Side; Rhythm And Percussion Devices Patents (Class 84/DIG12)
  • Patent number: 4757736
    Abstract: A plurality of pad operating means for manual operation are provided on a keyboard panel of an electronic keyboard musical instrument. When an operator operates the pad operating means using the keyboard during melody play, an operation signal is supplied to a CPU, and a rhythm sound corresponding to the operated pad is generated under control of the CPU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1988
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichiro Tajima, Hideo Yamaya, Tomohisa Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 4753146
    Abstract: A portable set of electronic drums includes individual drum units which are attached to different parts of a musician's body to provide maximum mobility for a stage performance. An impulse analyzer with each of the drum units processes the outputs of the drum units for transmission to a synthesizer which further processes and amplifies the resulting sound for application to a loudspeaker. A wire, radio transmitter or optical link may be employed to communicate the signals from the musician's body to a stationary synthesizer and loudspeaker. A percussion transducer in the musician's shoe may be employed to further increase the flexibility of the system. The output of the percussion transducer in the musician's shoe is combined with the outputs of the remaining drum units to create a total drum signal. In addition, the outputs of the shoe percussion transducer and the drum units may be employed to control the energization of optical emitters on the person of the musician.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1988
    Inventor: Brock Seiler
  • Patent number: 4748885
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument has a musical tone signal forming circuit, an automatic rhythm generator rhythm selection switches, and a registration memory. The switches are used to select one of a plurality of rhythms. The automatic rhythm generator automatically generates a percussion instrument sound corresponding to a selected rhythm. In the registration memory, musical tone data respectively suitable for selectable rhythms are stored in advance. The musical tone signal forming circuit generates a musical tone signal representing a musical tone and further modifies the musical tone signal in accordance with the musical tone data corresponding to the selected rhythm, whereby a musical tone suitable for the selected rhythm can be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1988
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshiaki Sato
  • Patent number: 4745836
    Abstract: A computerized method and apparatus for providing a comparison between a performance and a performance score in order to provide coordinated accompaniment with the performance. The performance is converted into a performance related signal and is compared with a performance score. If a predetermined match exists between the performance and the performance score, accompaniment is provided. This is preferably accomplished on an event by event basis. Dynamic programming is preferably employed. The algorithm may be adapted to determine a match exists even though the performance departs from the performance score in respect of either content or timing up to a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1988
    Inventor: Roger B. Dannenberg
  • Patent number: 4744279
    Abstract: A drum pedal device for immediately and accurately triggering and controlling a synthesizer. The device includes a movable pedal, which can be a foot pedal, an actuation device which actuates a transducer to supply an electrical signal to the synthesizer upon movement of the pedal, and a resisting mechanism which resiliently resists overtravel movement of the pedal after the transducer is actuated. The resisting mechanism opposes the movement of the pedal with increasing force as the overtravel movement of the pedal progresses. The foot pedal can be pivotally mounted on a base and the device can have a biasing mechanism for controlling and imparting bouncing and rocking motion to the foot pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1988
    Inventor: Duane P. Livingston
  • Patent number: 4742748
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument comprises devices for inputting rhythm and melody play patterns. The rhythm and melody play patterns are stored in a pattern memory such that the rhythm and melody play patterns are in a timed relation to each other. The rhythm and melody play patterns are simultaneously read out from said pattern memory so that rhythm tones and melody tones are sounded according to the rhythm and melody play patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1988
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naofumi Tateishi
  • Patent number: 4733591
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument comprises: a keyboard circuit for generating a pitch data signal which designates the note name of a musical tone to be produced; a speech signal generator for generating a speech signal which tells in human voice the name of the designated musical tone; multiplexed processing circuit for time-divisionally processing the pitch data signal and the speech signal; and sound signal producing circuit for producing the musical tone and the human voice in accordance with the processed output from the multipled processing circuit. Thus the instrument speaks the names of the tones as it produces the musical tones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Kaneko, Susumu Kawashima
  • Patent number: 4733593
    Abstract: A microprocessor-controlled metronome in which the type (strong or weak), pattern (order and number of strong and weak) and frequency of beats are determined by data stored in a memory manually programmable by means of a keyboard or the like and capable of storing information to produce metronome beats of different types, patterns and relative frequencies combined in various sequences to produce metronome passages consisting of one or more of those sequences, the memory being capable of storing a plurality of such passages and to produce beats corresponding thereto on command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Inventor: Peter Rothbart
  • Patent number: 4732070
    Abstract: An electronic bass drum is mainly constructed by two front legs which stand substantially vertically and are parallel to each other, two rear legs whose one ends are connected to the front legs and whose other ends extend obliquely downward, a pad whose back surface is fixed to the front legs and whose front surface is striken by a player and a pickup which is attached to the back surface. The pickup detects a vibration of the pad caused by the player's strike and outputs a detection signal representing electrically the vibration. Drum sound is realized by driving a sound source such as a PCM sound source, a FM sound source in response to the detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1988
    Assignee: Nippon, Sakki, Seizo, Kabushiki, Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshinori Yamashita
  • Patent number: 4723467
    Abstract: An automatic rhythm performing apparatus capable of producing a rhythmic tone of a plural-tone-source rhythmic musical instrument such as a snare drum comprises a plurality of signal producing devices which produce a plurality of rhythmic tone signals corresponding to the respective tone sources of the single instrument. A control device controls respective signal levels of the rhythmic tone signals and a combining device combined the rhythmic tone signals at signal levels controlled by the control device to provide a combined signal corresponding to the rhythmic tone of the instrument, thereby providing a desired volume relationship of the respective component tones constituting the whole rhythmic tone of the instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1988
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsumi Kato
  • Patent number: 4713996
    Abstract: Tones of percussion instruments produce different timbres, i.e. different tone waveshapes, depending on the strength of percussion. An automatic rhythm apparatus includes a rhythm tone generating unit which stores the tone waveshape produced from a hard percussion and also that from a soft percussion performed on a same percussion instrument. A rhythm pattern is constructed by rhythmically aligned tone command signals, for various percussion instruments, designating timings and volumes of tones to be produced. At each tone production, these two kinds of waveshapes are read out by mixing them appropriately. That is, when a loud tone is to be reproduced, its waveshape is read out from the waveshape memory for loud tones, while a soft tone is read out likewise from the waveshape memory for soft tones, and a tone of an intermediate volume therebetween is reproduced by reading out the loud tone and the soft tone at a mixing ratio complying to the desired degree of volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigenori Oguri
  • Patent number: 4708046
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument comprises an accompaniment keyboard; a memory of a relatively small capacity storing a set of accompaniment data sequentially aligned and constituting accompaniment patterns; a read-out circuit to successively read out the accompaniment data from the memory at given clock pulse timings; a judging circuit to judge whether each accompaniment datum read out indicates a predetermined specific value; a random signal generator for generating, independently of the data-reading-out timings, random signals each differing in value with time; an accompaniment data determining circuit to determine the contents of each read-out accompaniment datum when the latter is judged to indicate the specific value in accordance with the signal randomly outputted just when a judgement is made; and a tone generation determining circuit to determine the generation of the accompaniment tone based on the key depression information coming from the accompaniment keyboard and also to function, when the read-
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Kozuki
  • Patent number: 4706538
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument automatically plays a musical accompaniment utilizing a minimized number of tone signal generating channels. The electronic musical instrument has a plurality of tone signal generating channels each for generating a tone signal representative of a tone to be produced. Keys depressed on an associated keyboard are assigned to the tone signal generating channels to cause them to generate tone signals corresponding to the depressed keys. When an automatic accompaniment circuit is actuated, a predetermined number of ones of the plurality of tone signal generating channels are reserved for generation of tone signals of the accompaniment. The reservation is made such that those channels which are idle are selected at the highest priority, those channels to which the earliest released keys are assigned at the second highest priority, and those channels to which the earliest depressed keys are assigned at the third highest priority.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 4704932
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument allows the performer to control tone volume of a rhythmic tone by a simple manipulation of keys of a keyboard. The electronic musical instrument comprises a rhythmic tone generator including a plurality of tone sources, to which a group of keys of the keyboard are assigned, respectively. Each of the tone sources generates a rhythmic tone when a corresponding one of the group of keys is depressed. When it is desired to give an accent to the rhythmic tone, a key adjacent the depressed tone source designating key is additionally depressed. This multiple key-depression is detected by a detection circuit. Tone volume of the rhythmic tone generated by the tone source is controlled in accordance with the detection of the multiple key-depression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junichi Mishima
  • Patent number: 4704933
    Abstract: The accompaniment apparatus for an electronic musical instrument comprises an accompaniment segment memory storing data representing a plurality of accompaniment segments which form a plurality of mutually different accompaniment patterns of predetermined lengths, and an alignment sequence memory storing, separately from the above, the orders with which these accompaniment segments are to be aligned sequentially. The data of these orders of alignment of segments are read out one after another, on the basis of which the accompaniment segments derived from the data of the segment memory are aligned one after another sequentially at a given tempo. This operation materializes the automatic accompaniment of any substantial length such as one whole piece of music, and allows the segment memory to have a capacity much smaller as compared to the case in which accompaniment patterns for the whole length of music have to be stored without skipping these segments of the same pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasushi Kurakake
  • Patent number: 4703681
    Abstract: In a key depression indicating device for an electronic musical instrument capable of visually indicating which keys are to be depressed on a keyboard, the device includes a plurality of indicators provided correspondingly to a plurality of keys of the keyboard. Illumination of each indicators is so controlled by an illumination control means that an indicator corresponding to a succeeding note is lighted up at a timing, for example, a 4-th note's length ahead of the timing to depress the key irrespective of any length of the preceding note. Thus, even when a complicated music performance including a train of a plurality of consecutive short notes as a 32nd note is required, the indicators corresponding to the preceding as well as the succeeding notes in the train are each lighted up at a timing, i.e. the 4-th note's time length ahead of each actual key depression timing for the music performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Eisaku Okamoto
  • Patent number: 4700604
    Abstract: A master electronic musical instrument and a slave electronic musical instrument are interconnected through a cable and music playing data is transferred from the master electronic musical instrument to the slave electronic musical instrument. The slave electronic musical instrument includes a tempo signal generator. The slave electronic musical instrument receives music playing data and generates tones according to the generated tempo signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1987
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigenori Morikawa, Hiroyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 4700602
    Abstract: An electronic drum having multiple sound sources with rapidly detachable striking elements and transducers. The drum may contain one or more striking elements each producing a separate electrical output signal. A separate piezoelectric transducer is attached to each striking element. The drum includes a base structure to which various acoustically dampening compressible elements are attached. The striking elements are removably attached to the compressible elements and are acoustically isolated from one another so that vibrations caused by hitting one striking element are not picked up by the transducers attached to the other striking elements. Transducers are attached to the striking elements by first bonding resilient elements to the striking elements and then bonding the transducers to the resilient elements. The electronic drum permits a drummer to employ conventional acoustical "sticking" techniques and may be used to simulate various other percussion type instruments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1987
    Inventor: Terry Bozzio
  • Patent number: 4699039
    Abstract: An automatic musical accompaniment playing system for use in an electronic musical instrument with an auto rhythm system changes a tone color of accompaniment tones when the state of operation of the auto rhythm system is changed. The automatic accompaniment playing system comprises a tempo clock generator for generating tempo clock pulses having a frequency proportional to a tempo of a rhythm to be generated and a register for storing a flag indicative of a state of operation of the auto rhythm system. The tempo clock pulses are counted by a tempo counter when the auto rhythm system is in operation, and the state of operation of the auto rhythm system is detected in accordance with the state of the flag. A memory stores two groups of tone color data, one of which is selected when the auto rhythm system is in operation, and the other of which is selected when the auto rhythm system is not in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigenori Oguri, Akira Iizuka
  • Patent number: 4691611
    Abstract: A percussion instrument comprising a base (10) supporting a plurality of percussion heads (11, 12, 13 and 14) on standards (25). The standards are each adjustable lengthwise and fixed to the base by mounts (26) and to the percussion heads by mounts (54) such that the positions of the heads can be set once and thereafter will be automatically determined by the preset mounts and standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1987
    Inventor: Gordon H. May
  • Patent number: 4685370
    Abstract: A plurality of different kinds of rhythm playing pattern data corresponding to each of the different rhythm sounds being used to play specified rhythms is stored in a rhythm pattern memory section (1). When a particular kind of rhythm is being played automatically, one particular kind of rhythm is selectively designated from a plurality of kinds of rhythms by the operation of the rhythm kind selecting unit (21f). Then, a particular kind of rhythm playing pattern data corresponding to the selected particular kind of rhythm is selected from a plurality of kinds of rhythm playing pattern data preset in the rhythm pattern memory section (1) corresponding to each of the rhythm sounds by the operation of the pattern selection section (2,21,21a-21e).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroko Okuda, Hiroshi Iwase
  • Patent number: 4683794
    Abstract: A plurality of rhythm designation data are supplied from a CPU, and latched in corresponding individual latches which are responsive to channel data from a decoder. The latched data are supplied to an address ROM in response to corresponding channel timing signals, wherein start and end address data for a rhythm waveform data ROM are read out from the address ROM. If the rhythm designation data latched in one of the individual latches is the same as in another one of the latches, the same rhythm is sounded concurrently and without sound interruption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeo Sakashita
  • Patent number: 4682526
    Abstract: In a method for providing musical accompaniment in response to the playing of an accompaniment-type musical instrument, accompaniment chord voicing is randomly selected from a pluraltiy of stored possibilities and the chord is sounded according to the selected voicing. In a preferred embodiment, the voicings may be stored separately from rhythm information according to which the chord is to be sounded, and the selection of chord voicings is constrained by a pre-selected range of chord tones. In another method for providing musical accompaniment having at least one stored melodic figure, melodic information is represented as a plurality of tokens independent of chord type and the tokens are subsequently converted to note parameters appropriate for a preselected chord type. The tokens are preferably related to the scale functions of the melodic information and may also contain information for each of a plurality of chord sub-types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1987
    Inventors: Robert J. Hall, George R. Hall, Jack C. Cookerly
  • Patent number: 4674383
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument has an accompaniment keyboard arranged to detect, in programming mode, accompaniment key informations including the actuated timings of the depressed keys relative to a tempo from a tempo generator as well as the relative tone pitches of the depressed keys, and to store these informations in a writable memory as a custom-made accompaniment timing and pitch pattern data. In a performance mode, the keys are used to designate chord names each by its tonality and type for determining the chords to be automatically performed in accordance with the custom-made accompaniment timing and pitch pattern. By reading-out these stored information data, the user is able to perform automatic accompaniment playing of his own programmed pattern with real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 4674384
    Abstract: Key operation speed of a performance key in the keyboard is detected at speed detector to produce a speed detection signal which is supplied to overspeed detector. When the speed detection signal represents that the key operation speed is higher than a reference value preset in the overspeed detector, an address signal is supplied to a rhythm pattern memory to change a designation address thereof, thereby reading out different rhythm pattern data from the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1987
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keiichi Sakurai
  • Patent number: 4672876
    Abstract: A rhythm tone source assigning apparatus for use in an electronic musical instrument comprises a memory having a plurality of storing regions corresponding to a plurality of input operating manipulators each being comprised of a keyboard key or a switch. Arrangement is provided so that by writing a tone source identifying datum corresponding to desired one of a plurality of rhythm tone sources in one of the storing regions corresponding to an input operating manipulator one after another, rhythm tone sources can be assigned to the plurality of input operating manipulators. Thus, this electronic musical instrument greatly facilitates its user of his performing or inputting operations in a hand percussion or a rhythm sequence programming by using these manipulators. That is, for each rhythm, the user is able to obtain his favorite convenient arrangement of operating manipulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Sugiyama, Akira Suzuki, Kosei Terada, Shigenori Oguri, Shigeki Ishii
  • Patent number: 4669349
    Abstract: An electronic drum has a drum body, a drumhead, a support/tension mechanism, a closed space forming member, a vibrating plate, and a piezoelectric element. The closed space forming member forms a closed air space together with the drumhead lower surface. The vibrating plate is fitted to the closed space forming member so as to divide the closed air space into plural closed air spaces. One of the divided plural closed air spaces existing between the lower surface of the drumhead and the vibrating plate serves as a transmission space. When the drumhead is struck, the vibration of the struck drumhead is transmitted to the vibrating plate via the transmission space. By this transmission via air space, same vibration at the vibrating plate is obtained irrespective of the struck portion of the drumhead if struck by same striking force. The piezoelectric element converts a pressure produced based on a mechanical vibration of the vibrating plate to an electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiichi Hyakutake
  • Patent number: 4662262
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument having an autoplay function comprises a memory device where musical data is stored, a musical tone signal generating circuit for generating musical tone signals in response to musical data read out from the memory device, and a controller for reading out musical data from the memory device and feeding the readout data to the musical tone signal generating means in a timed relation to the progress of music. To repeat the autoplay of a musical piece, the controller is arranged to read out musical data from the start address in synchronism with the tempo of a musical piece or at the timing of the first beat in a bar after the readout of the last musical tone data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoaki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 4656911
    Abstract: Every time a new chord signal is supplied to a chord memory circuit, a previous chord signal is supplied to a chord comparison and calculation circuit together with the new chord signal to obtain a chord change signal representing a degree of change between the two sequentially designated chords. The chord change signal is stored in chord change memory circuits. Chord name signals and chord change signals are compared with chord change pattern signals outputted from a change pattern memory to cause a coincidence signal to hold a latch. A rhythm pattern selection signal thus is supplied from the latch to a rhythm pattern memory circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1987
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keiichi Sakurai
  • Patent number: 4655113
    Abstract: A microprocessor-based processing system for monitoring the tempo rate and rhythm in an electronic musical instrument having an automatic rhythm accompaniment unit. In a first mode of operation, the monitor displays the tempo of the rhythm accompaniment unit in numeric characters representing the number of beats per minute. In a second mode of operation, the monitor displays a numerical 1 representing the down beat in a first display device, a numerical 2 representing the second beat in adjoining display device, and successively incremented numerical integers associated with successive beats in successive numerical display devices until all numerical integers associated with beats have been displayed, thereby producing a timing display having a motion effect for synchronizing the music being played with the rhythm accompaniment tempo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: Baldwin Piano & Organ Company
    Inventors: David A. Bunger, Walter Munch, Russell L. Withington
  • Patent number: 4648302
    Abstract: An auxiliary electronic sound source for an electronic drum. The auxiliary sound source is attached to a conventional electronic drum and enables a drummer to practice acoustical "sticking" techniques involving a drum rim. The auxiliary sound source includes a striking element with an acoustically isolating connection to the electronic drum. A piezoelectric material transducer is attached to the striking element to convert impact induced vibrations in the striking element into an electrical output signal. In an alternative embodiment, the piezoelectric transducer is attached to a mounting plate detachably connected to the striking element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1987
    Inventor: Terry Bozzio
  • Patent number: 4646610
    Abstract: When an ending switch is operated on an electronic musical instrument while an automatic accompaniment is being produced, the pattern data of an automatic ending accompaniment is read out from a memory. Corresponding accompaniment sounds are generated from a loudspeaker to obtain the automatic ending.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiichi Sakurai, Takehiko Kayahara
  • Patent number: 4643068
    Abstract: When the fill-in key and synchro start key are operated, an output of an inverter causes an AND gate to inhibit the resetting of a flip-flop by an output of a bar clock generator. In consequence, a fill-in rhythm is sounded continuously with a pattern selector driven by the set output of the flip-flop. When an accompaniment play key is operated at a desired instant in this situation, an output of a key depression detection circuit is fed through an AND gate and an OR gate to the reset input terminal of the flip-flop. As a result, the address of a ROM designated by the pattern selector, is changed to start sounding of normal rhythm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1987
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroko Okuda, Keiichi Sakurai, Junichi Minamitaka
  • Patent number: 4633752
    Abstract: In an operating panel device for an electronic musical instrument, in order to provide easy mode-changeover operation and to enable the user to easily catch the relationship between respective operating knobs and the functions selected by the operating knobs in respective modes, the operating panel device comprises a plurality of operating members arranged in a row on the panel; a display window provided near and along the row of these operating members; an elongated indicating member rotatably supported on the rear side of the panel and having a plurality of indicating sections on which the names of functions of the musical instrument and/or the names of tonal characteristics settable for respective operating knobs in respective set modes are inscribed on its circumference so as to selectively appear on the display window; a plurality of LEDs arranged in a row to correspond to the operating knobs respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro Koike, Takamichi Masubuchi
  • Patent number: 4630518
    Abstract: Melody data stored in a memory is sequentially read out and sounded with the operation of a one-key switch. In the memory is also stored accompaniment data, which is automatically played under the control of a microprocessor. The timing of the operation of the switch for the melody is compared to the normal timing of the piece. If the difference between the two compared timings is less than .DELTA.t, the accompaniment is automatically played at a normal timing. If it is greater than .DELTA.t, the tempo of the accompaniment is corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1986
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryuuzi Usami
  • Patent number: 4630519
    Abstract: An electromechanical vibrator driving device comprising a rhythm signal generator to produce rhythmic pulses in a pattern corresponding to a beat pattern of a selected music rhythm, the rhythmic pulses being amplified and then applied to the vibrator so that the vibrator generates a rhythmical vibration of the selected music rhythm. The rhythm signal generator comprises a rhythm pattern generator storing different rhythm patterns and providing pulses corresponding to strong beats and pulses corresponding to weak beats in a selected rhythm pattern, separately. The strong beat pulses and the weak beat pulses are processed by attenuators to have different amplitudes and are mixed to produce the rhythm signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1986
    Inventors: Mutsuo Hirano, Nagatoshi Tsunoda
  • Patent number: 4628788
    Abstract: An automatic rhythm performing apparatus comprises a rhythm pattern generator (A); a rhythm tone generator; a rhythm control switch (B); and a control circuitry (C) connected to the rhythm pattern generator, the rhythm tone generator and the rhythm control switch. The rhythm pattern generator generates repetitively a repetition period signal defining a repetition period, a first (normal) rhythm pattern signal with the period, and a second (fill-in) rhythm pattern signal with the period. The rhythm tone generator generates rhythm tone signals in response to said first and second rhythm pattern signals. The control means controls the generation of the rhythm tone signals to be responsive to which of the first and second rhythm pattern signals according to timings of the actuation of the rhythm control switch. Thus the apparatus carries out a variety of rhythm control according to the timings of the actuation of the rhythm control switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeo Shibukawa
  • Patent number: 4624170
    Abstract: When a desired rhythm is selected by a rhythm key group, corresponding rhythm data is set in a rhythm register in a CPU. Meanwhile, accompaniment pattern data is set in bass, backing and arpeggio registers by operation of corresponding bass, backing and arpeggio switches. The data set in the registers are supplied as address data to an arpeggio memory section, a backing memory section and a base memory section, so that corresponding rhythm data, tone color data and accompaniment data are read out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1986
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroko Ohno, Naoaki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 4619176
    Abstract: In an automatic accompaniment apparatus for electronic musical instrument capable of automatically generating accompaniment tones such as base tones, chord tones and arpeggio tones, arrangement is provided so that, at each time of depressing keys on an accompaniment keyboard, accompaniment key data for accompaniment tones which may possibly be sounded, are previously formed and secured, and the selected ones of the key data for the selected accompaniment are outputted at accompaniment tone generating timings synchronous with the rhythm. Thus bass tone, chord tones, arpeggio tones etc. may be generated in sufficient synchronous relation with a selected rhythm even by adopting a time-divisional processing using a low-speed compact computer such as a micro-computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1986
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sigeki Isii
  • Patent number: 4616547
    Abstract: An automatic improvisation circuit for an electronic musical instrument. "Short" rhythm and "short" melody data is read from memories under the control of random number generators, and this rhythm amd melody data is combined and varied as a function of preselected basic rhythms and tonics, and in accordance with rules, to improvise an accompaniment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1986
    Assignee: Matth. Hohner AG
    Inventors: George M. Mancini, Rudolph A. Huber
  • Patent number: 4602544
    Abstract: Performance data is comprised of a successive serial arrangement of note data formed with paired pitch data and note duration data and of rest data formed with only rest duration data and having no pitch data. A performance data processing apparatus judges whether a rest datum following a note datum is shorter than a predetermined duration, and in case the result of this judgment if YES, the apparatus integrates the rest datum and the note datum preceding the rest datum into an integrated note datum having a note pitch of the note datum and a note duration which is equal to the sum of the duration of the note datum and the duration of the rest datum, whereby, in case a music score is displayed or printed out based on the performance data, rests having a duration shorter than the predetermined duration are eliminated to prolong the duration of the respective preceding notes each by an amount of the duration of the eliminated rest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1986
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeru Yamada, Koichi Kozuki, Tatsuhiro Koike
  • Patent number: 4587878
    Abstract: An automatic performing apparatus for use in an electronic musical instrument stores chord name data and chord generation timing data to carry out an automatic chord performance. In spite of frequent variations of a chord during the progression of a music piece, repetitive storage of a same chord name data is not required so that the amount of stored data can be reduced, allowing utilization of a memory of a small capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1986
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Nakada, Takatoshi Okumura, Kotaro Mizuno
  • Patent number: 4586416
    Abstract: Rhythm sound data which represents a rhythm sound such as a percussion sound, is synthesized with envelope data by a gate circuit which functions as a multiplier. The synthesized data is supplied to a D/A converter and converted to an analog signal. A percussion sound with a rhythm pattern corresponding to the analog signal is produced at a speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1986
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigenori Sano
  • Patent number: 4584922
    Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument, a tone generation designating circuitry provides, upon depression of each playing key, a set of parameter signals designating properties such as pitch and timbre of a tone to be generated and a key-on signal indicating the depression of the key, and in response to these parameter signals and key-on signal, a tone generator generates a vibratory wave signal having the designated tone properties at the designated timing as a tone signal for the depressed key. The tone generation designating circuitry includes a microcomputer to control and perform data processing. There are further provided a first clock pulse generator which generates time frame clock pulses defining consecutive time frames, and a second clock pulse generator which generates pitch clock pulses defining fundamental frequencies of human voice for the respective time frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1986
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Maki Kamiya
  • Patent number: 4581972
    Abstract: A pad for an electronic drum has a vibration responsive plate that is mounted on a cushion and has on its upper surface a relatively thin buffer pad, the plate having cushioning means on its outer edge between it and peripheral supporting structure, so that the feel of the drumhead is quite natural to the player and that vibrations from the frame or supporting structure are insulated from the plate, and that the plate vibrations are not adversely affected, the plate carrying a microphone or other sound pick-up means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1986
    Assignee: Hoshino Gakki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiki Hoshino
  • Patent number: 4581973
    Abstract: A pad for an electronic drum has a vibration responsive plate that is mounted on a cushion and has on its upper surface a relatively thin buffer pad, the plate having cushioning means on its outer edge between it and peripheral supporting structure, and a drumhead stretched directly over the buffer pad and retained by a cover member held in spaced relation from the plate, so that the feel of the pad is quite natural to the player and that vibrations from the frame or supporting structure are insulated from the plate, and that the plate vibrations are not adversely affected, the plate carrying a microphone or other sound pick-up means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1986
    Assignee: Hoshino Gakki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiki Hoshino
  • Patent number: 4570522
    Abstract: An electro-acoustically amplified drum assembly consists of a hollow drum shell with a drum head closing one or both end thereof. An acoustical microphone is positioned in the drum shell spaced from and free from any connection to the drum head and has leads for connection to an external amplifier and speaker. An adjustable mount is secured on and extending through the wall of the drum shell for supporting the microphone. The adjustable mount includes a mechanism for adjusting the position of the microphone for minimizing microphone interference and optimizing proximity effect and sound quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1986
    Inventor: Randall L. May
  • Patent number: 4566362
    Abstract: A synchronizing signal generator generates synchronizing signals in synchronism with the performance of a musical piece even from an intermediate point of the musical piece. More specifically, upon actuation of a manual switch (102) in accordance with a musical piece, a code signal corresponding to a beat number is recorded in a tape recorder (200). At the same time, a clock counter (112) counts clock pulses during a period of time from the point where a code signal corresponding to the beat number is received to the point where the next succeeding code signal is received. A CPU (105) divides a count value of the clock counter by a predetermined numerical value so that a value obtained by the division is stored in a memory (114). When the recorded code signal is reproduced and applied to an input terminal (101), the CPU identifies a beat number from the reproduced code signal and delivers a step number signal corresponding to the beat number and a sequencer start signal to a sequencer (300).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1986
    Assignee: Roland Corporation
    Inventor: Tadao Kikumoto
  • Patent number: 4561338
    Abstract: A ROM has 16 memory locations of addresses No. 0 to No. 15. Bass pattern data for the first bar are stored in the memory locations of the addresses No. 0 to No. 7, and bass pattern data for the second bar are stored in the memory locations of the addresses No. 8 to No. 15. The memory locations of the addresses No. 0 to No. 7 are specified by respective counts "0" to "7" of a hexadecimal counter, and the memory locations of the addresses No. 8 to No. 15 are specified by respective counts "8" to "15" of the counter. The output of the counter for the counts "8" to "15" is supplied through a gate circuit to the ROM. The gate circuit is inhibited by the output of a chord designating key section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1985
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroko Ohno
  • Patent number: 4554854
    Abstract: An automatic rhythm performing apparatus capable of producing a rhythmic tone of a plural-tone-source rhythmic musical instrument such as a snare drum comprises a plurality of signal producing devices which produce a plurality of rhythmic tone signals corresponding to the respective tone sources of the single instrument. A control device controls respective signal levels of the rhythmic tone signals and a combining device combined the rhythmic tone signals at signal levels controlled by the control device to provide a combined signal corresponding to the rhythmic tone of the instrument, thereby providing a desired volume relationship of the respective component tones constituting the whole rhythmic tone of the instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1985
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsumi Kato