Multiple key electronic instrument having background songs each associated with solo parts which are synchronized with and harmonious with the background song
First Claim
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1. An electronic musical instrument comprising:
- a body;
a first memory means for storing background music sections, each of said background music sections containing one or more operation codes that encode at least one of note pitch, duration and control information;
a second memory means for storing solo music sequences, each of said solo music sequences containing one or more operation codes that encode at least one of note pitch, duration and control information;
a plurality of first switches, each of said first switches being coupled to an associated one of a plurality of first buttons so that the user of said electronic musical instrument can change the electrical state of each of said first switches by operating the associated one of said plurality of first buttons, said first buttons being shaped and distributed on said body in a manner resembling the frets on a guitar;
a plurality of second switches, each of said second switches being coupled to an associated one of a plurality of second buttons so that the user of said electronic musical instrument can change the electrical state of each of said second switches by operating the associated one of said plurality of second buttons, said second buttons being shaped and distributed on said body in a manner resembling the strings on a guitar;
a sound generation means for producing audio signals;
a processing means coupled to said first memory means and to said second memory means and coupled to said sound generation means, said processing means being coupled to said plurality of first switches and to said plurality of second switches, said processing means processing the operation codes in said first memory means and controlling said sound generation means to produce background music, said processing means processing the control information in said first memory means and determining which one of said first switches and which one of said second switches has been operated by the user to select operation codes from said second memory means for a selected one of said solo music sequences, said control information of said background music sections and the one of said first switches which has been operated and the one of said second switches which has been actuated selecting said selected one of said solo music sequences.
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Abstract
An electronic instrument and method includes manual control switches for producing and controlling creative variations on pre-recorded song selections that remain synchronized and melodiously oriented to the selected song substantially independent of the timing of manual operation of control switches. Several instruments of similar design can be connected together to facilitate `playing in a band` of such instruments which synchronize on the song selected via one instrument and which respond to individual solos or riffs `played` on one instrument with corresponding, timed solo or riff capabilities on other instruments.
59 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An electronic musical instrument comprising:
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a body; a first memory means for storing background music sections, each of said background music sections containing one or more operation codes that encode at least one of note pitch, duration and control information; a second memory means for storing solo music sequences, each of said solo music sequences containing one or more operation codes that encode at least one of note pitch, duration and control information; a plurality of first switches, each of said first switches being coupled to an associated one of a plurality of first buttons so that the user of said electronic musical instrument can change the electrical state of each of said first switches by operating the associated one of said plurality of first buttons, said first buttons being shaped and distributed on said body in a manner resembling the frets on a guitar; a plurality of second switches, each of said second switches being coupled to an associated one of a plurality of second buttons so that the user of said electronic musical instrument can change the electrical state of each of said second switches by operating the associated one of said plurality of second buttons, said second buttons being shaped and distributed on said body in a manner resembling the strings on a guitar; a sound generation means for producing audio signals; a processing means coupled to said first memory means and to said second memory means and coupled to said sound generation means, said processing means being coupled to said plurality of first switches and to said plurality of second switches, said processing means processing the operation codes in said first memory means and controlling said sound generation means to produce background music, said processing means processing the control information in said first memory means and determining which one of said first switches and which one of said second switches has been operated by the user to select operation codes from said second memory means for a selected one of said solo music sequences, said control information of said background music sections and the one of said first switches which has been operated and the one of said second switches which has been actuated selecting said selected one of said solo music sequences. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A network of electronic musical instruments resembling a band, said network comprising:
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a first electronic musical instrument comprising; a first body; a first memory means for storing background music sections, each of said background music sections containing one or more operation codes that encode at least one of note pitch, duration and control information and said first memory means for storing solo music sequences, each of said solo music sequences containing one or more operation codes that encode at least one of note pitch, duration and control information; a plurality of first switches on said first body, each of which is operable by the user of said first electronic musical instrument; a plurality of second switches on said first body, each of which is operable by the user of said first electronic musical instrument; a first sound generation means for producing audio signals; a first processing means coupled to said first memory means and coupled to said first sound generation means, said processing means being coupled to said plurality of first body, said first processing means processing the operation codes in said first memory means and controlling said first sound generation means to produce background music, said first processing means processing the control information of said background music section in said first memory means and determining which one of said first switches on said first body and which one of said second switches on said first body has been operated by the user to select operation codes from said first memory means for a selected one of said solo music sequences, wherein said control information of said background music section in said first memory means and the one of said first switches on said first body which has been operated selects a subset of said solo music sequences in said first memory means and the one of said second switches on said first body which has been operated activates the playback of said selected one of said solo music sequences from said first memory means which is one of the solo music sequences in said subset of said solo music sequences; a second electronic musical instrument comprising; a second body; a second memory means for storing said background music section, each of said background music sections containing one or more operation codes that encode at least one of note pitch, duration and control information and said second memory means for storing said solo music sequences, each of said solo music sequences containing one or more operation codes that encode at least one of note pitch, duration and control information; a plurality of first switches on said second body, each of which is operable by the user of said second electronic musical instrument; a plurality of said second switches on said second body, each of which is operable by the user of said second electronic musical instrument; a second sound generation means for producing audio signals; a second processing means coupled to said second memory means and coupled to said second sound generation means, said second processing means being coupled to said plurality of first switches on said second body and to said second plurality of second switches on said second body, said second processing means processing the operation codes in said second memory means and controlling said second sound generation means to produce said background music, said second processing means processing the control information of said background music section in said second memory means and determining which one of said first switches on said second body has been operated by the user and which one of said second switches on said second body has been operated by the user; a signal connection means for connecting said first electronic musical instrument and said second electronic musical instrument; a means for providing a first data transmission for synchronizing said first processing means and said second processing means to ensure that the same notes in said background music sections are played at the correct time. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An electronic musical instrument comprising:
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a body; a memory means for storing background music sections, each of said background music sections containing one or more operation codes that encode at least one of note pitch, duration and control information and said memory means for storing solo music sequences, each of said solo music sequences containing one or more operation codes that encode at least one of note pitch, duration and control information; a plurality of first switches, each of which is operable by the user of said electronic musical instrument; a plurality of second switches, each of which is operable by the user of said electronic musical instrument; a sound generation means for producing audio signals; a processing means coupled to said memory means and coupled to said sound generation means, said processing means being coupled to said plurality of first switches and to said plurality of second switches, said processing means processing the operation codes in said memory means and controlling said sound generation means to produce background music, said processing means processing the control information of said background music section in said memory means and determining which one of said first switches and which one of said second switches has been operated by the user to select operation codes from said memory means for a selected one of said solo music sequences, wherein said control information of said background music section and the one of said first switches which has been operated selects a subset of said solo music sequences and the one of said second switches which has been operated activates the playback of said selected one of said solo music sequences which is one of the solo music sequences in said subset of said solo music sequences. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method for electronically producing music signals for the generation of musical sounds, the method comprising:
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storing a background musical data containing at least two sequences of background data from one song; storing a first and a second predetermined solo musical data each of which is musically related to one of said two sequences of background data from said one song and each of which contains a sequence of at least two subparts of solo musical data; generating musical sounds from said background musical data and from a selected one of said first and said second solo musical data in response to the actuation of said first and said second switch, wherein said selected one of said first and said second solo musical data is determined by which of said two sequences of background musical data is being used to generate the musical sounds, and wherein said two sequences of background musical data may be dynamically and alternatively selected thereby causing dynamic selection between said first and said second solo musical data and wherein said first switch selects a particular subpart of solo musical data and said second switch when actuated causes the playing of said selected solo musical data. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification