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Electronic musical instrument

  • US 4,520,706 A
  • Filed: 01/10/1984
  • Issued: 06/04/1985
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1983
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. In an electronic musical instrument, the instrument having at least a first keyboard with movable keys for selecting the sounds to be produced, the instrument further having tone generating circuitry responsive to signals produced by operation of the keys for providing signals which may be transduced into the selected sounds, the improvement comprising:

  • transducer means associated with each key, an electrical characteristic of said transducer means varying as a function of the pressure exerted on the associated key, said transducer means each having an output terminal;

    electrical power supply means connected to said transducer means whereby voltages which vary as a function of the pressure exerted on the keys will be generated and will appear at said transducer means output terminals;

    clock means for generating timing signals;

    multiplexer means, said multiplexer means serially and cyclically sampling the voltages which appear at said transducer means output terminals and individually passing the sampled voltages;

    means for converting the voltages passed by said multiplexer means into digital data commensurate therewith;

    first comparator means for comparing digital data commensurate with the voltages appearing at each of said transducer means output terminals during two successive cycles of said multiplexer means, said first comparator means generating signals commensurate with the difference between the said each transducer means output terminal voltages;

    means generating a signal commensurate with a threshold level of key pressure;

    second comparator means for comparing said digital data from said converting means with said signal commensurate with the threshold pressure level and generating control signals indicative of the achievement of equality therebetween; and

    means responsive to said control signals, said timing signals, said digital data commensurate with said transducer means output terminal voltages and the signals generated by said first comparator means for producing input signals for the tone generating circuitry of the instrument, said input signals being commensurate with variation with time of each of said transducer means output terminal voltages subsequent to said output terminal voltages having reached values commensurate with the said threshold pressure level.

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