Apparatus for processing music as data

• US 3,926,088 A
• Filed: 01/02/1974
• Issued: 12/16/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alan D. Levit, Keith H. Dougherty, Kenneth R. Sanderson, Stephen A. Davis, Thomas A. Hendrickson
• Original Assignee: Alan D. Levit, Keith H. Dougherty, Kenneth R. Sanderson, Stephen A. Davis, Thomas A. Hendrickson
• Inventors: Davis, Stephen A., Hendrickson, Thomas A., Dougherty, Keith H., Levit, Alan D., Sanderson, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartary, Joseph W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US05/430,458
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 84/1.01-1.03,1.28,DIG.29,115,461,462,464,477R
• US Class Current: 84/462
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/04 with sound emitters
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/086 for transcription of raw audio or music data to a displayed or printed staff representation or to displayable MIDI-like note-oriented data, e.g. in pianoroll format

Abstract

A musical instrument such as an organ with a keyboard is attached to a data processing system. The interface between the instrument and the computer includes means for converting electrical signals produced by depressing the keys on the instrument to data in a format suitable for processing. The musical instrument is provided with a mechanism such as a foot pedal which can be actuated by the artist to provide rhythm timing to the computer. The data processing system includes means for translating the data received from the musical instrument into a format suitable for printing, displaying or storing the data in musical notation.

Claims

1. In combination with a data processing system:

a keyboard musical instrument connected to said data processing system;

means for scanning the key contacts of the individual keys of the keyboard for converting electrical signals produced by depressing said keys into data which is compatible with said data processing system, means connected to said scanning means and responsive to signals from said data processing system for tranferring said data to said data processing system to thereby collect data representative of the music performed; and

means in said data processing system for translating said data into a format suitable for outputting said data in musical notation.

2. In combination with a keyboard instrument:

a data processing system first means for sampling depressed keys on the keyboard;

second means responsive to said sampling means for producing first data output representative of said depressed keys;

means responsive to said second means and to the data processing system for translating said first data output to said data processing system to thereby collect a second data output representative of the music performed; and

means responsive to said translating means for converting said second data output to third data output in musical notation for an output device.

3. In combination with a data processing system:

a musical instrument keyboard having key contacts coupled to an electrical source, said key contacts corresponding to keys on said keyboard for producing electrical signals having one state when a key is depressed and another state when a key is not depressed;

a switch coupled to an electrical source, operable in conjunction with the actuation of the keyboard during a musical perfomance;

means for scanning said key contacts and said switch for converting electrical signals produced by depressing said keys and switch, into digital data which is compatible with said data processsing system;

means connected to said scanning means and responsive to signals from said data processing system for transferring said data to said data processing system to thereby collect data representative of the music performed; and

means in said data processing system for translating said data into a format suitable for outputting said data in musical notation.

4. In combination with a data processing system:

a musical instrument including a keyboard;

means for inputting first data from said musical instrument into said system;

a control keyboard;

means responsive to said control keyboard for inputting command signals into said system by means of said control keyboard, said command signals generated by depressing selected keys on said control keyboard;

a first program module responsive to command signals received from said control keyboard for decoding said command signals submitted via said control keyboard;

a second program module responsive to said first data, including means for translating said first data into second data in a format suitable for outputting to an output device; and

means responsive to said first module for calling said second module.

5. The combination according to claim 4 including means actuable repetitively by a musical performer at said keyboard for providing repetitive electrical signals to said data processing system, which signals correspond to the rhythm maintained by said musical performer;

and means in said second program module responsive to said electrical signals for modifying said second data such that the content of said modified second data includes information which correlates said first data, from said musical instrument, with said electrical signals corresponding to the rhythm maintained by said musical performer.