US3821460A - Electronic musical instrument - Google Patents

Electronic musical instrument Download PDF

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Publication number
US3821460A
US3821460A US00306639A US30663972A US3821460A US 3821460 A US3821460 A US 3821460A US 00306639 A US00306639 A US 00306639A US 30663972 A US30663972 A US 30663972A US 3821460 A US3821460 A US 3821460A
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United States
Prior art keywords
divider
twelve
octave
frequency
chains
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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
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US00306639A
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English (en)
Inventor
F Maynard
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Motorola Solutions Inc
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Motorola Inc
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Motorola Inc filed Critical Motorola Inc
Priority to US00306639A priority Critical patent/US3821460A/en
Priority to IT53216/73A priority patent/IT994432B/it
Priority to FR7340766A priority patent/FR2209480A5/fr
Priority to JP48127809A priority patent/JPS5925234B2/ja
Priority to DE2357167A priority patent/DE2357167A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3821460A publication Critical patent/US3821460A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • G10H5/00—Instruments in which the tones are generated by means of electronic generators
    • G10H5/02—Instruments in which the tones are generated by means of electronic generators using generation of basic tones
    • G10H5/06—Instruments in which the tones are generated by means of electronic generators using generation of basic tones tones generated by frequency multiplication or division of a basic tone
    • 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
    • G10H2210/00—Aspects or methods of musical processing having intrinsic musical character, i.e. involving musical theory or musical parameters or relying on musical knowledge, as applied in electrophonic musical tools or instruments
    • G10H2210/395—Special musical scales, i.e. other than the 12- interval equally tempered scale; Special input devices therefor
    • G10H2210/415—Equally tempered scale, i.e. note tuning scale in which every pair of adjacent notes has an identical frequency ratio equal to 2 to the power 1/n if the scale has n notes per octave
    • G10H2210/431—Quarter tone scale, i.e. 24 equal intervals per octave, e.g. for Arabic music
    • 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
    • G10H2210/00—Aspects or methods of musical processing having intrinsic musical character, i.e. involving musical theory or musical parameters or relying on musical knowledge, as applied in electrophonic musical tools or instruments
    • G10H2210/395—Special musical scales, i.e. other than the 12- interval equally tempered scale; Special input devices therefor
    • G10H2210/471—Natural or just intonation scales, i.e. based on harmonics consonance such that most adjacent pitches are related by harmonically pure ratios of small integers
    • G10H2210/481—Pythagorean scale, i.e. in which the frequency relationships of all intervals should be based on the perfect fifth, with ratio 3:2

Definitions

  • An electronic organ usable for educational purposes includes a first tone generating circuit for generating the equal tempered musical scale and a second programmable tone generating circuit for simultaneously generating a second musical scale such as a Just, Pythagorean, mean tone or other scale. Separate keyboards are provided to allow a direct comparison of the tonal characteristics of the various scales.
  • the programmable tone generating circuit utilizes programmable digital dividers with switchable feedback taps to allow the generating circuit to be rapidly tuned to any desired scale.
  • This invention relates generally to musical instruments, and more particularly to electronic musical instruments of the keyboard type which may be readily tuned to several musical scales, including the equal tempered scale and various primitive and non-standard scales.
  • the instrument may be tuned to two different scales simultaneously to allow a direct comparison to be made between the tonal characteristics of the various tunings.
  • a master oscillator which may be a crystal controlled oscillator for stability reaons, is used to provide a reference signal to a pair of frequency generating circuits.
  • a 3.58 MHz color television crystal may be used for reasons of economy.
  • the first frequency generating circuit utilizes twelve divider chains having divisor numbers (numbers by which the input frequency is divided) selected to generate twelve signals having frequencies related by the twelfth root of two for generating the equal tempered musical scale from the frequency provided by the master oscillator.
  • the second frequency generating circuit also includes twelve divider chains, at least eleven of which are programmable.
  • the divider chains employ digital dividers having switchable feedback taps for allowing the divisor numbers to be set to any desired value.
  • the ratio of the divisor numbers of the various divider chains can be selected to generate any desired musical scale, including ancient and experimental scales.
  • a twenty-four note quarter tone scale may be generated by tuning the second frequency generating circuit to produce tones having frequencies lying between the frequencies produced by the first frequency generating circuit.
  • the musical scales generated by the two frequency generating circuits are applied to separate keyboards to allow simultaneous sounding of tones of different scales for comparison thereof.
  • the instrument can be readily tuned to different scales by simply changing the feedback taps on the digital dividers by means of a program card, jumper wires or switches on the panel of the instrument.
  • FIG. l is a block diagram of the musical instrument according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the divider chains within the programmable divider of FIG. ll, portions thereof broken away.
  • a master oscillator lltlt having a frequency control resistor 12 connected thereto is connected to the input of a buffer amplifier M.
  • the outputs of the buffer amplifier 114 are connected to fixed and programmable tone generating divider means, in this embodiment, divider circuits l6 and 26, respectively, each of which has twelve outputs.
  • the twelve outputs of the tone generating divider circuits l6 and 26 are connected to octave dividers l8 and 28, respectively.
  • the octave dividers each have sixty-six outputs, in this embodiment, which are connected to keyboards 20 and 30, respectively.
  • the outputs of the keyboards 20 and 30, which can be coupled together by means of a cross coupling switch 24 to allow two scales to be simultaneously sounded from a single keyboard, are connected through an adder circuit 32 to an amplifier 34 which has an output connected to a loudspeaker 36.
  • a divider control program 22 is connected to the tone generating circuit 26.
  • the tone generating divider circuit 16 includes twelve divider chains having divisor numbers related to each other by the twelfth root of two for generating twelve output signals having frequencies related to each other by the twelfth root of two.
  • the aforementioned twelve output signals define one octave of an equal tempered musical scale, however, other divisor number relationships may be used to generate other musical scales.
  • Other octaves are generated by the 0ctave divider 18 which divides the frequencies of each of the twelve signals applied thereto by numbers related to each other by 2, 4i, 8, etc.
  • the octave divider 18 provides output signals having frequencies related to the twelve signals provided by the generating divider 16, but offset one or more octaves therefrom. In this embodiment, the octave divider 18 provides 66 output signals to give a range of five and one half octaves. It should be noted, that although the octave divider 16 has 66 outputs in this embodiment, any number may be used, depending upon the frequency range of the instrument, and still fall within the scope of the invention.
  • the 66 output signals from the octave divider 18 are applied to the keyboard 20.
  • the keyboard 20 has sixtysix keyswitches for passing the signals corresponding to any depressed keys to the adder 32.
  • Each keyswitch controls a gate, which may include a mechanical or an electronic switch, connected in series with one of the 66 output leads from the octave divider 18 and the lead to the adder 32 for passing signals from divider 18 to the adder 32.
  • the coupling switch 24 parallels corresponding keyswitches of the two keyboards to allow both scales to be simultaneously sounded from a single keyboard.
  • one of the keyboards may utilize double pole keyswitches, one of the poles of each keyswitch being connected to one of the outputs of octave divider 18 and the other to divider 28 to simultaneously pass signals from both dividers.
  • a single pole switch connected in series with one group of poles and the adder 32 can be used to restore independent operation.
  • the adder 32 passes the signal from the keyswitches 20 to an amplifier 34 for amplification thereby, and subsequent reproduction by the loudspeaker 36. 4
  • the operation of the second tone generating divider circuit 26 is similar to the operation of the tone generating divider circuit 16 except that the divisor numbers of the dividers within the generating divider circuit 26 are variable by means of the program 22.
  • the programmable dividers in the tone generating divider circuit 26 are shown in FIG. 2, and will be described farther on in the specification.
  • the programmable divider circuit 26 provides twelve output signals to another octave divider 28, similar to the octave divider 18.
  • the octave divider 28 provides 66 output signals which are applied to the keyboard 30, which is similar to the keyboard 20.
  • the signals passed through the keyboard 30 are applied to the adder 32 for combination with the signals from the keyboard 20 and subsequent application to the amplifier 34 and loudspeaker 36.
  • the adder 32, the amplifier 34 and the loudspeaker 36 serve as a reproducing means for the signals from the keyboards 20 and 30.
  • the first divider chain 40 comprises eleven divide by two circuits or binary dividers 41-51 which are connected to each other to form a binary counter.
  • a feedback network for setting the chain to a predetermined count comprises a capacitor 52 connected to the output of the divider 51 and to a which is 53 whichis connected to set terminals of the dividers 41-47 and 49.
  • the divider chain 60 has eleven divide by two circuits or binary dividers 61-71 connected to each other to form a binary counter.
  • a capacitor 72 is connected to the output of the divider 71 and to a feedback line 73.
  • the feedback line 73 is connected to set terminals of the dividers 61-71 by means of eleven program switches 81-91, respectively.
  • the divide by two dividers used in the divider chains 40 and 60 are well known flip flops or bistables commonly used in digital dividers, and may be built in discrete or integrated circuit form.
  • the divider chains 40 and 60 employ binary dividers connected as binary counters to accomplish the division, ring counters or shift registers may also be used.
  • other divider chains (not shown) similar to the divider chain 61) are used to provide a total of twelve divider chains for generating twelve musically related frequencies.
  • the divider chain 40 is pre-programmed to divide by a predetermined divisor number, however, a programmable chain similar to the divider chain 60 may be used.
  • the divisor number is determined by the interconnections of the line 53 and the various divider stages. The specific interconnections are selected as in the following discussion of the operation of the divider 60.
  • the divisor number of the divider chain 60, and hence the position of the switches 81-91 is determined by the frequency of the master oscillator 10 of F IG. 1 and the musical scale to be programmed.
  • the frequency of the master oscillator 10 is such that the oscillation frequency thereof must be divided by a divisor number of 1601 in order to provide an output frequency at an output point 74 that is proportional to the Pythagorean C sharp.
  • the divider chain 60 has eleven stages and the maximum count or divisor number thereof is 2, or 2048. Hence, if all of the divide by two dividers 61-71 are set to a 0 state, a 1 will be provided by the output divider 71 after 2048 pulses have been applied to the input of the divider 61, and division by 2048 will have been achieved. If division by a number lower than 2048 is desired, a number corresponding to the difference between 2048 and the desired divisor must be preprogrammed into the divider chain 60. In the current example, the divisor number required to generate a Pythagorean C sharp is 1601, and the number 447, which is equal to the difference between 2048 and 1601 must be programmed into the divider. With the 447 programmed into the divider, only 1601 additional pulses need be applied to the input of the divider 61 to provide an output pulse from the divider 71, and division by 1601 is achieved.
  • the number 447 Since the divider chain 60 employs divide by two or binary counters, the number 447 must be converted to binary form in order to preset the divider chain to that number.
  • the number 447 converted to binary from is 00110111111. This number can be pre-programmed into the divider chain 60 by closing the switches 81-86, which correspond to the ls in the 1s through 32s places of the binary number 001 101 l l 1 l 1, and switches 88 and 89, which correspond to the 1s in the 128s and 256s places of the binary number, respectively.
  • any number less than 2048 and greater than 1024 may be preset into the divider chain 60 by determining the binary form of the desired number and by closing the switches corresponding to the ls of the binary number.
  • the other divider chains (not shown) are programmed in a similar manner. and any musical scale can be synthesized by closing the necessary switches to generate the desired frequency for each note of the scale.
  • the dividing technique employed in the divider chains is known as an up counting technique, however, a down counting technique wherein a number related to the divisor number is programmed into the divider chain and the count is subsequently reduced to zero, or other dividing techniques may be used and still fall within the scope of the invention.
  • the switches fill-S ll which form the program for the divider 6t), and analogous switches for the other divider chains (not shown) correspond to the program 22 of FIG. ll.
  • switches any interconnection means between the capacitor 72 and the various dividers, such as, for example, switches, jumper wires or electronic switches may be used and still fall within the scope of the invention.
  • the instrument of the preferred embodiment utilizes panel switches to provide maximum flexibility of programming, but pre-programmed program cards using jumper wires mounted thereon to achieve rapid programming of predetermined scales may also be used.
  • a tone generating system for a musical instrument including in combination:
  • tone generating divider means for simultaneously providing twelve first signal frequencies having a predetermined frequency relationship therebetween corresponding to a complete equal tempered vmusical scale to twelve output junctions thereof in response to a reference frequency signal applied to an input junction thereof, said tone generating divider means including twelve frequency divider chains, each divider chain having a predetermined divisor number and an output coupled to one of said output junctions, the relationship between the divisor numbers of said divider chains corresponding to the frequency relationship between said twelve first signal frequencies; programmable tone generating divider means for simultaneously providing twelve second signal frequencies having a predetermined frequency relationship therebetween corresponding to one of a plurality of complete musical scales to twelve output junctions thereof in response to a reference frequency signal applied to an input junction thereof, said programmable tone generating divider means including twelve variable frequency divider chains at least eleven of said variable frequency divider chains having variable divisor numbers, each divider chain having an output coupled to one of said output junctions, the divisor number of one of said divider chains being related to the divisor number of a second one of said
  • a source of electrical oscillations connected to the input junctions of said tone generating divider means and said programmable tone generating divider means for applying the reference frequency signal to said frequency divider chains and to said variable frequency divider chains a first octave divider connected to said tone generating divider means for simultaneously generating at least twelve first octave related signals in response to said twelve first signal frequencies, each of said first octave related signals having a frequency that is related to one of said twelve first signal frequencies by an integral multiple of two;
  • a second octave divider connected to said programmable tone generating divider means for simultaneously generating at least twelve second octave related signals in response to said twelve second signal frequencies, each of said second octave related signals having a frequency that is related to one of said twelve second signal frequencies by an integral multiple of two;
  • reproducing means for receiving and reproducing signals applied thereto;
  • a first keyboard having at least twelve first keyswitches coupled to said first octave divider for receiving said twelve first octave related signals, said twelve first octave related signals having a predetermined frequency relationship therebetween corresponding to a complete equal tempered musical scale, each first keyswitch being coupled to said reproducing means for selectively applying only a predetermined single one of said first octave related signals to said reproducing means upon actuation thereof, said first keyswitches being manually playable singly and in predetermined combinations to produce musical melodies in the equal tempered scale; and
  • a second keyboard having at least twelve second keyswitches coupled to said second octave divider for receiving said twelve second octave related signals, one of said second octave related signals having a frequency related to the frequency of a second one of said second octave related signals by a factor of two, the frequencies of the other ones of said octave related signals being lower than the frequency of said one of said second octave related signals and higher than said second one of said second octave related signals, each second keyswitch being coupled to said reproducing means for selectively applying only a predetermined single one of said second octave related signals to said reproducing means upon actuation thereof, said second keyswitches being manually playable singly and in predetermined combinations to produce musical melodies in theone of said musical scales provided by said programmable tone generating divider means determined by said program means.
  • said frequency divider chains and said variable frequency divider chains each include a plurality of binary dividers connected to each other to form a binary counter.
  • tone generating divider means and said programmable tone generating divider means each include twelve divider chains for providing twelve musically related signal frequencies.
  • each the chain. of said variable frequency divider chains includes leed- 5
  • Said gq means conneqed i the Output and to binary interconnection means includes a plurality of switches, dividers of the chain, said feedback means having variable interconnection means for selectively connecting 5 each swltch bemg Connected to one of said binary the output of the chain and to predetermined binary dividersviders thereof for determining the divisor number of

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Electrophonic Musical Instruments (AREA)
US00306639A 1972-11-15 1972-11-15 Electronic musical instrument Expired - Lifetime US3821460A (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00306639A US3821460A (en) 1972-11-15 1972-11-15 Electronic musical instrument
IT53216/73A IT994432B (it) 1972-11-15 1973-10-18 Perfezionamento negli strumenti musicali elettronici a tastiera
FR7340766A FR2209480A5 (ja) 1972-11-15 1973-11-15
JP48127809A JPS5925234B2 (ja) 1972-11-15 1973-11-15 電子楽器
DE2357167A DE2357167A1 (de) 1972-11-15 1973-11-15 Elektronisches musikinstrument

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00306639A US3821460A (en) 1972-11-15 1972-11-15 Electronic musical instrument

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US3821460A true US3821460A (en) 1974-06-28

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US00306639A Expired - Lifetime US3821460A (en) 1972-11-15 1972-11-15 Electronic musical instrument

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US (1) US3821460A (ja)
JP (1) JPS5925234B2 (ja)
DE (1) DE2357167A1 (ja)
FR (1) FR2209480A5 (ja)
IT (1) IT994432B (ja)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3939751A (en) * 1974-09-16 1976-02-24 Motorola, Inc. Tunable electrical musical instrument
US4055103A (en) * 1974-06-03 1977-10-25 The Wurlitzer Company Electronic musical instrument using integrated circuit components
US4085645A (en) * 1976-10-29 1978-04-25 Motorola, Inc. Instantly retunable tone generator for an electronic musical instrument
US4145943A (en) * 1976-06-15 1979-03-27 Norlin Music, Inc. Electronic musical instrument capable of generating a string chorus sound
US4152964A (en) * 1977-10-17 1979-05-08 Waage Harold M Keyboard controlled just intonation computer
US4228717A (en) * 1978-06-02 1980-10-21 Norlin Industries, Inc. Electronic musical instrument capable of generating a chorus sound
US4409877A (en) * 1979-06-11 1983-10-18 Cbs, Inc. Electronic tone generating system

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5194909A (ja) * 1974-11-15 1976-08-20
JPS6030959B2 (ja) * 1976-05-31 1985-07-19 株式会社河合楽器製作所 電子楽器
JPS6048760B2 (ja) * 1976-09-24 1985-10-29 株式会社河合楽器製作所 電子楽器におけるノ−トクロック発生装置
JPS5349421A (en) * 1976-10-18 1978-05-04 Kawai Musical Instr Mfg Co Ltd Automatic player
JPS5541879U (ja) * 1978-09-12 1980-03-18
JPS55121493A (en) * 1979-03-13 1980-09-18 Nippon Musical Instruments Mfg Sound source device for electronic musical instrument
GB2116350B (en) * 1982-02-13 1985-09-25 Victor Company Of Japan Just intonation electronic keyboard instrument
FR3139755A1 (fr) 2022-09-20 2024-03-22 Psa Automobiles Sa Vehicule electrique avec train arrière a traverse déformable et support de déflecteur aérodynamique

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4055103A (en) * 1974-06-03 1977-10-25 The Wurlitzer Company Electronic musical instrument using integrated circuit components
US3939751A (en) * 1974-09-16 1976-02-24 Motorola, Inc. Tunable electrical musical instrument
US4145943A (en) * 1976-06-15 1979-03-27 Norlin Music, Inc. Electronic musical instrument capable of generating a string chorus sound
US4085645A (en) * 1976-10-29 1978-04-25 Motorola, Inc. Instantly retunable tone generator for an electronic musical instrument
US4152964A (en) * 1977-10-17 1979-05-08 Waage Harold M Keyboard controlled just intonation computer
US4228717A (en) * 1978-06-02 1980-10-21 Norlin Industries, Inc. Electronic musical instrument capable of generating a chorus sound
US4409877A (en) * 1979-06-11 1983-10-18 Cbs, Inc. Electronic tone generating system

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Publication number Publication date
JPS5925234B2 (ja) 1984-06-15
DE2357167A1 (de) 1974-05-22
JPS4982326A (ja) 1974-08-08
FR2209480A5 (ja) 1974-06-28
IT994432B (it) 1975-10-20

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