GB405278A - Improvements in or relating to electrical musical instruments - Google Patents

Abstract

405,278. Electrical musical instruments. VIERLING, O., 7, Kloedenstrasse, Berlin. July 28, 1932, No. 21322. [Class 88 (ii).] In an electrical musical instrument in which a mechanical vibrator such as a metallic string or fork induces in an electric device currents which are led to a loud-speaker or the like, in order to eliminate touch noise and the tendency to rapid decrease of intensity the said electrical devices are so shaped or arranged relative to the mechanical vibrators that the excitation of the devices is relatively suppressed during the initial oscillations and automatically increases afterwards. In Fig. 3, the pole-piece 10 of an electromagnet 2 having a coil 3 connected to amplifier 5 and loud-speaker 9, is arranged at the side of a string 1 set in vibration by a blow in the direction shown by arrow A. The initial vibrations of the string, parallel to the polepiece, are not translated, transmission only commencing as the string commences to describe an elliptical path. To prevent the ellipse from rotating, the ends of the string may be held as shown in Figs. 5, 5a, 5b. The pole-piece may alternatively be inclined 'to the initial movement of the string (Fig. 3, not shown), with or without a recess in its face (Fig. 6, not shown). Or the pole-piece may have two arms at right angles, Fig. 7. Two pole-pieces at right angles, with separate coils under the control of separate adjustable short-circuiting resistances, may be used (Fig. 8, not shown). Fig. 9 shows a piano-like instrument in which the inclination of the pole pieces 10 is gradually increased for the treble strings T, in which the touch noise is normally most noticeable. An additional damper, actuated by a hand lever or pedal, may be arranged near the ends of the strings to render the decrease in intensity more rapid, if desired, Electrostatic arrangements, simifar to the electromagnetic arrangements, are shown. Either violin or flute-like tones can be produced from a violin with metallic strings.