GB2535210A

GB2535210A - Controller for a sound generator

Info

Publication number: GB2535210A
Application number: GB1502414.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ben-Ari Tal
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-02-13
Filing date: 2015-02-13
Publication date: 2016-08-17
Also published as: GB201502414D0

Abstract

A controller 10 for a sound generator comprises: an elongate body 16 to be held by a musical performer with both hands; a plurality of tone keys 20, which may be capacitive touch sensitive keys, on the body for selecting musical notes to be played; and a gyroscopic MEMS sensor for sending to the sound generator a signal for setting a parameter of the generated note in dependence upon the sensed attitude of the body. Additional MEMS sensors for detecting acceleration and magnetic fields may also be included. The controller may also include a plurality of control buttons 17, disposed a distance away from the tone keys, and may include a scale selection button to permit the frequency of the generated notes to be varied. The control buttons may include a tracker ball or joystick. Light emitting diodes may be provided adjacent to each tone keys, which may glow with different intensities or colours. A shoulder strap may be provided.

Description

CONTROLLER FOR A SOUND GENERATOR Field of the invention The present invention is concerned with a controller for a sound generator designed to be handheld by a musical performer.

Background

It is known for musical performers to use a piano-like keyboard to operate a sound generator to create musical sounds. The term "sound generator" is used to include any device, such as a synthesiser or a midi player, capable of receiving instructions from a keyboard and generating a musical sound. Depending on the received instructions signals, known sound generators can simulate the sounds of classical instruments, such as a piano, clarinet or violin, or they may generate electronic sounds. Furthermore, sound generators can provide a musical accompaniment, such as a background rhythm or a repeated set of chords.

The present invention is not concerned with the sound generator but with the controller providing the human interface with the musical performer. Essentially, this is a device operated by the performer to send electrical instruction signals to the sound generator to produce the desired sounds. Thus, the performer can use the controller to set all the parameters of the desired note, such as its 33 fundamental frequency, its harmonic content, loudness, attack, velocity, fade, vibrato etc, as well as selecting other functions such as setting a background rhythm, initiating a musical accompaniment, recording a musical phrase or loop that it constantly recycled, to name but a few. The range of achievable effects is determined by the sound generator rather than the controller.

Handheld controllers for sound generators are known that have a guitar-like body carrying a piano-like keyboard with black and white keys. Electronic wind instruments have also been proposed that are played in a similar manner a clarinet for example, where the operator blows onto a pressure sensing switch at the same time as operating tone selection keys.

The controller of the present invention is not intended 13 to emulate any existing instrument but to provide a device that is easy to manipulate and capable of generating instruction signals in a highly versatile manner.

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a controller for a sound generator comprising an elongate body to be held by a performer with both hands, a plurality of tone keys on the body for selecting musical notes to be played and a gyroscopic MEMS sensor for sending to the sound generator a signal for setting a parameter of the generated note in dependence upon the sensed attitude of the body.

The novelty of the controller resides in the fact that parameters of the generated sound can be modified by the performed by simply altering the attitude of the controller. Thus the volume or loudness may, for example, be changed by moving the controller from a horizontal to a vertical attitude or by rotating the body of the controller about its 33 own longitudinal axis.

In some embodiments of the invention, the tone keys are capacitative keys. Because capacitative keys are sensitive to touch but not to applied pressure, they are not conventionally used in controllers because the sound generated by piano-like keys is determined by the applied pressure and the rate of application of the pressure.

In the controller of the present invention, the tone keys can only determine whether a note is produced by the sound generator or not. Other parameters of the note are set by further controls and sensors provided on the body of the controller.

Because the controller is intended to be handheld by a performer, its visual appearance and aesthetic appeal to an audience is also of importance. To excite the visual as well 13 as the auditory senses, it is desirable a light source to be mounted adjacent each of the tone keys.

Each light source may be a light emitting diode operative to glow with a first intensity prior to a actuation of the associated tone key and to glow with a different colour during actuation of the associated tone key.

It is further desirable for the LED's to be multicolour 20 LED's. The colour of the emitted light may be indicative of the dominant frequency of the musical note generated by actuation of the associated key.

In some embodiments, all the tone keys are positioned adjacent one another at one end of the controller for actuation by one hand of the performer and control buttons are positioned at a distance from the tone keys for actuation by the other hand of the operator.

33 The control buttons may include at least one scale selection button to permit the frequency of the notes generated by actuation of the tone keys to be varied.

The control buttons further include one or more pressure sensitive sensors and/or a tracker ball sensor.

While it would be possible for the controller to be connected to the sound generator by a wire, to allow a performer more freedom of movement on a stage, the controller may further include a radio transmitting and receiving module for wireless communication with the sound generator.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a controller, Figure 2 shows the tone keys of the controller of Figure 1 to an enlarged scale, and Figure 3 is shows the function buttons of the controller of Figure 1 to an enlarged scale.

Detailed of the drawings Figure 1 shows a controller 10, hereinafter referred to as a kadabra, resting against a stand 12. The kadabra 10 is intended to be played either while resting on the ground, carried, or hung over the shoulders of the performer using the shoulder strap 14. The kadabra 10 comprises an ornate elongate stick-like body 16 on which are mounted various human interface components, namely keys, sensors, LED's and buttons, as described below. The body 16 is hollow and houses internally, at or near its upper end, a radio control 33 module (not shown), which is connected to the various human interface components by a small CPU and wire passing down the hollow interior of the body 16. The kadabra also houses a power supply, such as a rechargeable battery, for powering the radio control module. The radio control module serves to communicate to a sound generator which of the human interface components have been actuated by the performer and to receive signals from the sound generator to activate the various LED's. The radio control module is not essential to the kadabra 10, which could instead be connected by a wire to the sound generator.

At the lower end of the kadabra 10, there is provided a set of tone keys, generally designated 20. Each tone key, as more clearly seen in Figure 2, comprises a metal bar 22, alongside which there is positioned a respective LED 24.

13 At the upper end of the kadabra 10, there is provided a programmable set of buttons generally designated 17 and shown in Figure 3, each comprising a press button 26 surrounded by an illuminated annular bezel 28.

Housed within the body of the kadrabra and not shown in the drawings are various MEMS sensors of which one is a gyroscopic attitude sensor. Additional MEMS sensors may be provided to detect magnetic fields and acceleration.

The buttons 26 are intended to be operated by the fingers of the left hand and on the opposite side of the kadabra 10, level with the buttons 26, there are provided for operation of the thumb of the left hand one or more pressure sensitive sensors and a tracker ball sensor or joystick.

Last, between the buttons 26 and the tone keys 22, there may be provided a further set of function buttons similar in construction to the buttons 26.

It should be made clear that the function served by the various keys, buttons and sensors are determined by software and are not of primary importance to the invention. Apart from the tone keys 20, which are always used to select the frequency of the note to be played, all the other buttons and sensors can be programmed to perform whatever effect is desired by the performer.

By depression of the twelve buttons 26 and the function buttons, either individually or in combination, the performer can choose any one of numerous effects, only some of which are described below.

As shown by the legends in Figure 3, a primary function that may be served by the buttons 26 is to select the key in which the tone keys operate. Thus when playing a piece in the key of A, the performer may depress the button at the 13 top right of Figure 3 and this will change the notes produced by all the tone keys. Any one of the tone keys 22 is not therefore associated with a single frequency but whichever frequency is assigned to it by the key selections buttons 26.

The LED's alongside the tone keys 22 are multicolour LED's and their colour depends on the note produced by the associated key. The LED's will therefore change colour depending on the key selected using the buttons 26. If, for example, the note C is designated by red, the first of the tone keys may had a red LED when playing in one key, but the fifth of the tone keys may have a red LED alongside it when playing in a different key. The performer will however always know that a certain colour will result in a certain note, regardless of the key in which a piece of music is being played.

Because of the tone keys being capacitance operated, there is no sensory feedback when a key is operated. To 33 compensate for this, the LED's alongside the keys, as well as indicating the frequency of the note associated with a key, may by their brightness indicate whether or not contact with a finger of the performer has been sensed.

As the capacitative keys are not pressure sensitive, the loudness of individual notes can be set using a pressure sensitive sensor, or the general volume of the generated sound may be set using the roller ball. Likewise, the MEMS sensors may be used to generate signals for modulating the volume and various other properties of the generated sound.

The other effects that can be produced by the sound generator can be selected by activation of the various buttons 26 and function buttons either individually or in combination. Thus a combination of buttons, determined by software, may start a loop recording cycle, another 13 combination may end the loop and a third may initiate cycling of the recorded group of notes.

It will be clear from the foregoing description that countless signals and combinations of instruction signals can be generated by the kadabra and these can in turn cause the sound generator to produce numerous sound effects. If the sound generator can, for example, be instructed to simulate the sound of a clarinet, then operation of one of the various buttons, or operation of a combination buttons, may be programmed to send the necessary instruction to the sound generator.

There is set out below an instruction manual for operating the kadabra shown in Figure 1 with a sound generator implemented as program running on a lap top computer. While the invention is not to be regarded as restricted to the functions ascribed to the various buttons and keys in the annexed manual, the manual serves to indicate the various effects that can be achieved using the 33 kadabra and a suitably programmed sound generator.

KADABRA MANUAL

Kadabra is an electronic musical device, a midi controller that can produce music as a single instrument or as a full band (controlling up to 16 instruments), in real time.

The Kadabra can be played suspended by a strap (as a guitar), hand held (as a staff) or in a Cello like position (touching the ground in its lower end).

At the Kadabra's Lower end, there are 24 capacitive touch sensors, with 24 Addressable (colour controlled) LEDs. the Kadabra's Top end there are 12 momentary buttons, a mouse-like trackball, 2 pressure sensors, 9DOF MEMS (Accelerometer, Gyroscope & Magnetometer), a thumb button, a main LED on the top end of the Kadabra (lighting up the Gem stones) to state function status, and inside the trackball, a secondary LED to state in function conditions.

At the middle of the Kadabra (for both hands to reach) there are 5 utility momentary buttons, and an extra accelerometer.

General (any-time) Functionality: Touching (holding) the Lower Pressure Sensor, enters the Function selector.

If no function was chosen, releasing the Lower Pressure Sensor returns to the last used Function.

The Function Selector: * pressing one of the 12 upper buttons selects: 1. Performance mode 2. Presets & User sets 3. Toner (Tones player) 4. Scaler (Scale changer) 5. Sequencer 3:1 6. Midi Looper 7. Viber 8. Arpeggiator 0. Fxer (Effects) 10. Sampler 11. Setup Choosing a function will change the functionality of all the sensors of the Kadabra. Touching (holding) the Upper Pressure Sensor, enters the Sound selector.

If no function was chosen, releasing the Upper Pressure Sensor returns to the last used Function.

The Sound Selector: * pressing one of the 12 upper buttons selects: 1. Kick 2. Drum-Sampler 3. FX-Sampler 4. Special FX synth 5 Bass Synth 6. Beatbox (sampler) 7 Strings (for example: Guitar, Cello, Sitar, 8 Acoustic Solo 9. Vocalizer (effects on a mic/line in) 10. Future Synth I I. Solo instrument 1 12. Solo instrument 2 To Assign MEMS: Hold the MEMS Assign button (Utility #3), choose a Control Change number (by pressing one of the 12 upper buttons from the default list of the assigned VST), and turn the Kadabra in one of its axis, the most moved axis will set the Control Change number to that axis MEMS Control, then release the MEMS Assign button (Utility #3).

Usually, the Accelerometer will use strong movements to get assigned (acceleration) while the Gyroscope will use slow but longer movements.

1) Performance: Performance Mode follows your programmed Section changes in the performance 3'J time line, for playing specific presets in a song or in a section of a song. In Performance mode, double pressing the 4th Utility Button, moves to the next programmed User preset, this way you can easily save all your performance song settings to different Sections, and play them by order. Saving a Project Section by Section can be loaded from the connected program too, the Section's Names are shown on the GUI (graphic user interface) for simple performance orientation.

* Top Gems are lit in LIGHT GREEN. Track-ball up: Previous Temporary Function.

-10 -Track-ball down: Next Temporal); Function.

Track-ball right & left: Functions as it would function in the chosen Temporary Function chosen.

Track-ball click: Function change to Functions Each movement to the next Section can change: 1. All Instuments 2. Base Tone Change 3. Scale Change 4. Complete Sequencer Grid 5. Looper Loop 6. Arpeggios 7. Complete User sets 8. Active Instrument 9. Active Function number 10. BPM 11. MENIS Midi Assignment * The 5 Utility buttons arc: 1) BPM TAP / Start or Stop Midi-Fx (Utility #5) / Approve Save/Load/Reset/Rec (Utility #2).

2) Toggle Setting: Save / Load / Reset / Record 3) Assign MEMS (as in General Functionality).

4) Toggle between "LOCKED" (Perform) and "EDIT" (Edit) 5) Toggle between Midi-Fx (BPM, Sequencer, Looper, Viber, Arpeggio, FX) * The 4th Utility button's new feature: Double press to Go To Next 2) Presets & User sets: The Presets Function lets you set 12 presets of your choice or set 12 ready made presets to create elaborate musical themes.

* The Top Gems are lit in YELLOW.

3:1 Track-ball up: Octave Up Track-ball down: Octave Down Track-ball right & left: BPM Change Track-ball Click: Function change to Performance * The 12 upper buttons become selectors for 12 Presets actions.

For example:

1. Major Pentatonic Scale in Base Tone C3 2. Minor Dorian Scale in Base Tone E#3 3. FX 3 (Delay) ON/OFF 4. Instrument 5 Instrument 9 6 FX 7 (Bit Crusher) ON/OFF 7. Viber ON/OFF 8. etc...

* The 24 lower touch sensors will actin the chosen Temporary Function as if it was in the Function itself.

* The 24 LEDs will act in the chosen Temporary Function as if it was in the Function itself * The Upper Pressure sensor will act in the chosen Temporary Function as if it was in the Function itself.

* The Lower Pressure sensor, changes the assigned MIDI control change.

* The MUMS, will act in the chosen Temporary Function as if it was in the Function itself.

* The 5 Utility buttons are: 1) BPM TAP / Start or Stop Midi-Fx (Utility #5) / Approve Save/Load/Reset/Rec (Utility #2).

4) Toggle between Major Scale, Minor Scale and Diminished Scale.

5) Toggle between Midi-Fx (BPM, Sequencer, Looper, Viber, Arpeggio, FX) 2 5 3) The Toner: The Toner changes the Base-Tone of the Kadabra's Scale and is the simplest way to play scaled notes on the Kadabra.

* The Top Gems are lit in LIGHT BLUE. Track-ball up: Octave Up 3'J Track-ball down: Octave Down Track-ball right & left: BPM Change Track-ball Click: Function change to Scaler * The 12 upper buttons become selectors for the base tone (the"key signature" for any of the scales chosen): C 5. E 9. G# 2. C# 6. F 10. A 3 D 7. F# I I. A# -12 - 4. D# 8. G 12. B * The 24 lower touch sensors act as keyboard notes, starting by the chosen base tone and advancing to the next tone of the chosen scale.

* The 24 LEDs lit in colours corresponding to the notes available.

* The Upper Pressure sensor, when pressed, defines the velocity of each note played * The Lower Pressure sensor, changes the assigned MIDI control change.

* The MEMS, are responsible for sound manipulations as chosen by the user.

4) Toggle between Major Scale, Minor Scale and Diminished Scale.

5) Toggle between Midi-Fx (BPM, Sequencer, Looper, Viber, Arpeggio, FX) 4) The Scaler: * The Top Gems are lit in TURQUOISE.

Track-ball up: Octave Up Track-ball down: Octave Down Track-ball right & left: BPM Change Track-ball Click: Hold for CHORDs * The 12 upper buttons become selectors for Scales and Chords: if in Major scales and chords are OFF: I. Full Major Scal e 2. Pentatonic Major Scale 3. Blues (Pentatonic minor +#5) 4. MixoLidian 5. Minor Harmonic 5th 6. Minor Harmonic 5th 7+ 7. Minor Melodic 5th 8. Minor Melodic 5th 7+ 9. Whole-Tone 10. Lidianic 11. Lidianic b7 if in Minor scales and chords are OFF: -13 -I Full Minor Scale 2. Pentatonic Major Scale 3 Major Blues (Pentatonic minor +#5) 4 Dorian 5. Hamion c 6. Melodic 7. Frigic A combination of 2 buttons will change the scale to Chromatic or Diminished scale when chords are OFF: i3 1+2: Chromatic 2+3: Dim Half-Whole 3+4: Dim Whole-Half 5+6: Lokric b9 6+7: Lokric 7+8: ALT Scale * The 24 lower touch sensors act as keyboard notes, starting by the chosen base tone and advancing to the next tone of the chosen scale.

* The 24 LEDs are lit in different colors, corresponding to the notes available. For example, if the Base Tone is C in Octave 2, and Major Pentatonic Scale is chosen: * The Upper Pressure sensor, len pressed, defines the velocity of each note played * The Lower Pressure sensor, changes the assigned MIDI control change.

* The MEMS, are responsible for sound manipulations as chosen by the user.

* The 5 Utility buttons arc: I) BPM TAP / Start or Stop Midi-Fx (Utility #5) / Approve Save/Load/Reset/Rec (Utility #2).

3 4) Toggle between Major Scale, Minor Scale and Diminished Scale.

5) Toggle between Midi-Fx (BPM, Sequencer, Looper, Viber, Arpeggio, FX) 5) The Sequencer: A Sequencer is a beat-based loop that runs through a musical bar grid and plays Notes or Samples that are on that grid position.

* The Top Gems are lit in PINK. Track-ball up: Octave Up -14 -Track-ball down: Octave Down Track-ball right & left: BPM Change Track-ball Hold: Opens Loop Console Track-ball Release: Back To Sequencer.

* The 12 upper buttons become selectors for 12 different chosen samples.

* The 24 lower touch sensors become the Sequencer's NoteOn places in the time line (pressing a touch sensor will add an instance of the chosen sample to the Sequencer's time line) 13 * The 24 LEDs are lit in different colors, corresponding to the Samples/Notes in the Sequencer and will flash at the present position of the beat on the grid.

For example, a 4/4 techno Bass-Drum (when BD is chosen and a Quadrates frame): the image " " presents the blinking light representing the position of the beat.

the four lights right of the middle line, represents the 4 available Bars.

The rightmost 4, represents the 4 available ready made presets for the chosen sample.

* The Upper Pressure sensor,when pressed, defines the velocity of each sample 20 played.

* The Lower Pressure sensor, changes the assigned MIDI control change.

* The MEMS, are responsible for sound manipulations as chosen by the user.

* The 5 Utility buttons are: 1) BPM TAP / Start or Stop Midi-Fx (Utility #5) / Approve Save/Load/Reset/Roc (Utility #2).

4) Toggle between "STATIC Sequence" (mainly for samples) and "AUTO SCALED Sequence" (for notes).

3'J 5) press once for "Loop/Sequence Start" and once again for "Loop/Sequence Stop".

6) The Looper: A Looper is a time-based player that runs through a recorded time frame and plays recorded Notes/Samples, Motion and other sensor data in a loop.

* The Top Gems arc lit in VIOLET. Track-ball up: Octave Up.

-15 -Track-ball down: Octave Down. Track-ball right & left: BPM Change. Track-ball Hold: Opens Loop Console. Track-ball Release: Back To Looper.

* The 12 upper buttons selects: 1. Quarter Bar (Loop Length) 2. Half Bar (Loop Length) 3. 1 Bar (Loop Length) 4. 2 Bars (Loop Length) 5. Quarter-Time (Loop Speed) 6. Half-Time (Loop Speed) 7. Double-Time (Loop Speed) 8. Four-Time (Loop Speed) 9. Choose Pattern 1 10. Choose Pattern 2 11. Choose Pattern 3 12. Choose Pattern 4 * In MUTE CHANNELS Mode (Holding the Track-Ball Click) The 12 upper buttons Mutes and Uri-Mutes the Chosen Channels.

* The 24 lower touch sensors act as keyboard notes, samples or effects, depending on their chosen state of functionality.

* The 24 LEDs if in "Notes view' are lit in different colors, corresponding to the Notes saved in the loop, in "Samples View" (as in sequencer mode) are lit in the sample's tone color. In both modes a light will flash at the present position of the beat on the loop's grid.

* The Upper Pressure sensor, when pressed, defines the velocity of each 3'J sample/note played.

* The Lower Pressure sensor, changes the assigned MIDI control change.

* The MEMS, are responsible for sound manipulations as chosen by the user.

-16 - 4) Toggle between "REC ADDING" (Adding to Loop) and "REC OVERTDES" (Delete and Record).

5) press once for "Loop Start" and once again for "Loop Stop".

7) The Viber: The Viber is Kadabra's new invention, instead of normally playing notes, the Kadabra plays the notes again and again in a continues vibrating loop as if using a Low Frequency Oscillator, whilethe loop speed is usually (by default) dependent on the o position of the Kadabra in space. The Viber is actually an expanding and extracting time-based short loop player that plays Notes and Samples continuously. The \Tiber can reach very high speed loops.

* The Top Gems are lit in BORDO. Track-ball up: Increase Note Lcngth Track-ball down: Decrease Note Length Track-ball right & left: Faster/Slower Loop Track-ball Click: Function change to Sequencer * The 12 upper buttons selects 12 different chosen manipulations: 1. * Activate Octave Up 2 * Activate Down Effect (4 beats of lower notes in each Viber loop).

3 * Activate MEMS ('A' to Gate, 'B' to Speed, 'C' to Velocity) 4 * Activate Poly Sync (polyphonic notes in synced timing) Quarter Speed 6. Half Speed 7 Triplets Speed 8 Double Speed 9. Assign Octave to Pressure sensor 10. Assign Gate to Pressure sensor 1 I. Assign Speed to Pressure sensor 3 'J 12. Assign Velocity to Pressure sensor only active while button is pressed, deactivates when released. MEMS * The 24 lower touch sensors become the Viber's Short Loop Sequencer.

* The 24 LEDs are lit in different colors, corresponding to the Samples/Notes in the Viber and will flash at the present position of the beat on the Viber Short Loop grid.

* The Upper Pressure sensor, when pressed, acts as defined by the Top Buttons assignment.

-17 - * The Lower Pressure sensor, changes the assigned MIDI control change.

* The MEMS, in Correspondence to pressed upper buttons are assigned to the Viber Speed and Note Gate as chosen by the user.

4) Toggle between "STATIC VIBE" (Same Note) and "SCALED VIBE" (Scaled 13 Notes).

5) press once for "Viber Start" and once again for Viber Stop".

8) The Arpeggiator: When active, The Arpeggiator creates a short sequence for each note played. The Arpeggiator is actually playing a loop or a written scaled sequence corresponding to the present active scale.

* The Top Gems arc lit in BORDO. Track-ball up: Increase Note Length Track-ball down: Decrease Note Length Track-ball right: Faster Loop Track-ball left: Slower Loop Track-ball click: Open Arpeggiator Console * The 12 upper buttons selects 12 different chosen manipulations: 1. * Activate Octave Up 2. * Activate Down Effect (4 beats of lower notes in each Viber loop).

3 * Activate MEMS ('A' to Gate, 'B' to Speed, 'C' to Velocity) 4 * Activate Poly Sync (polyphonic notes in synced timing) 5. Quarter Speed 6 Half Speed :30 7. Triplets Speed 8. Double Speed 9. Assign Octave to Pressure sensor 10. Assign Gate to Pressure sensor 1 I. Assign Speed to Pressure sensor 12. Assign Velocity to Pressure sensor * only active while button is pressed, deactivates when released.

* The 24 lower touch sensors become the Arpeggiator's Loop Sequencer.

-18 - * The 24 LEDs are lit in different colors, corresponding to the Samples/Notes in the Viber and will flash at the present position of the beat on the Viber Short Loop grid.

* The Lower Pressure sensor, changes the assigned MIDI control change.

* The MEMS, are responsible for sound manipulations as chosen by the user.

4) Toggle between "STATIC ARP" (Same Note) and "SCALED ARP" (Scaled Notes).

5) press once for "AmStart" and once again for"Arm Stop".

9) The FXer: In the FXer function, you can do effect changes in real time and manage effects to be included in your user presets and your "Shortcuts".

* The Top Gem arc lit in BORDO.

Track-ball up: Increase FX Main Parameter Track-ball down: Decrease FX Main Parameter Track-ball right: Next FX Parameter Track-ball left: Previous FX Parameter Track-ball click: Function change to Functions * The 12 upper buttons become selectors for 12 different chosen Effects.

1. Panner 2. Reverb 3. Delay 4. Hanger 3:1 5. Phaser 6. Distortion 7. Bit Crusher 8. Multi Compressor 9. Slicer 10. Beat Glitcher 11. Pitch Shifter 12. Modulation -19 - * The 24 lower touch sensors become the Chosen Effect's Parameters changer.

* The 24 LEDs are lit in different colors, corresponding to the the present amount of each chosen effect's parameter.

* The Upper Pressure sensor, when pressed in Correspondence to pressed lower 5 touch buttons will determine the dry/wet minimum and maximum amounts of the chosen effect.

* The Lower Pressure sensor, changes the assigned MIDI control change.

* The MEMS can be assigned to any effect (upper buttons) chosen parameter (using the trackball), by pressing utility button 2 ("MEMS assign" button).

1'J * The 5 Utility buttons are: 1) BPM TAP / Start or Stop Midi-Fx (Utility #5) / Approve Save/Load/Reset/Rec (Utility #2).

4) Toggle between "ABSOLUTE" (MEMS direct control) and "ADDED" (MEMS Add to Value).

5) press once for "FX Start" and once again for "FX Stop".

MEMS

10) The Sampler: Touching a Cap touch sensor will play a sample from the Sample-Bank and automatically choose that sample as the chosen sample to manipulate! * The Top Gems are lit in BLUE. Track-ball up: Pitch Up Chosen Sample Track-ball down: Pitch Down Chosen Sample Track-ball right: Next Sample Group Track-ball left: Previous Sample Group Track-ball click Function change to Sampler * The 12 upper buttons selects different sample banks: 1. -0 till 23 2.-12 till 35 3. -24 till 47 4 -36 till 59 -48 till 71 6. -60 till 83 7.-72 till 95 8.-84 till 107 -20 - 9. -96 till 119 10. -108 till 127 11. -120 till 127 * The 24 lower touch sensors become sample keys (pressing each of them will play the corresponding sample).

* The 24 LEDs are lit in different colors, corresponding to the notes available (in Gradual state case: the 12 half-notes one after the other and again -as in a Chromatic scale).

* The Upper Pressure sensor, len pressed, defines the velocity of each sample played.

* The Lower Pressure sensor, changes the assigned MIDI control change.

* The MEMS, are responsible for sound manipulations as chosen by the user.

4) Toggle between User Bank and Gradual Notes.

5) Toggle between (BPM, Sequencer, Looper, Viber, Arpeggio, FX) 11) SETUP: In Setup, you can save and load the whole Kadabra state, an Instrument, FX, Sequence, Loop or Arpeggio.

* The Top Gems are lit in ORANGE.

Track-ball up: Previous Saved Slot.

Track-ball down: Next Saved Slot.

Track-ball right & left: Toggle between: (Sequence /Loop /hist /FX / ) 3'J Track-ball click: Function change to Functions * The 12 upper buttons become selectors for 12 SETUP actions.

1. Save Kadabra 2. Load Kadabra 3. Save Instruments 4. Load Instruments 5. Save Effects 6. Load Effects -21 - 7. Save Sequence, 8. Load Sequence 9. Save Loop 10. Load Loop 11. Save Arpeggio 12. Load Arpeggio * The 24 lower touch sensors become the Chosen Save/Load slot.

* The 24 LEDs are lit in chosen colors of the corresponding slots available. No color = Empty slot.

13 * The Pressure sensors are Disabled.

* The MEMS, are Disabled.

* The 5 Utility buttons are: 1) Approve Utility button 2 choice 2) Toggle Setting: Save / Load / Reset 3) Disabled 4) Disabled 5) Disabled

Claims

-22 -CLAIMS 1. A controller for a sound generator comprising an elongate body to be held by a performer with both hands, a plurality of tone keys on the body for selecting musical notes to be played and a gyroscopic MEMS sensor for sending to the sound generator a signal for setting a parameter of the generated note in dependence upon the sensed attitude of the body.
2. A controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tone key are capacitative keys that are sensitive to touch.
3. A controller as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a 15 light source is mounted adjacent each of the tone keys.
4. A controller as claimed in claim 3, wherein each light source is a light emitting diode operative to glow with a first intensity prior to a actuation of the associated tone key and to glow with a different during actuation of the associated tone key.
5. A controller as claimed in claim 4, wherein the LED's are multicolour LED's and the colour of the emitted 25 light is dependent upon the dominant frequency of the musical note generated by actuation of the associated key.
6. A controller as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein all the tone keys are positioned adjacent one 33 another at one end of the controller for actuation by one hand of an operator and control buttons are positioned at a distance from the tone keys for actuation by the other hand of the operator.
7. A controller as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control buttons include at least one scale selection button -23 -to permit the frequency of the notes generated by actuation of the tone keys to be varied.
8. A controller as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein 5 the control buttons include at least one pressure sensitive sensor.
9. A controller as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the control buttons include a tracker ball or 15 joystick.
10. A controller as claimed in any preceding claim, including a MEMS sensor for sensing acceleration.
11. A controller as claimed in any preceding claim, including a MEMS sensor for sensing magnetic fields.
12. A controller as claimed in any preceding claim, further including a radio transmitting and receiving module 20 for wireless communication with the sound generator.
13. A controller as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a shoulder strap connected to the elongate body at points that are spaced apart along the 25 length of the body.