Sensor array MIDI controller

• US 6,501,011 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2001
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shai Ben Moshe
• Original Assignee: Shai Ben Moshe
• Inventors: Wesley, William Casey
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon T.
• Application Number:
  US09/983,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20020134223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 846/00--02, 846/09--13, 846/15--18, 846/22, 846/49--56, 846/59, 844/23.R, 844/24, 844/33, 844/42, 847/18--20, 847/23, 847/43--45
• US Class Current: 84/719
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0066 using a MIDI interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/20 for transposition
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/44 Tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/425 19 equal intervals per octave, offering better major thirds, far better minor thirds and overall far greater consonance than normal 12-semitone equal temperament, at the cost of a flatter fifth
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/481 Pythagorean scale, i.e. in which the frequency relationships of all intervals should be based on the perfect fifth, with ratio 3:2
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/491 Meantone scales, i.e. in which all non-octave intervals are generated from a stack of tempered perfect fifths; and wherein, by choosing an appropriate size for major and minor thirds, the syntonic comma is tempered to unison, e.g. quarter comma meantone, syntonic comma, d'Alembert modified meantone
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/251 arranged as 2D or 3D arrays; Keyboards ergonomically organised for playing chords or for transposing, e.g. Janko keyboard
• 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

Abstract

A MIDI controller musical instrument (80) with buttons (34) on two sensorboards (54,56) for controlling musical notes. The buttons (34) are arranged such that the most harmonious note combinations are played by fingering the most proximate button (34) combinations, and such that any given chord or scale can be played with a characteristic fingering pattern regardless of the range or key signature it is played in. The buttons (34) are placed such that the fingers and thumb of a hand can span the entire note range of the instrument (80). The buttons (34) that control the notes for any one key signature of the major scale are located within their own delimited area which does not contain buttons (34) controlling notes which are not part of that key signature. Notes are assigned to the buttons in such a way that the notes can be tuned to a wide variety of intonations without any consequent necessity to change the fingering patterns of the major scale or its modes. Separate sensorboards (54,56) are provided, which are mirror images of one another, such that fingering techniques for chords and scales can be mirrored by the two hands on the buttons (34) of the two playing surfaces. A convex playing surface is provided for each sensorboard (54,56) such that any part along the underside of a finger can be used to control a single button (34) or a row of buttons (42,44,46,48).

Claims

1. A Sensor Array with a single right-hand sensorboard, said sensorboard having buttons arranged on its convex top surface, for controlling musical notes, the arrangement of said buttons essentially comprising a plurality of chromatic matrices with said chromatic matrices each having a plurality of octaves in each row of eighths, and wherein said right-hand sensorboard has an optimum implementation of intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that a number between 1.49111 and 1.50554 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that a number between 1.32843 and 1.34128 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch.

2. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 1, wherein said right-hand sensorboard has an optimum implementation of standard intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of a fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.49831 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.33484 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch.

3. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 1, wherein said right-hand sensorboard has an optimum implementation of Pythagorean intonation, which requires that two conditions be met.

i. all adjacently placed buttons that produce notes related to each other by the interval to the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.5 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that produce notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.33333 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch.

4. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 1, wherein said right-hand sensorboard has an optimum implementation of mean tone intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.49535 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.33748 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch.

5. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 1, wherein said right-hand sensorboard has anoptimum implementation of seventeen equal intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.50341 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.33031 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch.

6. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 1, wherein said right-hand sensorboard has an optimum implementation of nineteen equal intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.49376 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.3389 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch.

7. A Sensor Array with a single left-hand sensorboard, said sensorboard having buttons arranged on its convex top surface, for controlling musical notes, the arrangement of said buttons essentially comprising:

a plurality of chromatic matrices, with said chromatic matrices each having a plurality of octaves in each row of eighths, and wherein said left-handed sensorboard has an optimum implementation of intonation, which requires that two conditions be met;

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that a number between 1.49111 and 1.50554 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that a number between 1.32843 and 1.34128 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch.

8. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 7, wherein said left-hand sensorboard has an optimum implementation of standard intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.498.31 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.33484 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch.

9. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 7, wherein said left-hand sensorboard has an optimum implementation of Pythagorean intonation, which requires that two conditions be met;

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.5 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note in higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.33333 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note in higher in pitch.

10. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 7, wherein said left-hand sensorboard has an optimum implementation of mean tone intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.49535 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note in higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.33748 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note in higher in pitch.

11. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 7, wherein said left-hand sensorboard has an optimum implementation of seventeen equal intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.50341 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note in higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.33031 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note in higher in pitch.

12. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 7, wherein said left-hand sensorboard has an optimum implementation of nineteen equal intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.49376 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note in higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.3389 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note in higher in pitch.

13. A Sensor Array with a single right-hand and a single left-hand sensorboard, said sensorboards each having buttons arranged on their convex top surfaces, for controlling musical notes, the arrangement of said buttons on each sensorboard essentially comprising:

a plurality of chromatic matrices, with said chromatic matrices each having a plurality of octaves in each row of eighths, and wherein each of said right-hand and left-hand sensorboards has an optimum implementation of intonation, which requires that two conditions be met;

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that a number between 1.49111 and 1.50554 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that a number between 1.32843 and 1.34128 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch.

14. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 13, wherein said right-hand and left-hand sensorboards have an optimum implementation of standard intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.49831 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.33484 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch.

15. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 13, wherein said right-hand and left-hand sensorboards have an optimum implementation of Pythagorean intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.5 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.33333 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in. pitch.

16. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 13, wherein said right-hand and left-hand sensorboards have an optimum implementation of mean tone intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.49535 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.33748 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch.

17. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 13, wherein said right-hand and left-hand sensorboards have an optimum implementation of seventeen equal intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.50341 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each,other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.33031 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch.

18. A Sensor Array as recited in claim 13, wherein said right-hand and left-hand sensorboards have an optimum implementation of nineteen equal intonation, which requires that two conditions be met:

i. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fifth have these notes tuned such that 1.49376 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch, and

ii. all adjacently placed buttons that control notes related to each other by the interval of the fourth have these notes tuned such that 1.3389 multiplied times the cycles per second of the note lower in pitch will give the cycles per second of the note higher in pitch.