US3816636A - Electronic musical instrument with plural rc circuits for decay - Google Patents

Electronic musical instrument with plural rc circuits for decay Download PDF

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Publication number
US3816636A
US3816636A US00348451A US34845173A US3816636A US 3816636 A US3816636 A US 3816636A US 00348451 A US00348451 A US 00348451A US 34845173 A US34845173 A US 34845173A US 3816636 A US3816636 A US 3816636A
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United States
Prior art keywords
diode
cathode
voltage
anode
circuit arrangement
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Expired - Lifetime
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US00348451A
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English (en)
Inventor
G Peltz
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TDK Micronas GmbH
ITT Inc
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Deutsche ITT Industries GmbH
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    • 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
    • G10H1/00—Details of electrophonic musical instruments
    • G10H1/02—Means for controlling the tone frequencies, e.g. attack or decay; Means for producing special musical effects, e.g. vibratos or glissandos
    • G10H1/04—Means for controlling the tone frequencies, e.g. attack or decay; Means for producing special musical effects, e.g. vibratos or glissandos by additional modulation
    • G10H1/053—Means for controlling the tone frequencies, e.g. attack or decay; Means for producing special musical effects, e.g. vibratos or glissandos by additional modulation during execution only
    • G10H1/057—Means for controlling the tone frequencies, e.g. attack or decay; Means for producing special musical effects, e.g. vibratos or glissandos by additional modulation during execution only by envelope-forming circuits

Definitions

  • An electronic circuit is disclosed to produce an output voltage which controls the volume of a note produced by a struck key as determined by the velocity with which the key is struck.
  • the electronic circuit includes a changeover switch, changing between two predetermined voltages, coupled to each key of the musical instrument keyboard.
  • the wiper of the switch is connected to ground by a series circuit including a parallel RC network and the cathode-to-anode path of a first diode.
  • a second diode is connected in parallel with the RC network with its cathode being connected to the cathode of the first diode and the outputvoltage is taken off the cathode of the first diode by the anode-to-cathode path of a third diode.
  • the cathode of this third diode is connected by a second capacitor to ground and is also subjected to an adjustable control voltage.
  • FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawing is disclosed in the GermanPublished Application 2,044,462. This circuitcauses the volume of the struck tone to be dependent on the velocity at which the key is struck, so that an electronic keyboard instrument containing this circuit arrangement enables piano-like play.
  • this circuit arrangement includes a changeover switch S, which must be provided for each key of the keyboard, a parallel- RC (resistor capacitor) network R1 and Cl, and'a diodeDl.
  • the parallel-RC network is connected, at one end, to wiper K of changeover switch S and, at the other end, via the cathode-to-anode path of diode D1 to ground.
  • the break contact of the changeover switch S is connected to the first d.c. (direct current) voltage potential U while the make contact is connected to a second d.c. volate potential U which in the case of the above cited German Published Application, is ground.
  • the voltage u which determines the volume of the struck tone, is taken off the cathode of diode D1.
  • FIG. 2 of the drawing shows the variation of the volume-determining voltage a, with respect to time of the arrangement of FIG. 1, it being assumed that the first d.c. voltage potential U, is negative and that the second d.c. voltage potential U is identical to ground potential.
  • the changeover switch S is operated by depression of a-key, the switching time t1, which starts when the wiper lifts from the break contact and ends when it rests against the make contact, depends as is well-known on the velocity at which the key is struck.
  • the values of the switching time t1 of a typical changeover switch were measured to be between 2 and ms (milliseconds) were measured.
  • capacitor Cl is charged to voltage U through diode D1.
  • capacitor C1 will, during the switching time tl, discharge through resistor R1 by a value depending on the switching time t1.
  • the a positive pulse is provided at the cathode of diode D1 whose amplitude A is dependent on the switching time 21 and which decays according to an exponential-function.
  • the slope of the trailing edge of the pulse shown in FIG. 2 depends on the time constant of parallel-RC net work R1 and C1.
  • the trailing edge of the pulse has a decay time t3.
  • the just described known circuit arrangement can be used in electronic keyboard instruments only for the register percussion", where, in general, the behavior of a struck or plucked string is imitated.
  • the dependence of the volume on the striking speed and the decay of the output signal a after the wiper has contacted the make contact are both governed by the same'time constant, namely, by the time constant of the parallel-RC network R1 and Cl. Therefore, if the keystriking velocity is to provide a volume variation by the factor 10, a parallel-RC network with a small time constant will be necessary, while a parallel-RC network with a longer time constant .will be desirable to provide the tailing edge of the output voltage u,,. It is obvious that this cannot be realized with the known circuit.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a circuit arrangement which not only is suitable for the register percussion which also permits during normal organ-playing, i.e. when producing a continuous tone while the changeover switch is depressed, and during play with the register sustain the volume to be determined dependent on the key-striking velocity.
  • normal organ-playing is possible with a volume independent of the key-striking velocity but having an adjustable onset time and an adjustable dying-out time.
  • a feature of the present invention is the provision of a circuit arrangement for influencing the volume of a struck tone of an electronic keyboard instrument depending on the key-striking velocity-comprising: a different changeover switch associated with each key of the keyboard instrument, each of the changeover switch having a wiper, a break contact connected to a first direct current voltage, and a make contact connected to a second direct current voltage; a parallel resistor-capacitor network connected to the wiper; ground potential; a first diode having its cathode-toanode path connected between the parallel network and the ground potential; a second diode connected in parallel to the parallel network having its cathode connected to the cathode of the first diode; a third diode having its anode connected to the cathodes of the first and second diodes to provide at its cathode a voltage determining the volume of the struck tone; a capacitor connected between the ground potential and the cathode of the third diode; an adjustable control voltage source; and
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of one known prior art arrangement upon which the present invention is based;
  • FIG. 2 illustrates the waveform of the voltage determining the volume of the struck tone
  • FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the inventive circuit in accordance with the principles of the present invention
  • FIG. 4 illustrates the waveform of the voltage determining the volume of the struck tone employing the embodiment of FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the inventive circuit in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
  • FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic diagram of still another embodiment of the inventive circuit in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
  • FIG. 7 illustrates the waveforms of the circuits of FIGS. 5 and 6, which determines the volume of the struck tone
  • FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic diagram of the inventive circuit in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
  • the cathode of diode D1 is connected to the anode-to-cathode path of a third diode D3, from whose cathode is taken the voltage it which determines the volume.
  • the cathode of the third diode D3 is also connected via a second capacitor C2 to ground, while being subjected to the adjustable control voltage U; via the second resistor R2.
  • the adjustability of the control voltage U is insured by the voltage U being applied to one end of the potentiometer P1, whose other end is connected to ground, while its tap is connected to the second resistor R2.
  • the voltage U may bea dc. voltage.
  • a square-wave voltage adjustable in its mark-to-space ratio may be provided as control voltage U3 directly, i.e. without the potentiometer P1, asalready proposed in the copending U.S. application of H. Mielke, Ser.
  • part of the charge still stored in capacitor C1 following the changeover of the wiper K is transferred via the third diode D3 to the second capacitor C2, with the charge splitting up according to the ratio of the capacitance values of these two capacitors.
  • the discharge of the second capacitor C2 is not, however, determined by resistor R1 of the RC-network because discharge through this resistor is prevented by the third diode D3. Instead, the second capacitor C2 discharges through the second resistor. R2, which is also being influenced by the applied control voltage U If, for example, the second resistor R2 is connected via potentiometer P1 to ground, the discharge time of the second capacitor C2 is extended and corresponds to an expotential-function, asis indicated by the broken curve in FIGS.
  • the discharge curve approximates a straight line because the discharge of the second capacitor C2 takes place toward this negative voltage but is'stopped abruptly by the diodes D1 and D3 when the discharge curve passes through zero.
  • FIG. 4 shows the waveform of the voltage u for this case. It can be seen that, during the key-depression time T, a continuous tone is produced whose volume falls off during the decay time t3 or t3, which is dependent on the potentiometer. setting.
  • the resistor R5 With this resistor R5, the rise time of the voltage a which time is given by the losses of capacitor C1, can
  • Y be further influenced.
  • a square-wave voltage variable in its mark-to-space ratio may be used instead of the dc.
  • voltage potential U This circuit variation would be similar to control voltage U as stated hereinabove and as disclosed in the above-cited co-pending application.
  • a buffer diode would also have to be provided in this case, too.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates a modification of the circuit arrangement of FIG. 3.
  • one end of the second resistor R2 is no longer connected directly to the cathode of the third diode D3. Rather it is connected, on the one hand, via the cathode-toanode path of a fourth diode D4 to the cathode of the third diode D3 and, on the other hand, via the cathodeto-anode path of a fifth diode to the tap of a voltage di-.
  • the control voltage U which may be a dc. voltage adjustable at the potentiometer P1 and derived from the voltage U or a square-wave voltage variable in its mark-to-space ratio, in which v case the abovegeous if, as shown in FIG. 6, the tap of the voltage divider including resistor R3 and R4 is connected via an impedance-converter stage to the fifth diode D5.
  • the voltage u determining the volume may be provided via an impedance converter.
  • the two transistors T1 and T2 are provided for this purpose. Each of transistors T1 and T2 is operated in an emitter-follower configuration and is of the npn-type.
  • the variability of the auxiliary voltage U is insured by the fixed auxiliary voltage U, being applied to a voltage divider including resistor R6 and potentiometer P2 connected to ground.
  • the variable auxiliary voltage U can be taken from the tap of potentiometer P2.
  • the resistor R3 in the embodiment of FIG. 6 is connected to the tap of potentiometer P2.
  • the fixed auxiliary voltage U simultaneously serves as supply voltage for the interconnected collectors of transistors T1 and T2.
  • the emitter of transistor T1 is connected to the anode of the fifth diode D5, while its base is connected to the tap of the voltage divider including resistors R3 and R4.
  • the base of transistor T2 is connected to the common junction point of the cathode of the third diode D3, the anode of the fourth diode D4, and capacitor C2, while its emitter, from which the voltage u determining the volume, is taken, is connected via resistor R7 to ground.
  • the d.c. voltage potential U is negative, while the d.c. voltage potential U is identicalto the ground potential.
  • the changeover switch S When the changeover switch S is operated, the voltage across the second capacitor C2 first jumps to the amplitude A of FIG. 7 and then, during the time at3, drops to the value A, which is determined by the value of the variable auxiliary voltage U, in such a manner that the discharge of capacitor C2 through resistor R2 toward the control voltage U,, is over when the fourth diode D4 is cut off.
  • the level A is adjustable at will by means of the variable auxiliary voltage U,.
  • capacitor C2 again discharges, as in the case of FIG. 3, during the time (l-a)l3.
  • the discharge interrupted by diode D4 is thus continued after the changeover switch S has returned to its initial position.
  • the slope of the falling portion of the curve is again selectable by means of the control voltage U,, as is indicated in FIG. 7 by the broken lines and by the associated times at3 and (l-a)t3'.
  • This case corresponds to the curve shown in FIG. 7 and permits guitar-like play, with the volume of the value A depending on the key-striking velocity.
  • the circuit arrangements according to this invention are thus usable in a multiple manner, which can be achieved by simply reversing the polarity of the two d.c. voltage potentials U,, U and of the auxiliary potential U, or U.,'.
  • the same components can be used for the registers percussion and sustain, so that considerable component savings can be achieved.
  • FIG. 8 shows a preferred modification of the circuit arrangement of FIG. 3.
  • the emitter-to-collector path of the npn transistor T3 Connected in parallel to the anode-to-cathode path of the third diode D3 is the emitter-to-collector path of the npn transistor T3.
  • the base of the npn transistor T3 is either open-circuited or connected to ground.
  • the anode of the first diode D1 is simultaneously connected to ground, while in the latter case the anode of the first diode D1 is simultaneously open-circuited.
  • the changeover switch S whose wiper K is connected to ground and contacts either the anode of diode D1 or the base of the npn transistor T3.
  • a collector resistor R8 may be inserted between transistor T3 and the second capacitor C2 by switches S3 and S4 being moved to their position other than that shown.
  • the amplitude response corresponds to that of FIG. 4, i.e. normal organ-playing is possible whose volume is not dependent on the key-striking velocity.
  • the amplitude A is determined by the value of the d.c. voltage potential U while the rise time t2 is determined by the value of resistor R5, which may be provided, or by the loss resistance of the capacitor C2 and by the latters value, while the decay time t3 depends on the values of the capacitor C2 and of resistor R2.
  • the decay time is shortened.
  • the decay time can be extended with the exponential decay characteristic being maintained, so that play with the register is possible sustain.
  • the rise time can be extended (sacral play", see above).
  • FIGS. 5 and 8 are thus adjustable to the respective manner of play simply by switching, or reversing the polarity of, potentials, i.e. this switching of the potentials is effected only once for the entire electronic musical instrument, so that the number of components necessary for switching is small.
  • control voltage U is replaced by the above- 6 mentioned square-wave voltage of variable mark-tospace ratio or becomes positive as stated in 4.
  • a buffer diode must be connected in series with resistor R2 by switches S1 and S2, as mentioned hereinbefore with reference to FIG. 3.
  • the curves shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 7 are referred to as envelopes" because this shape corresponds to the amplitude response of the struck tone.
  • the envelope of FIG. 7 represents the addition of the envelopes of FIGS. 2 and 4, the position of the value A being determined by the auxiliary potential U, or U, (FIGS. 5 and 6) or by the dc. voltage potential U (FIG. 8). If, in FIGS. 5 and 6, this potential is equal to the potential U the value A is zero (percussion).
  • a circuit arrangement for influencing the volume of a struck tone of an electronic keyboard instrument depending on the key-striking velocity comprising:
  • each of said changeover switches being directly connected to its associated one of said keys and each of said changeover switches having a wiper
  • a break contact connected to a first direct current voltage
  • a first diode having its cathode-to-anode path connected between said parallel network and said ground potential;
  • a third diode having its anode connected to the cathode of said first and second diodes, said third diode providing at its cathode a voltage determining the volume of the struck tone
  • a circuit arrangement according to claim 5 furand a tap of said voltage divider. ther including 3.
  • a circuit arrangement according to claim 1 furage divider. ther including 4.
  • said impedance converter is an emitter follower tran- 8.
  • fursaid adjustable voltage source is an adjustable direct ther including current voltage source, said first resistor being di an npn transistor having its emitter-to-collector path 5 rectly connected to said adjustable direct current connected in parallel with the anodeto-cathode voltage source. path of said third diode; and 9.
  • a circuit arrangement according to claim 1, a switch having a first position to open-circuit the wherein base of said npn transistor and to simultaneously said adjustable voltage source is a source of square connect the anode of said first diode to said ground wave voltage having an adjustable mark-to-space potential and a second position to connect the base ratio, said first resistor being connected to said of said npn transistor to said ground potential and source of square wave voltage by a buffer diode. to simultaneously open circuit the anode of said

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Electrophonic Musical Instruments (AREA)
US00348451A 1972-04-22 1973-04-05 Electronic musical instrument with plural rc circuits for decay Expired - Lifetime US3816636A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE2219800A DE2219800A1 (de) 1972-04-22 1972-04-22 Schaltungsanordnung zur beeinflussung der lautstaerke des jeweils angeschlagenen tones eines elektronischen tasteninstrumentes in abhaengigkeit von der tastenanschlagsgeschwindigkeit

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US (1) US3816636A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS4922924A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2219800A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
IT (1) IT983926B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL7305624A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3940635A (en) * 1974-08-29 1976-02-24 D. H. Baldwin Company Self-damping circuit
US4018125A (en) * 1974-10-24 1977-04-19 Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha Electronic musical instrument
US4041328A (en) * 1974-11-19 1977-08-09 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Arrangement for the determination and visualization of measuring signals
US4095502A (en) * 1976-05-21 1978-06-20 Rhythm Band, Inc. Sound control system in an electronic musical instrument
US4099439A (en) * 1974-06-14 1978-07-11 Norlin Music, Inc. Electronic musical instrument with dynamically responsive keyboard
US4142437A (en) * 1975-03-31 1979-03-06 Roland Corporation Envelope circuit for a keyboard type electronic musical instrument
WO1980000112A1 (en) * 1978-06-20 1980-01-24 Wurlitzer Co Envelope control causing damper effect on percussive voices of electronic musical instrument
US4426902A (en) 1979-11-30 1984-01-24 Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha Touch-responsive control apparatus for electronic musical instruments
US20050007762A1 (en) * 2003-05-24 2005-01-13 Hauni Maschinenbau Ag Lamp device on a production machine for the manufacture of products of the tobacco-processing industry as well as associated lamp

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3006400C2 (de) * 1980-02-21 1982-06-03 Reinhard 5401 Emmelshausen Franz Elektronisches Tastenmusikinstrument mit vom Tastenanschlag anhängiger Lautstärke des angeschlagenen Tons

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4099439A (en) * 1974-06-14 1978-07-11 Norlin Music, Inc. Electronic musical instrument with dynamically responsive keyboard
US3940635A (en) * 1974-08-29 1976-02-24 D. H. Baldwin Company Self-damping circuit
US4018125A (en) * 1974-10-24 1977-04-19 Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha Electronic musical instrument
US4041328A (en) * 1974-11-19 1977-08-09 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Arrangement for the determination and visualization of measuring signals
US4142437A (en) * 1975-03-31 1979-03-06 Roland Corporation Envelope circuit for a keyboard type electronic musical instrument
US4095502A (en) * 1976-05-21 1978-06-20 Rhythm Band, Inc. Sound control system in an electronic musical instrument
WO1980000112A1 (en) * 1978-06-20 1980-01-24 Wurlitzer Co Envelope control causing damper effect on percussive voices of electronic musical instrument
US4200022A (en) * 1978-06-20 1980-04-29 The Wurlitzer Company Envelope control causing damper effect on percussive voices of electronic musical instrument
US4426902A (en) 1979-11-30 1984-01-24 Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha Touch-responsive control apparatus for electronic musical instruments
US20050007762A1 (en) * 2003-05-24 2005-01-13 Hauni Maschinenbau Ag Lamp device on a production machine for the manufacture of products of the tobacco-processing industry as well as associated lamp
US7168430B2 (en) * 2003-05-24 2007-01-30 Hauni Maschinenbau Ag Lamp device on a production machine for the manufacture of products of the tobacco-processing industry as well as associated lamp

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NL7305624A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-10-24
DE2219800A1 (de) 1973-10-31
IT983926B (it) 1974-11-11
JPS4922924A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-02-28

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