Musical instrument rhythm programmer having provision for automatic pattern variation
First Claim
1. In an automatic rhythm system, in combination:
- memory circuit means having a set of input address lines and a set of output signal lines;
first address circuit means for producing a repetitive sequence of pulses, one-at-a-time, on individual ones of a first subset of said input address lines at a preselected first rate associated with subintervals of a musical measure;
second address circuit means for producing a sequence of pulses, one-at-a-time, on individual ones of a second subset of said input address lines at a second rate programmable to be at least one of a series of different subintervals of a musical measure and a series of different multiples of a musical measure; and
third address circuit means, including a plurality of manually operable controls each producing an enabling signal on a unique one of a third subset of said input address lines;
said memory circuit means being preprogrammed to respond to at least one of said enabling signals and to said pulses on said first and second subsets of said input address lines to produce differing sequences of output pulses on at least one subset of said output signal lines associated with said enabling signal, said sequences of output pulses on each subset of said output signal lines being characteristic of an associated basic type of rhythm pattern with variations in each such pattern at said second rate.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic rhythm programmer for an electrical musical instrument which provides electrical pulses for actuating musical voice generators according to predetermined rhythmic patterns, having provision for introducing any one of several predetermined variations into any basic rhythmic pattern and for automatically changing from one variation to another at a preselected rate. The programmer comprises a master oscillator, a first counter and an electronic commutator which periodically pulse in sequence a series of address lines in an integrated circuit read-only memory, which also contains a separate series of tracks for each basic rhythmic pattern, each track being in circuit with certain of the address lines and energized at predetermined times therefrom, each track also being connected to certain of the voice generators and operable to provide actuating pulses thereto. In order to provide pattern variations, the read-only memory further contains a series of track variation lines, each corresponding to a particular pattern variation, which can be energized either manually or periodically in sequence by a variation counter at a preselected rate, each track variation line being in circuit with certain of the tracks and operable when energized to cancel or enable certain actuating pulses to the voice generators, whereby the rhythmic patterns developed at the voice generators are varied either manually or automatically according to the energization of the track variation lines.
25 Citations
16 Claims
-
1. In an automatic rhythm system, in combination:
-
memory circuit means having a set of input address lines and a set of output signal lines; first address circuit means for producing a repetitive sequence of pulses, one-at-a-time, on individual ones of a first subset of said input address lines at a preselected first rate associated with subintervals of a musical measure; second address circuit means for producing a sequence of pulses, one-at-a-time, on individual ones of a second subset of said input address lines at a second rate programmable to be at least one of a series of different subintervals of a musical measure and a series of different multiples of a musical measure; and third address circuit means, including a plurality of manually operable controls each producing an enabling signal on a unique one of a third subset of said input address lines; said memory circuit means being preprogrammed to respond to at least one of said enabling signals and to said pulses on said first and second subsets of said input address lines to produce differing sequences of output pulses on at least one subset of said output signal lines associated with said enabling signal, said sequences of output pulses on each subset of said output signal lines being characteristic of an associated basic type of rhythm pattern with variations in each such pattern at said second rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. In an automatic rhythm system, in combination:
-
memory circuit means having a set of input address lines and a set of output signal lines; first address circuit means for producing a repetitive sequence of pulses, one-at-a-time, on individual ones of a first subset of said input address lines at a preselected first rate associated with subintervals of a musical measure; second address circuit means for producing a sequence of pulses, one-at-a-time, on individual ones of a second subset of said input address lines at a second rate programmable to be at least one of a series of different subintervals of a musical measure and a series of different multiples of a musical measure; and third address circuit means, including manual control means, for producing a set of manually variable address signals on a third subset of said input address lines; said memory circuit means being preprogrammed to respond to said pulses on said first and second subsets of said input address lines and to said manually variable address signals on said third subset of said input address lines to produce differing sequences of output pulses on said output signal lines characteristic of a preselected basic type of rhythm pattern selected by said manual control means with variations in said pattern at said second rate. - View Dependent Claims (10)
-
-
11. In an automatic rhythm system, in combination:
-
a set of rhythm voice generators; a set of output signal tracks; rhythm pattern circuit means for producing signal pulses on said set of output signal tracks according to a preselected rhythm pattern; and a set of actuating circuit means each associated with at least one of said signal tracks for operating a selected subset of said rhythm voice generators in accordance with signal pulses on said associated signal track; said rhythm pattern circuit means comprising; first address circuit means for producing a first set of address signals varying in a repetitive sequence at a preselected first rate associated with subintervals of a musical measure; second address circuit means for producing a second set of address signals varying at a second rate programmable to be at least one of a series of different subintervals of a musical measure and a series of different multiples of a musical measure; third address circuit means for producing a third set of address signals variable by manual control means; and a plurality of logic circuit means each receiving, simultaneously, unique preselected subsets of said first and second and third sets of address signals for producing signal pulses on an associated one of said signal tracks at time intervals determined as a combined function of said preselected subsets, whereby a basic rhythm pattern selected by said manual control means is characterized by variations which occur at said programmed second rate. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. In an automatic rhythm system, in combination:
-
a set of rhythm voice generators; a plurality of sets of output signal tracks; rhythm pattern circuit means for producing signal pulses on said sets of output signal tracks according to preselected differing types of rhythm patterns each associated with one of said sets of output signal tracks; and a set of actuating circuit means each associated with at least one of said signal tracks for operating a selected subset of said rhythm voice generators in accordance with signal pulses on said associated signal track; said rhythm pattern circuit means comprising; first address circuit means for producing a first set of address signals varying in a repetitive sequence at a preselected first rate associated with subintervals of a musical measure; second address circuit means for producing a second set of address signals varying at a second rate programmable to be at least one of a series of different subintervals of a musical measure and a series of different multiples of a musical measure; third address circuit means for producing a third set of address signals variable by manual control means; and a plurality of sets of logic circuit means, each set associated with one of said sets of output signal tracks, and each of said logic circuit means in each set receiving, simultaneously, unique preselected subsets of all of said first, second, and third sets of address signals for producing signal pulses on an associated one of said signal tracks at time intervals determined as a combined function of said preselected subsets, whereby said types of rhythm patterns are selectable individually and in combination by said manual control means and each is characterized by variations which occur at said programmed second rate. - View Dependent Claims (16)
-
Specification