Abstract: The invention disclosed herein comprises a guitar pick with a built-in recorder and playback device. The invention allows guitarists to record an audio sample into the recorder, then play it back directly through an amplified guitar or microphone.

Abstract: A pickup apparatus for independently detecting the vibrations of each of a plurality of strings, and an electronic stringed instrument utilizing the pickup apparatus. The pickup apparatus minimizes the crosstalk effects between the different pickups by positioning the pickups such that the magnetic force lines of each pickup is not parallel to or not in close proximity of the magnetic force lines of adjacent pickups. In one example, each pickup in the pickup apparatus is disposed at an angle with respect to the string and with respect to adjacent pickups. In another example, each pickup is disposed at an offset along the length direction of the strings relative to adjacent pickups. In yet another example, each pickup is disposed both at an angle and at an offset relative to adjacent pickups.

Abstract: A capacitive electric musical instrument vibration transducer contains one or more parallel plate variable capacitors. Each variable capacitor contains one vibrating variable capacitor plate, an electrically conducting surface that comprises, covers, or is embedded within an acoustically emitting vibrating surface on a musical instrument (such as a drumhead or soundboard), and one fixed variable capacitor plate comprising a rigid electrically conducting surface held a fixed distance away. When the instrument is played, the vibrating surface causes vibrations directly (without using airborne sound as an intermediary) in the vibrating variable capacitor plates, thus causing time-varying voltage oscillations in the parallel plate variable capacitors reflecting the vibrational state, and therefore the sound, of the instrument. An electric circuit in the transducer converts these voltage oscillations into the same kinds of signals produced by microphones and magnetic pickups.

Abstract: A metronome for use by a musician or group of musicians generally includes a signal generator for producing an electrical signal according to a desired timing scheme and one or more transducers in wireless communication with the signal generator. Each transducer, which may take the form of a piezoelectric device, a buzzer, electrodes or any substantial equivalent, is adapted to impart a sensation to the musician in response to the generated electrical signal. The wireless communication may be established with an infrared link or a radio frequency transmission system. The signal generator is under the centralized control of a conductor, bandleader, lead musician or music instructor.

Abstract: A tone control device applied to an electronic wind instrument realizes an octave-changeover-blowing technique in which the same note is produced with different octaves respectively by use of the same fingering state, thus increasing controllable ranges with regard to the tone volume, tone color, and tone pitch. A plurality of flow sensors are arranged in proximity to an edge with which a jet flow caused by blowing air into a blow hole of a lip plate collides within a tube of a wind instrument controller simulating an air-reed instrument. The flow sensors are horizontally arranged to detect a jet width, thus controlling the tone volume; and the flow sensors are vertically arranged to detect a jet eccentricity or a jet thickness, thus controlling the tone color. Ascending or descending of the tone pitch by octaves is controlled by use of the flow sensor and a jet length sensor.

Abstract: The musical instrument has a acoustic transducer, which transforms an excitation signal generated by at least one resonator into an acoustic signal. The acoustic transducer is provided with an adjustable oscillation profile, in which at least one profile parameter is defined by a reference profile of a reference instrument.

Abstract: A saxophone has a complicated key mechanism for selectively closing and opening tone holes, and fingering on touch buttons and keys is not easy for children, handicapped persons and old players; a supporting system is combined with the saxophone so as to assist a human player in fingering, and includes sensors, actuators and a controlling unit; while the human player is fingering on the touch buttons and keys, the sensors inform the controlling unit of changes of the depressed touch buttons and depressed keys, and the controlling unit supplies driving signals to the actuators associated with the tone holes to be closed so as to permit the human player easily and quickly to play music tunes.

Abstract: A glove includes a body that is positional about a user's hand. Speakers are embedded within the body and are coupled to the amp. Mechanisms are included for sensing external forces on each finger and for generating control signals when the external forces are detected. Each control signal includes an embedded digital data stream identifying an intensity and a time interval of the external forces. A mechanism is included for calculating a signal pattern corresponding to the control signal data streams. The signal pattern has the identical intensity and time interval characteristics of the external forces. LEDs are coupled to the signal pattern calculating mechanism. A mechanism is included for emitting musical sounds based upon the calculated signal pattern such that the audible musical sounds match the intensity and time interval of the signal pattern. The audible musical sound emitting mechanism includes an amp and a switch coupled thereto.

Abstract: An electronic percussion instrument which is capable of accurately discriminating roll performance to thereby electronically produce percussion tones closer to tones produced by a natural percussion instrument. A waveform memory 6 stores waveform data of percussion tones to be output for roll performance and waveform data of percussion tones to be output for non-roll performance. A work memory 4 stores values of parameters. A drum pad 1 has a percussion surface part 10, and a percussion pattern-detecting section detects a pattern of percussion applied to the percussion surface part 10 of the drum pad 1 and outputs a value of the parameter indicative of the detected pattern of percussion. The values of the parameter output from the percussion pattern-detecting section are sequentially stored in a buffer area of the work memory 4 in the order of output.

Abstract: A sound determination unit previously divides sound into a low sound range for first sound, a middle sound range for second sound, and a high sound range for third sound by its frequency band. When sound information detected by the microphone is inputted to the sound determination unit, the sound determination unit determines whether the frequency band of that sound information is in the predetermined low sound range or not. When it is in the low sound range, a signal to operate a first vibrator is generated from a first controller. When it is in the middle sound range, a signal to operate a second vibrator is generated from a second controller. When it is in the high sound range, a signal to operate a third vibrator is generated from a third controller.

Abstract: A pick-up system is provided that can be suitably used irrespective of the type of the guitar by means of an arrangement of a plurality of pick-up coils that can appropriately conform to the curvature of the strings that are arranged in a stringed instrument. In accordance with the pick-up system of the present invention, it is possible to adjust the curvature of the roof surfaces of the pick-up coils in conformance with the bending of a pick-up board on which the pick-up coils have been mounted. Therefore, a distance that is always an appropriate distance can be maintained between each of the pick-up coils that are arranged on the pick-up board and each of the strings by means of the suitable adjustment of the curvature of the pick-up board. Accordingly, there is the advantageous result that the vibrations of each of the strings can be appropriately detected irrespective of the type of guitar.

Abstract: The present invention is an device and method for providing an improved transducer for musical instruments. It an object of the present invention to provide a transducer which, because of its design, can be placed on or within a musical instrument quickly and effectively. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a transducer which is effective over an enlarged area or sweet spot. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a transducer with increased gain. These and other objects an advantages of the present invention will become clear to those skilled in the art in view of the description of the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and the applicability of the preferred embodiment as described herein and as illustrated in the several figures of the drawings.

Abstract: An electronic system, which serves as a recorder and an automatic player, is installed in an automatic player piano, and hammer sensors, which are implemented by photo couplers, report current hammer positions through analog signals to a data processor so that the data processor analyzes pieces of hammer data for recording the performance in a set of music codes; the analog signals are amplified through an operational amplifier and, thereafter, converted to discrete values of digital hammer signals so that an offset voltage is unavoidably introduced into the analog signals; when the photo couplers vary the light-to-photocurrent converting characteristics due to the aged deterioration, the data processor takes the offset voltage into account, and calibrates the hammer sensors, thereby making the digital hammer signals correctly express the current hammer positions.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing electrical power to signal conditioner circuitry inside a musical instrument having a signal output jack mounted thereon to carry a conditioned music signal via a signal cable to a remote location. The power source is a battery mounted inside a housing that is part of a signal plug on the signal cable plugged into the signal output jack. The battery powers the signal conditioner circuitry while the signal plug is in the jack. The housing provides access to the battery. Alternatively, a rechargeable power source is mounted inside or otherwise on the instrument and is connected to the jack. A power supply first plug is inserted into the signal output jack to charge the rechargeable power source. After charging the power source, the first plug is unplugged and a second plug of a signal cable is plugged into the jack to carry the conditioned signal to the remote location.

Abstract: An audio effects control for and method of controlling the application of special audio effects applied to an audio signal, comprises a sensor configured to sense movement associated with the generation of the audio signal, wherein the sensor produces a control signal in response to detecting the movement, and the control signal is transmitted to an audio effects unit to control application of an audio effect on an audio signal.

Abstract: An electric contrabass has a bridge structure on a body in which an inner space is defined, and the body is further formed with a slit under the bridge structure so that the lid of the body vibrates like a cantilever; a vibration sensor is provided inside the body, and has a vibration sensitive surface held in contact with the lower surface of the lid; while a player is bowing the strings, the vibrating strings excite the lid through the bridge structure, and the vibrations of the lid is converted to an electric signal through the vibration sensor; since the distance from the vibrating strings and the single vibration sensor is approximately equal, the single vibration sensor produces the electric signal without undesirable imbalance and interference.

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: An automatic player piano includes key sensors, solenoid-operated key actuators and a controller, which form a servo-control loop, and the key motion is reproduced under the control of the servo-control loop; the servo-control loop adjusts the driving pulse signal to a target duty ratio or mean current so as to force the black and white keys to travel on reference key trajectories; the controller categorizes the key motion in half-stroke or full-stroke, and determines the target duty ratio on the basis of a deviation between the target key position and the actual key position, a deviation between the target key velocity and the actual key velocity and the sort of key motion so as to make the key motion stable.

Abstract: A multiple channel metronome for use by a plurality of musicians generally includes a signal generator for producing electrical signals according to desired timing schemes and a plurality of transducers in communication with the signal generator. Each transducer, which may take the form of a piezoelectric device, a buzzer, electrodes or any substantial equivalent, is adapted to impart a sensation to one of the musicians in response to one of the generated electrical signals. The communication may be established with hardwired connections, infrared links or a radio frequency transmission system. The signal generator is under the centralized control of a conductor, bandleader, lead musician or music instructor.

Abstract: An electro-acoustically amplified drum mixer or sound level adjuster for amplifying a hollow drum shell having at least one open end, a drumhead spaced from the open end of the said drum shell and supported thereon. One or more microphones are supported on, and positioned within said drum shell and adapted for connection to an external amplifier and speaker. A second or additional microphones may be included with the internal mounting or may be adapted for mounting outside the drum housing.

Abstract: There is provided a musical tone control apparatus that enables a user to easily play a musical instrument without spoiling the user's feeling that he is actually playing a musical instrument. A storage device stores musical piece data containing interval data indicative of intervals of musical tones constituting a musical piece. A motion of an operator is detected. A controller provides control so as to instruct a musical tone output device capable of outputting musical tones to adopt the intervals as one of characteristic amounts relating to musical tones to be output from the musical tone output device, according to the interval data, and instruct the musical tone output device to adopt at least one of the characteristic amounts other than the intervals according to the detected motion of the operator.

Abstract: An electronic percussion instrument includes input means, correction information storage means, and musical tone generation means. The input means allows for vibration information, which expresses a vibration of an operator, position information, which expresses a position of the operator, and standard position information, which indicates a standard position of the operator, to be input. The correction information storage means allows for correction information to be stored that is based on the position information that has been input in the input means that corresponds to the standard position information that has been input in the input means. The musical tone generation means allows for the generation of a musical tone in conformance with the position information that has been input in the input means that corresponds to the vibration information that has been input and the correction information that has been stored in the correction information storage means.

Abstract: The present invention provides a transducer for converting between mechanical vibration and electrical signal, the transducer comprising a housing enclosing a substantially cylindrical permanent magnet and a coil, the magnet having a side-to-side polar orientation. The transducer may be used as sensor that is part of a sensor array for detecting vibrations from a hollow-bodied musical instrument and converting the vibrations into electrical signals for amplification.

Abstract: An electric acoustic stringed musical instrument is a combination between an acoustic stringed musical instrument and an electric system; while a player is bowing on the strings, the strings not only laterally vibrate but also are repeatedly elongated and shrunk so as to give rise to rolling motion and pitching motion of the bridge; a strain sensor sensitive to the lateral component force of the vibrations and another strain sensor sensitive to the longitudinal component force are provided in and on the bridge for producing electric signals; since the timbre of tones is varied dependent on the ratio between the lateral component force and the longitudinal component force, the player can express his artistic expression in the electric tones by strongly or gently pressing the bow onto the strings.

Abstract: A sound augmentation system for a drum comprises a wave generator for producing an electrical signal corresponding to a predetermined sound, an amplifier for amplifying the electrical signal to produce an amplified electrical signal, and a driver for translating the amplified electrical signal to a plurality of sound waves. The wave generator, amplifier and driver are mounted to a support structure configured to fit within a body of the drum. In operation, a strike of the head of the drum produces amplified sound waves that emanate from the body of the drum. Various embodiments of the sound augmentation system and associated method are provided.

Abstract: Three valve assemblies are linked with finger buttons and inserted into a pipe structure of a trumpet for changing the length of air column, and a supporting system assists a player in fingering on the finger buttons; sensors are adhered to the finger buttons so as to supply a detecting signal representative of force exerted on the finger buttons by the player to a controlling unit; when the force exceeds over a threshold, the controlling unit energizes actuators connected to the valve assemblies so as to make the player feel the valve assemblies lightly changed.

Abstract: An electronic percussion instrument that detects vibrations due to a hit and outputs a corresponding signal where the head of the instrument is held in place independent of a rim part. The independence stops vibrations originating from a hit of the rim from traveling to the head and interfering with the proper signal detection of hits to the head part.

Abstract: An automatic playing system creates a feedback control loop for the keys incorporated in an acoustic piano; key sensors, which are provided under the front portions of the keys, informs a motion controller of current positions, and the motion controller periodically compares the current position and a current velocity with a target position on a reference trajectory and a target velocity to see whether or not a positional deviation and a velocity deviation occur; when the motion controller finds the deviations, the motion controller multiplies the deviations by a position gain and a velocity gain for determining an increment or decrement of the duty ratio of driving signals, and supplies the driving signals to the solenoid-operated actuators so as to accelerate or decelerate the keys; the gain is variable depending upon the key motion so that the actual key trajectory becomes close to the reference trajectory.

Abstract: Disclosed is a stringed instrument with embedded DSP modeling capabilities to model an acoustic stringed instrument. The stringed instrument has a body and a plurality of strings and each of the plurality of strings is respectively coupled to a pickup to detect a vibration signal for each string. An A/D converter converts the detected vibration signal of a string into a digital string vibration signal. A DSP is located within the body of the stringed instrument to process the digital string vibration signal and to implement an acoustic modeling system to process the digital string vibration signal in order to emulate a corresponding string tone of one of a plurality of selectable acoustic stringed instruments. Acoustic modeling includes acoustic string and body modeling, microphone placement modeling, and pick-sound modeling. The emulated acoustic digital tone signal is then converted to analog form for output to an amplification device.

Abstract: A saxophone has a complicated key mechanism for selectively closing and opening tone holes, and fingering on touch buttons and keys is not easy for children, handicapped persons and old players; a supporting system is combined with the saxophone so as to assist a human player in fingering, and includes sensors, actuators and a controlling unit; while the human player is fingering on the touch buttons and keys, the sensors inform the controlling unit of changes of the depressed touch buttons and depressed keys, and the controlling unit supplies driving signals to the actuators associated with the tone holes to be closed so as to permit the human player easily and quickly to play music tunes.

Abstract: A sound pickup switching system for an electric string instrument which has at least two pickup coils and a multi-position selector switch, includes a switch matrix with a plurality of switches in it connected to the pickup coils. The switch matrix electrically interconnects the pickup coils in predetermined combinations of series, parallel, in-phase, or out-of-phase arrangements. A relay driver is coupled to the switch matrix to operate the switches under control of outputs from a table memory coupled with the relay driver. User input controls are coupled with the table memory for entering and storing groups of user selected switch combinations in the table memory; and connections are made between the selector switch on the string instrument and the table memory for enabling the table memory to cause the relay driver to operate predetermined combinations of switches in the switch matrix corresponding to different positions of the selector switch on the electric string instrument.

Abstract: A tactile metronome for use by a musician generally includes a signal generator for producing an electrical signal according to a desired timing scheme and a tactile transducer in electrical communication with the signal generator. The tactile transducer, which may take the form of a piezoelectric device, a buzzer, electrodes or any substantial equivalent, is adapted to impart a tactile sensation to the musician in response to the generated electrical signal. A strap, which may be formed from an elastic material or a soft cloth material with hook and loop fasteners, is provided to secure the tactile transducer in place on the musician's body.

Abstract: A string instrument, such as a guitar, includes a sound box with saddle, a neck with tuning pegs and strings extended under tension between the saddle and the tuning pegs, providing a bridge of least two legs under which there are at least two separate piezoelectric transducers that are connected to an electrical circuit for the amplified reproduction of the sound of the instrument.

Abstract: An automatic player piano is only equipped with key sensors, and the automatic player is expected to give rise to hammer motion to be varied together with the loudness of tones; the manufacturer prepared not only a velocity conversion table expressing a relation between measured values of the hammer velocity and measured values of the reference key velocity but also a reference table expressing a relation between measured values of hammer velocity and target values of reference key velocity through experiments, and the velocity conversion table and reference table were stored in a suitable memory in the automatic player; the automatic player determines a playback table partially through an experiment and partially through transcription from reference table so as to drive the hammers without influence of unstable key motion at large loudness.

Abstract: A digital recording device includes a housing that is engageable with a lower curvature of a guitar's frame. The housing includes an arcuate inner surface, an arcuate outer surface coextensively shaped with the inner surface, and a padded member conjoined to the exterior surface thereof. An electrical contact protrudes outwardly from the inner surface and becomes nested with an electromagnetic pickup on the guitar. A mechanism, disposed within the housing, digitally records acoustic signals emanating from the guitar during playing conditions. A rechargeable internal power supply source, situated within the housing, and a timer circuit are linked to the digital recording mechanism. The timer circuit automatically toggles the digital recording mechanism between operative and in-operative modes. A portable base station is mateable to an external power source and is conjoinable to the housing for recharging the internal power supply source.

Abstract: This invention relates to a pickup and base structure of a drum head, in particular, a pickup applied to a mesh head or a hard drum head having the base thereof in a hollow L-shape, thereby allowing a vertical space to position a terminal base of a signal line and a horizontal portion in a L shape to form a recess inwards. A shock isolator is integrally formed with the pickup in one piece by clamping said pickup from both above and below, in addition, another shock isolator is fastened on the vertical side on the exterior of the base. The structure is fixed on the underside of the drum head and the shock isolator that is fastened on the vertical side on the exterior of the base is against on a position corresponding to the drum body, so as to form the pickup and base structure of a drum head that is easily to be installed.

Abstract: A performance operator control apparatus adapted to a player piano comprises a motion control unit and a key drive unit comprising a plurality of key I/O control ICs in connection with keys of a keyboard, which are driven by solenoids so as to realize automatic performance, wherein upon detection of electrification abnormality of solenoids or temperature abnormality, LEDs are turned on to indicate the abnormality. The key I/O control ICs receive velocity signals regarding the solenoids so as to perform feedback controls on the keys in the automatic performance. In addition, unoccupied channels of the key I/O control ICs, which are not assigned to the keys and sensors, are used to input monitoring signals and to output inspection signals. Herein, the abnormality is determined based on the difference between pre-inspection data and post-inspection data, which are transferred using a loop connection channel of the key I/O control IC.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to output a musical tone is disclosed. More particularly, disclosed is an apparatus and method to output a musical tone according to motion, which divides a space in which a terminal can move into a plurality of subspaces, and matches the subspaces with different musical tones, so that the terminal can output a musical tone matched with a specific subspace when the terminal has moved into the specific subspace.

Abstract: A sound pickup device, which is arranged in proximity to a percussion instrument (e.g., a bass drum), comprises a diaphragm stretched under tension over an opening of a shell having a cylindrical shape, and an electroacoustic transducer arranged inside of the shell. The electroacoustic transducer comprises a magnetic transducer or a speaker unit. Herein, the percussion instrument is played to produce the low-pitch sound, which is transmitted to the diaphragm to vibrate so that the electroacoustic transducer is activated to convert the low-pitch sound into an electric signal, based on which the low-pitch sound is reproduced by a sound system with a high fidelity to the original sound.

Abstract: An interchangeable modular insert for a electric stringed instrument is mounted in a cavity cut into the rear of the instrument. The rear insertion module provides rapid exchange of electronic components of different manufacturers. Placement of a module into the instrument automatically positions the module and electrically connects the same with the module being retained in the guitar body by a threaded fastener.

Abstract: A method of artificially aging a musical instrument is provided by placing the instrument in an enclosure, providing at least one electromechanical transducer proximate to the instrument and providing an electrical signal to the transducer. The transducer is a three-way speaker in a preferred embodiment. The method has particular utility wherein the instrument is a wooden, stringed instrument.

Abstract: A soundhole accessible musical instrument control platform mounted inside the body of a musical instrument requires no physical alterations to the instrument, allowing the user convenient and ergonomic access to the control platform through the soundhole while using the musical instrument. The control platform includes a circuit platform, mounted inside the instrument with adhesives, separably attached to a mounting bracket. Control detents and markings are easy to feel and to read and thus provide feedback for control position and the relative degree of effect. The controls are surrounded by a cosmetic bezel that hides the actual mounting mechanism and circuitry. Any combination of controls, circuitry, and sensors may be used. Power is either provided onboard or offboard. An output connector may be integrated into the circuit platform or via an endpin jack.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument device that functions as a peripheral for a computer or computing device, whereby electronic transducers placed inside and/or outside the instrument convert the vibrations of the strings and/or the instrument body from an analog electrical signals to digital signals. The digital signals are then transmitted via Class Compliant USB and/or FireWire-IEEE 1394 and/or IEEE 802.11 wireless and/or Bluetooth® wireless protocols to any computer or computing device that accepts data via those protocols. This device requires no external power, amplification, analog-to-digital conversion, software or hardware. This device is an improvement over the prior art in that it accurately and immediately represents on a computer or computing device the signals that are being sent from the instrument and reduces the number of devices needed to accomplish the task of sending digital signals to a computer or computing device.

Abstract: An automatic player piano is equipped with solenoid-operated pedal actuators for driving the pedals in a playback; since a large quantity of induction is coupled to the solenoid, the driving signal is delayed due to long time constant so that the pedals behave differently from those in the original performance; a controller, which is incorporated in the automatic player, firstly determines a target mean current of the driving signal to be theoretically required for the reproduction of the pedal motion, and a temporary means current twice as much as the target mean current at the maximum; the controller supplies the driving signal at the temporary mean current to the solenoid in an early stage of each cycle, and, thereafter, recovers the driving signal to the target mean current so that the pedal motion becomes close to that in the original performance.

Abstract: In the present invention, a lighting controller is provided to provide illumination based upon the playing of musical instruments. The lighting controller is programmed with lighting profiles which control the lights on a device. When musical instrument is played, a note (event) is detected by a transducer and based upon which event has been detected, a signal is sent to the lighting controller to determine which lighting profile to send to the device. Upon determining the proper lighting profile. a signal is sent from the lighting controller to the device causing the device to illuminate.

Abstract: There is provided an operator member displaceable, in response to operation by a human operator, relative to at least one displacement axis (more preferably, multi-dimensionally). Operating state of the operator member is detected and model operation information, indicative of an operating state to be taken by the operator member, is generated, so that reaction information is generated in accordance with a difference between the detected actual operating state and an operating state indicated by the model operation information. Reactive force is imparted to the operator member in accordance with the generated reaction information. In this way, a model operation amount can be informed to the human operator in the form of the reactive force. Further, by imparting separate reactive forces to a multi-axially operable operator member, appropriate information can be provided to the human operator during operation of the operator member, thereby achieving sensory feedback to the human operator.

Abstract: A transmitter for recording of an electric signal from an acoustic drum having a vibration-sensitive device for attachment to the drumhead and for acquisition of undulations which has one of the following profiles: sector shape, sector shape with a tip turned toward the center of the drumhead, sector shape with concave sides and with a tip turned toward the center of the drumhead, circular shape with wart-like projection turned toward the center, elliptical shape with wart-like projection, which is arranged at radius of curvature one side large and is directed towards the center of the drumhead, or rectangular shape with wart-like projection which is arranged on a lateral edge of the rectangle and is directed towards the center of the drumhead.

Abstract: An automatic player piano includes keys driven for the angular motion through a hybrid feedback control loop; a controller, a key position sensor, a plunger velocity sensor and a solenoid-operated key actuator form parts of the hybrid feedback control loop for each key, and a current key position and a plunger velocity are reported to the controller; the controller determines a series of target position or a reference trajectory and a target velocity, and periodically compares a composite current position and a composite current velocity, which are determined on the basis of the current key position and current plunger velocity, with the target position and target velocity to see whether or not the key travels on the reference trajectory; if the answer is negative, the controller adjusts the driving signal to a proper duty ratio so as to force the key to travel on the reference trajectory.

Abstract: Transducer for converting mechanical stress into electric signals, which transducer is composed of at least one electromechanical sheet (107,108) and is capable of converting mechanical stress into electric signals and in which transducer at least one of the electrodes required by the electromechanical sheet is disposed on the surface of one or more thin and flexible dielectric materials, said electrodes (109) forming electrically conductive surfaces of the transducer for connecting the transducer to a signal processing device, said electromechanical sheets being permanently charged cellular electret film and which transducer is constructed of a unitary, thin and flexible layered laminate structure.

Abstract: Performance interface system includes a motion detector provided for movement with a performer, and a control system for receiving detection data transmitted from the motion detector and controlling a performance of a tone in response to the received detection data. State of a performer's motion is detected via a sensor of the motion detector, and detection data representative of the detected motion state is transmitted to the control system. The control system receives the detection data from the motion detector, analyzes the performer's motion on the basis of the detection data, and then controls a tone performance in accordance with the analyzed data. With this arrangement, the performer can readily take part in the tone performance in the control system.