Abstract: A pickup for use in a stringed musical instrument. The pickup includes a primary transducer that is sensitive to the motion of the musical instrument's strings and is mechanically coupled to the body of the musical instrument. The primary transducer senses the motion of the musical instrument's strings and generates a “string sound” signal in response. The primary transducer is further flexibly coupled to a secondary transducer that is not fixedly attached to the body of the musical instrument. Relative motion between the primary transducer and the secondary transducer generates a “body sound” signal within the secondary transducer. The string sound signal and the body sound signal are combined to generate a signal representing the acoustical response of the musical instrument.

Abstract: Transducer (100, 200, 300, 500, 600) for converting mechanical vibrations to an electrical signal and/or for converting an electrical signal to mechanical vibration. Damping liquid (122, 222, 522, 622) damps the relative vibration of transducer components (110, 250, 252, 254, 510, 610). The damping liquid can be selected to optimize the sound quality of acoustic vibrations at the point of transduction. Also, a transducer with components that rotate relative to each other (304, 310, 504, 510, 604, 610). For example, a permanent magnet component may simultaneous vibrate rotationally and linearly with respect to an electric signal carrying coil. The characteristics of the rotational vibration may be adjusted to optimize sound quality of acoustic vibrations at the point of transduction.

Abstract: A sound pickup system for string instruments includes a chinrest and/or tailpiece connected to a first audio interface device—e.g. a piezoelectric transducer-on the instrument's bridge. A second audio interface device—e.g., a microphone-may be attached to and extended from the chinrest and/or tailpiece to provide a second sound pickup mechanism, which improves the quality of the sound reproduced by the sound pickup system. The chinrest and/or tailpiece contains volume and sensitivity control, for one or both audio interface devices, that also acts as a high frequency noise filter; a human grounding point in the chin cup and/or in the strings; and an output jack.

Abstract: A pick-up assembly for a stringed musical instrument includes first and second identical pick-ups in respective housings. The first pick-up is positioned toward strings of the instrument and the second pick-up is positioned toward inside of the instrument. The first and second pick-ups are attached back to back with a hard rubber sound suppressing material sandwiched between the back of the two housings. The sound suppressing material has the same size as the back of the housing. The second pick-up is grounded with a metal wire or is tuned to zero amplication.

Abstract: A system and methods which allow even a novice performer to easily play music which is not disharmonious and which is pleasing to the performer and his or her audience. The music is preferably created by a performer breaking one or more beams of light, which are emitted by one or more beam emitters and received, or detected, by one or more beam detectors. When a beam detector determines that a beam has been broken, a trigger is sent to a synthesizer, with such synthesizer preferably being a computer interfaced to the beam detectors via a Universal Serial Bus connection. The synthesizer selects from one or more electronic sounds, based on a pre-programmed collection of sounds, and a sound generator, such as an amplifier and speakers, plays the sound.

Abstract: Extensions and generalizations are made to the pedal steel guitar. Separate transducers provided to each string permit fixed or variable pitch and timbre modifications determined by stored program control. Variable pitch and timbre modifications may be controlled by physical controllers such as single or multi-parameter foot pedals, knee levers, and wrist controllers. Physical controllers may return to an original position or hold their position after operation. A traditional mechanical tuning changer operated by traditional foot pedals and knee levers may be included; the latter may operate physical controllers. The bar position may be sensed, and the bar may include physical controllers wirelessly linked to the instrument. A miniature keyboard and strumpad may be provided in the picking area to control synthesizers and produce MIDI output. Strumpad operation can be controlled with chord buttons, foot pedals, or other physical controller devices.

Abstract: Disclosed is a stringed instrument with embedded digital signal processing (DSP) modeling capabilities. The stringed instrument has a body and a plurality of strings and each of the plurality of strings is respectively coupled to a pickup of a polyphonic pickup. The polyphonic pickup is used 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. Further, a digital signal processor is located within the body of the stringed instrument to process the digital string vibration signal. Particularly, the digital signal processor is used to process the digital string vibration signal such that the corresponding string tone of one of a plurality of selectable stringed instruments may be emulated. The emulated digital tone signal is then converted to analog form to create an emulated analog tone signal for output to an amplification device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for modeling an acoustic sound in an electric stringed musical instrument is provided. A preferred embodiment, among others, includes a bridge sensor configured to sensing string vibrations at the bridge of the instrument so that a bridge signal is generated in accordance with the vibrating strings. A body sensor, which may be positioned at different points on or within the body of the instrument, senses the resonance of the string vibrations. The body sensor generates a body resonance signal in accordance with the sensed resonance. An amplification circuit amplifies the body resonance signal when the amplitude of bridge signal exceeds a first predetermined level. In addition, a second amplification circuit amplifies the bridge signal. A summing circuit adds the amplified body resonance signal with the amplified bridge signal to produce an output signal that, when replicated in sound, models the sound of an acoustic instrument.

Abstract: A design for a transducer assembly which embodies two separate microphone elements attached to two separate goosenecks where both microphone/gooseneck assemblies are connected to a single service housing. The goosenecks are constructed in a unique method in order to provide a wide range of mounting positions while simultaneously protecting the microphone elements from distortion due to ambient mechanical energy. The designs include methods for mounting microphones and other transducers onto musical instrument or other fixtures using two part fastening systems, elastic cords, padded hooks, and other devices. An optional microphone cover is described which will serve to reduce or eliminate feedback and other unwanted sounds.

Abstract: A pick-up assembly for a stringed musical instrument includes first and second identical pick-ups in respective housings. The first pick-up is positioned toward strings of the instrument and the second pick-up is positioned toward inside of the instrument. The first and second pick-ups are attached back to back with a hard rubber sound suppressing material sandwiched between the back of the two housings. The sound suppressing material has the same size as the back of the housing. The second pick-up is grounded with a metal wire.

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: An electric guitar has two structurally independent components. A neck/tailpiece module (10) is set into a docking recess (14) in the body module (12). In operation, the two are simultaneously joined mechanically and electronically by an indexing pin (18) and a wiring connector (48 and 50). The two components are fastened by a single bolt (54). The structural independence of the two members makes possible the utilization of bodies which may be constructed of almost any shape, size or material.

Abstract: An electric guitar has an electromagnetic resonating unit (3) which is arranged to resonate the strings (2) of the guitar, either individually or together. The resonance of each string is picked up by a pick-up unit (4), and the frequency of resonation of the string is detected and compared with a desired value. A tension adjusting unit (5) adjusts the tension in each string (2) until the frequency of resonance of the string correponds to the desired frequency, in order to tune the guitar to a desired tuning pattern. A control panel (6) on the body (1) of the guitar displays optional tuning patterns which may be selected by a user. Automatic tuning of the guitar may be achieved, without requiring the strings to be plucked manually.

Abstract: A generally rectangular shaped universal pickup cradle (50, 154 or 156 ) for an electric musical stringed instrument (20 or 150) allows a plurality of different pickups (50, 154, 156) to be interchangeably inserted into the stringed musical instrument. In addition, there are one or more receptacle cavities (36, 38, 40, 152) in the stringed musical instrument (20, 150) so that any of the universal pickup cradles (50, 154, 156) may be placed within any of the receptacle cavities. The universal pickup cradles (50, 154, 156), in combination with a separate electronics module (177, 200), provide a flexible and upgradeable system for an electric stringed instrument.

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 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: 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 system for an electrical musical instrument having strings includes two pickup windings to respond to playing of the strings. A third winding is included. A switch connects any of the three windings in electrical series with either of the remaining two windings so that any of three respective pairs of connected windings can be selected. The windings of each of the respective pairs are connected such that interference such as 60-hertz hum is canceled.

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: 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: A device for generating a modulated electromagnetic signal for reception by an electromagnetic pickup of a guitar. The inventive device includes a mounting assembly securable to a guitar pick. Electrical circuitry including a coil is contained within the mounting assembly for generating an electromagnetic signal receivable by the pickup of the guitar.

Abstract: An electroacoustical drum has a drum shell and a drum head having an outside surface and an inside surface. A fastening assembly secures the drum head to the drum shell with the drum head in tension. A transducer has a vibratable surface, so that vibration of the vibratable surface produces a corresponding electrical signal from the voice coil. Striking the outer surface of the drum head with a drumstick produces a corresponding electrical signal from the transducer, while allowing a musician striking the drum head outer surface with the drumsticks to perceive substantially the same feel perceived by correspondingly striking an acoustic drum.

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: A voice-controlled musical device is driven by an electroglottograph as an input to a controller. The electroglottograph (EGG) has a transducer in the form of a band that is located about the user's neck. The EGG converts the cycle of opening and closing of the vocal folds of the user's vocal chords into a clean electrical signal that is particularly accurate with respect to pitch. An output from a microphone integral to the band picks up acoustic dilations of the throat wall concurrent with the glottal cycle and this output is also applied to the controller to indicated vocal source volume. The EGG and microphone signals are combined and converted into a MIDI digital code which can be used to drive a musical synthesizer or a computer. An external switch may be used to alter the attack of a continuous voice performance.

Abstract: A motion orchestration system is provided to enable an artist or orchestrator to produce music or other sounds and to extemporaneously vary the sounds being produced without detracting from the visual effect intended by the artist or orchestrator. The system may include motion detecting sensors capable of generating three-space coordinates of various segments of the body of the orchestrator. Electrical signals generated by the motion detecting sensors may generate MIDI compounds which can be converted into appropriate music or sounds. Signals from traditional microphone equipment may also be employed. The system further includes hand switching devices responsive to various hand and/or finger movements to electronically control the orchestration of the electronic output signals generated by the motion or speech of the orchestrator or by external sources.

Abstract: A pole piece for an electric string instrument comprised of a block of ferrous material having a slot formed therein. The string of the string instrument passes over the pole piece in aligned relationship with the slot thereby allowing vibration in a zone which is substantially free of any intense magnetic flux lines.

Abstract: Method for storage, transcription, manipulation and reproduction of music on system-controlled musical instruments which faithfully reproduces the characteristics of acoustic musical instruments. The system comprises a music source, a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and a CPU-controlled plurality of instrument transducers in the form of any number of acoustic or acoustic hybrid instruments. In one embodiment, performance information is sent from a music source MIDI controller to the CPU, edited in the CPU, converted into an electrical signal, and sent to instrument transducers via transducer drivers. In another embodiment, individual performances stored in a digital or sound tape medium are reproduced at will through the instrument transducers, or converted into MIDI data by pitch/frequency detection/analyzation device for storage/editing/performance in the CPU.

Abstract: In construction of an electronic musical instrument having plural musical tone controllers such as keys, push buttons and an expression pedal unit, a number of pulses are generated depending on the extent of movement of each controller on output lines whose number is smaller than that of the pulses so generated and musical tone control parameters such as tone volume, tone color and tonal pitch are changed in multi-stage fashion in response to the pulses generated. Generation of musical tones is assured whilst well reflecting delicate change in player's emotion via subtle key touch control.

Abstract: An instrument is structured as a guitar and control-box incorporating electronic circuitry to control an external electronic synthesizer and electronic sampling instruments via a conventional M.I.D.I. system. The instrument is played in the fashion of a guitar with digital signals generated in response to switches activated when a musician plays the instrument in a similar manner to playing a conventional guitar. Boards which are capable of movement with respect to the guitar body or arm together with displacement transducers and high efficiency touch-sensitive switches are used for note selection and to create pitch-bend, note-velocity and tremolo signals. The note and fret touch switches are mounted on fret boards which replace the strings of a conventional guitar. The fret boards also produce pitch bend signals.A plurality of pluckboards initiate note-pluck and enable ergonomic multi-timbre playing.

Abstract: In a stringed instrument which generates sound reproduction output signals by way of a transducer which are amplified for sound reproduction, a fundamentally correct note frequency signal is generated and electromagnetically broadcast by cycles of electromagnetic energy directly from a metallic string to be tuned to the transducer of the instrument, and blends with a correlated note as it issues from the same said vibrating metal string to be tuned, and through discernment by the ear of the user of the resulting blended signal the string is adjusted as necessary to match the two notes and therefore the string is quickly and easily brought into tune with the fundamentally correct note frequency, and when repeated upon each string of said instrument the task of tuning is done.

Abstract: A conversion kit enables a conventional drum to be transferred into an electronically triggered drum. The kit includes a circularly shaped foam pad, a circularly shaped plywood panel residing beneath the pad and brackets connectable to the peripheral sidewall of the conventional drum in order to support the panel and pad beneath the drumhead. A pair of transducers are mounted to a bottom surface of the panel, one located near the center of the drumhead, and the other located adjacent to the sidewall. Wire leads connect the transducers to jacks mounted in the sidewall of the drum, with one jack being longer than the other to distinguish between the transducer mounting locations. Preferably, the kit also includes a shock absorber mounted between the second transducer and the panel.

Abstract: A mount for positioning miniature (lavaliere) type microphones, transducers, or similar devices in musical instruments. Such microphones are attached to a flexible shaft which connects directly to an output jack in a manner that requires little or no modification of the instrument. Once installed, no parts of the mechanism are in a position which will interfere with playing the instrument. The flexible shaft permits the player to experiment with positioning the microphone in a variety of locations until the optimum location for sound reproduction is determined.

Abstract: An audio current pick-up device for use with an electric wire 6 carrying an electric current containing audio information comprises a pair of substantially identical magnetic induction coil assemblies 26, 27 disposed in parallel to each other with an axial deviation and orthogonally to the wire, each coil means including a magnetic core in the form of rod 30, 38 and a pair of induction coils 32A, 32B, 39A, 39B wound in opposite directions on respective halves of its core rod. An output of either of the induction coils is phase-shifted by a preset amount and composited with an output of the other magnetic induction coil to form a sound pick-up signal from which a sound output signal is derived.

Abstract: An electrical pickup includes a coil with windings terminating at winding ends. A coil mounting assembly includes telescopically innerconnected inner and outer tubes, the outer tube being adapted for mounting in the interior of a musical instrument body and the inner tube mounting the coil. A magnet assembly includes a magnet with opposite poles and a lens with a concavity for receiving the magnet. The lens is adapted for mounting on an interior of a panel of the instrument body in a position where a pole of the magnet is aligned with the coil. Electrical leads extend from the coil winding ends and may be connected to an amplifier.

Abstract: A noise-cancelling pickup for a stringed instrument uses two transducers to monitor different forces exerted by a vibratable string under tension. The first transducer is responsive to the music vibrations of the vibrating portion of the string but it is also responsive to variations of the string tension which are not related to the music vibrations of the string. The second transducer is mainly subjected to the variations of the string tension which are not related to the desirable music vibrations. The signals from the transducers are combined in and out-of-phase manner to produce a joint signal in which the spurious components corresponding to the variations of the string tension are significantly attenuated and possibly eliminated.

Abstract: A string member and a string trigger switch mechanism associated with the string member are arranged on an instrument main body. The string member is extended on the instrument main body at a given tension. When the string member is deviated against the tension upon a string displace operation and is then released from its state of tension, a string trigger switch starts a switching operation. While the string member is displaced from its state of rest, the string trigger switch does not start a switching operation. The string trigger switch outputs a tone generation start instruction signal based on the switching operation, and this signal causes a musical tone generating apparatus to start generation of a musical tone. When the string member is plucked while depressing a pitch designating section arranged on the instrument main body, a musical tone at a selectively designated pitch is generated.