comprising a rigid structure formed by a pair of foot pads, each with an upstanding leg and a span bar extending across the top of the legs. A piezoelectric transducer element is attached to the span bar, preferably in a channel extending between the legs, to convert wave motion in the plane defined by the flat bases of the foot pads into an electrical signal. The transducer assembly herein disclosed has been found to be remarkably effective as a pick up when applied to the soundboard of a piano, achieving excellent signal isolation as well as enhancing the acoustic sound produced by the instrument.

Abstract: A pickup responsive in all planes of vibration of a vibrating element of a musical instrument uses two transducers, each maximally responsive in a different plane of vibration. The transducer signals are dephased with respect to each other in order to reduce and possibly eliminate the additive and substractive tendencies of the common portion of the signals when they are combined to produce the pickup signal. The signals may be dephased using a phase shifting network or device, or by using different types of transducers (i.e.: position-sensing for the first transducer and velocity-sensing for the second transducer) which produce signals which are already dephased and thus only require to be combined in order to produce the claimed response.

Abstract: A pickup system for providing sounds for a musical instrument has a feedback circuit for converting a pickup signal representing a vibration of a string or other vibratory element to a drive signal. The pickup system includes a pickup coil, an electromagnetic source which generates a magnetic flux, a device such as a ferromagnetic element for magnetically linking the electromagnetic source and the pick up coil with the vibratory element, a step-up transformer having a primary coil section and secondary coil section, a connection between the pickup coil and the primary coil section of the step-up transformer, an output terminal and circuit elements for connecting the output terminal to the secondary coil section of the step-up transformer.

Abstract: An apparatus for electronically connecting a plurality of percussion instruments having individual connecting leads to a mixing desk or the like comprises a rack surrounding at least partially the plurality of percussion instruments wherein the rack is provided with sockets for receiving the individual connecting leads from each of the percussion instruments and is further provided with a single connection cable for connecting the rack to the mixing desk.

Abstract: A striker designed to strike or be swung for playing music is provided with a musical sound-initiating command signal-generating device including switching members. When the striker strikes or swings, the switching members perform a switching action which triggers the transmitting of a musical sound-initiating command signal from the musical sound-initiating command signal-generating device. A desired musical sound is produced by a musical sound producing unit in response to the musical sound-initiating command signal. A number of different timbres can be selectively used for a musical tone, by operating a timbre-selecting switch provided on the striker.

Abstract: An apparatus for outputting a pitch data corresponding to a relative distance between a pair of movable members or a position of a second movable member relative to a first movable member. Data indicating the output relative distance or data indicating the output relative position is converted to corresponding pitch data in accordance with one of a plurality of conversion characteristics selected by a selection section. A pitch corresponding to the converted pitch data is determined. An electronic musical instrument outputs a musical tone having the determined pitch. The musical tone is controlled in accordance with a flow state of air passing through a mouthpiece or a bite pressure.

Abstract: An electronic wind instrument has a blowing feeling adder. The adder comprises an air chamber having an entrance and an exit, an entrance pipe for introducing breath the entrance pipe being coupled to the entrance of the air chamber, an exit pipe for discharging the breath the exit pipe being connected to the exit of the air chamber, and a valve interposed between entrance and exit portions of the air chamber and having elasticity. The valve is deformed according to a breath pressure at the entrance portion to change an opening area of the entrance. Whereby the electronic wind instrument can simulate blowing feeling of a natural wind instrument.

Abstract: An electronic percussion synthesizer assembly incorporates a novel structure for supporting the drum heads. The novel supporting structure comprises a spider assembly (83) comprised of a plurality of legs (150) joined at one end for defining a hub (152) and secured at their free ends to the perimeter of the drum head (65) on the underside thereof. The spider assembly (83) minimizes mechanical damping of the striking surface and, where a plurality of drum heads (62, 63, 64, 65) are used, also minimiizes "cross talk" between the drum heads. A novel foot pedal control (120) for altering the sounds produced by the drum head is also disclosed.

Abstract: A switching system for an electric guitar using bridge and fingerboard humbucker pickups and a single coil intermediate pickup wherein distinct groups of GIBSON tonality and FENDER tonality can be readily selected. The system uses a two-gang, five position switch for tone selection, the switch employing two, double contacting wipers; and, for mode selection either a toggle or push-pull double pole, double throw switch is utilized.

Abstract: An improved string musical instrument is disclosed wherein a dynamic tone engendering structure provides adjustable filtering and conditioning of each of the variously tuned string's vibrational behavior. Acoustic energy transmission paths are provided for the overtone and fundamental tone components produced by the variously tuned strings, assuring even transmission of each string's particular acoustical energy to acoustical summing nodes where transducers convert acoustical energy to electrical energy. The present invention closely emulates the characteristic dynamic response and musical timbres found in a wide variety of traditional acoustic instruments.

Abstract: A tone signal controlling apparatus for an electronic musical instrument comprising a body having a string corresponding portion, a movable performance member, and a sensor for detecting the action of the movable performance member with respect to the string corresponding portion, and generating a musical tone signal simulating a rubbed string instrument. The apparatus can control an electric signal simulating vibration of a string without any actual vibration of the string according the action of the movable performance member based on the output of the sensor, especially, by using signals representing a bow speed and a bow pressure which are applied to the string corresponding portion. Such special effects as vibrato can also be easily generated electrically. Owing to such electronic operability, the apparatus can also easily control the generation of the signal in accordance with a skill of a player.

Abstract: A drum assembly comprising: a center drum pad; first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth peripheral drum pads arranged in encompassing relationship about the center drum pad; electronic percussion synthesizer operably connected to each of the drum pads for producing predetermined percussion sounds in response to the striking of the drum pads.

Abstract: An electric guitar includes a direct pickup that is physically and mechanically connected to the strings of the guitar instead of by an acoustic coupling. Such direct connection prevents noise, and other distortions associated with over-the-air connections from interfering with the transmission of sounds from the strings to the pickup device.