through_tags
Method and apparatus for achieving timbre modulation in an electronic musical instrument2010-03-15 through the use of a digital magnitude comparator and associated digital logic. Selected note frequency signals and selected scale factors are compared in the digital magnitude comparator. Selected comparator outputs are applied to the associated digital logic in conjunction with a sample gating signal. This modulation results in a segmentation of the audio waveshape in accordance with the frequency signals selected for use in the comparator. Hence, choice of lower pitched frequency signals will result in a wider segmentation period, while choice of higher pitched frequency signals will narrow the segmentation period. Timbre modulation may be employed during note attack and/or decay.ClaimsI claim:
1. Apparatus for achieving timbre modulation in an electronic musical instrument including an audio wave shape generator responsive to octavely related note frequency signals,comprising:
means for generating a variable magnitude digital signal,
means connected to the audio wave shape generator for generating octavely related note frequency signals,
digital magnitude comparator means for comparing said variable digital signal with said octavely related note frequency signals and for producing an output signal based on predetermined comparisons,
means for generating a sample gating signal indicative of the desired state of the audio wave shape generator, and
digital logic means connected to the audio wave shape generator for accepting said sample gating signal and said digital magnitude comparator output signal and for producing a timbre modulated sample gating signal for controlling the audio waveshape generator.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for generating said octavely related note frequency signals includes a multiplexed accumulator.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein sai...
Method and apparatus for teaching musical notation to young children2010-03-12letter "G" itself. This same symbol is also displayed on the sides of a hollow toy block which houses swinging chimes which emit the sound of the appropriate note when the block is shaken.
The prior art systems described above all employ some form of symbology, by associating colors and/or images with the notes of the musical scale. However, some of these systems (e.g. Searing) are overly complex for use by very young children, while others (e.g. Adams, Ney, and Sledge) are particularly adapted to teaching the use of a piano keyboard, which may or may not be the object of instructing the child.
More fundamentally, none of these earlier systems makes full use of the capabilities which symbolization offers in education of young children. Recently, it has come to be understood that children employ symbology in changing and increasingly complex patterns very early in life. It is now believed that, beginning at about the age of two, children pass
through a series of developmental crests that have been termed "waves". As the child enters each wave, the use of symbolization becomes increasingly sophisticated. In particular, as children approach the more advanced stages of symbolization (around three to five years of age), they commonly show an attraction toward what has been referred to as "second-order" symbolization, in other words, a set of symbols or marks that itself refers to a first set of symbols or marks. It is believed that the impulse to create second-order symbol systems is a deep-seated human inclination which emerges with little provocation. The systems described above generally employ symbology in only the most basic forms, and thus do not take advantage of the powerful, higher-order levels of symbolization towards which children in this age group are naturally inclined.
Moreover, the development of "second-order" symbolization skills is valuable in and of itself. Once the child has devised a symbol system that itself refers to other symbol systems, the possibility of embeddedness emerges; complete systems can be systematically absorbed as component parts into ever more powerful systems, as, for example, when multiplication presumes addition, or when algebra presumes arithmetic. Such high-order systems of notation lie at the very center of many scholastic activities, and the capacity to engage readily in such activities is key to the academic success of a child. As will be described below, the present invention not only takes advantage of higher-order symbolization to achieve the immediate goal of instructing the child regarding the notes of the musical scale, but it fosters the early and continued development of such symbolization for the more general benefit of the child.
The preceding section has discussed the importance of higher-order symbolization in general. With respect the present invention, there are additional reasons for exercising the musical abilities of a child by employing a symbolization process. Firstly, it is now believed that what is generally referred to as human intelligence is actually made up of a plurality of distinct but interrelated "intelligences", each of which appears to be somewhat localized in separate regions of the brain, and each of which is susceptible to capture in a symbolic system. In particular, some specialists have theorized that there are at least seven identifiable "intelligences", namely (i) use of the body to solve problems or to make things, (ii) an understanding of other individuals, (iii) an understanding of ourselves, (iv) language, (v) logical-mathematical analysis, (vi) spatial representation, and (with respect to the present invention in particular) (vii) musical thinking (e.g., see The Unschooled Mind, Howard Gardner, Basic Books, Inc. (1991); Frames of Mind, the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Howard Gardner, Basic Books, Inc. (1983)).
Although the first six "intelligences" listed above are reasonably well addressed by conventional education programs, there is relatively little emphasis on musical thinking, with the result that this particular intelligence tends to be widely undeveloped in modern Western society. In a broader context, musical intelligence is one of those intelligences which make up what is commonly referred to (from it location) as "right brain" thought; it has become recognized that, although traditional academic programs stress the development of "left brain" skills, it is in fact critical for both types of thought to become fully developed if the individual is to achieve their full potential.
Moreover, it is believed that, amongst all of the identifiable "intelligences", musical thinking is one of the first to be enabled in the development of a child (see references cited above)....
Complete transposable notation and keyboard music system for typists2010-03-10with the treble clef with the note G one octave lower than FIG. 5.
FIG. 8 depicts a musical measure showing the treble clef having the normal key designation within the clef.
FIG. 9 depicts a musical measure showing the treble clef having a transported key designation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to comprise music 1 written for a typewriter keyboard 2 which is included into a means for producing musical tones, such as a synthesizer type musical instrument 3. FIG. 2 shows the standard keyboard 2 tobe a typewriter keyboard and to have forty keys 7 arranged into four rows of ten keys 7 each, wherein each key 7 when pressed plays a single note. As shown in FIG. 1, the music is comprised of notes 4 shown on a standard musical sheet, having a clef 5with a ball 8, and five horizontal lines 6. There could also be considerable additional information such as measures, beats per measure, articulation, but for the sake of simplicity these and other information are excluded from the drawings. FIG. 8shows the letter Z in the bottom of the clef 5. This indicates to a typist that the home row, the row where he/she is to initially place his/her fingers, is the set of keys 7 where the left little finger would normally be used to type the letter Z usingconventional touch typing techniques. In the illustration as shown in FIG. 8 the typist would position his/her left hand over the keys 7 lettered A,S,D,F and the typist places the fingers of the right hand over the keys 7 lettered J,K,L, and ";". Inthe traditional treble clef 5 notation in music, the note G is designated by a large fancy letter G which crosses
through and curls around the vertical position of the note G within the five traditional horizontal lines 6 contained in the usual musicalnotation system as shown in FIG. 5. This fancy G designation of the treble clef 5 can also be thought of to loop around the note G as shown in FIG. 6, one octave above the note G of FIG. 5. This fancy treble clef 5 can also be thought to encircle orotherwise similarly indicate the note G one octave below the note G of FIG. 5 as shown in FIG. 7. With the present invention, it is the note G as shown in FIG. 7 which serves to designate in which key a musical piece or portion of a musical piece is tobe played. The way this is accomplished is by showing the lowest note attainable on the keyboard 2 of the present invention using standard fingering techniques by the little finger of the left hand inside the ball 8 of the treble clef 5 as shown in FIG.8. In the normal home row of keys 7 using standard touch typing techniques, the little finger of the left hand is appropriate for typing the letters Z,A,Q, and one. Since the key 7 with the Z letter is the key 7 which would play the lowest pitched note4 on the keyboard 2 of the present invention when the fingers of the typist were originally placed over the traditional home row, the note G as shown in FIG. 7 would be the key 7 designation for using the normal home row by having the letter Z insertedin the ball 8 of the clef 5 as shown in FIG. 8. Thus the note G as shown in FIG. 7 is assigned to the key 7 with the letter symbol Z as shown in FIG. 1, and the whole keyboard 2 is laid out with respect to t...
Musical instrument bridge2010-03-091 illustrates a musical instrument, namely, an electric guitar 10, having a bridge 50 according to the present invention. Other than the bridge, the electric guitar is conventional, including a body 12 having a front face 14 and a rear face 16, as well as a volume control 11, a fretboard 18, an electrical pickup 20 and a set of strings 22.
The bridge 50 is secured to the rear face 16 of the instrument and lies mostly within a recessed area 25 of the instrument body 12, in the same fashion as existing tremolo-type bridges are mounted in electric guitars. In fact, replacing the conventional bridge of an electric guitar with a bridge according to the present invention does not require any major modifications to the guitar other than perhaps reshaping the recessed area 25 of the instrument body. The bridge 50 maintains the strings 22 at a predetermined position over the fretboard 18 and the pickup 20. As will be described in greater detail below, the bridge 50 according to the present invention improves isolation between the strings thereby reducing interstring modulation, increases the harmonic content and sustain of the strings, and reduces distortion due to the orbital motion of a vibrating string.
As shown in FIG. 2, the bridge 50 according to the present invention includes a plate 60, a mounting block 80 and a plurality of fingers 100. Disposed on top of each of the fingers 100 is a conventional saddle 120 that determines the height of a string 22 above the fretboard. Each saddle 120 includes a longitudinal adjustment screw 122 for moving the body of the saddle closer to or farther away from the fretboard, as well as a pair of vertical adjustment screws 124 to vary the height of the string 22 above the fretboard. The details of the saddle 120 are conventional and are well known to those of ordinary skill in the musical instrument arts.
As will be described in further detail below, each of the fingers 100 has a resonant frequency that is related to the pitch of the string 22 that is supported by the finger. The resonant frequency of each finger is selected assuming each string will be tuned to a standard predefined pitch. However, if it is desired to tune the instrument to something other than the standard tuning, it may be necessary to replace one or more fingers of the bridge with fingers that are designed for the alternate pitch. Additionally, because "most appropriate" resonant frequency for each finger is somewhat a matter of taste, it is possible that a finger having a fixed resonant frequency may sound acceptable for more than one tuning of the guitar. For the purposes of this specification, the terms "pitch" and "resonant frequency" are synonymous, with each term being used where appropriate for clarity.
With reference to FIG. 3, the plate 60 includes a plurality of holes 62 disposed around the perimeter of the plate
through which screws or other suitable fastening means may be inserted to secure the plate to the rear face of the musical instrument. The plate 60 also includes a plurality of slots 66
through which a string may be threaded without removing the plate or other bridge components from the instrument. Finally, the plate 60 includes a plurality of holes 68 which are aligned with a set of corresponding threaded holes 82 on the mounting block 80 for machine screws 70 or other suitable fasteners to secure the mounting block 80 to the plate 60.
The mounting block 80 also includes a series of unthreaded holes 86
through which a number of machine screws 72 or other suitable fasteners are passed. The machine screws 72 engage a threaded portion of the fingers 100 as will be described. The mounting block 80 includes a plurality of slots 84 in which the base portions of the fingers 100 are fitted. Finally, the mounting block 80 includes an outwardly extending lip 88 that mates with a corresponding groove 114 on each of the fingers 100.
The shape of the mounting block 80 is determined by the type of instrument in which the bridge in accordance with the present invention is to be used. It may be necessary to make the mounting block taller or shorter to position the fingers so that the strings are at the correct height above the fret board of the instrument. Additionally, some portions of the mounting block may be removed to reduce the mass of the mounting block.
Each finger 100 has three portions, a head portion 102, a base portion 110 and a waist portion 116 that connects the base portion to the head portion. The head portion 102 includes a saddle stop 104 having an unthreaded hole 105 for the longitudinal adjustment screw that secures the saddle on top of the head portion of the finger. Also disposed on the head portion 102 are a set of grooves 106 that receive the vertical adjustment screws 124 of the saddle as shown in FIG. 2. The grooves 106 maintain the alignment of the saddle on the head portion of the finger. Returning to FIG. 3, the head portion 102 includes an unthreaded hole 108
through which a musical instrument string is passed. A section 107 of the head portion 102 may be hollowed to reduce the mass of the head portion in order to adjust the resonant frequency of the finger as will be described below.
The base portion 110 of each finger 100 includes a threaded hole 112 that receives the machine screw 72 to secure the finger to the mounting block 80 and the plate 60. The base portion also includes a groove 114 that snugly receives the outwardly extending lip 88 of the mounting block for a secur...
Method and apparatus for automatic variable articulation and timbre assignment for an electronic musical instrument2010-03-06and a single duration is calculated for all the notes in the group. Note-ons for all the chord notes are sent at one time to the tone generator, and the corresponding note-off signals are sent after a time interval equal to the calculated duration has elapsed. All chord note-ons and note-offs are sent to a designated channel on the tone generator.
Polyphonic notes are treated independently. Each polyphonic note is assigned a duration proportional to the velocity of its note-on signal. A note-on signal is sent to the tone generator and the corresponding note-off signal is transmitted after a time interval equal to the calculated duration has elapsed. All polyphonic note-ons and note-offs are sent to a designated channel on the tone generator.
Melodic notes are processed such that successive tones are connected according to a specified articulation style (legato or staccato). When staccato style is specified, melodic notes are assigned a duration equal to a fixed percentage (less than 100%) of the on/on time associated with the new note. When legato style is specified, melodic notes are assigned an initial duration proportional to the velocity of the note-on signal. A note-on signal is sent to the tone generator, and the corresponding note-off signal is sent after a time interval equal to the calculated duration has elapsed. Melodic note-ons and note-offs are sent to a designated channel on the tone generator.
The actual duration of a melodic note may be modified from the originally calculated duration, as receipt of another melodic note-on while one or more melodic notes are still sounding can reschedule note-offs. Specifically, melodic notes are subject to overlap constraints. When staccato style is specified, only one melodic note can sound at a time. If a new melodic note is performed and a previous melodic note is still sounding, the older note is immediately stopped (even if its initially calculated duration has not elapsed), and the new note-on is sent to the tone generator. With legato style, if another melodic note is still sounding and a new melodic note-on is received, the previously calculated duration of the sounding note is canceled and the note is set to continue to sustain for an overlap interval which is a fixed percent of the on/on time associated with the new note. The new note-on is sent to the tone generator. The note-off for the preceding overlapping note is sent when the overlap interval has expired.
Only two melodic notes can be sounding at the same time in legato style. If a third melodic note-on is received while two are already sounding, the oldest note is immediately stopped, the other sounding note is assigned an overlap duration as described above, and the new note is started. If two successive melodic notes have the same pitch (i.e., the same note is repeated), then no overlap is performed. Instead, the note is stopped and restarted immediately.
The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof, particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals in the various figures are utilized to designate like components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a musical performance data signal processor according to the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are timing diagrams showing the legato treatment of two notes according to the invention.
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a music performance data signal processor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 4
through 16 are procedural flow charts illustrating the manner in which the duration, overlap and timbre of successive notes is controlled in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a procedural flowchart of an alternative implementation of the new note routine illustrated in FIG. 7.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a musical performance data signal processor which illustrates the operating principle of the present invention. Incoming musical performance data from a controller is parsed and routed by input router 1. Note-on pitch number and velocity, and sustain pedal on/off data are retained for further processing. Note-off data is ignored. All other data is passed
through to the three output channel assigns 9,10,11.
Note-on data (pitch and velocity) are routed according to the time interval from the preceding note-on (the on/on time). The note classifier 2 measures the on/on time and compares it to two threshold values T1 and T2 (T1
The chord creator 3 assigns a duration and velocity to each note in the chord. The chord creator may compute a single duration and/or velocity that is used for all the notes in a chord or assign a unique duration and/or velocity to each note. The chord scheduler 6 plays the chord by generating a note-on data for each note in the chord and keeps track of sounding notes. When the assigned duration for a note in the chord schedule has elapsed, the chord scheduler 6 generates the corresponding note-off data and removes the note from the chord schedule.
The polyphonic note creator 4 assigns a duration and velocity to a note. The polyphonic scheduler 7 plays the note by generating a note-on data and keeps track of sounding notes. When the assigned duration for a note in the polyphonic schedule has elapsed, the polyphonic scheduler 7 generates the corresponding note-off data and removes the note from the polyphonic schedule.
The melodic note creator 5 a...
Method and Apparatus for Playing in Synchronism with a CD an Automated Musical Instrument2010-03-04Disc standard and media. [0017] CD Player--A device, such as an optical drive, that is capable of playing a CD. [0018] CD Player Subsystem--An electronic Subsystem used to play CDs such as an integrated CD player ASIC and related electronic components contained within a larger system such as a Controller. [0019] Music Sequence--A term used in this application to generically refer to a chronological sequence of time-stamped digital musical instrument articulation events that encapsulates a performance of one or more musical instruments. This could be a SMF, a MIDI Sequence, or an otherwise encoded sequence that achieves the same objective. [0020] Sync-Along CD--The technique described herein for synchronizing a music sequence to a CD Player or CD Player Subsystem. [0021] Sync-Along CD Device--The device that implements the technique. This device can either attach to or be contained within a controller. [0022] PCM--Acronym for Pulse Code Modulation. This term refers to the linear digital encoding of instantaneous audio amplitude at a constant sample rate. This is also referred to as uncompressed digital audio.
[0023] In the present invention, the controller,
through use of a CD drive and subsystem incorporated into the controller, acts as both the MIDI Sequencer and the CD playback device, so the controller has inherent and immediate knowledge of what CD audio track is being played and what that track's time progress is authored music sequences to accompany commercial CD release. Typically, these commercial CDs will contain musical performances and the object is to drive the automated musical instrument synchronously along with the CD.
[0024] These pre-authored music sequences are synchronized to the digital audio stream of the CD per track. This means that a particular track is extracted from the CD by the authoring system. Once this is done, it is played by the authoring system which is simultaneously capturing a live piano performance along with it and converting that performance to a music sequence, typically in MIDI format. The time stamps use the CD's extracted digital audio stream as its source of time reference rather than some other system time. Hence, the resulting music sequence is synchronized to the CD track on any playback system as long as the playback system uses the CD's digital audio stream as its time reference.
[0025] Once the music sequence is authored or pre-authored as the process is alternatively named, it is associated with a CD song in some way. Since the Sync-Along device or controller is always the renderer of the CD Audio, it has specific knowledge of the CD that is being played, i.e., its Volume ID, and is always aware of exactly what track is being played. As such, the specific Volume ID an...
Electronic device to detect and generate music from biological microvariations in a living organism2010-03-02perceptible
through one of the human senses. The method includes the steps of transforming microvariations within a living organism into an analog electrical signal and generating the sequence of environmental changes perceptible
through the human senses based on said analog signal. The sequence of changes can include the generation of music based on the signal, or the control of lighting, aromas, or air movement in the environment of the organism. One example application is the generation of music from electrical microvariations detected in a house plant.Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of using microvariations of a biological living organism to generate a sequence of environmental changes perceptible
through one of the human senses, such method comprising the steps of:
transforming microvariations within a living organism into an analog electrical signal; and
generating the sequence of environmental changes perceptible
through the human senses based on said analog signal.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the sequence of environmental changes further comprises generating music in an environment of said organism.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the sequence of environmental changes further comprises generating a sequence of different lighting conditions in an environment of said organism.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of generating the sequence of different lighting conditions further comprises generating a sequence of different lighting intensities in the environment of said organism.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of generating the sequence of different lighting conditions further comprises generating a sequence of different lighting color spectrums in the environment of said organism.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the sequence of environmental changes further comprises generating a sequence of different moisture levels in an environment of said organism.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the sequence of environmental changes further comprises generating a sequence of air movement conditions in an environment of said organism.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating the sequence of air movement conditions further comprises controlling a fan speed.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating the sequence of air movement conditions further comprises controlling the orientation of a fan.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the sequence of environmental changes further comprises generating a sequence of different aroma conditions in an environment of said organism.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of generating the sequence of different aroma conditions in the environment of said organism further comprises evaporating a sequence of different aroma chemicals into the air in the environment of said organism.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of generating the sequence of different aroma conditions further comprises Varying over time the evaporation rate of an aroma chemical in the environment of said organism.
13. The method of claim 1, where the step of generating the sequence of environmental changes based on said analog signal comprises:
periodically converting said analog signal to a digital signal using an analog to digital converter;
utilizing said periodically converted digital signal as an input to a sequence generating program running on a microprocessor; and
outputting digital environmental control data from said microprocessor.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of generating the sequence of environmental changes further comprises generating music in the environment of said organism.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein said digital environmental control codes comprise MIDI synthesizer control codes.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the ...
Magnetic pickup for stringed musical instrument2010-03-01pole leg perstring and all of said outer polepiece pole legs having the same height
16. A magnetic pickup for a stringed musical instrument, having a plurality of ferromagnetic strings supported generally in a single plane in side by side relation, comprising:
(a) a coil;
(b) a flat permanent magnet juxtaposed with said coil for inducing magnetic flux within said coil and within a plurality of said strings; and
(c) a plurality of separate flat polepieces magnetically coupled with said permanent magnet and shaped to form a plurality of paths for magnetic flux
through the turns of said coil, each of said paths including one of said strings, at least oneof said polepieces being a thin flat sheet of ferromagnetic material juxtaposed with said permanent magnet and disposed in a plane generally normal to the plane of said strings, said sheet having an edge configuration spaced from each of said strings bya selected non uniform distance so that the length of the magnetic flux path
through each of said string is individually determined in accordance with the shape of said edge.DescriptionBACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to magnetic pickups for stringed musical instruments.
2. Prior Art
One-coil or two-coil magnetic pickups have been utilized for transducing the vibration of strings in musical instruments to corresponding electrical signals.
In a single-coil magnetic pickup, a coil wound around a permanent magnet core has electric currents induced therein when a string passing in proximity to the core vibrates. The vibration of the string varies the magnetic field
through the coreto induce a corresponding electric current. A separate permanent magnet is provided for each string, with the coil being common to all cores.
Single-coil pickups are susceptible to stray magnetic fields which cause hum or other noise. To eliminate the hum, an added coil has been serially connected out ...
Musical resonator mounting structure2010-02-26of said support plate at a distance; and wherein said clamping unit comprises an elongated slot on the horizontal portion of said support plate, a clamping plate coupled to the elongated slot on said support plate, said clamping plate having a clamping wall at one end remote from said support plate, a screw inserted
through a hole on said clamping plate, a hole on the vertical portion of said support plate and a hole on the vertical portion of said resilient coupling plate, two side flanges bilaterally raised from the vertical portion of said support plate, a spring mounted around the screw of said clamping unit and stopped between said clamping plate and said support plate, and a wing nut threaded onto the screw of said clamping unit to pull said clamping wall of said clamping plate toward said side flanges, enabling said side flanges and said clamping wall of said clamping plate to be clamped on two opposite sides of a bottom counterhoop of a drum.
2. The musical resonator mounting structure of claim 1, wherein said resilient coupling plate of said holding down unit has an oblique middle portion, a horizontal top end portion and a horizontal bottom end portion respectively extended from two opposite ends of the oblique middle portion of said resilient coupling plate in reversed directions, the horizontal top end portion of said resilient coupling plate being fastened to said connecting plate, the horizontal bottom end portion of said resilient coupling plate being fastened to the fixed end of said support plate; said support plate is a flat plate having a fixed end attached to the horizontal bottom end portion of said resilient coupling plate, and a free end suspending below the horizontal top end portion of said coupling plate; said adjustment screw is inserted
through a ...
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