Tone effects system with reversible effects cartridges

• US 10,102,838 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andy Mchale
• Original Assignee: Andy Mchale
• Inventors: McHale, Andy
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US15/817,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20180144731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 84626
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0091 Means for obtaining special acoustic effects combined with modulation G10H1/043
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/18 Selecting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/348 Switches actuated by parts of the body other than fingers
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/155 Musical effects
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/021 Indicator, i.e. non-screen output user interfacing, e.g. visual or tactile instrument status or guidance information using lights, LEDs, seven segments displays screen displays G10H2220/005, graphical user interfaces adapted for electrophonic musical instruments G10H2220/091; tactile key feedback G10H2220/311
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/165 Memory card, i.e. removable module or card for storing music data for an electrophonic musical instrument
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/171 Transmission of musical instrument data, control or status information; Transmission, remote access or control of music data for electrophonic musical instruments details about the transmitted data contents G10H2240/011
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/641 Waveform sampler, i.e. music samplers; Sampled music loop processing, wherein a loop is a sample of a performance that has been edited to repeat seamlessly without clicks or artifacts
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/186 Means for processing the signal picked up from the strings filtering G10H1/12

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for a tone effects base unit, system, and method of using the tone effects base unit. A tone effects base unit includes an integrated housing and one or more slots integrated into the housing. The one or more slots are configured to receive reversible sound effects cartridges, whereby the reversible sound effects cartridge include one or more sound effects that are applicable to sound produced from an electric instrument and emitted from an amplifier. A tone effects base unit is configured to include one or more effects mode lights associated with each slot so that the one or more effects mode lights is illuminated a predetermined color depending on whether a reversible sound effects cartridge is inserted into the slot or not and depending on whether the reversible sound effect cartridge is inserted in a normal mode or in an FX loop mode orientation.

Claims

1. A tone effects base unit, comprising:

a housing for the tone effects base unit, the housing further comprising;

one or more slots integrated into the housing;

a plurality of connectors situated within each slot of the one or more slots;

one or more effect mode lights, wherein the one or more effect mode lights is associated with a different slot of the one or more slots;

one or more foot switches, wherein each of the one or more foot switches is associated with a different slot from the one or more slots;

one or more of status lights, wherein each of the one or more status lights are associated with a different foot switch of the one or more foot switches;

a microcontroller configured to communicate with the plurality of connectors, the one or more slots, the one or more effect mode lights, the one or more foot switches, and the one or more status lights;

at least one instrument signal input port;

at least one signal output port;

at least one FX input port; and

at least one FX output port, wherein the at least one instrument signal input port is configured to be connectable to an electric instrument, and the at least one signal output port, the at least one FX input port, and the at least one FX output port are configured to be connectable to an amplifier.

2. The tone effects base unit of claim 1, further comprising one or more rotary potentiometers associated with each slot of the one or more slots, wherein the one or more rotary potentiometers is configured to change a tone effect or level for a reversible sound effect cartridge that is insertable into a particular slot of the one or more slots.

3. The tone effects base unit of claim 1, wherein the one or more effect mode lights is configured to produce at least three predetermined colors, wherein the one or more effect mode lights is configured to illuminate a first predetermined color if a reversible sound cartridge is inserted into the one or more slots in a normal mode, to illuminate a second predetermined color if a reversible sound cartridge is oriented 180 degrees in the one or more slots in a FX loop mode, and to illuminate a third predetermined color if the reversible sound cartridge is not inserted into the one or more slots.

4. The tone effects base unit of claim 1, further comprising, a remote control unit port, wherein a remote control unit is configured to be connected to the remote control unit port.

5. The tone effects base unit of claim 4, wherein the remote control unit stores scene sets of reversible sound cartridges inserted into the one or more slots of the tone effects base unit.

6. The tone effects base unit of claim 1, wherein each slot of the one or more slots is electronically coupled to at least two relays associated with the microcontroller.

7. A system for a tone effects base unit, comprising:

a housing for the tone effects base unit, the housing further comprising;

one or more slots integrated into the housing;

a plurality of connectors situated within each slot of the one or more slots;

one or more effect mode lights, wherein the one or more effect mode lights is associated with a different slot of the one or more slots, wherein the one or more effect mode lights comprises a set of predetermined colors;

one or more foot switches, wherein each of the one or more foot switches is associated with a different slot from the one or more slots;

one or more of status lights, wherein each of the one or more status lights are associated with a different foot switch of the one or more foot switches;

a microcontroller configured to communicate with the plurality of connectors, the one or more slots, the one or more effect mode lights, the one or more foot switches, and the one or more status lights;

at least one instrument signal input port;

at least one signal output port;

at least one FX input port; and

at least one FX output port, wherein the at least one instrument signal input port is configured to be connectable to an electric instrument, and the at least one signal output port, the at least one FX input port, and the at least one FX output port are configured to be connectable to an amplifier; and

at least one reversible sound effects cartridge, wherein the at least one reversible sound effects cartridge can be inserted into one of two channels, wherein the orientation of the at least one reversible sound effect cartridge into a corresponding slot of the one or more slots determines which channel is activated for the at least one reversible sound cartridge.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the orientation of the at least one reversible sound effects cartridge is either in normal mode or in FX loop mode, wherein a first channel is associated with the normal mode and a second channel is associated with the FX loop mode.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein in the FX loop mode, the reversible sound effects cartridge is oriented 180 degrees from the normal mode.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein if the orientation of the reversible sound effects cartridge is in the normal mode, the FX loop is bypassed, and further wherein if the orientation of the reversible sound effects cartridge is in the FX loop mode, then the normal mode is bypassed.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one instrument signal input port is configured to be connectable to the electric instrument via a cable, and the at least one signal output port, the at least one FX input port, and the at least one FX output port are configured to be connectable to either a front side or a back side of the amplifier via one or more cables.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one reversible sound cartridge includes a circuit board and circuitry to produce one or more sound effects that is applicable to sound produced from the electric instrument and as emitted from the amplifier.

13. A method for using a tone effects base unit and at least one reversible sound effects cartridge, the method comprising:

providing the at least one reversible sound effects cartridge and inserting the at least one reversible sound effects cartridge into a particular slot of a set of slots on the tone effects base unit, further comprising;

inserting the at least one reversible sound effects cartridge in a normal mode orientation into the particular slot, wherein inserting the at least one reversible sound effects cartridge in the normal mode allows one or more sound effects of the at least one reversible sound effect cartridge to be applied to sound produced from an associated electric instrument out of a connected amplifier without passing the sound through the FX loop; and

inserting the at least one reversible sound effects cartridge in a FX loop mode orientation by inserting the at least one reversible sound effects cartridge 180 degrees from the normal mode orientation into the particular slot, wherein inserting the at least one reversible sound effects cartridge in the FX loop mode orientation allows the one or more sound effects of the at least one reversible sound effects cartridge to be applied to the sound produced from the associated electric instrument out of the connected amplifier by passing through the FX loop.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether the at least one reversible sound effects cartridge is inserted in the particular slot of one or more slots disposed on the tone effects base unit;

responsive to determining that the reversible sound effects cartridge is inserted into the particular slot, determining whether the reversible sound effects cartridge is oriented in the normal mode orientation or in the FX loop mode orientation;

if the at least one reversible sound effects cartridge is oriented in the normal mode orientation, illuminating a first predetermined color on an effects mode light associated with the particular slot, wherein the first predetermined color corresponds to the normal mode orientation;

if the reversible sound effects cartridge is oriented in the FX loop mode orientation, illuminating a second predetermined color on an effects mode light associated with the particular slot, wherein the second predetermined color corresponds to the FX loop mode orientation; and

responsive to a determination that no reversible sound effects cartridge is inserted into the particular slot, illuminating a third predetermined color on an effects mode light, wherein the third predetermined color corresponds to an absence of a reversible sound effects cartridge in the particular slot.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising coupling the tone effects base unit to a remote control unit, and storing one or more scene sets on the remote control unit, wherein the scene sets corresponds to activated slots on the tone effects base unit.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising, inserting an input/output cartridge into the particular slot instead of the at least one reversible sound effects cartridge, wherein the input/output cartridge is coupled to a sound effects pedal, and further wherein one or more sound effects produced by the sound effects pedal is transmitted through the input/output cartridge when inserted into the particular slot.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the electric instrument is an electric guitar.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising, adjusting one or more selectors disposed on the at least one reversible cartridge to manipulate the one or more sound effects associated with the at least one reversible cartridge.