US3801721A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Monophonic electronic music system with apparatus for special effect tone simulation
Assignee: Baldwin Piano and Organ Co
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Filing: 1972-06-16
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Granted: 1974-04-02
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Expires: 1992-06-16
Abstract
Abstract A monophonic system includes means for voicing only tones derived in response to depression of a key associated with the highest pitched note when several keys are struck at approximately the same time, regardless of the order in which the keys are struck. If several keys are released at approximately the same time, only the tones derived in response to the highest remaining activated key are voiced, regardless of the release sequence. In response to the system being played legatissimo, voiced tones gradually shift in frequency, i.e., portamento is achieved. In response to the system being played staccatissimo, voiced tones shift in frequency in discrete steps. For unusual or special effect tone simulation, square wave tone signals derived from a frequency divider chain responsive to a voltage controlled oscillator, controlled primarily by the nomenclature of the highest pitch struck key, may be converted into a sawtooth waveform, a pulse waveform having a pulse width controlled by the highest pitch struck key, or can be left unaltered. Clicks and noise can be derived in response to key activations. The sawtooth, pulse, square wave, clicks and noise are fed through a filter selectively having band pass, low pass and high pass transfer characteristics that can be controlled with regard to resonant frequency and selectivity (Q) to provide additional unusual effects. A first group of tone signals derived from the frequency divider is processed to simulate flutes while a second group is processed to simulate brasses. In flute simulation, filtering of harmonics and passage to an output of the fundamental of the tone associated with the highest pitch struck key is assured by including in cascade a low pass filter and an amplifier having a variable gain characteristic directly related to the nomenclature of the highest pitch struck key. In brass simulation, an attack envelope having plural slopes is provided. Brass brightness is controlled by providing a variable wave shaper that responds to pedal control or is a transient function during the attack of the voice. Flatting during the attack of a brass tone is simulated by transiently reducing the voltage controlled oscillator frequency when a new highest pitch key is struck by an amount indicative of the nomenclature of the struck key. Attack rates of the flutes and unusual tones can be controlled to a plurality of values; if the system is in a percussive mode the attack rate is relatively fast. Roll-off rate of certain flute tones is fixed, while other flute tones and the unusual tones can be provided with a fixed roll-off or sustain effect. The voltage controlled oscillator frequency is modulated by a vibrato through frequency is modulated by a oscillator, the frequency of which can be fixed or controlled in a random manner in response to a noise source to simulate brass vibrato effects.
Inventors
- 👤 D Bunger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 13:10
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/02; G10H1/06; G10H5/00; G10H5/002; G10H5/02; G10H5/04; G10H2250/00; G10H2250/471; G10H2250/475; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S84/00; Y10S84/02; Y10S84/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
154 words
An electronic organ, comprising plural keys, a voltage controlled tone signal oscillator which generates a complex frequency spectrum, means for deriving a control voltage in response to actuation of plural ones of said keys for controlling the frequency of said oscillator, said means for deriving being such that said control voltage has a value which is a function of only the key of highest pitch of said plural ones of said keys concurrently being actuated, means for applying said control voltage to conTrol the frequency of said oscillator only after a time elapse of at least ten milliseconds following actuation or release of said plural ones of said keys, whereby failure of simultaneity of actuation or release of all the keys of said group of keys will not effect application to said voltage controlled oscillator of a sequence of diverse frequency controlling voltages, and means for acoustically transducing tone signals derived from said oscillator.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
154 words
An electronic organ, comprising plural keys, a voltage controlled tone signal oscillator which generates a complex frequency spectrum, means for deriving a control voltage in response to actuation of plural ones of said keys for controlling the frequency of said oscillator, said means for deriving being such that said control voltage has a value which is a function of only the key of highest pitch of said plural ones of said keys concurrently being actuated, means for applying said control voltage to conTrol the frequency of said oscillator only after a time elapse of at least ten milliseconds following actuation or release of said plural ones of said keys, whereby failure of simultaneity of actuation or release of all the keys of said group of keys will not effect application to said voltage controlled oscillator of a sequence of diverse frequency controlling voltages, and means for acoustically transducing tone signals derived from said oscillator.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
92 words
The combination according to claim 1, wherein said means for applying said control voltage includes a voltage transfer circuit having an input circuit and an output circuit connected in cascade between said means for deriving said control voltage and said voltage controlled oscillator, said voltage transfer circuit including a gating means interposed between said input circuit and said output circuit, and means for interposing a time delayed control pulse to transfer the on - off state of said gating means only in response to predetermined variations in value of said control voltage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The combination according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined variations in value of said control voltage include a decrease or an increase in value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
71 words
The combination according to claim 2, wherein said gating circuit is normally off and its state is transferred to an on state in response to actuation of one or more of said keys and is transferred to an off state in response to release of all said keys and to an off followed by an on state in response to release of less than all of a group of said keys.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The combination according to claim 4, wherein said means for applying control pulses includes a note played detector responsive to predetermined variations in values of said control voltages to generate said control pulses.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
138 words
An electronic musical instrument, comprising an array of keys, means responsive to selective actuation of said keys for deriving a control voltage having a value which is a function of only the highest note nomenclature of any actuated ones of said keys, a multivibrator oscillator means responsive to said control voltage for generating a tone signal of complex wave form corresponding in frequency to said highest note nomenclature, means responsive to initial actuation of said actuated key and to a function of the magnitude of said voltage for transiently reducing the frequencies of said tone signal to an extent and for a duration selected to simulate the sound which a brass musical instrument makes on initiation of a tone of said highest note nomenclature, and means for acoustically transducing said tone signal to provide an acoustically radiated tone.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
138 words
An electronic musical instrument, comprising an array of keys, means responsive to selective actuation of said keys for deriving a control voltage having a value which is a function of only the highest note nomenclature of any actuated ones of said keys, a multivibrator oscillator means responsive to said control voltage for generating a tone signal of complex wave form corresponding in frequency to said highest note nomenclature, means responsive to initial actuation of said actuated key and to a function of the magnitude of said voltage for transiently reducing the frequencies of said tone signal to an extent and for a duration selected to simulate the sound which a brass musical instrument makes on initiation of a tone of said highest note nomenclature, and means for acoustically transducing said tone signal to provide an acoustically radiated tone.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
The combination according to claim 6, wherein said brass instrument may be selectively a trumpet, a trombone, or a saxophone, and selective means for adjusting the extent of sai reducing of the frequency of said tone signal according as a trumpet, a trombone, or a saxophone is to be simulated.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
129 words
The combination according to claim 6, wherein said oscillator means is a multivibrator oscillator having its control voltage terminal connected to said means for deriving a voltage, said a voltage having a value Vn which is a function of only said highest note nomenclature, said multivibrator oscillator having a frequency control point normally of steady voltage Vv, a normally off transistor switch, a source of supplementary voltage of the same polarity as Vv, a capacitor coupling said control point via a source of supplementary voltage to ground, a transistor switch, and means responsive to said selective actuation of said keys for grounding said source of supplementary voltage via said transistor switch, said multivibrator oscillator being so arranged that its oscillating frequency is a function of the magnitude of Vv.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
48 words
The combination according to claim 8, wherein is included means for connecting said capacitor on one of its sides to said control point and on the other of its sides to said source of supplementary voltage, and means coNnecting said source of supplementary voltage across said transistor switch.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The combination according to claim 9, wherein said source of supplementary voltage includes means for selecting the value of said supplementary voltage to have diverse values as a function of Vn.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The combination according to claim 6, wherein is provided means for brightening the frequency spectrum of said tone signal of complex wave form for a predetermined time period following and in response to said initial actuation of said actuated key.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
51 words
The combination according to claim 11, wherein is provided expression pedal means for selectively modifying the dynamic level of acoustically radiated tone signal, and means for brightening the frequency spectrum of said tone signal of complex wave form as a direct function of the dynamic level of said acoustically radiated tone.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
205 words
In an organ system having a keyboard and generating tones simulating brass instruments, a source of harmonic rich tone signals, said source of harmonic rich tone signals including a voltage controlled tone oscillator, means responsive to actuation of one of said keys for generating a control voltage for said oscillator having a magnitude which is a function of the nomenclature of said one of said keys, a gain controllable amplifier responsive to said tone signals, means including an expression pedal for controlling the gain of said amplifier, means responsive to initial actuation of said one of said keys for introducing a build up of the amplitude of said tone signal and a concurrent flatting of the frequency of said tone signal to an extent which is a function of the amplitude of said control voltage and for brightening the spectrum of said tone signals as a function of the amplitude of said control voltage, and means responsive to the extent of actuation of said expression pedal for controlling the brightness of said tone signal, and means for applying to said tone oscillator vibrato frequency control voltage of random frequency and amplitude to control the rate and extent of vibrato modulation of said tone control oscillator.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
205 words
In an organ system having a keyboard and generating tones simulating brass instruments, a source of harmonic rich tone signals, said source of harmonic rich tone signals including a voltage controlled tone oscillator, means responsive to actuation of one of said keys for generating a control voltage for said oscillator having a magnitude which is a function of the nomenclature of said one of said keys, a gain controllable amplifier responsive to said tone signals, means including an expression pedal for controlling the gain of said amplifier, means responsive to initial actuation of said one of said keys for introducing a build up of the amplitude of said tone signal and a concurrent flatting of the frequency of said tone signal to an extent which is a function of the amplitude of said control voltage and for brightening the spectrum of said tone signals as a function of the amplitude of said control voltage, and means responsive to the extent of actuation of said expression pedal for controlling the brightness of said tone signal, and means for applying to said tone oscillator vibrato frequency control voltage of random frequency and amplitude to control the rate and extent of vibrato modulation of said tone control oscillator.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
52 words
The combination according to claim 13, wherein is included means for modifying the frequency of said tone oscillator stepwise in response to actuation and release of said keys singly and portamento in response to actuation or release of one of said keys while another of said keys is maintained in actuated condition.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
The combination according to claim 13, wherein is included means for modifying the frequency of said tone oscillator selectively stepwise and portamento.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
350 words
An electronic organ, comprising plural keys, a voltage controlled tone signal oscillator which generates a complex frequency spectrum, means for deriving a control voltage in response to actuation of one or a group of said keys for controlling the frequency of said oscillator, said means for deriving being such that said control voltage has a value which is a function of only the key of highest pitch of keys concurrently being actuated, means for applying said control voltage to control the frequency of said oscillator only after a time elapse of at least 10 milliseconds following actuation or release of any of said groups of said keys, whereby failure of simultaneity of actuation or release of all the keys of said group of keys will not effect application to said voltage controlled oscillator of a sequence of diverse frequency controlling voltages, said means for applying said control voltage including a sample and hold circuit connected in cascade between said means for deriving said control voltage and said voltage controlled oscillator, said sample and hold circuit including an input terminal and an output terminal, normally off gating means interposed between said input terminal and said output terminal, and means applying time delayed control pulses to transfer the then state of said gating circuit to on in response only to actuation of any one of said keys and to off following release oF any one of said keys, the time delays of said control pulses being of the order of 20 milliseconds following actuations or releases of said keys, means responsive to the output of said voltage controlled oscillator for generating tone signals of diverse footages, controllable means for controlling the tone coloring and wave envelopes of at least certain of said tone signals as a function of said control voltage, an amplifier responsive to said tone signals, means including an expression pedal for selectively generating a further voltage controlling both the gain of said amplifier and affecting said tone coloring as a function of extent of actuation of said expression pedal, and means for electro-acoustically transducing the output of said amplifier.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
350 words
An electronic organ, comprising plural keys, a voltage controlled tone signal oscillator which generates a complex frequency spectrum, means for deriving a control voltage in response to actuation of one or a group of said keys for controlling the frequency of said oscillator, said means for deriving being such that said control voltage has a value which is a function of only the key of highest pitch of keys concurrently being actuated, means for applying said control voltage to control the frequency of said oscillator only after a time elapse of at least 10 milliseconds following actuation or release of any of said groups of said keys, whereby failure of simultaneity of actuation or release of all the keys of said group of keys will not effect application to said voltage controlled oscillator of a sequence of diverse frequency controlling voltages, said means for applying said control voltage including a sample and hold circuit connected in cascade between said means for deriving said control voltage and said voltage controlled oscillator, said sample and hold circuit including an input terminal and an output terminal, normally off gating means interposed between said input terminal and said output terminal, and means applying time delayed control pulses to transfer the then state of said gating circuit to on in response only to actuation of any one of said keys and to off following release oF any one of said keys, the time delays of said control pulses being of the order of 20 milliseconds following actuations or releases of said keys, means responsive to the output of said voltage controlled oscillator for generating tone signals of diverse footages, controllable means for controlling the tone coloring and wave envelopes of at least certain of said tone signals as a function of said control voltage, an amplifier responsive to said tone signals, means including an expression pedal for selectively generating a further voltage controlling both the gain of said amplifier and affecting said tone coloring as a function of extent of actuation of said expression pedal, and means for electro-acoustically transducing the output of said amplifier.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
The combination according to claim 16, wherein said means for controlling the tone coloring of said tone signals includes means for modifying said tone signals to be selectively square wave, pulse and sawtooth wave forms.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
51 words
The combination according to claim 16, wherein said means for controlling the tone coloring of said tone signals includes means for vibrato modulating the frequency of said tone signals, said last means including means for so randomly varying the extent and rate of vibrato modulation as to simulate a brass instrument.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
100 words
The combination according to claim 18, wherein said means for vibrato modulating includes a capacitor, means for sequentially linearly charging and discharging said capacitor, a source of random noise signals, and means responsive to the level of said noise signals in relation to the level of the voltage of said capacitor during charging for initiating operation of said means for discharging said capacitor, whereby both the duration of charging and the peak amplitude of the charge of said capacitor is varied randomly, and means responsive to the voltage on said capacitor for effecting vibrato modulation of said voltage controlled oscillator.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
56 words
The combination according to claim 16, wherein said means for controlling the tone coloring of said tone signals includes means for so transiently flatting the frequency of said voltage controlled oscillator in response to initial actuation of said plural ones of said keys as to simulate the onset of a note played on a brass instrument.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
40 words
The combination according to claim 20, wherein said last means includes means controlling the extent of said flatting as a function of the value of said control voltage applied to control the frequency of said voltage controlled tone signal oscillator.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
35 words
The combination according to claim 16, wherein said means for controlling the tone coloring of said tone signals includes means for controlling the harmonic content of said tone signals in response to said further voltage.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
33 words
The combination according to claim 22, wherein said last means includes a voltage controlled low pass filter responsive to said further voltage to modify the tone coloring characteristic of said low pass filter.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
63 words
The combination according to claim 16, wherein said sample and hold circuit includes means for gradually in portamento fashion varying the hold voltage selectively up in response to actuation of one of said keys while another of said keys is being held down and down in response to release of one of said keys while another of said keys is being held down.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-04-01 | 1977-10-01 | 1978-04-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-04-01 | 1981-10-01 | 1982-04-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-04-01 | 1985-10-01 | 1986-04-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |