Electrical musical instrument using a time interval determined by a linear scraper operator to adjust musical parameters

• US 5,610,355 A
• Filed: 12/22/1994
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Hasebe, Masahiko, Uehara, Satoshi, Mishima, Junichi, Kurakake, Yasushi, Asahi, Yasuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DONELS, JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US08/361,889
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 84/600, 84/653, 84/658, 84/659, 84/662, 84/670, 84/678, 84/687, 84/723, 84/743, 84/DIG. 12, 338/69
• US Class Current: 84/658
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/42 comprising tone forming circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/381 Manual tempo setting or adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/295 Switch matrix, e.g. contact array common to several keys, the actuated keys being identified by the rows and columns in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/285 Spint drum tomtom, i.e. mimicking side-mounted drums without snares, e.g. in a drumkit
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/291 Spint drum bass, i.e. mimicking bass drums; Pedals or interfaces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/311 Spint bongo
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/315 Spint conga
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 84/12 Side; rhythm and percussion devices

Abstract

An electronic musical instrument including: a scraper operator having a predetermined operation length in a predetermined operation direction, for detecting at least one of access, contact, and push of an operating member, and generating a plurality of signals to be detected within the range of the operation length; a time interval generating unit for receiving the signals detected by the scraper operator and generating a time interval signal representing a time difference between consecutively detected signals; and a tone signal synthesizer for generating a tone signal in accordance with the detected signal and the time interval signal each time the scraper operator generates the signal to be detected. Signals indicating the position, speed, and acceleration are derived from a plurality of consecutive signals time sequentially detected, providing various control ways of musical tone signals.

Claims

1. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

operator means having a predetermined operation length in a predetermined operation direction along a linear axis thereof, for detecting at least one of access, contact, and push of an operating member, and generating a plurality of signals to be detected within the range of said operation length, from a plurality of signal sources, each of the signal sources being generally equally spaced apart at a predetermined distance along the linear axis;

time interval means for receiving the signals detected by said operator means and generating a time interval signal representing a time difference between consecutively detect signals from consecutive signal sources to determine a velocity; and

tone signal synthesizing means for generating a tone signal in accordance with said detected signal and said velocity determined from said time interval signal,

wherein the tone signal synthesizing means generates a separate tone signal with a predetermined duration each time said operator means generates said signal to be detected.

2. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1,

wherein the tone signal synthesizing means generates the same tone signal each time said scraper operator means generates said signal to be detected, regardless of which signal source of said operator means generates said signal to be detected, and

one of the pitch and tone color of said tone signal is modified based on said velocity determined from said time interval signal.

3. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of signal sources comprises a plurality of switches, within the range of said operation length, each of which generates a signal in response to said at least one of access, contact and push of said operating member thereto, and said time interval means generates a time interval signal corresponding to the time interval between the signal-generation timings of two adjacent to each other, among said plurality of switches to determine said velocity.

4. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

operator means having a predetermined operation length in a predetermined operation direction along a linear axis thereof, for detecting at least one of access, contact, and push of an operating member, and generating a plurality of signals to be detected within the range of said operation length, from a plurality of signal sources, each of the signal sources being generally equally spaced apart at a predetermine distance along the linear axis;

time interval means for receiving the signals detected by said operator means and generating a time interval signal representing a time difference between consecutively detected signals from consecutive signal sources to determine a velocity;

tone signal synthesizing means for generating a tone signal in accordance with said detected signal; and

tone modifying signal generating means for generating a tone modifying signal in accordance with said detected signal and said velocity determined from said time interval signal,

wherein the tone signal synthesizing means generates a separate tone signal with a predetermined duration each time said operator means generates said signal to be detected.

5. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 4, wherein said tone modifying signal is a signal for modifying a sound volume.

6. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 4, wherein said tone modifying signal is a signal for modifying a pitch.

7. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 4, wherein said tone modifying signal is a signal for modifying a tone color.

8. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 4,

wherein the tone signal synthesizing means generates the same tone signal each time said scraper operator means generates said signal to be detected, regardless of which signal source of said operator means generates said signal to be detected, and

one of the pitch and tone color of said tone signal is modified based said tone modifying signal generated by said tone modifying signal generating means.

9. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of signal sources comprises a plurality of switches, within the range of said operation length, each of which generates a signal in response to said at least one of access, contact and push of said operating member thereto, and said time interval means generates a time interval signal corresponding to the time interval between the signal-generation timings of two, adjacent to each other, among said plurality of switches to determine said velocity.

10. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

operator means having a predetermined operation length in a predetermined operation direction, for detecting at least one of access, contact, and push of an operating member, and generating a plurality of signals to be detected within the range of said operation length from a plurality of signal sources that are generally equally spaced apart at a predetermined distance between adjoining signal sources along said operation length;

time interval means for receiving the signals detected by said operator means and generating a time interval signal between consecutively detected signals from consecutive signal sources that substantially represent a velocity of said operating member;

tone modifying signal generating means for generating a tone modifying signal in accordance with a difference between a plurality of said time intervals, substantially representing acceleration of said operating member; and

tone signal synthesizing means for generating a tone signal in accordance with said detected signal each time said operator means generates said signal to be detected, and with said tone amplifying signal.

11. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

operator means having a predetermined operation length in a predetermined operation direction, for detecting at least one of access, contact, and push of an operating member, and generating a plurality of signals to be detected within the range of said operation length from a plurality of signal sources that are generally equally spaced apart at a predetermined distance between adjoining signal sources along said operation length;

time interval means for receiving the signals detected by said operator means and generating a time interval signal representing a time difference between consecutively detected signals from consecutive signal sources to determine a velocity;

tone signal synthesizing means for generating a tone signal in accordance with said detected signal and said velocity determined from said time interval signal each time said operator means generates said signal to be detected;

manipulation direction data deriving means for deriving manipulation direction data from a plurality of said detected signals produced from said plurality of signal sources; and

tone control signal generating means for generating a tone control signal to be generated by said tone signal synthesizing means, in accordance with said manipulation direction data.

12. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

operator means having a predetermined operation length in a predetermined operation direction, for detecting at least one of access, contact, and push of an operating member, and generating a plurality of signals to be detected within the range of said operation length from a plurality of signal sources that are generally equally spaced apart at a predetermined distance between adjoining signal sources along said operation length;

time interval means for receiving the signals detected by said operator means and generating a time interval signal representing a time difference between consecutively detected signals from consecutive signal sources;

tone signal synthesizing means for generating a tone signal in accordance with said detected signal each time said operator means generates said signal to be detected;

manipulation direction data deriving means for deriving manipulation direction data from a plurality of said detected signals produced from the plurality of signal sources; and

tone modifying signal generating means for generating a tone modifying signal to be generated by said tone signal synthesizing means, in accordance with said manipulation direction data.

13. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of pads, disposed on said housing, each of which generates a pad-operation signal in response to a player'"'"'s operation thereto;

a scraper operator, disposed on said housing, having a predetermined operation length in a predetermined operation direction and having a plurality of switches, each of which generates a scraper-operation signal in response to at least one of access, contact, and push of an operating member thereto, each of which is generally equally spaced apart along the operation length;

time interval means for generating a time interval signal corresponding to the time interval between succeeding signals from adjacent switches of said scraper operator to determine a velocity; and

tone signal synthesizing means for generating tone signals in response to said pad-operation signal, said scraper-operation signal and said velocity determined from said time interval signal,

wherein the tone signal synthesizing means generates a separate tone signal with a predetermined duration each time one of said switches of said scraper operator generates said scraper-operation signal.

14. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

operator means having a predetermined operation length in a predetermined operation direction along a linear axis thereof, for detecting at least one of access, contact, and push of an operating member, and generating a plurality of signals to be detected within the range of said operation length, from a plurality of signal sources, each of the signal sources being generally equally spaced apart at a predetermined distance along the linear axis;

time interval means for receiving the signals detected by said operator means and generating a time interval signal representing a time difference between consecutively detected signals from consecutive signal sources to determine a velocity; and

tone signal synthesizing means for generating a tone signal in accordance with said detected signal and said velocity determined from said time interval signal each time said operator means generates said signal to be detected,

wherein said operation direction is detected to generate different tone signals in accordance with said detected operation direction.

15. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

operator means having a predetermined operation length in a predetermined operation direction along a linear axis thereof, for detecting at least one of access, contact, and push of an operating member, and generating a plurality of signals to be detected within the range of said operation length, from a plurality of signal sources, each of the signal sources being generally equally spaced apart at a predetermined distance along the linear axis;

time interval means for receiving the signals detected by said operator means and generating a time interval signal representing a time difference between consecutively detected signals from consecutive signal sources to determine a velocity;

tone signal synthesizing means for generating a tone signal in accordance with said detected signal each time said operator means generates said signal to be detected; and

tone modifying signal generating means for generating a tone modifying signal in accordance with said detected signal and said velocity determined from said time interval signal,

wherein said operation direction is detected to generate different tone signals in accordance with said detected operation direction.

16. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

operator means having a predetermined operation length in a predetermined operation direction along a linear axis thereof, for detecting at least one of access, contact, and push of an operation member, and generating a plurality of signals to be detected within the range of said operation length, from a plurality of signal sources, each of the signal sources being generally equally spaced apart at a predetermined distance along the linear axis;

time interval means for receiving the signals detected by said operator means and generating a time interval signal representing a time difference between consecutively detected signals from consecutive signal sources to determine a velocity; and

tone signal synthesizing means for generating a tone signal in accordance with said detected signal and said velocity determined from said time interval signal each time said operator means generates said signal to be detected,

wherein said operation direction is detected to generate different tone signals in accordance with said detected operation direction, and said tone signal is modified in accordance with said operation direction and said velocity determined from said time interval signal.

17. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

operator means having a predetermined operation length in a predetermined operation direction along a linear axis thereof, for detecting at least one of access, contact, and push of an operating member, and generating a plurality of signals to be detected within the range of said operation length, from a plurality of signal sources, each of the signal sources being generally equally spaced apart at a predetermined distance along the linear axis;

time interval means for receiving the signals detected by said operator means and generating a time interval signal representing a time difference between consecutively detected signals from consecutive signal sources to determine a velocity;

tone signal synthesizing means for generating a tone signal in accordance with said detected signal each time said operator means generates said signal to be detected; and

tone modifying signal generating means for generating a tone modifying signal in accordance with said detected signal and said velocity determined from said time interval signal,

wherein said operation direction is detected to generate different tone signals in accordance with said detected operation direction, and said tone signal is modified in accordance with said operation direction and said velocity determined from said time interval signal.