ELECTRIC ORGAN WITH CHORD PLAYING AND RHYTHM SYSTEMS

• US 3,740,449 A
• Filed: 06/24/1971
• Issued: 06/19/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James S. Southard
• Original Assignee: James S. Southard
• Inventors: Southard, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkinson, Richard B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weldon, U.
• Application Number:
  US05/156,326
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 84/1.01,1.03,1.17,1.24,470,DIG.7,478,464 307/269 331/111,172
• US Class Current: 84/713
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/08 by combining tones G10H1/14, G10H1/16 take precedence; chord G10H1/38
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/38 Chord
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/42 comprising tone forming circuits

Abstract

The electric organ of the invention includes tone generators and frequency dividers for providing musical tones extending through a number of octaves. Tones in different octaves are combined to provide desired tone characteristics. A pedal board controls a pedal generator which provides bass tones, and selectively couples tones from the dividers to provide major and minor chords associated with the pedal tones played. A rhythm system is provided for chopping or modulating the chords in different rhythm patterns, and to provide percussion sounds and bass sounds in the various rhythm patterns. Logic and switching circuits control the rhythm patterns.

Claims

1. A rhythm system for use with an electric organ including in combination:

clock means for producing a train of clock pulses occurring at a given repetition rate;

divider means connected to said clock means for producing timing voltages at time intervals controlled by said clock pulses, said divider means being adapted to be reset by a potential applied thereto;

logic means connected to said divider and having a plurality of outputs, said logic means producing at each output pulses in a different rhythm pattern under control of said clock pulses;

operating means for The rhythm system;

switch means connecting said outputs to said operating means for selectively applying said pulses for said rhythm patterns thereto; and

clamp means connected to said switch means and responsive to operation thereof, said clamp means including means for applying a clamp potential to said divider means for resetting the same.

2. A rhythm system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said clamp means is connected to said switch means and applies said clamp potential in response to a potential applied to said clamp means by said switch means.

3. A rhythm system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said clamp potential is applied in response to a particular pulse of one rhythm pattern.

4. A rhythm system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said clamp means is coupled to said clock means and controls the same to initiate a pulse train at the time the clamp potential is removed, with said divider means being operative when said clamp potential is removed to produce the timing voltages.

5. A rhythm system in accordance with claim 1 including trigger means coupled to said clamp means for operating the same to remove the clamp potential.

6. A rhythm system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said clamp means is coupled to said clock means and to said divider means, said clamp means being responsive to said trigger means to apply a driving pulse to said divider means and cause said clock means to initiate a pulse train including a first pulse which is coincident with said driving pulse and which is applied to said divider means to supplement said driving pulse.

7. A rhythm system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said operating means includes a modulator for modulating tone signals in accordance with the selected rhythm pattern.

8. A rhythm system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said operating means includes percussion generator means, said percussion generator means producing signals in response to said pulses of the selected rhythm pattern applied thereto by said switch means.

9. A rhythm system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said percussion generator means includes means producing signals for bass drum sounds.

10. A rhythm system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said percussion generator means includes signal means producing signals for brush cymbal sounds, and gating means coupled to said signal means and controlled by said pulses of the selected rhythm pattern applied by said switch means.

11. A rhythm system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said gating means includes a first gate portion for providing short cymbal signals and a second gate portion for producing long cymbal signals, and said switch means includes separate portions for applying pulses to said first and second gate portions for separate rhythm patterns.

12. In an electric organ having tone generator means for producing signals representing musical notes, which are controlled by a keyboard, and which are controlled by a pedal board having pedals for applying tones for bass notes, the combination including, a plurality of switches coupled to each of the pedals and actuated thereby, means applying signals from the generator means to said switches for selection thereby, with the signals applied to said switches for each pedal corresponding to notes of chords which include the bass note applied by such pedal and including a first signal of the frequency of a note in a first chord and a second signal of the frequency of the corresponding note in a second chord, switch means connected to said plurality of switches for selecting one of said first or second signals, a plurality of lights associated with the keys of the keyboard for indicating the notes of the chords played, further switches coupled to said pedals for energizing said lights, said further switches being connected between a voltage supply and said lights, and further switch means enabling said further switches to energize the light indicating the note of the Said first chord or the said second chord.