US3842183A

US3842183A - Electronic musical instrument provided with devices for indicating preset state of respective voices

Info

Publication number: US3842183A
Application number: US00420322A
Authority: US
Inventors: E Aoki
Original assignee: Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
Priority date: 1972-11-30
Filing date: 1973-11-29
Publication date: 1974-10-15
Anticipated expiration: 1991-10-15

Abstract

An electronic musical instrument having a plurality of tone volume setters for presetting the amplitude levels of musical tone signals of respective tone color voices comprises a plurality of variable resistors gang-operated with the tone volume setters and connected to a power source so as to deliver such levels of voltage as represent the preset states of the tone volume setters; and indicators respectively connected to the variable resistors and indicating the respective preset states. The brightness of the indicator is made to represent the amplitude level of the respective tone color voices preset by the tone volume setter.

Description

United States Patent 11 1 [111 3,842,183

Aoki 1451 Oct. 15, 1974 [54] ELECTRONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 3,637,914 1/1972 Hiyama 84/119 PROVIDED WITH DEVICES FOR 3,740,449 6/1973 Southard 84/1.17

INDICATING PRESET STATE OF RESPECTIVE VOICES Inventor: Eiichiro Aoki, l-lamamatsu, Japan Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha, Hamamatsu-shi, Japan Filed: Nov. 29, 1973 Appl. No.: 420,322

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 30, 1972 Japan 47-120035 Nov. 30, 1972 Japan 47-120036 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1972 Schrecongost et a1 84/1.11

Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-U. Weldon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-l(emon, Palmer & Estabrook [5 7 ABSTRACT An electronic musical instrument having a plurality of tone volume setters for presetting the amplitude levels of musical tone signals of respective tone color voices comprises a plurality of variable resistors gangoperated with the tone volume setters and connected to a power source so as to deliver such levels of voltage as represent the preset states of the tone volume setters; and indicators respectively connected to the variable resistors and indicating the respective preset states. The brightness of the indicator is made to represent the amplitude level of the respective tone color voices preset by the tone volume setter.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures ELECTRONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PROVIDED WITH DEVICES FOR INDICATING PRESET STATE OF RESPECTIVE VOICES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an electronic musical instrument and more particularly to an electronic musical instrument provided with a plurality of tone volume setters for presetting the amplitude levels of musical tone signals of respective tone color voices.

Generally, in an electronic musical instrument, a plurality of musical tone signals bearing different tone color voices are mixed on the basis of amplitude levels chosen by a player. To this end, the electronic musical instrument is provided with a plurality of tone volume setters for presetting the amplitude levels of musical tone signals of respective particular tone colors, thereby determining the tone color of the out-coming musical signals. During performance, the player selects any one or ones of the amplitude level presetting devices to decide the voice he wants. Further, the player can control the amplitude levels of musical tone signals given forth during performance by operating tone levers provided on the control panel of an electronic musical instrument, without relying on the aforesaid presetting devices.

The above-mentioned amplitude level presetting devices, except for the selection switches thereof, are generally received in a drawer provided in an electronic musical instrument. Unless, therefore, the drawer is pulled out, the amplitude level setting states or preset states of musical tone signals in the presetting devices can not be recognized. In this case, recognition of such conditions can only be confirmed by the movement of the movable elements of the tone volume setters of the presetting devices. However, the withdrawal of the drawer obstructs performance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly the object of this invention to pro vide an electronic musical instrument, which, where one of the amplitude level presetting devices is selected by a player, enables him easily to observe by the eye, even during performance, the state in which the selected presetting device presets the amplitude levels of respective tone color signals.

An electronic musical instrument according to this invention comprises a plurality of devices interlocking with the tone volume setters of the presetting devices for presetting the amplitude levels of respective tone color signals so as to deliver control voltages representing the preset amplitude levels and indicating means responsive to the voltage. Thus, control voltages representing the amplitude level set state or preset state of respective tone color signals in a presetting device selected through a selection switch are impressed on the corresponding indicating means to display the preset state.

According to an embodiment of this invention, each of indicating means includes, for example, a single indicator such as a lamp or a light-emission diode, which gives forth such degree of illumination as responsive to the magnitude of output voltage from the voltage deliverer. According to another embodiment of the invention, each of indicator means includes a plurality of indicators such as lamps or light-emission diodes. In this case, there are further provided a plurality of voltage level detectors having different threshold voltage levels so as to distinguish the magnitude of output voltage from the voltage deliverer. There are lighted a sufficient number of indicators to represent the magnitude of output voltage from the deliverer. In this case, any preset amplitude level of respective tone color signals is indicated by the number of the indicators which are lighted on. Each of the indicating means may be disposed adjacent to the tone lever provided on the control panel of an electronic musical instrument for manually controlling the amplitude level of the associated musical tone signal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 presents the circuit arrangement of an electronic musical instrument according to an embodiment of this invention which is provided with a plurality of devices for indicating the preset amplitude levels of respective tone color signals;

FIG. 2 indicates a modification of the indicating means used in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the relative position of the numerous indicators of FIG. 2 for displaying the preset state as well as the manually control led state of the amplitude level; and

FIG. 4 is a concrete circuit diagram of a voltage level detector used in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS For convenience of description, musical tones generated in an electronic musical instrument according to the embodiment of FIG. I are supposed to have such tone colors or voices as are derived from three natural musical instruments, for example, a flute, a string instrument and an oboe. As in the prior art electronic musical instrument, tone signals from tone generators 11 are supplied to tone coloring filters l3, l4 and 15 through a keyboard section including keyboards and keyers. Connected to the output sides of the

tone coloring filters

13, 14 and 15 are a plurality (three in this embodiment) of amplitude

level presetting devices

16a, 16b and 160. The presetting device 16a has tone volume presetters l7Fa, 185a and 190a supplied with output signals from the tone coloring filters l3, l4 and 15 respectively. Similarly, the

presetting devices

16b and 160 have a group of tone volume presetters 17Fb, 18Sb and Ib and a group of tone volume presetters 17Fc, 1880 and 190:: respectively. The tone volume presetters define the amplitude levels of respective tone color signals when the movable elements thereof are removed. Output signals from the tone volume presetters of any of the presetting devices 16a, 16b and 16c are combined and selectively conducted to a utilization circuit including an amplifier 21 and loudspeaker 22 through a switch 20 for selecting one of the presetting devices. The tone volume presetters I7Fa, 188a and 190a of the presetting device are mechanically coupled with the corresponding variable resistors 23Fa, 245a and 250a which represent the amplitude levels of musical tone signals preset by the tone volume presetters. The movable elements of the tone volume presetters and the corresponding variable resistors are gang-operated, and the variable resistors are connected at one end to a DC. source (+V) and the other to ground. Accordingly, control voltage having a magnitude representing the set position of the tone volume presetter is drawn out from the movable element of the corresponding variable resistor. As in the presetting device 16a, the tone volume presetters 17Fb, 18812 and 19012 of the presetting device 16b are mechanically coupled to the corresponding variable resistors 23Fb, 24Sb and 250b, and the tone volume presetters 17Fc, 1880 and 190c of the presetting device 160 to the corresponding variable resistors 23Fc, 248C and 250c. Output signals from the variable resistors 23Fa, 23Fb and 23Fc for representing the set levels of a musical tone. signal from the flute filter l3 preset by the tone volume presetters 17Fa, 17Fb and 17Fc are selectively conducted to an indicator 27F consisting of, for example, a lamp or a light-emission diode through a switch 26F interlocking with the selection switch 20 of the

presetting devices

16a, 16b and 160. Similarly, output signals from the variable resistors 248a, 2451) and 248C representing the preset amplitude levels of a musical tone signal from the string filter l4 preset by the tone volume presetters 188a, 18Sb and 185C are selectively supplied to an indicator 275 through a switch 265 interlocking with the selection switch 20. Output signals from the

variable resistors

250a, 250b and 2500 representing thepreset amplitude levels of a musical tone signal from the oboe filter are selectively transmitted to an indicator 270 through a switch 260 interlocking with the selection switch 20.

As seen from the foregoing description, when one presetting device is selected by the selection switch 20, then the

indicators

27F, 27S and 270 are lighted with such brightness as indicates the preset amplitude levels of the respective tone color signals associated with the selected presetting device which are being derived for performance. Since the

indicators

27F, 27S and 270 and the selection switch are mounted on the control panel of an electronic musical instrument, a player can easily recognize during performance the amplitude level of the respective tone color signals preset by the selected presetting device simply by looking at the brightness with which the indicators are lighted.

An electronic musical instrument is so designed as to enable a player to control during performance the amplitude level of musical tone signals by manually operating tone levers mounted on the control panel of the instrument, as well as by the above-mentioned presetting devices. To this end, the electronic musical instrument is further provided with

tone volume setters

28F, 28S and 280, output signals from which are supplied in a mixed state to the amplifier 21 through the selection switch 20. The movable elements of the

tone volume setters

28F, 28S and 280 are projectively provided on the control panel so as to be operated from above. In this case, the indicators may be positioned adjacent to the tone levers for manual control.

FIG. 2 indicates a modification of the indicating means used in the embodiment of FIG. 1. According to this modification, an output signal from the switch 26F is supplied to voltage level detectors 31Fa, 31Fb, 3lFc and 31Fd whose threshold levels vary in succession. Indicators 27Fa, 27Fb, 27Fc and 27Fd are connected to the outputs of the voltage level detectors 31Fa, 31Fb, 31Fc and 31Fd respectively. Thus, control voltage is supplied to any of the voltage level detectors which happens to have a lower threshold voltage than the magnitude of the control voltage to render the voltage level detector conducting, thereby impressing the power source voltage on the indicator connected to the voltage level detector so as to light it. Namely, there are lighted a sufficient number of indicators to show the amplitude level of musical tone signals preset by any of the presetting devices. Voltage level detectors 318a, 315b, 3156 and 315d and indicators 27Sa, 275b, 2786 and 278a are connected, as shown in FIG. 2, to the output side of the switch 268. Voltage level detectors 310a, 310b, 3100 and 310d and

indicators

270a, 270b, 2706 and 270d are connected to the output side of the switch 260.

A voltage level detection circuit may be arranged as indicated in FIG. 4. Numerals Trl and Tr2 denote transistors constituting a Schmitt trigger circuit, whose threshold voltage is determined by a variable resistor VR. Where control voltage impressed on the base of the transistor Trl has a higher level than the threshold voltage level, then the transistor Trl is rendered conducting, causing the other transistor Tr2 to be nonconducting. When the transistor Tr2 thus is rendered nonconductive, a third transistor Tr3 is turned on to impress power source voltage on an indicator for its lighting through the collector-emitter path of the transistor Tr3.

FIG. 3 illustrates a plurality of indicators 27 Fa, 27Fb, 27Fc and 27Fd for displaying the preset amplitude level of musical tone signals from the flute tone coloring filter 13 arranged on the control panel 34 adjacent to a tone lever 33 for manually controlling the amplitude level of the musical tone signal from the flute tone coloring filter 13. The arrows indicated in FIG. 3 show the direction in which the tone lever 33 is manually moved through a slit 35 by a player.

If the selection switches 20, 26F, 26S and 260 consist of electronic switches or relays, their switchover operation can be easily effected by a player, for example, through a push button.

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic musical instrument tone generators:

keyboard means for selectively keying tone signals generated by said tone generators;

a plurality of tone coloring filters each connected to receive the tone signals from said keyboard means;

comprising:

a plurality of pre-setting units each connected to the output sides of each of said tone coloring filters, each of said pre-setting units including a plurality of means equal in number to the number of said filters one connected to receive musical tone signals from each of said tone coloring filters respectively to preset and mix the amplitude levels of each of the musical tone signals;

means for generating signals proportional to each of the preset amplitudes of said musical tone signals;

visual indicating means equal in number to the number of said filters; and

switching means connected to selectively energize said indicating means with a desired one of said signals proportional to the preset amplitudes of said musical tone signals.

2. An electronic musical instrument as defined by claim 1 in which both said amplitude level presetting means and said means for generating signals proportional to the preset amplitudes include variable resistors, corresonding ones of which are interlocked.

3,842,183 6 3. An electronic musical instrument as defined by 5. An electronic musical instrument as defined by claim 1 including threshold circuits connected between claim 1 i l di manual ntrols for said presetting sad 8 Itch ng me-ans Sal-d mdlcatmg means units and m which said indicating means are positioned 4. An electronic musical instrument as defined by claim 3 in which said threshold circuits are Schmidt 5 adjacent Said manual Controlstriggers.

Claims

1. An electronic musical instrument comprising: tone generators: keyboard means for selectively keying tone signals generated by said tone generators; a plurality of tone coloring filters each connected to receive the tone signals from said keyboard means; a plurality of pre-setting units each connected to the output sides of each of said tone coloring filters, each of said presetting units including a plurality of means equal in number to the number of said filters one connected to receive musical tone signals from each of said tone coloring filters respectively to preset and mix the amplitude levels of each of the musical tone signals; means for generating signals proportional to each of the preset amplitudes of said musical tone signals; visual indicating means equal in number to the number of said filters; and switching means connected to selectively energize said indicating means with a desired one of said signals proportional to the preset amplitudes of said musical tone signals.

3. An electronic musical instrument as defined by claim 1 including threshold circuits connected between said switching means and said indicating means.

4. An electronic musical instrument as defined by claim 3 in which said threshold circuits are Schmidt triggers.

5. An electronic musical instrument as defined by claim 1 including manual controls for said presetting units and in which said indicating means are positioned adjacent said manual controls.