US3685384A - Electropiano - Google Patents
Electropiano Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US3685384A US3685384A US889809A US3685384DA US3685384A US 3685384 A US3685384 A US 3685384A US 889809 A US889809 A US 889809A US 3685384D A US3685384D A US 3685384DA US 3685384 A US3685384 A US 3685384A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- strings
- dampers
- rail
- piano
- agraffe
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
- G10H3/00—Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means
- G10H3/12—Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means using mechanical resonant generators, e.g. strings or percussive instruments, the tones of which are picked up by electromechanical transducers, the electrical signals being further manipulated or amplified and subsequently converted to sound by a loudspeaker or equivalent instrument
- G10H3/14—Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means using mechanical resonant generators, e.g. strings or percussive instruments, the tones of which are picked up by electromechanical transducers, the electrical signals being further manipulated or amplified and subsequently converted to sound by a loudspeaker or equivalent instrument using mechanically actuated vibrators with pick-up means
- G10H3/18—Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means using mechanical resonant generators, e.g. strings or percussive instruments, the tones of which are picked up by electromechanical transducers, the electrical signals being further manipulated or amplified and subsequently converted to sound by a loudspeaker or equivalent instrument using mechanically actuated vibrators with pick-up means using a string, e.g. electric guitar
- G10H3/185—Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means using mechanical resonant generators, e.g. strings or percussive instruments, the tones of which are picked up by electromechanical transducers, the electrical signals being further manipulated or amplified and subsequently converted to sound by a loudspeaker or equivalent instrument using mechanically actuated vibrators with pick-up means using a string, e.g. electric guitar in which the tones are picked up through the bridge structure
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
- G10H2220/00—Input/output interfacing specifically adapted for electrophonic musical tools or instruments
- G10H2220/461—Transducers, i.e. details, positioning or use of assemblies to detect and convert mechanical vibrations or mechanical strains into an electrical signal, e.g. audio, trigger or control signal
- G10H2220/465—Bridge-positioned, i.e. assembled to or attached with the bridge of a stringed musical instrument
- G10H2220/471—Bridge-positioned, i.e. assembled to or attached with the bridge of a stringed musical instrument at bottom, i.e. transducer positioned at the bottom of the bridge, between the bridge and the body of the instrument
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
- G10H2220/00—Input/output interfacing specifically adapted for electrophonic musical tools or instruments
- G10H2220/461—Transducers, i.e. details, positioning or use of assemblies to detect and convert mechanical vibrations or mechanical strains into an electrical signal, e.g. audio, trigger or control signal
- G10H2220/465—Bridge-positioned, i.e. assembled to or attached with the bridge of a stringed musical instrument
- G10H2220/501—Two or more bridge transducers, at least one transducer common to several strings
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
- G10H2220/00—Input/output interfacing specifically adapted for electrophonic musical tools or instruments
- G10H2220/461—Transducers, i.e. details, positioning or use of assemblies to detect and convert mechanical vibrations or mechanical strains into an electrical signal, e.g. audio, trigger or control signal
- G10H2220/525—Piezoelectric transducers for vibration sensing or vibration excitation in the audio range; Piezoelectric strain sensing, e.g. as key velocity sensor; Piezoelectric actuators, e.g. key actuation in response to a control voltage
- G10H2220/541—Piezoelectric transducers for vibration sensing or vibration excitation in the audio range; Piezoelectric strain sensing, e.g. as key velocity sensor; Piezoelectric actuators, e.g. key actuation in response to a control voltage using piezoceramics, e.g. lead titanate [PbTiO3], zinc oxide [Zn2 O3], lithium niobate [LiNbO3], sodium tungstate [NaWO3], bismuth ferrite [BiFeO3]
Definitions
- ABSTRACT An electropiano employing as a transducer rail one or relatively few strips of U-shaped aluminum extrusion between the arms of which are located a plurality of piezo-electric transducer elements separated from one arm by resilient damping pads located above metallic shims.
- the total number of transducer elements is about 25 percent of the number of tones, the transducers not being individual to the strings, but being acoustically coupled to the strings through the extrusion or strip.
- the strip is supported between the strings and a layer of resilient damping material which is located directly on the plate of the electropiano, and is secured only against gross lateral movement relative to the plate so that longitudinal acoustic vibrations along the length of the strip and flexural vibrations of the extrusion can occur.
- the transducer elements each have one electrode contacting an arm of the extrusion, which then provides a common electrical ground.
- the other electrode of each transducer contacts a conducting shim superposed on an electrical insulating and acoustical damping pad. These shims are connected .to a common lead, so that all the outputs of a group of transducers may be applied to a common terminal. Damping means are provided just beyond the tuned segments of the strings, to provide tone diminution simulating that of a true piano.
- electropiano as used herein means an instrument having a string plate, an action whereby the strings may be struck into vibration, but lacking a con ventional bridge and soundboard, and having means whereby string vibrations may be converted into electrical pulsations, and these in turn into sound by means of a loudspeaker.
- Tones produced by an electropiano should closely resemble the tones of a conventional acoustical piano.
- Great difficulty has been experienced in achieving true piano tone quality in an electropiano, particularly because the bridge and soundboard of the acoustical piano strongly intercouple the strings of the instrument, and also control to a great degree the decay characteristics of the acoustical piano tones.
- a single cantilever transducer rail which can be fabricated, for example, by aluminum extrusion is utilized commonly for all the strings on the piano, although if desired for convenience in construction, two or conceivably three sections of such extrusions may be employed. In the latter case, the plurality is essentially both mechanically and electrically the same as the single extrusion.
- a single transducer rail for all the notes of the piano far fewer transducer elements may be employed than the number of tones of the piano. For example, in an 88- key piano, it is feasible to employ 20 to 25 piezo-electric transducer elements. Because all of the transducer elements are mounted in a common rail which is fabricated of metal and which is acoustically and structurally highly transmissive, coupling among the strings exists inherently, and vibration occurring anywhere along the rail is transmitted therealong to other strings.
- the extrusion itself can be shaped to provide an edge on which the tuned segments of the strings terminate.
- a damping means for each string is in the form of a dead rubber or plastic element in contact with the strings. The damping effect depends somewhat upon size, shape, density and hardness of the material.
- the damping material can be distributed in individual pieces or for convenience of installation can be a continuous strip. It can be displaced toward or away from the end of the tuned segment to increase or decrease the diminution rate in accordance with the tonal needs in different pitch ranges. For ease of manufacture it is better to have a shallow trench in the extruded shape in which to position the damping material optimally.
- the different thicknesses, widths or diameters of the damping material are used to vary the damping rate in different ranges.
- the aforementioned method is ideal for adjusting fixed diminution rates for the strings of individual notes or ranges, it is also possible to provide easily within the same instrument, the option of either pianolike diminution rates or more sustained, organ-like tones, by an alternate mounting of the damping material.
- the damping material is mounted on a special damper rod extending along adjacent to the transducer rail, with the rod mechanically biased by weight or spring to hold the damping material in contact with the string extensions for piano-like diminution rates.
- this rod is drawn away by pedal, manual or electrical control means, removing the damping material temporarily from contact with the string extensions.
- the transducer rail provides better internote coupling and a more piano-like tone decay envelope if the rail is supported in a damped resilient manner relative to the rigid plate rather than being rigidly clamped to the plate.
- This in some ways resembles the Martin and Ziegler application mentioned above, but differs from it in that the transducer elements are within the rail structure. (In the Martin-Ziegler invention the elements were in individual-note transducers mounted upon a solid rail supported in a damped resilient manner.)
- the mechanical impedance match between the transducer rail and the strings (at a termination of their tuned segments) must resemble that of a conventional piano bridge, so that the transition from more rapid initial decay rate (for a group of initially in-phase strings) to less rapid terminal decay rate (for strings later out of phase most of the time) is possible.
- This is achieved in the present invention by the combination of the cantilever profile, the resilience mechanically in series with the transducer elements, and the resilient support for the entire transducer rail relative to the rigid plate.
- internote coupling must occur, as it does with a conventional bridge supported upon a vibratile board, so that when the dampers are lifted from all strings (or alternatively in some pianos from a group of bass strings only) there will be substantial sympathetic vibration from nearby strings having similar modal frequencies, and to a lesser degree for distant strings.
- this coupling results primarily from direct transmission through the continuous cantilever, and secondarily by flexure of the entire transducer rail as a result of its resilient (rather than strictly rigid) support upon the plate.
- the tonal output of the transducer elements results from variable stress at audio frequencies between the faces of the elements.
- a fixed stress provided by normal compression of the rail cantilever arm toward its base, secures the elements in place and insures that large amplitudes of vibration will not loosen the elements even momentarily.
- the damping pads between the elements and the rail prevent the rail from presenting too high a mechanical impedance to strings crossing at the elements, and help to equalize the output of the element for all strings in the immediate vicinity of the element. Both these damping pads and the damping material between the transducer rail and the plate prevent impact sounds in the rail and plate from having excessive duration.
- An electropiano employing acousto-electro transducers smaller in number than the number of tones of the electropiano, the transducers being mounted identically in a continuous aluminum strip of U-shaped crosssection, the strip being so associated with the string plate of the electropiano that internote coupling and damping occur which closely imitate the string intercoupling and damping which normally exists in a mechanical piano, so that true piano tone is closely simulated.
- Each string is provided with a damping surface located just beyond its tuned segment, which causes the string tone decay with time to simulate the decay curve of a true piano string.
- FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a first embodiment of the invention
- FIG. 2 is a view in plan of the system of FIG. 1;
- FIG. 3 is a view in section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2;
- FIG. 4 is a view in section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3;
- FIG. 5 is a partial view in section of a modification of the systems of FIGS. 1-4, inclusive, indicating a mode of varying the diminution rate of string vibration.
- String plate 10 supports a plurality of stretched piano strings 11 between anchor pins 12 and tuning pins 13. Each string passing over an agraffe means 14 adjacent the tuning pins 13, and over a transducer assembly 15 adjacent the anchor pins 12.
- strings may involve one string per note, especially in the bass range of the piano, and three strings per note in the treble section. Or, as in the case in some electropianos, one string per note may be used throughout.
- the transducer assembly 15 preferably comprises an elongated aluminum extrusion E, having a U-shape in transverse section, i.e., a base arm 16, a cantilever arm 17, and a short element 18 joining the base 16 to the cantilever arm 17 at one side only, leaving the remaining side of the extrusion open, as in the manner of a U lying on its side.
- a single extrusion may extend across all the strings, and acts as an agrafie element therefor, the instrument containing no bridge or sounding board.
- the extrusion may be subsequently curved to conform to the desired layout of termination points, or the transducer rail may be cast into a curved shape initially.
- the transducer assembly 15 has about 20-25 transducer elements 20 for an entire piano, assuming 88 notes.
- the transducer elements 20 are distributed along the extrusion E such that the loudness of each separate note is appropriate to the loudness of that note in an acoustical piano. In this respect, bringing a transducer element closer to a string enhances its output in response to striking of that string.
- the transducers 20 are preferably ceramic piezoelectric elements, and are provided with silver electrodes, and operate in the thickness mode.
- the lower electrodes of the piezo-electric elements 20 all impinge on the base arm 16, so that the transducer assembly provides a common ground for all the transducer elements.
- the upper electrodes of the piezo-electric elements 20 contact bronze shims 25, which in turn contact a layer of insulating rubber material 26, which is also acoustically damping.
- the shims are all connected together by a common lead 28, which proceeds to an output terminal 29.
- Thebase l6 rests on a layer of acoustic isolating material 30, e.g., felt, which acoustically isolates assembly 15 from the string plate 10, and assures that ringing of the string plate will not be communicated to the transducer assembly unduly.
- acoustic isolating material 30 e.g., felt
- transducer elements 20 when assembled in an instrument, are under sufficient compression that ac signals are accurately transduced and that elements 20 are not loosened due to strong vibration.
- transducer elements can be used within the U shaped transducer rail 15.
- the rail may be of soft magnetic material such as iron, and magnet coil transducers can be substituted for the ceramic elements 20 either with or without rubber dampers 26.
- a damper of dead rubber 40 in the form of a strip, or a separate piece of such material, one per string (or string group), is located under the strings, in contact therewith, just outside the tuned segment of the strings.
- a suitable location is on the cantilever element.
- a depression 41 may be formed in the upper face of the cantilever 17, to which the damper 40 conforms generally in shape. This damping action simulates the string damping by the wood of the conventional bridge right at the termination of the tuned segments of the strings. If dampers 40 are right at the agraffe edge of the cantilever or along the tuned segments the damping is abrupt and more difficult to control.
- F IG. 5 is illustrated a modification of the system of FIG. 3, wherein the dampers 40 are mounted on a movable rod 45, so that they may be separated from and moved into contact with the strings 11, or so that adjustable pressures against the strings may be achieved. This provides variations from conventional piano tonal diminution rates.
- agrafie means supporting said strings on said plate near one edge thereof, a series of anchor pins on said plate facing said agratfe means and located between said one edge and said agraffe means, said agraffe means including at least one transducer rail supporting said strings on said plate, and a series of strings stretched over said rail and connected to said anchor pins, in combination with a damping element located between said strings and said rail on the anchor pin side of said rail, and means for moving said damping element selectively into or out of contact with said strings.
- a piano having a string plate, agrafie means on said plate near one edge thereof, a series of anchor pins on said plate facing said agraffe means, said agraffe means including at least one transducer rail on said plate, and a series of strings stretched over said rail and connected to said anchor pins, the combination of damping means contacting said strings near said rail between said rail and said anchor pins, and means for selectively moving said damping means into and out of contact with said strings.
- the combination comprising, a first and second agrafie between which are stretched tuned segments of piano strings, at least one of said agraffes including a transducer rail extending transversely of said strings, and string vibration dampers contacting said strings immediately adjacent one of said agraffes and externally of said tuned segments, wherein the positions of said dampers and the composition and dimensions of said dampers are selected to provide vibration diminution rates of said strings selected in accordance with the pitch ranges of said tuned segments to simulate a wholly acoustic piano, and means for selectively moving said dampers relative to said strings.
- said means for selectively moving said dampers includes a relatively rigid member engaging at least one of said dampers.
- the combination comprising a first and second agraffe between which are stretched tuned segments of piano strings, at least one of said agraffes being secured to a metallic cantilever rail, said rail extending transversely of said strings and having a cantilever extending parallel with said strings, and string vibration dampers of dead rubber-like material contacting said strings immediately adjacent said at least one of said agraffes and externally of said tuned segments, wherein the positions of said damper longitudinally of said strings, and the composition and the dimensions of said dampers are selected to provide vibration diminution rates of said strings selected in accordance with the pitch ranges of said tuned segments to simulate a wholly acoustic piano.
Abstract
Description
Claims (14)
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US88980969A | 1969-12-18 | 1969-12-18 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US3685384A true US3685384A (en) | 1972-08-22 |
Family
ID=25395835
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US889809A Expired - Lifetime US3685384A (en) | 1969-12-18 | 1969-12-18 | Electropiano |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US3685384A (en) |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS521118U (en) * | 1975-06-23 | 1977-01-06 | ||
JPS523525U (en) * | 1975-06-24 | 1977-01-11 | ||
US4189969A (en) * | 1976-07-21 | 1980-02-26 | Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha | Pickup unit and pickup assembly for musical instrument |
US20140196594A1 (en) * | 2013-01-15 | 2014-07-17 | Yamaha Corporation | Electric stringed musical instrument and method of designing the same |
Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US466346A (en) * | 1892-01-05 | Azaeiah horace hastings | ||
US1838833A (en) * | 1930-06-27 | 1931-12-29 | Schumann Piano Company | Agraffe |
US2025933A (en) * | 1935-02-23 | 1935-12-31 | Steinway & Sons | Piano, and more particularly to the mounting of strings thereon |
US2334744A (en) * | 1941-11-26 | 1943-11-23 | Baldwin Co | Transducer for stringed musical instruments |
US3049958A (en) * | 1959-02-13 | 1962-08-21 | Baldwin Piano Co | Electro-piano |
US3069955A (en) * | 1958-10-20 | 1962-12-25 | Meridan Corp | Piano string and frame assembly |
US3396284A (en) * | 1965-08-30 | 1968-08-06 | Baldwin Co D H | Electric guitar bridge |
-
1969
- 1969-12-18 US US889809A patent/US3685384A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US466346A (en) * | 1892-01-05 | Azaeiah horace hastings | ||
US1838833A (en) * | 1930-06-27 | 1931-12-29 | Schumann Piano Company | Agraffe |
US2025933A (en) * | 1935-02-23 | 1935-12-31 | Steinway & Sons | Piano, and more particularly to the mounting of strings thereon |
US2334744A (en) * | 1941-11-26 | 1943-11-23 | Baldwin Co | Transducer for stringed musical instruments |
US3069955A (en) * | 1958-10-20 | 1962-12-25 | Meridan Corp | Piano string and frame assembly |
US3049958A (en) * | 1959-02-13 | 1962-08-21 | Baldwin Piano Co | Electro-piano |
US3396284A (en) * | 1965-08-30 | 1968-08-06 | Baldwin Co D H | Electric guitar bridge |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS521118U (en) * | 1975-06-23 | 1977-01-06 | ||
JPS523525U (en) * | 1975-06-24 | 1977-01-11 | ||
US4189969A (en) * | 1976-07-21 | 1980-02-26 | Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha | Pickup unit and pickup assembly for musical instrument |
US20140196594A1 (en) * | 2013-01-15 | 2014-07-17 | Yamaha Corporation | Electric stringed musical instrument and method of designing the same |
US9240174B2 (en) * | 2013-01-15 | 2016-01-19 | Yamaha Corporation | Electric stringed musical instrument and method of designing the same |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: SECURITY PACIFIC BUSINESS CREDIT INC., 10089 WILLO Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:BPO ACQUISITION CORP. A CORP OF DE;REEL/FRAME:004298/0001 Effective date: 19840615 Owner name: GENERAL ELECTRIC CREDIT CORPORATION, A NY CORP., C Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:BPO ACQUISITION CORP., A DE CORP;REEL/FRAME:004297/0802 Effective date: 19840615 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: BPO ACQUISITION CORP., 180 GILBERT AVE., CINCINNAT Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:D.H. BALDWIN COMPANY AN OH CORP.;REEL/FRAME:004385/0934 Effective date: 19840615 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: BALDWIN PIANO & ORGAN COMPANY Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:BPO ACQUISTION CORP.;REEL/FRAME:004473/0501 Effective date: 19840612 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: BALDWIN PIANO & ORGAN COMPANY, F/K/A/ BPO ACQUISIT Free format text: RELEASED BY SECURED PARTY;ASSIGNOR:SECURITY PACIFIC BUSINESS CREDIT, INC., A CORP. OF DE.;REEL/FRAME:005356/0321 Effective date: 19890616 Owner name: FIFTH THIRD BANK, THE, A OH BANKING CORP., OHIO Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:BALDWIN PIANO & ORGAN COMPANY, A CORP. OF DE.;REEL/FRAME:005356/0333 Effective date: 19890615 |