EP0112827A1

EP0112827A1 - Electronic musical mouth instrument

Info

Publication number: EP0112827A1
Application number: EP19830900262
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bernard Joseph Mathieu Olivier
Original assignee: SEDRI
Current assignee: SEDRI
Priority date: 1982-01-14
Filing date: 1983-01-04
Publication date: 1984-07-11
Also published as: WO1983002518A1; AU1049683A

Abstract

L'instrument de musique, tel un harmonica ou une flûte, comprend un clavier à bouche (2), respectivement un bec (31) présentant des éléments conducteurs de l'électricité (4), fixés ou incrustés sur une surface isolante. Cet instrument comprend un dispositif électronique générateur de sons commandé par un circuit électronique constitué en partie par l'exécutant lui-même.The musical instrument, such as a harmonica or a flute, comprises a mouth keyboard (2), respectively a mouthpiece (31) having electrically conductive elements (4), fixed or embedded on an insulating surface. This instrument includes an electronic sound generator device controlled by an electronic circuit partly formed by the performer himself.

Description

Electronic mouth musical instrument

The subject of the present invention is a musical instrument ^* comprising a mouthpiece or a mouth keyboard, designed to be placed on the lips, at least one key intended to be touched with the hands or any other part of the body of the player playing. this instrument.

It also relates to a method for using the instrument described above. Hohner type reeds are known, the sound of which is produced by metal reeds which are vibrated by blowing and sucking air. The main disadvantage of these known instruments is that they require breath. They do not support a note for an infinitely long time and are limited in volume or intensity of sound. These instruments also require a time-out for switching from one chord to another resulting in annoying interruption of the sound. The object of the present invention is to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks. It relates to a musical instrument comprising a mouth keyboard or a beak designed to be placed on the lips, at least one key intended to be touched with the hands or any other part of the body of the one who plays this instrument, this instrument being essentially characterized in that it has on the mouthpiece or mouth keyboard aforesaid electrically conductive elements fixed or embedded on an insulating surface and comprises an electronic sound generator device, controlled by at least one electric control circuit with low voltage and low intensity current, formed in part by the operator itself which, by simultaneously applying the mouth on one of the conductive elements of the keyboard or on the aforementioned beak and the fingers or any other part of the body on one of the aforementioned keys, allows the passage of an electric pulse towards a sound generating device.

In one embodiment, the above electronic device comprises at least one electronic frequency divider with multiple output terminals, a sound generator, an amplifier, at least one cabinet, a power source and an electric control circuit. for each output terminal of each electronic frequency divider.

The aforementioned keyboard advantageously consists of an insulating surface on which are fixed or embedded two rows of electrically conductive elements, isolated from each other. The aforementioned elements are preferably lamellae, metal eyelets or electrically conductive elements of any shape.

In a particular embodiment, one of the above rows receives four electrically conductive elements corresponding to four of the seven notes of an octave, while the other row receives three conductive elements corresponding to the three other octave notes. The mouth keyboard is preferably formed by a slat made of electrically insulating material.

In the preferred form of. embodiment, the above conductive elements are fixed or encrusted on the keyboard so as to form a projection. so that the lower edge of the upper lip can easily touch the desired contacts on the row of contacts located towards the top of the keyboard and that the upper edge of the lower lip can easily touch the desired contacts on the row of contacts located towards the bottom of the keyboard, in order to obtain the desired sounds, while the language allows to touch the contacts still free to play the accompaniment. .The instrument is advantageously provided with a device allowing to realize a vibrato or -faremolo effect consisting of a wire made of conductive material of the electricity surrounded by a plastic sheath and connected to an output terminal 2 of an integrated circuit of the above-mentioned electronic generator of sound connected immediately to the amplifier.

The invention also relates to a method for playing a musical instrument described above, characterized in that a performer is integrated into this instrument as a conductor of a very weak electric current, generator of sound.

Other details and particularities of the invention will appear during the description of the appended drawings which show schematically and without limitation, several embodiments of - - -

the musical instrument according to the invention and the implementation of the method according to the invention.

In these drawings:

- Figure 1 shows in perspective an electronic harmonica according to the invention;

- Figure 2 is a circuit diagram of the electronic device of the harmonica shown in figlire 1;

- Figures 3 and 4 show how the lips can be placed on the mouth keyboard of the electronic harmonica shown in Figure 1;

- Figure 5 shows in perspective an electronic flute according to the invention;

- Figure 6 shows an electronic diagram of the flute shown in Figure 5; - Figures 7 and 8 illustrate two possible forms of distributive lamellae corresponding to the fundamental notes of the octave on the mouth keyboard of an ^" electronic harmonica;

- Figure 9 shows an assembly diagram similar to that of Figure 2 but provided with electronic switches each connected to the spout and a button. In these various figures the same reference notations designate identical or analogous elements. The musical instrument according to the invention, shown in FIG. 1, is in a first embodiment an electronic harmonica.

It comprises an elongated housing 1 which contains an electronic sound generator device and along which a mouth keyboard 2 is mounted, having - 5 -

the shape of a slat designed to be placed on the lips and keys 3 intended to be touched with the hands or any other part of the body of the performer. These keys are advantageously arranged in the vicinity of one of the edges of the housing of the instrument.

Electrically conductive elements 4 are fixed in one way or another, by gluing or laughing, or embedded in the surface of the keyboard 2, made of an electrically insulating material. These elements 4 consist of lamellae or nipples distributed over two rows, namely an upper row 5 and a lower row 6 and isolated from each other These elements 4 are assembled to the keyboard so as to protrude from the surface of that -this. On the rear side face of the instrument, opposite the keyboard, is mounted a device 7 making it possible to achieve a vibrato or tremolo effect consisting of a metal wire surrounded by a plastic sheath.

In the lower left corner of the front of the instrument, a simple push-button with return spring 8 makes it possible to vary all the notes on the keyboard simultaneously by a semitone.

The instrument comprises in the above-mentioned housing 1, an electronic sound generator device 9 comprising a stabilized low voltage power source 10, a sound generator 11, an electronic master-divider of frequencies with multiple terminals 12 and seven electronic frequency dividers also with multiple terminals 13. The low voltage power source of the harmonica shown in FIG. 2, is constituted by a transformer 14 supplied with alternating current from the mains, connected by its low voltage secondary winding 15, for example 12 V to a rectifier bridge 16, of which terminals + and - are connected together by a capacitor 17 of 2200 uF (25 volts) and to a current stabilizer 18 or regulator of type AO 22 7812c of Tandy of 12 volts in direct current, intended to supply, by via a 0.2 amp fuse 19, a generator of musical sounds 'J', consisting of an integrated circuit NE 555 from the firm COTUBEX. On this integrated circuit NE 555 are mounted two resistors R. and R_, respectively 1.5 K__Q_ (0.5 watt) between terminals 7 and 8 of the above circuit and 0.1 K -Ω_ (0.5 watt) between terminals 1 and 5. This integrated circuit is supplied by terminals 1 and 8 which respectively receive the negative and positive pole. Terminals 2 and 6, as well as terminals 4 and 8 of this integrated circuit are interconnected. The circuit also includes the switch 21. A linear potentiometer D. of 4.7 K_T1, intended to increase or decrease the tone of the sound produced by the aforementioned generator * \, is mounted between terminals 6 and 7. This potentiometer 21 allows to adjust the tone of the sound of a range close to an octave. It allows the performer to easily tune the aforementioned electronic instrument, with an orchestra, a singer or a choir.

On terminal 2 of the above-mentioned integrated circuit is mounted a vibrato 7, consisting of a lost metal wire,

(O - 7 -

fitted with a sheath. insulating plate material. By bringing any part of the body closer or slower, more or less quickly, preferably the hands of the above-mentioned wire, a vibrato effect of variable speed and amplitude is obtained.

Terminal 3 sends the electrical pulses produced by the generator-1 to the input terminal of an electronic frequency master divider ^• ] 2, for example terminal 2 of a type S 50240 master divider marketed by the Tandy firm, which transforms these impulses into a decreasing series of 13 basic sounds each separated by a semitone. These basic sounds correspond to the fundamental notes of the scale, supplemented by the sharp or flat notes. Terminals 1 and 3 are the positive and negative supply terminals, respectively. The output terminals 4 to 16 correspond to the basic sounds.

The terminals of master dividers z * _ 2 which produce the fundamental notes are connected to the terminals of a first set of normally closed switches, each formed by three consecutive terminals and of a second set of switches and normally open, com ¬ mand s both by the same push button 8. It must be ensured that the terminals of the switches of the push button 8 are connected to the fundamental notes as shown in figure 2. The output terminal fa is used twice. When the operator presses the push-button, the so-called switches of the first set, when opening, prevent the passage of electrical impulses corresponding to the fundamental notes do, re, mi, fa, sol,

O - 8 -

la, si, while the switches of the second set where the terminals of the master-divider 2 are connected, which produce sharps or flats, when closing, allow the passage of the electrical pulse to each of the output terminals of this set of interrupters, constituted for example by an AL 256 device from the firm COTUBEX.

The central terminals of each aforementioned triplet of consecutive terminals of the set AL 256 of the above-mentioned interrupters are connected to the input terminals of electronic frequency dividers 3, for example the terminals 2 of SAJ type frequency divider -110 from the firm COTUBEX, each giving an octave. Each of the thirteen basic sounds requires a frequency divider of the type described above (SAJ-110).

Each of the outputs of each of the SAJ-110 dividers is connected to a conductive strip 4 of the keyboard 2 via a resistance R- of at least 100 K-f-L (0.25 watt). This resistance can be even greater if we want to further reduce the intensity of the electric current flowing through the body of the performer. These slats on the left of the keyboard correspond to the lowest octaves, while those on the right correspond to the highest octaves. The minimum value of the aforementioned resistance, disposed at the outlet of the SAJ-110 dividers is dependent on the shape, the size and the material of which the strips 4 and the keys 3 above are made up.

The electrical impulse is recovered by the hands of the performer or by any other part of his body - 9 -

and sent to the amplifier, through a capacitor C, of 1000 JJF (25 volts) intended to eliminate the snapping of sounds.

At this level, there is the possibility of filtering the sound or even making it pass through a synthesizer.

The output of the aforementioned capacitor of 1000 IF, is connected on the one hand to the ground via a resistor of 4.7K-Ω-for example, so as to adapt the instrument to any amp by impedance setting. This output is connected, on the other hand, to the amplifier by means of a potentiometer P _~ of 500 K _Q t making it possible to adjust the volume of the signal sent to the amplifier not shown.

All the wires of the circuit must be shielded to the maximum, except the wires 26 of the power supply.

The contacts intended for the hands are few ^* and isolated in a Faraday cage as well as the push button 8 of the sharps.

The operation of the instrument described above is simple. The musician performs a piece of music with this instrument simply by the simultaneous contact of the lips 27, 28 on certain conductive strips 4 of the keyboard on the one hand, and of the hand on a key 3 on the other hand, or of any other part of the body, since the whole musician's body is the interrupter. This allows some disabled people to play this musical instrument.

We could thus connect the outputs of the frequency dividers to the amplifier, as shown in Figure 9, by means of electronic switches of the TBA 470 type.

O PI - 10 -

(Intermetall) or MU-6-2281 (General Instrument) activated by an electrical impulse established by the simultaneous contact of the mouth and the hands or of another part of the body on the aforesaid electronic musical instrument. This instrument does not require breath. It allows to give birth to very varied rhythms by a simple movement of the hands on the above keys. The various sounds are obtained by applying the lower edge of the upper lip 27 to the selected strips of the upper row 5 of the keyboard 2 and by applying the upper edge of the lower lip 28 to other selected strips of the lower row. 6 of the keyboard 2. In order for the lips to be able to be chosen easily, the contact surface offered by each strip must be small.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and, each lip 27, 28 can choose lamellae 4 separated by one or more intermediate lamellae 29. The intermediate lamellae 29 can advantageously be used for carrying out the accompaniment by simple touch of the tongue.

The electrical impulses from each of the electronic frequency dividers, each of which is connected to a lamella of the keyboard, are picked up by the lips 27, 28 or the tongue of the musician and returned to the amplifier by means of the hand or the finger. which effleu¬ re a key 3. The contact can also be made by any other part of the body but the hands however have the advantage of allowing a good rhythm which corresponds to the rate of touching of the fingers on the aforementioned keys. - 11 -

The instrument according to the invention has the advantage of allowing extremely fast music which distinguishes it from other known instruments by a much higher speed of success of sounds. This speed of success of sounds comes above all from the short distance over which the notes are distributed. Indeed, a keyboard fifteen to thirty centimeters long can count up to eight octaves.

This speed of succession also comes from the absence of interruptions to trigger the sound. It suffices, in fact, to touch a strip 4 of the mouth keyboard 2 and a key 3 to create a sound. The mere contact of the lips or tongue or even fingers on these slats creates a succession of notes so fast that it is inimitable on any other musical instrument, even electronic.

Learning the mouth keyboard of the electronic instrument described above is much simpler than that of other instruments. An additional advantage of the above-mentioned instrument is that it allows most disabled people to play an electronic musical instrument. Indeed, any part of the body can serve as a contact for the passage of electrical impulses. The manual vibrato 7 makes it possible to give extreme sensitivity to music with the possibility of instant change of the effect produced, without any adjustment of the potentiometer or actuation of the button. You can for example produce a tremolo effect by snapping your fingers on the wire and then in a tiny fraction - 12 -

second to produce any vibrato effect by spreading and bringing the fingers closer to the wire. This vibrato is preferably mounted on the back of the housing 1 of the instrument, but it could be mounted anywhere on this .A and even ^* within the housing.

It is obvious that the invention is not exclusively limited to the embodiment shown and that many modifications can be made in the form, the arrangement and the constitution of certain elements involved in its realization.

Thus, the instrument according to the invention can also be in the form of a flute 30 or a melodica whose mouthpiece 31 is made of metal and whose keys 3 are connected to the output terminals of the electronic dividers distributed over a single keyboard in the case of the flute or two keyboards in the case of an electronic melodica.

The device _. described above may include electronic components different from those mentioned above in order to perform the same functions or functions similar to those described, for example, power source, stabilize a generator, master - divider and divider. The master divider may for example be of the MK 50240 type from Moste or the divider may be of the RCD4024EB type from RCA, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The device may be supplemented by synthesizers or any other sound-improving device. The connection point for the vibrato effect generator wire can be the output terminal 2 of an integrated circuit NE 555. But other terminals of this circuit or a - 13 -

analog circuit can be chosen according to the effects which one wishes to obtain.

The spacing of the slats on the mouth keyboard, if it is an electronic harmonica, can naturally be achieved in various ways. Thus the upper row 5 can include the strips corresponding to the notes re, fa, la, si, while the lower row 6 will count the notes do, mi, sol, distributed so that the strips of the above rows are available. face to face between them, (Figure 7).

You can also space the contacts of the row with three lamellae so as to group them by octave as shown in Figure 8.

Instead of connecting the instrument to an amplifier and speakers, we could simply connect it to a transistor station powered by battery, which provides greater freedom than a device powered by mains.

One could also integrate the amplifier and the cabinet (s) in the housing of the musical instrument and provide a supply by dry batteries.

Claims

- CLAIMS

1. Musical instrument comprising a mouth keyboard or a beak designed to be placed on the lips, at least one key intended to be touched with the hands or any other part of the body, of the one playing this instrument, characterized in that that it has on the above-mentioned mouthpiece or keyboard, electrically conductive elements fixed or embedded on an insulating surface and comprises an electronic sound-generating device, controlled by at least one electric current control circuit of low voltage and low intensity, constituted in part by the performer himself who, by simultaneously applying the mouth to one of the conductive elements of the keyboard or to the above-mentioned beak and the fingers or any other part of the body on one of the tou¬ ches aforesaid allows the passage of an electric pulse to a sound generating device.

2. Musical instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforesaid electronic device comprises at least one electronic frequency divider with multiple output terminals, a sound generator, an amplifier, at least one cabinet, a power source ¬ tation and an electric control circuit for each output terminal of each electronic frequency divider.

3. Musical instrument according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the aforesaid keyboard consists of an insulating surface on which two rows of conductive elements are fixed or inlaid.

O. - 15 -

electricity, isolated from each other.

4. Musical instrument according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the above are lamellae or eyelets of metal or any other electrically conductive element of any shape.

5. Musical instrument according to claim 3, characterized in that one of the above rows receives four electrically conductive elements corresponding to four of the seven notes that an octave has, while the other row receives three elements conductors corresponding to the three other notes of the octave.

6. Mouth musical instrument according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the aforementioned mouth keyboard consists of a slat made of electrically insulating material.

7. Musical instrument according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the aforesaid conductive elements are fixed, or inlaid on the keyboard so as to protrude so that the lower edge of the upper lip can easily touch the desired contacts on the row of contacts located at the top of the keyboard and the upper edge of the lower lip can easily touch the desired contacts on the row of contacts located at the bottom of the keyboard to generate the desired sounds, while the language allows you to touch the contacts that are still free to play the accompaniment.

_} -. → G ... P ^{^} - 16 -

8. Musical instrument according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the aforementioned conductive elements are each connected to an output terminal of the electronic frequency dividers, starting by establishing the lowest octaves on the left. of the keyboard, when looking at the keyboard, and ending with the highest octaves to the right of the keyboard.

9. Musical instrument according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is provided with a device making it possible to produce a vibrato or tremolo effect, consisting of a wire made of conductive material of the electricity surrounded by a plastic sheath and connected to an output terminal 2 of an integrated circuit of the electronic device generating the aforesaid sound immediately connected to the amplifier.

10. Method for playing a musical instrument according to one or other of the preceding claims, characterized in that a performer is integrated into this instrument as the conductor of a very weak electric current generating sound.

11. Musical instrument according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that it allows the mouth to play an electronic musical instrument without using the breath of the performer.