FR2544115A1 - Training drum kit avoiding noise nuisance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic musical instrument which makes it possible for the user to practice in conditions similar to those of the use of a conventional drum kit without creating a noise nuisance in the environment. It comprises a barrel 1, including an inner rim 2, an elastic membrane 3 replacing the skin, held by a rigid plate 4 on which an impulse sensor 5 is mounted, the whole being held by a volume of flexible foam 6 and a cover 7 placed inside the barrel. The applications are those of conventional drum kits plus training, taking lessons, playing in an orchestra in a flat (with a tape recorder), playing in an ordinary orchestra, studio recording.

Description

 The present invention relates to the production of a musical instrument for drumming training, which allows the student to exercise under conditions of use analogous to those of using a conventional drums without nevertheless bringing noise disturbance to the environment.

The new instrument can also be used for normal auditions, for example in a variety music band. It is therefore a double-ended invention.
INTEREST:
The training batteries which currently exist, constructed of plastic on the model of ordinary batteries, that is to say comprising a skin stretched on a support, are designed in order to avoid as much as possible the sound effect liable to bring a disturbance to the neighborhood.

noisy bation.

 As a result, the sound produced does not correspond to that of a real battery, which does not encourage the student to use it. In addition, this equipment requires the use of real cymbals, whose very harmonic high harmonics remain very unpleasant for the neighborhood and in practice destroy a large part of the desired result.

So that the use of these iastruments remains very limited.

There is also an electronic drum kit of British origin, intended for variety orchestras and whose sound is pleasant and faithful, which could possibly be used for training if one replaced his speaker by a caqque, this which would muffle the sounds produced. But, in addition to its high price (of the order of
thirty thousand francs), the cases of this battery are
covered with a very hard plastic material, the rebound of which
is quite different from that of an ordinary battery,
which makes it unusable in pedagogy.

To this disadvantage is added the fact that it remains
residual noise due to the impact of the rods on the material
plastic that replaces the skin, and the fact that this bat
rie also requires the use of real cymbals, which
Any interest in its use for the protection of the
soundly as indicated for the
above-mentioned training battery.

Finally, the last weak point, the plas-
tick on which the rods strike, is in direct contact with the sensor, so that in case of intensive use
as it happens for Jn variety orchestra it's
necessary to change this part frequently (every three
or four days), which is very expensive because this
last one is very expensive.

For all these reasons, it is impossible to
use this battery for training students.
DESCRIPTION:
The principle of the battery according to the invention
is very simple and avoids the inconveniences signa
above because it is designed precisely to
Avoid them.

The usual mounting of battery boxes,
ie the fat on which is stuck a skin
in a slide and tensioned using an external metal circle which comes to rest on the slide fasce h the action of tensors hung on the eût i from shells fixed on the latter, is replaced by a structure original composed as follows
la) a plastic fat or any other suitable material (1), comprising an inner rim (2), which serves as a support for the membrane (3) replacing the skin.

A variant consists in using a regular barrel and in maintaining the membrane replacing the skin by the appropriately modified metal circle
20) a membrane replacing the skin (3), composed of a more or less thin elastic substance chosen to ensure a rebound analogous to that of an ordinary battery skin, for example a sheet (or strip) of natural gum of 8 "shore 40" quality millimeters.

This memnbranne is not stretched as are the skins of conventional cases, but simply held by wedging between the inner rim (2) of the barrel and a support plate (4) called n vibrating n located below the membrane inside the barrel,
30) a so-called n vibrating support plate n (4) composed of a rigid material, for example stainless steel or wood, which has the role of transmitting the vibrations created by the percussion of the rod or the bat (or sticks), to a microphone (5) brought into contact with this plate or to an impulse sensor connected directly to it.

it is essential to note that the vibrating plate (4) must not be in contact with an element of the body other than the elastic membrane which rests on it (3) and the insulating material described in the following paragraph (6! placed below it inside the fEt as shown below,
40) a volume of expanded polystyrene foam (6) or of any other similar flexible and insulating material intended to support the vibrating plate while electrically and phonically isolating it from the rest of the body. This volume is arranged around a central space where is the microphone or the pulse sensor (5) mentioned below,
50). a microphone (5) brought into contact with the vibrating plate or a pulse sensor connected directly to the latter (4) and which will be connected to an electronic amplification, coloring, modulation and adjustment system for the sound collected by the microphone or the sensor,
60) a cover (7) of plastic or another material intended to hold the whole of this device inside the barrel,
70) one or more sockets making it possible to connect the electronic system to headphones or loudspeakers as well as any other electronic device of which 1 1 employment could be useful: cassette player, turntable, radio device, etc.
Note: The structure described above can be implemented in the same way for cymbals./.

Claims (2)

 1) Musical instrument simulating a battery, designed to deliver an electrical output signal corresponding to the percussion of the battery without emitting annoying direct noise, and comprising a striking surface (3, 4) arranged in a> straight section upper of a cylindrical fat (1), and an acoustoelectric sensor (5) coupled to the striking surface, characterized in that this striking surface comprises a flexible mem branne (3) fixed, not stretched, to the fat (1) by its periphery, and a rigid plate (4) applied against most of the underside of the membrane (3) without touching the fat (1), the sensor being fixed to the rigid plate (4) of the side opposite to the membrane (3).  2) Instrument according to claim 1, charac terized in that the fact (1) being provided with an inner rim (2) in the vicinity of its upper periphery, a tubular body (6) made of plastic foam is inserted in the fat (1), a bottom (7) at the lower part of the fat (1) holding the body (6) in support under the rigid plate (4) so as to tighten the membrane - (3) against the rim (2) ./.