Apparatus for storing sequences of musical notes

• US 3,890,871 A
• Filed: 02/19/1974
• Issued: 06/24/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas E. Oberheim
• Original Assignee: Thomas E. Oberheim
• Inventors: Oberheim, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartary, Joseph W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US05/443,292
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 84/1.01-1.03,1.28,115,445,461,462,DIG.29
• US Class Current: 84/612
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 7/00 Instruments in which the tones are synthesised from a data store, e.g. computer organs

Abstract

A sequencing apparatus responsive to electric signals produced by playing an electronic music synthesizer keyboard for storing melodic and rhythmic information. The sequencer develops digital codes representing the durations between successive notes, and in addition converts the analog signals representing the pitch of a note into digital form. The sequencer, operating in a LOAD MODE, stores the digital data for subsequent playback during a PLAY MODE. Upon command, the digital pitch information is reconverted to analog form and returned to the electronic synthesizer at a selectable speed above or below the tempo of the melody originally played on the synthesizer keyboard.

Claims

1. In combination with an electronic music synthesizer having a keyboard and means responsive to the playing of each key for producing a trigger pulse and an analog voltage level representative of pitch, a sequencer apparatus responsive to the playing of a sequence of keys for storing information describing the melody represented thereby, said sequencer apparatus comprising:

duration logic means responsive to each trigger pulse subsequent to the initial trigger pulse in a sequence, for providing a multibit digital code representing the time duration since the immediately preceding trigger pulse;

level logic means for providing a multibit digital code representing the level of Analog voltage after each trigger pulse;

memory means comprised of a plurality of word locations each for storing a multibit word; and

means responsive to each trigger pulse provided by said duration logic means subsequent to the initial trigger pulse in a sequence for successively storing digital words in sequential locations of said memory means, each word comprised of a first digital code representative of time duration provided by said duration logic means and a second digital code representative of analog voltage level provided by said level logic means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means for storing words in sequential locations of said memory means includes addressing means for identifying a word location;

and means for incrementing said addressing means after each word is stored in said memory means.

3. The combination of claim 2 including means for reading a word from the word location identified by said addressing means;

means for incrementing said addressing means after each word is read from said memory means; and

means responsive to the duration represented in a read word for controlling when the next word is read by said reading means.

4. The combination of claim 3 including means responsive to the digital code in each read word representing analog voltage level for producing an analog voltage for application to said synthesizer.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said means for controlling when the next word is read includes a source of timing pulses and means for counting said timing pulses;

and tempo control means for varying the rate of said timing pulses to thereby vary the rate at which said analog voltages are applied to said synthesizer.

6. The combination of claim 4 wherein said means for producing an analog voltage includes:

transpose control means for varying the level of said analog voltage.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said synthesizer includes analog input and output terminals and trigger pulse input and output terminals and wherein said sequencer apparatus includes analog input and output terminals and trigger pulse input and output terminals;

and switch means operable in a LOAD position to couple said synthesizer analog output terminal to both said sequencer analog input terminal and said synthesizer analog input terminal and said synthesizer trigger pulse output terminal to both said sequencer trigger pulse input terminal and said synthesizer trigger pulse input terminal and operable in a PLAY position to couple said sequencer analog and trigger pulse output terminals to said synthesizer analog and trigger pulse input terminals, respectively.

8. The combination of claim 1, wherein said means for providing a digital code representing time duration includes:

pulse source means producing a train of timing pulses;

digital counting means for counting said timing pulses; and

means responsive to each trigger pulse for resetting said digital counting means.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means for providing a code representing the level of analog voltage includes:

pulse source means producing a train of pulses;

digital counting means responsive to said pulse source means for counting said pulses;

converter means responsive to said digital counting means for producing an analog signal equivalent to the count accumulated by said digital counting means; and

analog comparison means for inhibiting said digital counting means in response to said analog signal produced by said converter means being equal to said analog voltage level produced by said synthesizer.

10. Apparatus useful with a music synthesizer including (1) a keyboard and (2) means for producing a trigger pulse and an analog signal representative of pitch in response to each key actuation, said apparatus comprising:

means producing a train of timing pulses;

first means for counting said timing pulses;

means responSive to the count accumulated by said first means for producing an analog signal representative thereof;

means for comparing said analog signal representative of the accumulated count with an analog signal produced by a synthesizer to provide a match signal indicating when the compared analog signals match;

memory means for storing a plurality of counts;

means responsive to said match signal for transferring the count representative of pitch accumulated by said first means to said memory means;

second means for counting said timing pulses occurring between successive trigger pulses produced by a synthesizer to develop a count representative of the duration between successive key actuations; and

means for storing said count representative of duration in said memory means.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said memory means includes a plurality of word location each capable of storing a pitch count and a duration count and address means for identifying each of said word locations;

and means for incrementing said address means subsequent to each storing of said counts in a word location.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 including means for reading the contents of the word location identified by said means;

means for incrementing said address means after reading the contents of a word location; and

means responsive to the duration count read from a word location for controlling when the contents of a word location is next to be read.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 including means responsive to the pitch count read from a word location for producing an analog signal representative thereof.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said means for producing said analog signal responsive to said first means and said means for producing said analog signal responsive to said pitch count define digital to analog conversion characteristics offset with respect to another.