Electronic musical instrument with selectable rhythm pad effects

• US 5,247,128 A
• Filed: 01/26/1990
• Issued: 09/21/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Application Number:
  US07/470,918
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 84/DIG. 12-24, 84/611, 84/612, 84/604-607, 84/626, 84/827, 84/632, 84/634, 84/635, 84/651, 84/663, 84/609, 84/610, 84/611, 84/614, 84/636
• US Class Current: 84/611
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/186 Microprocessor-controlled keyboard and assigning means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/42 comprising tone forming circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/211 Random number generators, pseudorandom generators, classes of functions therefor

Abstract

An electronic musical instrument provides at least one pad to which a desirable musical tone such as a percussion instrument tone is assigned. When operating the pad, the corresponding musical tone is to be generated. Thereafter, when the pad operation is terminated, the musical tone can be simultaneously muted, decayed gradually or continuously generated for a while in accordance with the performer'"'"'s control. An effected tone, i.e., a musical tone to which a musical effect is applied, can be also assigned to the pad. In this case, by operating the pad, the assigned effected tone can be generated.

Claims

1. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

(a) manually operable means adapted to be manually operated by a performer in order to carry out a musical performance;

(b) detecting means for detecting an operation effected on said manually operable means;

(c) input means for inputting a hold command from the performer;

(d) tempo clock generating means for generating a tempo clock having a frequency corresponding to a predetermined performance speed;

(e) count means for counting said tempo clock;

(f) storing means for storing musical tone information corresponding to the operation of said manually operable means and also holding a count value of said count means corresponding to a time when said manually operable means are operated during a period when said input means inputs said hold command;

(g) timing generating means for generating timing signals for generating an effected tone, said timing signals being generated every time the count value of said count means coincides with the value stored in said storing means; and

(h) musical tone generating means for generation a musical tone in response to the operation of said manually operable means, said musical tone generating means repeatedly generating musical tones corresponding to said musical tone information and based on the timing signals;

wherein said manually operable means includes a plurality of manually operable members which are classified into a first group and a second group, said first and second group of manually operable members respectively corresponding to first and second musical tones, operation of all of said manually operable members being effective during said period when said input means inputs said hold command, said musical tone generating means starting to generate said first or second musical tone when said manually operable members are operated on, said musical tone generating means stopping generation of said first musical tone when said manually operable member of said first group is operated off, while said musical tone generating means continues to generate said second musical tone even if said manually operable member of said second group is operated off, said musical tone generating means repeatedly generating said second musical tone every time the count value of said count means coincides with that held in said storing means in the case where said storing means stores said musical tone information corresponding to said first group of manually operable members.

2. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said manually operable means includes a keyboard or a plurality of pads to be beaten by the performer.

3. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said manually operable members are pads adapted to be beaten by the performer.

4. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said musical tone generating means can generate an attenuating tone whose tone volume is attenuated after an off-event of said manually operable means or a continuing tone whose tone volume is continued for a while after an off-event of said manually operable means, said attenuating tone being selectively changed over to said continuing tone when said hold command is inputted.

5. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said musical tone generating means generates said musical tone at once when said hold command is not inputted, while said musical tone generating means can repeatedly generate said musical tone when said hold command is inputted.

6. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said storing means holds said musical tone information in response to the tone color when said hold command is inputted.

7. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

(a) random number generating means for generating random numbers;

(b) tone designating means for designating musical tones which are repeatedly generated;

(c) tone generation timing designating means for designating the time between the first tone generation timing and the second tone generation timing of the tones according to said random number; and

(d) tone source means for generating musical tones under designation of said tone designating means.