Constantly changing polyphonic pitch controller
First Claim
1. A device for controlling electrical signals comprising:
- (a) a body comprising a multiplicity of controls and displays for respectively programming and monitoring the operation of the device, and a multiplicity of on/off switches for activating pre-programmed electrical signals generated by an external electrical signal generating means, the switches being disposed on a base portion of said body, said body having two orthogonal axes with distal and proximate borders on one axis, and upper and lower borders on the other axis;
(b) a rigid neck with a proximate end attached to and extending longitudinally from the distal border of the body;
(c) a slide hand controller member comprising a support for a plurality of levers which may be actuated by one hand of a user, said slide hand controller member being superposed on so as to freely slide longitudinally along the neck, said slide hand controller member also producing first and second distinctive electrical control signals as it slides longitudinally and as its individual levers are actuated, respectively, said first and second distinctive electrical control signals electrically altering the pre-programmed electrical signals activated by the multiplicity of switches attached to the body;
(d) stopping means secured to the distal end of the neck for inhibiting further longitudinal motion of the slide hand controller member in the distal direction; and
(e) processing means, responsive to said multiplicity of on/off switches of the body and said first and second distinctive electrical control signals, for determining controller position, lever position and movement signals representing the position of said slide hand controller member along said neck, the position of said levers, and movement of said slide hand controller member along said neck, respectively, and for translating according to an intelligent protocol, the controller position, lever position and movement signals into adapted electrical control signals for controlling at least one of pitch, amplitude and tone of the output of said external signal generating means, said processing means being controlled by user input via the multiplicity of controls of the body.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A real-time polyphonic pitch controller and process for controlling notes or tones emanating from signal synthesizers such as used in the performance of music. The controller comprises a body with key controllers, each of which activates a pre-programmed note; a strumming controller which automatically activates selected key controlled notes in a pre-programmed sequence and rate; and controls and displays used for programming and performance. Extending longitudinally from the body is a guitar-like neck graduated by fret markings and over which slides a hand controller incorporating finger levers. Sliding the hand controller creates portamento, vibrato or glissando effects on the notes activated by the key controllers. Also, each finger lever of the hand controller when depressed raises and/or lowers its own peculiar, pre-programmed combination of individually voiced notes by pre-programmed amounts. Some note pitches may be raised, others lowered, and still others unaffected by the movement of a lever, and the finger levers may be operated separately or in combination. When only partially depressed, a lever alters the pitch of the pre-selected combination of individually voiced notes fractionally, in porportion to the lever'"'"'s depression. The controllers may further operate in conjunction with a computer program which interprets and processes the controller'"'"'s pitch altering signals and teaches the musician how to perform on the instrument expressively. In an alternative embodiment, the controller incorporates a sliding fretted hand controller with finger pads rather than levers.
209 Citations
53 Claims
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1. A device for controlling electrical signals comprising:
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(a) a body comprising a multiplicity of controls and displays for respectively programming and monitoring the operation of the device, and a multiplicity of on/off switches for activating pre-programmed electrical signals generated by an external electrical signal generating means, the switches being disposed on a base portion of said body, said body having two orthogonal axes with distal and proximate borders on one axis, and upper and lower borders on the other axis; (b) a rigid neck with a proximate end attached to and extending longitudinally from the distal border of the body; (c) a slide hand controller member comprising a support for a plurality of levers which may be actuated by one hand of a user, said slide hand controller member being superposed on so as to freely slide longitudinally along the neck, said slide hand controller member also producing first and second distinctive electrical control signals as it slides longitudinally and as its individual levers are actuated, respectively, said first and second distinctive electrical control signals electrically altering the pre-programmed electrical signals activated by the multiplicity of switches attached to the body; (d) stopping means secured to the distal end of the neck for inhibiting further longitudinal motion of the slide hand controller member in the distal direction; and (e) processing means, responsive to said multiplicity of on/off switches of the body and said first and second distinctive electrical control signals, for determining controller position, lever position and movement signals representing the position of said slide hand controller member along said neck, the position of said levers, and movement of said slide hand controller member along said neck, respectively, and for translating according to an intelligent protocol, the controller position, lever position and movement signals into adapted electrical control signals for controlling at least one of pitch, amplitude and tone of the output of said external signal generating means, said processing means being controlled by user input via the multiplicity of controls of the body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A process for producing polyphonic pitch altering control signals in real-time, comprising the following steps:
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(a) assigning basic note pitch values to a plurality of key controller on/off switches controlled by one hand of a user; (b) assigning a first predetermined incremental note pitch value to a predetermined increment of movement of a slide hand controller member such that said basic note pitch values are polyphonically altered uniformly in one of a glissando and portamento manner as said slide hand controller member is slid; (c) assigning second predetermined incremental note pitch values to levers attached to the exterior side of the slide hand controller member, said levers being activated by the fingers and thumb of one hand of the user and altering, in proportion to their depression, the pitch of the basic note pitch values of the plurality of key controller on/off switches; (d) depressing in a desired sequence the plurality of key controller switches so as to produce a signal corresponding to said basic note pitch values; (e) selectively sliding said slide hand controller member so as to produce a signal corresponding to said first predetermined incremental note pitch value; (f) selectively depressing said levers so as to produce a signal corresponding to said second predetermined incremental note pitch values; (g) processing said signal corresponding to said basic note pitch values and said signals corresponding to said first and second predetermined incremental note pitch values to produce a polyphonic pitch control signal; and (h) controlling a sound synthesizeer to vary its output in response to said polyphonic pitch control signal. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A process for producing polyphonic pitch altering control signals in real-time, comprising the following steps:
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(a) assigning basic note pitch values to a plurality of key controller on/off switches controlled by one hand of a user; (b) determining a sequence and rate at which said plurality of key controller on/off switches are to be activated by a strum controller; (c) assigning a first predetermined incremental note pitch value to a predetermined increment of movement of a slide hand controller member such that basic note pitch values are polyphonically altered uniformly in one of a glissando and portamento manner as said slide hand controller member is slid; (d) assigning second predetermined incremental note pitch values to levers attached to the exterior side of the slide hand controller member, said levers being activated by the fingers and thumb of one hand of the user and altering, in proportion to their depression, the pitch of the basic note pitch values of the plurality of key controller on/off switches; (e) depressing in a desired sequence said plurality of key controller on/off switches so as to produce a signal corresponding to said basic note pitch values and selectively activating said strum controller in said sequence at said rate to thereby produce signals corresponding to said sequence of basic note pitch values; (f) selectively sliding said slide hand controller member so as to produce a signal corresponding to said first predetermined incremental note pitch value; (g) selectively depressing said levers so as to produce a signal corresponding to said second predetermined incremental note pitch values; (h) processing said signal corresponding to said basic note pitch values and said signals corresponding to said first and second predetermined incremental note pitch values to produce a polyphonic pitch control signal; and (i) controlling a sound synthesizer to vary its output in response to said polyphonic pitch control signal.
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21. In an electronic musical instrument of the type having a body with a plurality of key controller switches each of which activates a predetermined electronically synthesized note, and in which translucent key controller switches resembling "white" piano keys are illuminated from behind by a light source such that each key controller switch may be easily seen in the dark, an improved key controller wherein each key controller switch is illuminated according to a spectral color scheme such that the key controller switch activating the lowest frequency note is illuminated by a color closest to the red end of the optical spectrum, and each other key controller switch activating successively higher frequency notes is illuminated by a proportionally higher frequency optical light, thereby allowing the user to determine, at a glance, the relative pitch of each predetermined electronically synthesized note activated by the key controller switches.
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22. An electronic musical instrument comprising:
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(a) a body comprising a multiplicity of controls and displays for programming and monitoring the operation of the instrument, respectively, and a predetermined number "n" of piano key control switches disposed on the body for activating pre-programmed notes generated by a synthesizer; (b) a rigid neck with fret markings extending longitudinally from the body; (c) a sliding hand controller member superposed on so as to freely slide longitudinally along the neck, wherein the sliding hand controller member causes the pitch of said pre-programmed notes to be uniformly altered, in real-time, as it is slid; and (d) a matrix of fretboard switches attached to the exterior of the sliding hand controller member for emulating an "m" fretted section of an "n" stringed guitar, wherein "m" is a number between 3 and 6 and each switch in the matrix of fretboard switches when depressed raises or lowers the pitch of the pre-programmed notes by a predetermined amount.
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23. A strum controller of an electronic musical instrument having a body, a neck extending from the body, and a fingerboard on the neck for producing a desired sequence of selected musical tones through an electronic tone generating means, comprising:
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a first monostable on/off strum switch, normally undepressed, disposed on said body so as to be depressed by an operator'"'"'s little finger during operation of said electronic musical instrument, said first switch activating a first predetermined sequence of selected musical tones at a first rate when depressed; a second monostable on/off strum switch, normally undepressed, disposed on said body so as to be depressed by the operator'"'"'s thumb during operation of said electronic musical instrument, said second switch activating a second predetermined sequence of selected muscial tones at a second rate when depressed; an arm with ends respectively superposed on and fixed to each of said first and second strum switches; a pivot disposed on the body between the first and second strum switches, said arm resting on said pivot so as to create a fulcrum about which the arm selectively actuates said first and second strum switches during operation of said electronic musical instrument; and pressure and velocity sensing means provided in said first and second strum switches for sensing the pressure and velocity at which said first and second strum switches are actuated by said arm.
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24. A pitch controller for use with a sound generator, comprising:
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a controller housing with a plurality of control switches and a plurality of note activating switches mounted on a side thereof, each note activating switch causing a predetermined note to be sounded when closed; a neck member mechanically supported by and rigidly attached to said controller housing and attached at a proximate end thereof, said neck member extending longitudinally away from said controller housing; a slide hand controller comprising a plurality of levers for depression by one hand of a user, said slide hand controller being mounted on said neck member so as to slide longitudinally along said neck member, movement of said slide hand controller causing a hand controller position signal representing the position of said slide hand controller along said neck member to be generated and depression of one or more of said levers causing lever position signals representing the position of each of said levers to be generated; processing means, integral to said controller housing and responsive to said plurality of control switches, for altering at least one of tone, amplitude and pitch of said predetermined note in response to said hand controller position signal and said lever position signals, for causing said altered note to be outputted by said sound generator, and for selectively outputting a user feedback information signal for identifying which of said note activating switches is closed, which of said levers is depressed and by how much, and the position along the neck member of said slide hand controller. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A pitch controller for use with a sound generator, comprising:
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a controller housing with a plurality of control switches and a plurality of note activating switches mounted on a side thereof, each note activating switch causing a predetermined note to be sounded when closed; a neck member mechanically supported by and rigidly attached to said controller housing and attached at a proximate end thereof, said neck member extending longitudinally away from said controller housing; a slide fretboard controller mounted on said neck member such that said slide fretboard controller may slide longitudinally along said neck member, said slide fretboard controller comprising a plurality of fret divisions, each of said fret divisions containing a separate pressure sensitive switch for each of said note activating switches, wherein movement of said slide fretboard controller causes a fretboard controller position signal representing the position of said slide fretboard controller along said neck member to be generated and depression of one or more of said pressure sensitive switches causes fret depression signals representing which of said pressure sensitive switches is depressed to be generated; and processing means, integral to said controller housing and responsive to said plurality of control switches, for altering at least one of tone, amplitude and pitch of said predetermined note in response to said fretboard controller position signal and said fret depression signals, for causing said altered note to be outputted by said sound generator, and for selectively outputting a user feedback information signal for identifying which of said note activating switches is closed, which of said pressure sensitive switches is depressed, and the position along the neck member of said slide fretboard controller. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51)
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52. A method for producing polyphonic pitch control signals in real-time, comprising the steps of:
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assigning note values to each of a plurality of note activating switches, each of said note values being represented by an electrical signal; assigning a pitch increment value to an increment of movement of a slide hand controller, the pitch of each of said note values being uniformly raised or lowered by the movement of said slide hand controller; activating a predetermined note by closing one or more of said note activating switches; continuously generating a uniform pitch increment control signal identifying the position of said slide hand controller; altering at least one of tone, amplitude, and pitch of said predetermined note in response to said uniform pitch increment control signal; outputting said altered note to a sound generator; selectively transmitting a user feedback information signal to a processing means, said user feedback information signal identifying which of said note activating switches is depressed and the position of said slide hand controller; receiving said user feedback information signal by said processing means; processing in real-time said user feedback information signal to determine the pitches being played by the user; and displaying said processed user feedback information signal and user operating instructions on a display. - View Dependent Claims (53)
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Specification