Abstract: An interchangeable passive electric guitar circuit control and switching module is integrated into an existing guitar to dynamically alter the electronic relationship of the guitar's electric components (i.e. the existing pickups, volume and tone controls, at least one tonality select switch, and output jack) which are connected to the module through a wiring harness. Individual interchangeable modules connected through the wiring harness establish finite and discrete electronic relationships through the guitar's existing electric components to produce a plurality of selectable desired tonality sounds from a single guitar.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a keyboard using silicon rubber and a keyboard so manufactured. The method for manufacturing the keyboard according to the present comprises the steps of forming sheets from silicon rubber, forming the sheets into a top pad with keys integrally formed thereon and a bottom pad bonded to a bottom surface of the top pad, painting the keys through a silk-screen printing method, and boding the top and bottom pads with silicon liquid rubber in a state where a flexible printed circuit board is interposed between the pads. The keyboard of the present invention is configured in such a manner that a plurality of the painted keys are arranged on a top surface of the top pad and the flexible printed circuit board is interposed between the top and bottom pads so that the flexible printed circuit board is electrically contacted to produce a desired sound from a speaker of a controller when a user strikes the keys.

Abstract: There is provided an electronic keyboard musical instrument that gives the performance feeling closer to that given by an acoustic piano and enables techniques of expression closer to those used when playing the acoustic piano. Touch information is generated based on first information output when an ON event of a first (deep) SW of a switch section occurs, and a tone generator section generates a musical tone according to the touch. When an OFF event of a third (shallow) SW of the switch section occurs during key release, the musical tone being generated is progressively damped, and at the same time a musical tone having a predetermined characteristic is generated. The OFF event of the third SW is made equivalent to a damper-leaving position in a key stroke of an acoustic piano keyboard.

Abstract: The keyboard for electronic musical instruments provides a solenoid coil (4) for every key (1), which is excited with pulse-width modulated signals by a control circuit (8). A plunger (5) of the solenoid is coupled mechanically with the key, respectively. When the solenoid coil is being excited, the plunger (5) pushes the key (1) towards an upper limit position. Furtheron, the solenoid coil serves as a sensor for the measuring of the key position by evaluation of the progress of the electric current through the solenoid coil, or by evaluating the reverse-bias voltage induced by the coil of the solenoid (4) during the pulse pauses of the control signal. The control circuit (8) changes the pulse width of the control signals dependent on the sensed position, whereby the key characteristics can be modified.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for chording. One embodiment of an apparatus comprises a user-wearable support element, in the form of a glove having finger and thumb portions. An output generating element in the form of a switch is provided corresponding to each finger and thumb portion of the glove. An activator is provided for each finger and thumb portion of the glove. In one embodiment, each activator comprises a wire having one end connected to the glove and a second end arranged to activate the switch corresponding to its respective finger or thumb portion. Movement of each finger and thumb into one or more positions causes the respective activator to activate its respective switch. In one embodiment, the outputs generated by the switches are input to a signal controller. The signal controller is arranged to provide a second output dependent upon the inputs from the various switches. In one embodiment, the second output is determined from a map and comprises alphanumeric data.

Abstract: A keyboard musical instrument is equipped with solenoid-operated key actuators for guiding a player in fingering on the keyboard, and the solenoid-operated key actuators stop the keys at terminative positions on the way to the end positions, wherein key sensors supplies detecting signal representative of the keys reaching the terminative positions to a controller so that the controller removes the driving signals from the solenoid-operated key actuators immediately before the escape of jacks from the hammers.

Abstract: A dual mode keyboard system with a modified keyboard arrangement allows PC users to have real-time control of MDI data. By toggling the keyboard system between a MIDI data input mode and an alphanumeric data input mode. The key board used in the current invention may either be a separate unit connected to a PC through a keyboard port or may be integrated as a single unit with PC hardware. The keyboard preferably has keys that are capable of operating in MIDI input mode and that are positioned at the top portion of the keyboard. The MIDI input keys are arranged to represent a keyboard instrument, such as a piano. The keyboard also has a MIDI control section for toggling between the MIDI input mode and the alphanumeric input mode, wherein the control section also has keys for choosing operating transposition octave levels of MIDI input keys. The keyboard is typically interfaced with the keyboard driver program and operating system or CPU of the PC.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for chording. One embodiment of an apparatus comprises a user-wearable support element, in the form of a glove having finger and thumb portions. An output generating element in the form of a switch is provided corresponding to each finger and thumb portion of the glove. An activator is provided for each finger and thumb portion of the glove. In one embodiment, each activator comprises a wire having one end connected to the glove and a second end arranged to activate the switch corresponding to its respective finger or thumb portion. Movement of each finger and thumb into one or more positions causes the respective activator to activate its respective switch. In one embodiment, the outputs generated by the switches are input to a signal controller. The signal controller is arranged to provide a second output dependent upon the inputs from the various switches. In one embodiment, the second output is determined from a map and comprises alphanumeric data.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard musical instrument includes a plurality of keys turnable between a rest position and an end position, an electronic sound generating system responsive to the motion of the key so as to generate an electronic sound and a key touch generator for offering resistance against the motion of the key, and the key touch generator has a magnetic plate attached to a side surface of each key, a stationary electromagnetic actuator generating electromagnetic force so as to attract the magnetic plate thereto and a controller responsive to a key position signal representative of a current key position so as to change the magnitude of a driving signal supplied to the electromagnetic actuator, thereby varying the resistance like the key of an acoustic piano.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard musical instrument stores first key touch data codes representative of a first reaction component and grouped into first data groups by a key velocity, second key touch data codes representative of a second reaction component and grouped into second data groups by a key position and third key touch data codes representative of a third reaction component and grouped into third data groups by the key position, and produces a digital key position signal representative of current key position, a digital key velocity signal representative of current key velocity and a digital key acceleration signal representative of current key acceleration so that a solenoid-operated actuator generates a resistance against the key motion on the basis of the first key touch data code selected by using the digital key position signal and the digital key velocity signal, the second key touch data code selected by using the digital key velocity signal and the digital key position signal and the third key touch

Abstract: A keyboard apparatus for a musical instrument which includes a laterally elongated frame structure made of synthetic resin, a plurality of keys arranged in parallel on the frame structure and pivoted at their proximal ends on a rear end portion of the frame structure to be depressed at their front portions, and a laterally elongated printed circuit board mounted on the frame structure and provided thereon with a plurality of detection switches which are arranged to detect depression of the keys.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard key apparatus to simulate the feel of escapement includes a longitudinally extending key preferably pivotally mounted on a supporting base, a spring apparatus flexibly disposed between the base and the key for resisting depression of the key with a variable resistive force, a latching apparatus to latch the spring apparatus in connection to the base, and an unlatching apparatus to unlatch the spring apparatus from connection to the base with a predetermined amount of resistive force. The latching apparatus may be a magnetic apparatus disposed between the base and the spring apparatus having one of a magnetic element and a magnetically attracted element fixedly connected to the base and the other fixedly connected to the key.

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

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument comprises a plurality of keys being displaceable relative to a support member therefor in response to depression thereof. A CPU detects velocity of depression of each of the keys from displacement of the each key caused by depression thereof, and also detects a pressure force or an impact force with which the each key urgingly contacts a stationary member at or near termination of depression of the each key. The CPU is responsive to the detected velocity of depression and pressure force or impact force, for determining initial touch information for a musical tone to be generated or at least one musical tone parameter, and for controlling the musical tone to be generated, based on the determined initial touch information.

Abstract: A keyboard device for an electronic musical instrument comprises a keyboard chassis, keys rotatively arranged on the keyboard chassis, and a key switch arranged beneath each of the keys for detecting a key status of each key. Each key has a switch-depressing projection arranged just above the key switch, and a hammer-depressing projection for depressing a hammer when the hammer is provided, with the switch-depressing projection and the hammer-depressing projection being formed adjacent to each other in one piece.

Abstract: In a keyboard apparatus for an electronic musical instrument having jacks and hammers, each jack is rotatable by a force to be transmitted from a key when the key is depressed, and each of the hammers is rotatable by a force to be transmitted from the rotatable jack. Respective jack is rotatably disposed relative to the respective key by fitting a first supporting shaft formed in the respective jack into a first bearing recess formed in the respective key. Respective hammer is rotatably disposed in a keyboard chassis by fitting a second supporting shaft formed in one of the keyboard chassis and the respective hammer into a second bearing recess formed in the other of the keyboard chassis and the respective hammer.

Abstract: A key touch state detection device for an automatic performance piano includes at least one sensor for detecting whether or not a position of the hammer striking a string in an interlocked motion with movement of a key coincides with a predetermined hammer stop position and also whether or not a position of the hammer coincides with a predetermined position or positions in the vicinity of the string. The device includes also a circuit responsive to the detection output of the sensor for determining, when the hammer is recognized to be in a return process, a timing at which result of detection of the hammer stop position has changed as a timing of release of key. Depression and release of the key and the string striking speed of the hammer (key-touch strength) are detected by the hammer position sensor with resulting simplification in the structure of the device and improved accuracy in the detection of a key-touch state.

Abstract: The player piano provides a string-striking mechanism including a hammer driven by corresponding one of eighty-eight keys, and a photo sensor is provided in the vicinity of and also positioned to face with the predetermined member of this string-striking mechanism to be rotated responsive to a key-depression. This photo sensor outputs a signal which is varied in response to a distance of the predetermined member therefrom, so that the output thereof may have a peak value. Based on the peak value, first and second output values are respectively calculated, wherein these values corresponding to the predetermined two measuring points arranged between the photo sensor and the predetermined member are outputted from the photo sensor before and after the peak value respectively.

Abstract: A modular retroactive keyboard fitted with keys permitting to send back to the user a perception characteristic of the key. Each key is an element of an independent flat and parallelepipedic module that includes a motor, a position detector and an electric connector. Each module further includes arrangement for fixing it to the adjacent module, and the keys are connected to a central processing unit for giving them the desired response by acting on the motor and for processing the detector signals.

Abstract: A fingerboard and a neck for an electronic musical instrument according to the present invention are used for an electronic musical instrument, such as an electronic guitar, an electronic violin, and a guitar synthesizer. A flexible sheet made of a slippery material is formed on the upper surface of a fingerboard incorporating a plurality of pitch designating means so as to allow smooth and quick fingering. A plurality of frets are formed on the upper surface of the flexible sheet so as to partition the pitch designating means.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a keyboard operated device having a plurality of keys includes a plurality of sensors associated with each key. Each sensor detects a different one or more attribute of the nature of actuation of the key. Each detected attribute is used by selection circuitry to form a characteristic of the device's response to actuation of the key. The individual characteristics are combined to form a response to actuation of the key. The response may be an output signal or may be further processed internally by the device. In a preferred embodiment the invention is part of a musical synthesizer. One sensor is arranged to detect actuation of a key, while a second sensor is arranged to detect which finger actuates the key. The detection of actuation of a key is used to control the pitch of the resulting output. The detection of which finger actuates the key is used to control the timbre of the resulting output signal.

Abstract: A sensor arrangement for an automatic piano player apparatus is provided. The sensor arrangement includes a plurality of switches which are operatively associated with a rotatable shutter in the hammer system of the automatic piano player. When the hammer system is operated to strike a string of the piano, the cooperation between the rotatable shutter and the switches produces output information which includes the string-striking intensity information and the state of condition information of the damper that is normally in contact with the piano string. With this information, the various play techniques such as staccato, legato, continuous key-striking and the like may be reproduced with great fidelity by the automatic piano player apparatus.