Abstract: A hammer for an electronic keyboard instrument, constructed to ensure secure mounting of a weight to a hammer body and enable both assembly and disassembly of the hammer to be easily performed. The hammer includes a hammer body having a weight mounting portion that is open on one side in a left-right direction and a weight removably mounted to the hammer body via a mounting portion. The weight mounting portion has a housing portion that has an opening having a shape complementary to the mounting portion, and houses the mounting portion in a manner slidable between a fit-in position and a fixed position, latching portions for latching the mounting portion incapable of falling off from the opening when in the fixed position, and holding portions for holding the mounting portion non-slidable to the fit-in position.

Abstract: A keyboard assembly for an electronic musical instrument comprises an integrally formed multikey unit and a keyboard frame. The multikey unit has a plurality of juxtaposed key bodies and is comprised of three subunits, a sharp key subunit, a C-E-G-B key subunit and a D-F-A key subunit, which are complementary to each other to provide a key unit for a complete one octave. The rear end of each of the key body is extended downward to form a deformable thickness-reduced member to allow a vertical swing of the key body when depressed by a player. The thickness-reduced members are connected into a common connecting member to horizontally align the key bodies in the direction of juxtaposition. The keyboard frame has a vertical rear wall member and a rear top wall member both extending in the direction of the key body alignment, and guide ribs connecting the rear top wall member and the vertical rear wall member.

Abstract: Keyboard apparatus includes: a key supported for pivoting movement about a pivot point; a mass member for imparting a reaction force to performance operation of the key in interlocked relation to the key; a transmission member provided in abutment with both of the key and mass member to transmit a load from one of the key and mass member to the other; and an electromagnetic actuator for driving, via a fixed coil, the transmission member toward at least one of the key and mass member. Good key touch feeling can be achieved not only by a load applied from the mass member to the key but also through load control by the actuator. Thus, it is possible to faithfully reproduce a key touch feeling approximate to that in a natural keyboard instrument, such as an acoustic piano, with a simple construction and facilitated control.

Abstract: In an electronic keyboard instrument, a first switch board 11 and a second switch board 12 are independently provided in a keyboard chassis 1 separated from each other. The first switch board 11 has a first switch that is turned ON by a key 2 arranged on the keyboard chassis 1 in a manner to be rotatable in a vertical direction upon the depression of the key 2. The second switch board 12 has a second switch 5 that is turned ON by a hammer member 3 that rotates to be displaced in response to the depression of the key 2 and applies action load to the key 2. Accordingly, even if the second switch board 12 receives an impact from the hammer member 3 when the hammer member 3 turns ON the second switch 5, the impact is not easily transmitted to the first switch 4.

Abstract: Mass body unit includes a base section, an elongated member, and a mass concentrating section. The elongated member is formed by a thin sheet metal plate being bent, along its length, into a hollow cross-sectional shape such that an opening portion is defined between left and right longitudinal edges. In a section of the elongated member near a rear end of the member, the left and right longitudinal edges extend in parallel to define an outer wall portion of a U cross-sectional shape. In a section of the elongated member near a boundary position adjacent to the rear end of the member, the opening portion between the left and right longitudinal edges gradually decreases in width. Further, in a section from the boundary position to a front end, the elongated member has a hollow circular cross-sectional shape with the opening portion closed.

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

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

Abstract: A keyboard device for an electronic keyboard instrument, which has a simple construction and can be manufactured at relatively low costs, and is capable of providing let-off feeling closely analogous to the let-off feeling of an acoustic piano. The keyboard device comprises keys, hammers each of which has an engaging part and pivotally moves in accordance with pivotal motion of an associated key, an unmovable holder, and let-off members each formed of an elastic material, for temporary engagement with the engaging part of an associated hammer during each of key depression and key release, to impart let-off feeling to touch feeling of an associated key during key depression. Each let-off member extends from the holder to a pivotal path along which the associated hammer performs pivotal motion, and is compressed during key depression and deflected during key release by engagement with the engaging part.

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

Abstract: Disclosed is a pianoforte instrument comprising a musical mechanism with keys. Also provided are strings which are struck via a mechanism when the keys are actuated and are made to vibrate. The vibrations of the strings are transmitted to a sound board. A device is provided for delivering additional oscillating energy into the sound board. Also provided are sensors which directly or indirectly detect actuation of the keys of the musical mechanism. The measured values of the sensors are fed to a sound-amplifying device. The sound-amplifying device is equipped with units which compile data corresponding to a desired characteristic sound in accordance with the measured values of the sensors. The sound amplifying device supplies the sound board with additional oscillation energy via the delivering device according to the determined data.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard instrument that emits sounds in both upward and downward directions from speakers solely for upward sound emission and from speakers solely for downward sound emission to realize acoustics similar to that of acoustic piano, and constitutes rear parts of resonance chambers in a speaker box by a common partition plate to prevent the speaker box from becoming complicated in construction. Woofers directed downward are disposed at a lower part of the speaker box, and squawker directed upward are disposed at an upper part of the speaker box. The internal space of the speaker box is partitioned by one horizontal partition plate into an upper space where resonance chambers for the squawkers are defined by vertical partition plates and a lower space where resonance chambers for the woofers are defined by vertical partition plates. Rear parts of the resonance chambers are constituted by the horizontal partition plate.

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

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

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

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

Abstract: A key extender includes an elongated member, e.g., a deformable metal rod, having a first end portion secured to a contact member, e.g., a circular disc having a contact area greater than the available touch plate surface area of the key. An opposite second end portion of the elongated member is secured to a first part of a fastening arrangement, with the other part of the fastening arrangement on a key of a keyboard. Mounting an extender on each of the keys of a keyboard and shaping the metal rod to position the discs adjacent to and spaced from one another allows a disabled person to depress the closely adjacent keys of the keyboard, e.g. and not limited to, the keys of a piano or keys of a typewriter.

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

Abstract: A method and apparatus for keyboard instrument learning are disclosed. The learning device comprises: a data access/storage device, for storing musical compositions and fingerings; an image signal output device for outputting image signals; a processing unit; and an imaging unit, capable of capturing an image of fingers fitted with marking units in respective and an image of surface where the fingers are placed. When the fingers fitted with the marking units are placed on an actual keyboard, the processing unit is enabled to compare the i,age captured by the imaging unit with a musical composition program so as to generate a control signal accordingly while using the control signal to issue an output signal.

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

Abstract: A keyboard (25) has keys (10) mounted to pivot about a vertical axis as well as about a horizontal axis. Movement of the keys (10) about tile vertical axis is detected to adjust the sounds provided by the musical instrument resulting from striking the keys (10). Wells may be provided with a substance that is selectively solid and fluid. An electronic string instrument emulator has an electromagnetic string and a bow with ferromagnetic material. A method for performing musical instruments includes adjusting the temperament of the instrument during performance based on the music being played. A keyboard instrument may be caused to sound using suitably arrayed electromagnets.

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

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

Abstract: An electronic keyboard musical instrument which can realize natural sounds with favorable sound quality as an acoustic piano. A sound board (33) made of a plate member is vibrated so as to generate musical tones. A first performance signal generator (22) generates a first performance signal based on the operating state of a plurality of keys of a keyboard (17). A second performance signal generator (23) generates a second performance signal, which is different from the first performance signal, based on the operation of the plurality of keys and the operation of a pedal (18). Speakers (41A-41D) generate musical tones based on the first performance signal generated by the first performance signal generator (22). Transducers (21A-21C) mounted to the sound board (33) vibrate the sound board (33) based on the second performance signal generated by the second performance signal generator (23).

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

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

Abstract: An electronic keyboard instrument comprises a storage device that stores automatic performance data including a first event for generating a musical tone and first timing data that defines a reproduction timing of the first event, a key-driving data generator that generates key-driving data including a second event corresponding to the first event included in the automatic performance data and second timing data that defines a reproduction timing of the second event and precedes the first timing data for a predetermined time, a keyboard that has a plurality of keys, a key driver that drives each of the plurality of keys in accordance with the key-driving data, a reproduction device that reproduces the automatic performance data and the key-driving data in parallel. The key-driving data generator generates the key-driving data before the reproduction device starts the reproduction. A reproduction process can be simplified even if keys are driven with the reproduction.

Abstract: Electronic keyboard instrument is provided with a leg section supporting thereon a keyboard in such a manner that the keyboard is located at a height falling within a range from 350 mm to 500 mm. Namely, the leg section supports thereon the keyboard at a suitable height that is substantially equal to an average height of ordinary low tables designed on the assumption that they are generally used when users are in a comfortable position. Namely, the “height falling within a range from 350 mm to 500 mm” is derived from survey results of heights of low tables. Thus, when the user sits in front of the keyboard instrument, the user can take a comfortable position as when sitting in front of a low table, and, even in such a comfortable position, the keyboard is located at a right height for playing. With such arrangements, the user is allowed, at any desired time, to readily enjoy playing the instrument in a natural playing posture.

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

Abstract: A multimedia keyboard structure comprises a keyboard main body, a control circuit, an audio input device, and several audio output devices. The keyboard main body comprises a shell, a bracket engaged with the shell correspondingly, and several independent sound chambers defined by the shell and the bracket jointly. The control circuit is held in the keyboard main body. The control circuit comprises several high-pass filters, several low-pass filters, and several power amplifiers. The audio input device is held in the keyboard main body, and electrically connected with the control circuit for receiving the sounds. The audio output devices are held in the sound chambers, and electrically connected with the control circuit. Because the control circuit drives the audio output devices and the sound chambers provides the resonance effect, the present invention can provide the advantages of improving space efficiency, integrating lines, and increasing tone quality and efficiency of speakers.

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

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

Abstract: Keys of an acoustic piano require balancers for cancellation of a part of self weight of the action units/hammers; however, the balancers are liable to be dropped off due to the aged deterioration of the wooden bars; in order to keep the balancers stable in the keys against the aged deterioration, the balancer is plastically deformed so as to bite into the wooden bar, the balancer, which is formed with thorns, is rotated so as to make the thorns bite into the wooden bar, the balancer is shaped into a configuration different from the holes so as to exert resilient force on the inner surface in a direction in parallel to the grain of wood, or the balancer is inserted into a constricted hole so as to strongly exert the resilient force on the inner surface, thereby being prevented from the dropping off from the keys.

Abstract: An automatic player reenacts a music passage on an acoustic piano without any fingering of a human player; solenoid-operated key actuators and a solenoid-operated pedal actuator is provided for the keys and damper pedal; the automatic player makes the damper pedal travel along a simulative pedal trajectory, and the central processing unit stores pieces of control data expressing the pedal stroke together with the amount of mean current supplied to the solenoid-operated pedal actuator; the central processing unit analyzes the pieces of control data so as to determine an entry point of half pedal section and an exit point of the half pedal section, and specifies a target half point in the half pedal section; while reenacting a music passage, the automatic player brings the damper pedal to the half point so as to reproduce the half pedal state, exactly.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument which has a fallboard unit whose dimension in the longitudinal direction of the instrument is not increased even when the fallboard unit contains a functional component part including electrical wiring. A cover unit has a front cover and a rear cover disposed such that they are arranged in forward and rearward directions when the cover unit is closed. A hinge device pivotally connects the front cover and the rear cover such that the cover unit lays open upward a keyboard when it is open with the front cover and the rear cover being folded. An instrument body accommodates the keyboard and a musical tone generator, and includes a pivotal support member fixed therein, left and right lateral side panels, and a topboard. A guide mechanism is provided on the left and right lateral side panels, and supports the rear cover such that the rear cover is movable in the forward and rearward directions.

Abstract: A sound control apparatus for a keyboard-based musical instrument for avoiding a touch of a shutter to a back check, thereby appropriately setting a sound generation timing and maintaining a satisfactory touch feeling. The sound control apparatus comprises a shutter integrated with a hammer adapted to swing associated with a swinging motion of a key, extending along a plane including a path along which said hammer swings, and formed with a cutout in an edge on an opposite side to a direction in which said hammer swings. An optical sensor has a light emitter disposed on one side of the swinging path of said shutter for emitting light, and a light receiver disposed on the other side of the swinging path for receiving the light from said light emitter, and generates a detection signal in accordance with a light receiving state of said light receiver.

Abstract: A data acquisition system is used in the transplantation of the piano key touch from an acoustic piano to an electronic piano, and the function thereof is broken down into a table producer, a motion controller and a servo-controller; a table, which expresses relation between current key positions and the amount of current supplied to key actuators, is stored in the table producer; the table producer supplies pieces of test data to the motion controller, which determines reference test trajectories, and the servo-controller forces the keys to travel thereon through the key actuators; sensors reports the current key positions and current key velocity to the table producer, and the table producer produces tables expressing pieces of inner force data through the analysis on these data; the tables are supplied to an inner force sense controlling system, which reproduce the key touch in the electronic piano.

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: Detector detects movement of a hammer (driven member) that strikes a string (abutted member) by moving in response to operation of a key. On the basis of detection outputs of the detector and a given abutment-presuming reference value, it is presumed that the hammer has struck or abutted against the string. For example, performance event data is generated on the basis of the abutment presumption. In order to minimize errors due to variation over time or aging of a hammer action mechanism, a determination section determines that the hammer has, actually or with a high probability, reached an abutting position where the hammer abuts against the string, and the abutment-presuming condition in accordance with the determination result. It is determined that the hammer has reached the abutting position, by comparing, on the basis of detection outputs of the detector, movement of the hammer toward the string and movement of the hammer away from the string.

Abstract: A keyboard for outputting a serial number to an identifiable chip of a model is provided. The model is shaped to correspond to one of the character roles, pets, stage artifacts, pieces or equipment in an online game. The keyboard includes a plurality of buttons and a signal-emitting module. The signal-emitting module is electrically connected to the buttons. The buttons are suitable for being pressed to make the signal-emitting module generate a serial number signal, and then the serial number signal is input to the identifiable chip through the signal-emitting module.

Abstract: A real-time controller of devices such as computers, synthesizers, and processors. It consists of a portable ergonomic body housing a configurable pressure sensitive array of sensors. Ideally suited as a MIDI controller, it may be used to control musical sounds, lighting systems, media viewers, or video games in a real-time or performance environment.

Abstract: Plural key switches are arranged in two dimensions along X- and Y-coordinate axes, and an X-coordinate position of each of the key switches is associated with tone generation timing while a Y-coordinate position of each of the key switches is associated with a tone pitch. Storage section stores a music piece data set that includes tone generating data having data of tone pitches and tone generation timing associated with the key switches. In a repeat-section setting mode, a repeat-section setting section causes the plural key switches to function as setting operators and sets a repeat section of the music piece data set on the basis of the X-coordinate position of any operated one of the key switches. In reproduction of the stored music piece data set, a reproduction section repetitively reproduces the tone generating data of the music piece data set which are included in the set repeat section.

Abstract: A set of formation data codes, which includes action event codes and duration codes, is loaded in an automatic player piano, and a controller interprets the action event codes for driving the solenoid-operated key actuators; since the solenoid-operated key actuators slowly push the associated keys, the hammers do not reach the strings, and any piano tone is not produced; the plungers make the keys sunk to different depth so that the keys are laid on a artistic pattern; the controller sequentially changes the artistic pattern, and offers an artistic visual expression to the audience.

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: 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: A 2 manual musical keyboard with the pitch progression on one of the manuals reversed. The keys on these manuals are segregated into 2 groups of 2 different heights in the same way as a standard musical keyboard. The key configurations on these manuals have 12 semi-tones linearly distributed across 12 keys of alternating heights. Instead of the traditional 7 lower keys (white) and 5 upper keys (black), this arrangement has 6 lower keys and 6 upper keys. The notation system for this unique keyboard is a dual character set. Six unique characters for the upper keys and six unique characters for the lower keys. The musical staff for this unique keyboard will have six lines assigned to one character set and the six spaces assigned to the other character set.

Abstract: An integrated computer and music keyboard module includes a key assembled base, on a first side of which a plurality of music keys are parallelly arranged. The key assembled base is provided on at least one lateral end with a connecting member for turnably connecting at least one extended module thereto. The extended module includes an extended key assembled base, on a first side of which a plurality of music keys are arranged, and on a second side of which a plurality of computer keys are arranged. When the extended module is turned about the connecting member to an extended position, a music keyboard is shown; and when the extended module is turned to a folded position, the computer keys are exposed to serve as a computer keyboard.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument which has a fallboard unit whose dimension in the longitudinal direction of the instrument is not increased even when the fallboard unit contains a functional component part including electrical wiring. A cover unit has a front cover and a rear cover disposed such that they are arranged in forward and rearward directions when the cover unit is closed. A hinge device pivotally connects the front cover and the rear cover such that the cover unit lays open upward a keyboard when it is open with the front cover and the rear cover being folded. An instrument body accommodates the keyboard and a musical tone generator, and includes a pivotal support member fixed therein, left and right lateral side panels, and a topboard. A guide mechanism is provided on the left and right lateral side panels, and supports the rear cover such that the rear cover is movable in the forward and rearward directions.

Abstract: In order to define movement of a particular key to be automatically operated, first-order trajectory data are generated, on the basis of performance information, which are indicative of variation over time of position, velocity and acceleration components of the particular key. Jerk component related to the movement of the particular key is calculated on the basis of the acceleration component in the first-order trajectory data, and second-order trajectory data are generated by modifying the first-order trajectory data with the calculated jerk component. Then, a drive device for driving the particular key is servo-controlled on the basis of the second-order trajectory data. In this way, nonconstant acceleration (or constant jerk) control, rather than constant acceleration control, can be performed to control driving of the key during a successive key depression, so as to allow the successively-depressed key to operate with an increased smoothness.

Abstract: A portable modular device for the purpose of sensing key movement of a piano or keyboard, processing key movement information, and communicating at least key-note ON/OFF and key-note velocity information. A portion of the modular device, the key sensor strip, inserts between the keys and fallboard and mounts atop a piano or keyboard.