Abstract: Musical tones are produced according to song data basically by three steps. The first step converts the song data sequentially into control parameters. The control parameters are written into a parameter memory. Then, the second step generates waveform data by using the control parameters written in the parameter memory. The generated waveform data are written into a waveform memory, while the used control parameters are erased from the parameter memory to provide a vacant area. Lastly, the third step reads the waveform data sequentially from the waveform memory to produce the musical tones. Characterizingly, the second step of generating waveform data is executed dependently on progression of the third step of reading the waveform data. Further, the first step of converting the song data is executed independently from progression of the second step of generating waveform data as long as the parameter memory has the vacant area sufficient to store the control parameters converted from the song data.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument is constructed on a mother board for editing a parameter of an extension board necessary for generating a music tone while monitoring the parameter according to display information. In the instrument, a display device is provided for displaying a current value of the parameter to be edited. An input device is operable for inputting an operational variable effective to change the current value of the parameter. A first control circuit contained in a CPU of the mother board is operative when receiving the display information for controlling the display device to display the current value of the parameter, and is operative when the operational variable is inputted from the input device for transmitting the operational variable to the extension board.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument having a plurality of tone generation channels includes a solo tone channel assignment means and a non-solo tone channel assignment means. The solo tone channel assignment means preferentially operates to assign a solo tone to be generated to an unoccupied one of the plurality of tone generation channels. The assigned channel number is stored in a solo tone channel information memory. The non-solo tone assignment means looks up the solo tone channel information memory upon checking unoccupied channel information, and assigns tone information to an unoccupied channel excluding the channel number recorded in that memory. A solo tone is dynamically assigned to an unoccupied channel. That assigned channel is reserved without being assigned as a non-solo tone channel, and the solo and non-solo tones do not compete in channel assignment.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard musical instrument includes a plurality of sound generating channels selectively assigned to pairs of fundamental sound signals and pairs of resonant sound signals, and a channel controller assigns the sound generating channels to a new pair of resonant sound signals after release of sound generating channels from the assignment to a pair of resonant sound signals for a stereophonic sound with the minimum loudness when the sound generating channels have already assigned to the predetermined pairs of resonant sound signals so as to concurrently produce a large number of stereophonic sounds.

Abstract: A musical sound producing device in an electronic musical instrument of stereophonic sampling system, including: an oscillator using status memory for storing each order of right and left oscillators which are being used for sound production, in accordance with an order of the sound production; a number-of-produced-sound memory register for storing each number of stereophonic sounds and a monophonic sound which are being produced at the same time by the oscillators memorized in the oscillator using status memory; and an oscillator assigning section for performing calculation in accordance with the numbers of the stereophonic sounds and the monophonic sound stored in the number-of-produced-sound memory register, switching at least one stereophonic sounds being produced over to monophonic sound, by damping an oscillator, when a musical sound is newly keyed on under a condition that the number of oscillators which are being used reaches a total number of oscillators, and assigning an oscillator damped by switchi

Abstract: A computer system and method for performing wavetable music synthesis employing a high priority I/O bus request mechanism to improve the audio fidelity of the system. The system comprises a system memory which stores wavetable data, an I/O bus coupled to the system memory, an I/O bus arbiter coupled to the I/O bus which accommodates normal priority I/O bus requests and high priority I/O bus requests, and a system audio device. The system audio device comprises an I/O bus interface coupled to the I/O bus, a synthesizer coupled to the I/O bus interface, a plurality of buffers coupled to the I/O bus interface and to the synthesizer and a buffer manager coupled to the I/O bus interface, the synthesizer, and the plurality of buffers. The synthesizer generates a request for wavetable data samples. The buffer manager determines if the samples are in the buffers.

Abstract: To provide a machine composer capable of efficiently composing natural melodies with a simplified system configuration and without requiring complicated data processing: A melody material storage 10 stores a plurality of melody materials each represented by a plurality of note records. Each note record in a melody material contains data items of pitch and note type or function. Thus, pitches of the plurality of note records constitute an original pitch succession whereas note types of the records define an original note type succession. A note type of each note record represents a pitch function specified by musical background of the original pitch succession. A input device 20 enters musical background information (including for example keynote, scale and chord).

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument stores a plurality of waveform samples. A predetermined number of waveform samples are selected from the plurality of waveform samples. Pitch information for designating a pitch within a predetermined tone range is generated. In response to instructions for automatic assignment of waveform samples, partial tone ranges equal in number to the predetermined number are set within the predetermined tone range, and the predetermined number of the waveform samples selected are assigned to the partial tone ranges, respectively. In response to the pitch information, a partial tone range to which the pitch information belongs is detected from the partial tone ranges. A waveform sample assigned to the detected partial tone range is read. A musical tone is generated based on the read waveform sample.

Abstract: An automatic accompaniment apparatus which performs automatic accompaniment with a natural sounding advancement of chords. In the automatic accompaniment apparatus, one of component sounds of a chord which has a particular position in the order of the pitch is set as a reference part sound. The inversion type of chord is determined from the reference part sound, and then sounds of the chord are produced in accordance with the inversion type thus determined. The apparatus determines, as production of sounds of chords proceeds, a reference part sound of a present chord in accordance with a musical interval relationship of component sounds of the present chord to another reference part sound of a preceding chord and in accordance with a preset rule. The inversion type of the present chord is determined by the reference part sound.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument is constructed to carry out an edit work of control parameters and a trial play for evaluation of the edit work. The control parameters are registered in a hierarchical format to define a plurality of hierarchical classes. A first hierarchical class is designated as an object of the edit work. A control parameter belonging to the first hierarchical class is changed to carry out the edit work. A second hierarchical class is designated as an object of the trial play independently from the first hierarchical class. In response to a trial command, a tone generator generates a musical tone based on a control parameter belonging to the second hierarchical class to thereby carry out the trial play. Further, a third hierarchical class preceding the second hierarchical class can be designated such that a control parameter belonging to the third hierarchical class is inherited to the second hierarchical class for use in the trial play.

Abstract: A preferential order of channel vacating is determined according to a musical character of musical tones having assigned channels, thus permitting a channel assignment which does not depart from the harmony of the musical tone. The greater the number of tones which are equivalent in musical character, the more readily channels can be vacated for new tones, and tones with fewer equivalent tones in musical character may remain assigned. The channel selection may also be limited for low envelope level tones.

Abstract: The electronic musical instrument has synthesis means operative according to given tone control parameters for effecting a musical tone synthesis to generate a musical tone. Register means is provided for registering first data of a lower class and second data of an upper class in hierarchical data structure so as to constitute the tone control parameters. The first data is effective, at least, to define a timbre of a musical tone to be generated. The second data designates a plurality of the first data, effective to control the musical tone synthesis according to different timbres which are defined by the plurality of the first data. Edit means is provided for revising selectively the registered first data. Display means is provided for selectively indicating the second data which is associated to the first data to be revised in order for management of the hierarchical data structure.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument provides plural channels from which manual-performance sounds and/or automatic-performance sounds (e.g., automatic-accompaniment sounds) are generated. Herein, the manual-performance sound is designated by a performance manually made by a performer, while the automatic-performance sound is designated on the basis of automatic-performance information which is stored in a memory or the like in advance. Normally, a new musical tone is assigned to an unoccupied channel which is not occupied with a tone generation, so that the new musical tone will be generated from the unoccupied channel. However, under a full-channel condition where all of the channels are occupied with the tone generation, a new manual-performance sound is assigned to one of the channels whose envelope value is the smallest.

Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument with an ANY KEY mode which regards keys as a single one-key, an ON event in a non-operation state is valid, and a one-key play operation is advanced by one tone.

Abstract: When a new tone is to be assigned to a certain channel, an amplitude level of a preceding tone signal which is being produced in this channel is detected and a damp rate is determined on the basis of the detected amplitude level. Tone volume of the preceding tone signal is rapidly attenuated in accordance with the damp rate thus determined and, thereafter, generation of a new tone signal is started. The damp rate thereby is variably controlled in accordance with the magnitude of tone volume level of the preceding tone signal during a damp control and both optimum prevention of a click noise and a very quick rapid attenuation control corresponding to the tone volume level can be realized. The invention is applicable not only to a damp control of tone volume of a tone but also to a damp control of an envelope shape signal used for other control purposes.

Abstract: In an automatic accompaniment-playing apparatus, when an accompaniment pattern corresponding to a detected chord is not stored as information in a memory, an accompaniment pattern as information read from the memory in accordance with the priority level is changed so as to be suited to the detected chord. In a chord detecting apparatus, inversion modes are obtained based on an information-on-depressed-key so as to determine chords relative to the inversion modes obtained in this way. Then, the chords determined in this way are weighted, and a chord weighted at the maximum level out of the chords thus weighted is determined as one based on the above information-on-depressed-key.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard instrument having simultaneous tone channels for generating a plurality of kinds of tones such as percussion tones upon a keyboard operation is disclosed. A memory (17b) stores inherent tone duration values of different kinds of tones to be generated in correspondence with a plurality of keys of a keyboard. A register group (32) for holding tone duration values in correspondence with a plurality of tone channels is arranged. The values held in the register group are decreased by a subtracter (33) along with an elapse of time. Upon a key-ON event, a detector (34) detects the minimum value of the tone duration values held in the register group. A channel corresponding to the register which holds the minimum value is assigned as a new tone channel, and the content of the register is updated with the fixed tone duration value stored in the memory. The updated register renews assignment of a tone channel in a tone source.

Abstract: A tone generation apparatus for an electronic keyboard instrument which stores key information for at least one channel in an assignment memory (33), and sets tone source parameters of a tone generator (19) according to the key information is disclosed. A key ON/OFF register (31) having a bit string corresponding to key numbers stores key ON/OFF information. When a key corresponding to the currently tone-ON key information stored in the assignment memory (33) is released, ON key information in the register (31) is searched by a search block (32) from, e.g., the high pitch side. If another ON key information is detected, the content of the assignment memory (33) is changed to the key information so as to generate a corresponding tone.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument having selectable monaural, stereo and multiple channel musical performance capability is disclosed which includes a performance data generating device; tone signal generating systems; sound producing systems; a mode indicating device; a selection device; and a distribution device. The tone signal generating systems generate musical tone signals based on performance data generated by the performance data generating device. The sound producing systems produce musical sounds based based on the musical tone signals. The selection device allocates performance data to a single musical tone signal generating system when the mode indicated by the mode indicating device is the first mode. The selection device allocates performance data to plural musical tone generating systems when the mode indicated by the mode indicating means is the second mode.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument having a function of simultaneously generating musical tones of a plural tone color comprises a tone color designating device for designating a plurality of tone colors, and a balance decision device for deciding balance of tone volume between the tones of tone colors designated by the tone color designating device, according to the order specified thereby. After the tone colors are designated, when musical tone generation is specified by a keyboard or the like, the musical tones of the tone colors are generated according to the previously decided balance of tone volume.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument allots musical tone-generating channels to new musical tones by calculating an integrated residual generated volume or a substitute values corresponding thereto for each current musical tones; and determining which of musical tone-generating channels has a minimum such volume or substitute value. The instrument may, alternatively, allot a tone generating channel for a new musical tone by detecting a minimum envelope level of those already allotted musical tones; selecting those channels having envelope levels falling within a determined range defined based on and including the detected minimum level; and determining which channel selected by the selecting means has a minimum residual generated volumes or substitute values corresponding thereto. The residual generated volumes are determined by an equation: ##EQU1## wherein V(t) is an envelope level at an instant "t" during a period from the given instant "t.sub.o " and to the end point "t.sub.end " of the musical tone.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument with a channel assigning device which includes a characteristic information generating unit for generating characteristic information of musical tone envelopes, a sound radiation instructing unit for generating each musical tone selected by a musical tone selecting unit, a processing unit for processing the characteristic information generated by the characteristic information generating unit in response to an elapse of time and an assigned channel determining unit for comparing the results of the processing performed by the processing unit and determining a channel to which the musical tone information should be assigned in response to a sound radiation instruction from the sound radiation instructing unit.

Abstract: A channel assigning system which divides musical tone generating channels into a plurality of channel division areas and assigns musical tone generating channels of each channel division area to musical tones, in an ascending order of a value of a weighting factor corresponding to each musical tone generating channel, by searching for a musical tone channel corresponding to the smallest value of the weighting factor. Alternatively, the channel assigning system assigns musical tones in a descending order of a value of a weighting factor corresponding to each musical tone generating channel, by searching for a musical tone channel corresponding to the largest value of the weighting factor.

Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument with an ANY KEY mode which regards keys as a single one-key, an ON event in a non-operation state is valid, and a one-key play operation is advanced by one tone.

Abstract: A decoder assigns key values according to a system of mathematical weight values in terms of whole and semi-tone intervals of the musical scale, each key contributing its assigned value to the sum when depressed. Any interval along the scale can be reached by any combination of depressed keys that sum to that interval amount from the open "zero reference" position. The result is a woodwind-style keyboard that is perfectly regular and which has no default or unusable fingering combinations.

Abstract: Tone forming channels generate tone signals corresponding to tone pitch information assigned thereto with characteristics responsive to tone element control signals supplied thereto. An assignment order setting section selects desired channels and establishes an order of assignment of the selected channels. An assignment section sequentially changes, at each timing of generation of a tone, a channel to which a tone to be generated should be assigned in accordance with the established assignment order. In the channels whose assignment order has been established, tones whose tonal quality are different from one another are formed. A group setting section divides the tone forming channels into plural groups. The assignment section performs, group by group, assignment of a tone to be generated to any of channels in each group. Tones of different tonal quality are formed between different groups.

Abstract: A method for operating a digital synthesizer type of electronic musical instrument to rapidly make available digital oscillators to produce newly keyed notes even when all digital oscillators are currently active with previous assignments. The method contains a way of maintaining a record of the digital oscillator with the lowest amplitude, and reassigning this lowest amplitude digital oscillator to produce the new note on the rationale that the output of the lowest digital oscillator will be the least missed if an output has to be prematurely curtailed. Beside just a straight amplitude critereon, the method also allows for prioritizing some low amplitude outputs over others to make a more pleasing performance. The invention also includes an apparatus for performing the method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic rhythm performing apparatus which can generate both automatic rhythm sounds and manual rhythm sounds. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus which allows an operator to temporarily stop the generation of automatic rhythm, tones or to reduce the volume of automatic rhythm, tones at a predetermined point in the music; and to later produce a manual rhythm sound as the indication that the automatic rhythm sound should be resumed.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument includes a musical tone information storing device, a plurality of external memory devices, a control unit, a switching unit, and a determining unit. The musical tone information storing device stores musical tone information. The control unit controls information transfer between at least one of the external memory devices and the musical tone information storing device. The switching unit generates a transfer command. The determining unit determines whether an external memory device of the highest priority in accordance with a predetermined priority is in a transfer enable state. The control unit controls information transfer between the external memory device of the highest priority which is selected by the determining unit and the musical tone information storing device.

Abstract: A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus including a number of musical-tone-signal-generating channels, each of which generates musical-tone signals having tone pitches designated by tone-pitch information and having tone colors determined by tone-color information. These tone-pitch information and tone-color information are supplied to a musical-tone-signal-generating channel selected by predetermined rules. One of the rules is that a newly entered key-code is assigned to a musical-tone-signal-generating channel which has been generating a musical-tone signal whose tone color is the same as that of the newly entered key-code. Thus tone-color-control parameters need not be transferred to the channel, and this saves time necessary for the transfer, resulting in a speeding up of processing. Other similar rules are also used resulting in similar advantages.

Abstract: A key assigner system for an electronic musical instrument having an assignment memory assignment channel number N equal to or less than the number of signal sources of a musical tone signal generator for storing information such as a key number and/or an ON/OFF state of a key, a closed-keys sequence memory having the same number N of words as the channel number for storing channel name, and a processor for writing or reading ON/OFF states of key switches according to information from scanning ON/OFF states of key switches.

Abstract: A system for automatically determining principal tones of an accompaniment line supporting a melodic line comprises a plurality of principal tone inference engines which infer principal tones in accordance with different rules of inference from one another and a priority control which controls priorities among the plurality of inference engines to determine final principal tones in the accompaniment line. Each principal tone inference engine may include a condition checker which checks to see whether muscial conditions are met and a principal tone generator which generates principal tones. The priority control monitors the information supplied from the condition checkers to select final principal tones supplied from the principal tone generators. Some of the final principal tones may be dependent from the preceding principal tone while some others may be independent. There may also be provided a storage of the structure of music which is reflected in a series of the final principal tones.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument capable of performing an automatic accompaniment contains at least a tempo clock generator, a pattern memory, a manipulating section and a tone generator. The manipulating section includes at least a rhythm selecting switch for selecting a rhythm kind and a tempo speed control switch which controls the tempo clock generator to thereby change a tempo speed. The pattern memory stores a plurality of tone data each representative of a tone color and a plurality of pattern data each representative of a performance pattern. The tempo speed is divided into three speed areas. The tone data and pattern data are sequentially read from the pattern memory based on the selected rhythm kind and each speed area. Based on such read tone data and pattern data, the tone generator generates a musical tone signal by which desirable musical tones are to be generated.

Abstract: In a musical tone generator system, rhythm pattern data are read out from a rhythm pattern memory so that the formation of the tone signal specified by the rhythm pattern data is controlled by allocating the tone signal to one of the tone signal forming channels of a signal forming circuit, which is thus enabled to output from each of the tone signal forming channels the tone signal specified by the rhythm pattern data with the result that a sequence of tones is automatically generated in accordance with the rhythm pattern data. When any one of the tone select keys is activated, the formation of the tone signal corresponding to the tone designated by the activated tone select key is controlled by allocating the tone signal to one of the tone signal forming channels. The tone signal forming circuit is now enabled to form in and output from each of the tone signal forming channels a tone signal which corresponds to the tone designated by the activated tone select key.

Abstract: A tone color of a tone to be generated is selected by a tone color selection switch and various parameters for realizing the selected tone color are generated. There are provided a first operator for designating a fine adjustment in a predetermined direction (e.g., increasing direction) with respect to a predetermined tone color determining element and a second operator for designating a fine adjustment in a direction opposite to the direction (e.g., decreasing direction) with respect to the predetermined tone color determining element. Operation data concerning the predetermined tone color determining element is formed in accordance with operations of the first and second operators. A parameter associated with the predetermined tone color determining element among the parameters for realizing the selected tone color is changed in accordance with this operation data.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument is provided of the type in which a musical tone signal is formed by executing computations according to a mathematical formula such as a frequency modulation formula. Tone formation of each of musical tone signals to be simultaneously formed is assigned to each time-division-multiplexed time channel which is cyclically repeated over cycles of a plurality of time slots. A computation for forming each single musical tone is divided into a plurality of sub-computations, and those sub-computations are executed respectively using a plurality of cycles of time slots of each single time channel. Thus tone formation according to a complex computation formula is realized. Parameters necessary for the computation are generated respectively for each time slot so that any computational formula is adopted as desired by selecting predetermined parameters for each time slot.

Abstract: A keyboard operated musical instrument is disclosed in which the number of tone generators can be less than the number of keyswitches in a keyboard array of keyswitches. A binary-tree search is programmed to search subsets of the keyswitches to find keyswitches that have been actuated. The subsets are selected in an adaptive fashion which minimizes the search time required to detect and identify all the actuated keyswitches. A modular assignment subsystem is described whereby tone generators are assigned to actuated keyswitches according to a predetermined priority logic.

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.

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.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument comprises a keyboard for generating tone data or key codes each representative of a tone to be generated and a tone generating circuit having a plurality of tone generating channels. The electronic musical instrument also comprises a RAM having a plurality of storing positions for storing the key codes each of which is assigned under the control of a central processing unit (CPU) to a respective one of the tone generating channels to thereby generate a tone determined by the assigned key code. When a key is newly depressed on the keyboard, each of the key codes stored in the RAM is read therefrom and supplied to an envelope generator which in turn generates data representative of an amplitude of each of the envelopes given to the tones. The key codes read from the RAM are also supplied to a ROM to read therefrom weighting data.

Abstract: A sound producing device producing different notes when rotated. Three orthagonally mounted gravity switches produce signals corresponding to their orientation to a reference. A multiplexer or programmable counter coupled to the switches selects one output line for each combination of states of the switches. Each output is passed through different values of resistance so that unique frequencies result. The output of the multiplexer is coupled through an oscillator to a speaker and a tone corresponding to the frequency of the output selected is produced. Multivibrators are coupled to the switches and to the oscillator to shut off the production of sound when the device has been left at rest for a certain time period.

Abstract: A keyboard operated electronic musical instrument is disclosed wherein the number of tone generators is less than the number of keyswitches in a keyboard array of keyswitches. If all the available tone generators have been assigned to actuated keyswitches, the actuation of an additional keyswitch causes the oldest tone generator to be assigned to the newest keyswitch. The assignment action does not depend upon the release of any keyswitch. A phase addition means is used to remove the oldest tone generator so that release key clicks are not generated.

Abstract: A key data entry system for an electronic musical instrument comprises a keyboard having a plurality of user operable chord specification keys, a detector for detecting the key operation state of the chord specification keys, a first specifying device for specifying a particular one of the operated chord specification keys and a second specifying device for specifying the number of chord specification keys operated at one time. Further provided is a chord designating device which designates the root note and the kind of a chord to be produced as a function of the particular one of the operated chord specification keys and the number of chord specification keys operated at one time. In one implementation, one type of chord is produced when only one chord specification key is operated, a second type of chord is produced when two of the chord specification keys are operated together and a third type of chord is produced when three or more of the chord specification keys are operated together.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument which produces counter melody automatically selects one from among chord constituting tones in a predetermined priority order and produces a tone of the same note as the selected tone as a counter melody tone. This electronic musical instrument further comprises a chord type detector for detecting a chord type of a performed chord besides a chord designation detector for detecting the fact that the chord has been designated, a counter melody tone determining circuit for selecting one from among the chord constituting tones and sound system for producing the counter melody tone. The predetermined priority order is determined in accordance with the detected chord type. This dependence on chord type make it possible to produce a counter melody tone which is more rich in music.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument includes a keyboard having a plurality of keys, each depressed key being identified by a uniquely developed multibit code. Each of a plurality of tone generators, substantially less in number than the number of keys characterizing the keyboard, is operable in response to each of the multibit codes for producing a tone signal having a frequency corresponding to the pitch of the associated depressed key. Each depressed key is assigned for playing through one of the tone generators by a control circuit, the control circuit being responsive to the condition wherein all of the tone generators have been assigned to previously played keys for assigning a newly played key for playing through the tone generator which was assigned to the oldest released one of the previously played keys.

Abstract: An improved keyboard for a musical instrument includes a plurality of keys arranged in a side-by-side order, all lying in a common plane. Different embodiments of the invention have a varying number of keys per octave, from as small as 12 keys per octave to as high as 90-120 keys per octave. In those embodiments of the invention in which the number of keys per octave results in a key whose width is too narrow to be uniquely depressed by an operator's finger, associated apparatus determines from a plurality of keys which have been depressed, a particular tone to be produced. The keyboard may be associated with apparatus to distinguish one set of keys from other sets of keys, which apparatus can include a selectively energizable light source associated with each different key or other equivalent apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a keyer capture system for an electronic keyboard musical instrument, such as an electronic organ. The system is particularly adapted for the situation wherein a relatively low number of notes are required to be captured at one time, such as in the case of the pedals. The system is responsive to serial data for the pedals and the two keyers are captured on a priority basis with the master keyer given preference. If the note is already captured by the other keyer, then that note will not be captured by the keyer which is receiving the keydown pulse for that note, and a recirculating shift register for each keyer keeps track of which note that keyer has captured. The system is capable of being easily integrated into an electronic organ wherein the pedal data is in serial time division multiplexed format, and can be implemented as an accessory wherein it is desired to generate the pedal data from the lowest actuated key on one of the manuals.

Abstract: Key switches of a keyboard circuit are scanned by a counter which starts at a lower or upper limit value that is preset in the counter by a signal which also reverses the counting direction data from the counter, is provided to a first circuit having preset therein the number of preferential low-pitched or high-pitched tones to be produced and a second circuit having preset therein a maximal number of tones to be produced. In the case where the number of preferential low-pitched tones is preset in the first circuit, and when the number of tones based on the data from the counter reaches the preset number, the direction of counting of the counter is reversed by the signal to cause the counter count down starting with the preset upper limit value. In the case where the number of preferential high-pitched tone productions is preset in the first circuit, and when reaching the preset number, the direction of counting of the counter is inverted to cause it to count up from the preset lower limit value.

Abstract: A tone generator system for an electronic organ, which incorporates N programmable generators (where N is less than 12, and typically 7) which forms a system having the ability to sound notes of N different nomenclature tones at one time. A microprocessor controls the assignment of particular notes to each of the programmable generators, in accordance with the played keys of the keyboard(s) (and the tab switches, in the event that a partial footage is selected). Each of the programmable generators is connected to a chain of dividers and gates which are also under the control of the microprocessor. The information ascertained by the microprocessor from the keyboard(s) (and the tab switches) is used to control the selection of gates which control the passage of tone signals from appropriate dividers in the chains of dividers to an audio output system. More than one note of a particular nomenclature can be simultaneouly gated from the divider chain of a particular programmable generator.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument includes an upper, lower and pedal key boards and a solo keyboard, key switches and associated circuits for producing key codes of the depressed keys, and musical tone signal generators which generate musical tone signals in accordnace with the key codes. A priority selection circuit is provided for selecting a single key code from among a plurality of concurrent key codes with respect to plural keyboards in accordance with a predetermined order of priority, and a musical signal is generated by a predetermined generating system for producing a musical tone signal generator in accordance with the selected key code. Thus, a special intermanual coupler effect is realized.