US3906830A - Monophonic electronic musical instrument - Google Patents

Monophonic electronic musical instrument Download PDF

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Publication number
US3906830A
US3906830A US447907A US44790774A US3906830A US 3906830 A US3906830 A US 3906830A US 447907 A US447907 A US 447907A US 44790774 A US44790774 A US 44790774A US 3906830 A US3906830 A US 3906830A
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Prior art keywords
octave
note
signal
busses
common
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US447907A
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English (en)
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Robert George Mathias
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Marmon Co
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Hammond Corp
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Priority to US447907A priority Critical patent/US3906830A/en
Priority to ZA00750866A priority patent/ZA75866B/xx
Priority to AU78427/75A priority patent/AU7842775A/en
Priority to DE19752509332 priority patent/DE2509332A1/de
Priority to IT20843/75A priority patent/IT1033358B/it
Priority to JP2587375A priority patent/JPS5630559B2/ja
Priority to NL7502457A priority patent/NL7502457A/xx
Priority to CA221,138A priority patent/CA1021609A/en
Priority to BR1274/75A priority patent/BR7501274A/pt
Priority to GB8929/75A priority patent/GB1506273A/en
Priority to US05/599,867 priority patent/US4023113A/en
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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
    • G10H1/18—Selecting circuits
    • 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
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S84/00—Music
    • Y10S84/02—Preference networks
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S84/00—Music
    • Y10S84/20—Monophonic

Definitions

  • a monophonic electronic mus1c synthes1zer 1n wh1ch [21] Appl- 447,907 keying signals are collected on common note busses and common octave busses and then stored in note 52 s 1 4 0 84/DIG 84/DIG 20 latches and octave latches of special design to be reset [51] Im. (21. ..GH 1/00; c1011 5/00 by a keydown Signal only the absence of a Setting [58] Field of Search ..84/1.01, 1.24, DIG.
  • keying Signal Tone Signals from a F P Octave tone 84/1316 generator are gated by separate note gates arranged in a high note preference arrangement and controlled by 5 References Cited signals stored in note latches.
  • a chain of frequency di- UNITED STATES PATENTS viders fed by the gated high select tone signal produces octavely related tone signals which are gated by a l?" 32 separate octave gates controlled by keying signals 305l032 8/1962 g stored in octave latches.
  • a low octave lockout circuit 8 4/1965 'ji: I I n 84/l'm locks out keying signals from all but the highest octave 3:190:951 6/1965 Anders0n.... gig 0 in which a keyswitch is actuated to complete a high 3,509,262 4/1970 Munch, Jr... 84/1.0l Select system'capable of being r y integrated with 3,598,892 8/1971 Yamashita 84/1.01 a polyphonic organ system using acommon control 3,781,450 12/1973 Nakajima.... 84/].01 keyboard.
  • This invention relates to monophonic electronic musical instruments and more particularly to electronic music synthesizers for simulating various orchestral instrument voices and for producing unique musical and non-musical sounds.
  • Electronic music synthesizers are typically monophonic instruments which involve generating a tone signal of a selected frequency and waveshape and subjecting the tone signal to controlled frequency modulation, controlled filtering, and controlled amplification to produce the desired musical effect.
  • controlled frequency modulation controlled filtering
  • controlled amplification controlled amplification
  • a keyboard which is generally similar to a piano or organ keyboard, is provided with keyswitches for each key having a plurality of contact pairs for different control functions.
  • One contact pair per key is employed to ground ajunction in a precision resistor divider string fed by a constant current source to develop a voltage at the output of the current source which is linearly related to the position of the actuated key on the keyboard.
  • Other contact pairs are employed to produce a keydown signal, i.e., a signal that at least one key is depressed, and a legato pulse signal, i.e., a signal that a new effective key is depressed.
  • the constant current source and precision resistor divider string comprise a volts per octave circuit which responds only to the lowest or highest key actuated depending upon whether the current source feeds the divider string from the low end or high end of the keyboard.
  • the output voltage signal from the volts per octave circuit is fed to a sample and hold circuit which functions under the control of the legato pulse generator to store or memorize the voltage signal so that it is available even if the actuated key is released.
  • the memorized voltage signal is fed to a circuit which converts the linear volts per octave signal to an exponential signal.
  • This exponentially varying signal has the proper characteristic to control a voltage-controlled oscillator which thus produces an output tone signal corresponding to the note associated with the actuated key on the keyboard.
  • the output tone signal is fed to a voltagecontrolled filter which may be programmed to have various frequency response characteristics including dynamic characteristics produced by a circuit which produces voltage control envelopes of various types.
  • the filtered signal is further processed in a voltage-controlled amplifier which may be programmed via a circuit which produces various types of voltage control envelopes to amplitude modulate the signal.
  • a voltage-controlled oscillator itself may be subjected to various types of modulation to produce vibrato and other musical effects.
  • the Wurlitzer Company introduced a synthesizer as an optional add-on feature to several of its electronic organ models.
  • the synthesizer was controlled via a two-octave keyboard separate from the solo keyboard of the organ and thus the player could not play the synthesizer integrally with upper manual solo voices.
  • the Wurlitzer synthesizer employs a single oscillator-parallel divider chain approach to generating the top octave tone signals. These top octave tone signals are directly fed to a first priority latching network which is coupled to one octave of keyboard switches.
  • the top octave tone signals are also sent through individual frequency dividers to generate the next lowest octave of tones andthen are fed to a second priority latching network.
  • a complex arrangement of parallel frequency dividers fed by the two priority latching networks is controlled by a steering circuit to provide selection between the two octaves.
  • the Baldwin Piano and Organ Company and Thomas Organ Company have within the past couple of years introduced organ models with built-in synthesizers functioning under the control of the upper keyboard of the organ. Both companies employ a contact pair per key in addition to regular organ keying contacts to generate a high select voltage signal to a sample and hold circuit for tuning a voltage-controlled oscillator. Thus, these companies have chosen to integrate the type of tone generation system used in Moog and ARP units and to control the tone generation system via additional contacts per key.
  • This invention proceeds from the system disclosed in co-pending Schrecongost patent application, Ser. No. 448,020, filed Mar. 4, 1974, and assigned to Hammond Corporation, the assignee of this Invention and provides an electronic music synthesizer in which collected note and octave keying signals are stored in special note and octave latches (flip-flop circuits) to retain the note and octave information after release of a keyswitch.
  • the stored note and octave signals are used to gate note and octave tone signals as in the Schrecongost system, but are also used to derive a very stable volt per octave signal.
  • This volt per octave signal is useful to produce pitch slide effects in the Schrecongosttype system but is also useful as a control signal to a voltage-controlled oscillator system as employed in Moog and ARP synthesizer systems.
  • Separate voltage signals corresponding to the position of the selected high note and selected high octave, respectively, are produced by separate circuits each of which comprises a string of equal voltage dropping elements, such as diodes selected to have equal forward voltage drops, fed by a constant current source with transistor gates at junctions between diodes to ground out the string at a position corresponding to the highest associated latch which is in a set condition.
  • the voltage at the high end of the string of elements fed by the constant current source is proportional in the note-related circuit to the high note position and in the octave-related circuit to the high octave position. Summing the high note and high octave signals in a 1:12 ratio produces a final signal which is directly proportional to the position of the highest keyswitch actuated.
  • the filter includes a plurality of cascaded phase shift circuit stages in a negative feedback path of'an amplifier with each stage comprising a series capacitor and a field. effect transistor (FET) connected with its source-drain circuit providing a variable impedance shunt to ground controlled by a DC control voltage on its gate which is connected in common with gate electrodes of FETs in other stages.
  • FET field. effect transistor
  • FIG. 1 is a general block schematic diagram of an electronic music synthesizer of the type in which this invention is useful.
  • FIG. 2 is a block schematic diagram of one of the preferred embodiments of this invention.
  • FIGS. 3 through 6 together comprise a circuit schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of this invention.
  • FIG. 7 illustrates how FIGS. 3 through 6 are to be assembled to form an overall interconnected schematic diagram.
  • FIG. is a circuit schematic diagram of a voltagecon trolled filter according to this invention.
  • FIG. 9 is a graphical representation of the response of a voltage-controlled filter according to FIG. 7.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a synthesizer system which includes the Schrecongost approach to collecting note and octave information separately and using that information to gate top octave tone signals and octave tone signals after frequency division.
  • Keyboard 10 produces control signals which are fed via cable to keying circuits 140 which are regular polyphonic organ tone signal keying circuits.
  • Top octave tone generator 100 generates the highest octave of tone signals which are fed via cable 110 to frequency dividers 120 which comprise parallel chainsof frequency dividers to generate other octaves of tone signals to be fed to keying circuits 140.
  • Each of the actuated control elements in keyboard 10 operates one or more individual keying circuits in block 140 to produce polyphonic tone signal outputs on cable 150 as in a regular electronic organ system.
  • the polyphonic organ system employs large scale integrated circuits to perform the top octave tone generation, frequency division, and DC. keying as is characteristic of recent models of organs introduced by Hammond Organ Company. It would also be preferable to employ a separate oscillator and top octave tone generator to feed frequency dividers 120 so that animation of polyphonic organ signals will be independent of animation of monophonic synthesizer signals.
  • US. Pat. Nos. 3,534,144 and 3,636,231 disclose integrated circuit approaches to stairstep synthesis keying for formant organ voices and drawbar synthesis keying for sine wave synthesis organ voices.
  • Keyboard 10 is preferably a single contact per key system and the DC.
  • keying control signals from actuated keys which are fed via cable 20 to organ keying circuits 140 are also sent via cable 40 through low octave lockout circuit 30 to note collect circuit 60 and octave collect circuit via cable branches 42 and 41.
  • the output signals from note collect circuit 60 are coupled via cable to note preference circuit 160.
  • the output signals from octave collect circuit 70 are fed via cable 50 to low octave lockout circuit 30 and to octave preference circuit 190.
  • Signals from octave collect circuit 70 cause low octave lockout circuit 30 to lock out all control signals from keyboard 10 except those corresponding to the highest octave in which keys are actuated.
  • This lockout is effective only for control signals fed to octave collect circuit 70 and note collect circuit 60 and does not affect the transmission of control signals to organ keying circuits 140 because of isolation resistors (not shown) within keyboard 10.
  • low octave lockout circuit 30 only one octave of keys, namely that of the highest actuated key, is active with respect to the synthesizer portion of the system.
  • This synthesizer system will be described in terms of a high select system which is considered to be more useful when the upper or solo keyboard of an organ is used to control the synthesizer since the melody note is usually the highest note played in polyphonic playing and the synthesizer is essentially a melody instrument. It should be readily apparent that a low select system could be provided for a stand-alone version of the synthesizer system and would be essentially the reverse of the approach to be described herein. It should also be apparent that a combined low and high select system could also be provided by duplicating the necessary circuitry.
  • Top octave tone generator generates at least the top octave of twelve tone signals on cable 110.
  • the highest C note may also be generated as a thirteenth tone signal.
  • These tone signals on cable feed note preference circuit which is controlled by signals from note collect circuit 60 to gate onto output lead 161 only the tone signals corresponding to the highest note played in the active octave.
  • Divider divides the tone signal on lead 161 into octavely related tone signals on cable 180.
  • Octave preference circuit functions under the control of signals from octave collect circuit 70 to gate onto lead 19 1 the appropriate one of the octavely related tone signals from divider 170 corresponding to the octave in which the highest key is actuated.
  • the tone signal on lead 191 thus corresponds to the highest key actuated in the active (highest) octave in which keys are actuated.
  • Low octave lockout circuit 30 prevents any higher key actuated in a lower 'octave from affecting note preference circuit 161 and thereby precludes erroneous tone signal selection when plural keys in different octaves are actuated.
  • the high tone signal on lead 191 is fed to pitch and waveform circuits 200 wherein various different pitches may be selected and different waveforms produced.
  • the selected tone signal of selected pitch and waveform is fed to a voltage-controlled filter 210, thence to a voltagecontrolled amplifier, and finally to an output speaker system.
  • Pitch and waveform circuits 200, voltage-controlled .filter 210, voltage-controlled amplifier 220, top octave tone generator 100, voltagecontrolled oscillator 240, vibrato and portamento circuits 250, filter envelope generator 270, amplifier enper octave circuit 230 and keydown detector 80 are discussed in detail below in conjunctionwith 2-11.
  • FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of this invention in an overall synthesizer system.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates, in detail, keyboard 10, lowbctave lockout circuit 30, octave collect circuit 60, /and/ note collect circuit 70 and keydown detector 80.
  • Keyboard 10 comprises a typical one-contact-per-key organ keyboard such as is typically employed in modern organs of the D.C. keying variety.
  • a D.C. keying bus 11 feeds a number of keyswitches 12 one for each key on the keyboard of the organ or stand-alone synthesizer unit. Two complete octaves of keyswitches are shown for the notes C throllgh B2 and the first and last keyswitches only for octaves three through five and one keyswitch for C6.
  • Keying bus 11 is coupled to a source of negative keying voltage V1 which is typically -28 volts.
  • V1 negative keying voltage
  • the invention will be described in terms of negative D.C. keying signals, but it should be apparent that positive keying signals could also be employed if obvious adjustments are made in diode directions, transistor types, and bias voltage.
  • Diodes D1 comprise note collect circuit 60. Each keyswitch corresponding to a C note in each octave is coupled via a diode D1 to common C notebus NBl. Thus any one or more C note keyswitches will place a negative D.C. voltage on bus NBl through a resistor R1. Corresponding all C note keying signals are collected, through a resistor R1 and a diode D1, on bus NB2; all D note keying signals are collected on bus N83, and so forth for all of the notes of the musical scale.
  • cable 41 carries each of the keying signals to diodes D2 which comprise octave collect circuit 70. All of the keyswitches in the first keyboard octave are coupled through resistors R1 and diodes D2 to first octave bus OBI. Similarly, all keyswitches in the secondthrough fifth keyboard octaves, respectively, are coupled to separate busses 032 to OBS. Keyswitch C6 is a special case, and in this instance is considered part of the fifth octave and is collected on a separate note bus N813. I
  • diodes D1 comprise a plurality of logic OR gates for the notes of the musical scale and diodes D2 comprise a plurality of logic OR gates for the octaves of the keyboard. Also, diodes D1 isolate common note busses from keying signals on common octave busses and vice versa for diodes D2.
  • Diodes D3 comprise a logic OR gate fed by the five common octave busses which functions as a keydown detector 80.
  • Lead 81 will have a negative D.C. voltage thereon whenever any one or more of the keyswitches 12 are actuated and Zero volts when no keyswitches l2 are actuated.
  • Gating circuits 31 through.34. together with diodes D4 and D5 interconnected as shown comprise low octave lockout circuit 30.
  • Transistor T1 in gating circuit 31 will be turned on to a saturate condition by a negative keying signal on common octave bus OBS.
  • Ground reference on the emitter of transistor T1 will appear also at its collector and ground out bus 084.
  • Similar circuitry in blocks 32 to 34 will be operated by the negative keying voltagefed along a diode string comprising diodes D5, and will thus ground out busses 0131 to CBS.
  • polyphonic organ keying circuits would be cabled into the keyswitch side of resistorsR so that keying voltage developed across resistors R1 will operate corresponding D.C. keying circuits for any of the notes C1 through B4 whose keyswitches are actuated.
  • low octave lockout circuit 30 grounds outall octave busses except the one corresponding to the keyboard octave in which the highest note is played and locks out all keying signals from other octaves at the input to note collect circuit so that only keyswitches in the active (highest) octave can put keying voltage on common note bussesNBl to N813.
  • Diodes D3 add the keying signals on common octave busses OBl to OBS to perform the keydown detector function. Lead 81 will have negative keying potential thereonwhenever any one or more keyswitches is actuated.
  • each of the common note busses N81 to N813 is connected to the set lead of an associated one of the note latches FFN] to FFN13 and each of the common octave busses 081 to CBS is connected to the set lead of anassociated one of the octave latches FFO] to FFOS.
  • Only the circuitry of C latch, FFNl, is shown in detail since all other latches are identical.
  • Keydown signal lead 81 feeds the reset leads of all note and octave latches as shown. 7
  • a negative keydown signal appears on lead 81 and is fed to all latch reset leads.
  • Negative keying signals also appear on busses N81 and CH3 and feed set leads in C latch FFNl and third octave latch FFO3.
  • the negative keying signal on bus i NBl is coupled through diode D7 and resistor R45 in FFNl to transistor T58, causing that transistor to saturate and thereby to shunt the negative keydown signal on the reset lead of FFNl to ground.
  • the negative keying signal on' bus N31 is also coupled through diodes D7 and D6 and resistor R44 to the base of transistor T59.
  • the respective Q outputs of note latches and octave latches control note and octave preference gating circuits which are identical to those in the above-referenced Schrecongost application.
  • keying signals on common note and octave busses are coupled directly to transistor gates in note and octave preference gating arrangements; whereas in the circuitry according to this invention, the keying signals are first memorized in note and octave latches and corresponding note and octave latch outputs control individual transistor gates in note and octave preference gating arrangements.
  • each of the transistors T36, T48 is associated in note order with one of note latches FF N1 to FFNl3; e.g., T36 is associated with FFNl.
  • Diodes D9 comprise a string of equal voltage dropping elements and transistors T49 and T50 with related circuit components comprise a constant current source feeding the string of diodes D9. The highest one of the transistors T36 to T48 which is turned on by its associated note latch grounds out the string of diodes at a particular junction.
  • a similar set of five transistors T51 to T55 is controlled by octave latches OBl to DB5.
  • Transistors T56 and T57 with associated circuit components comprise a second constant current source which feeds a second string of diodes D9.
  • the octave voltage signal on the collector of transistor T57 is proportional to the highest octave in which a keyswitch is actuated to set a corresponding one of octave latches FFOl to FFO5.
  • Transistors T61 and T62 and related circuit elements comprise emitter follower circuits which couple the note and octave voltage signals to a summing network comprising resistors R33 to R38 as shown. Resistors R33 and R34 and resistors R37 and R38 are selected to have values which will produce a l:l2 ratio of input signals for notes and octaves. In other words, since there are twelve notes per octave, a voltage change between the same note in two adjacent octaves must be twelve times the voltage change between two adjacent notes in the same octave.
  • the note and octave voltage signals in 1:12 ratios are summed with'a range adjust voltage fed through resistors R35 and R36 and form an input to the negative input lead of operational amplifier OAl.
  • the gain of operational amplifier OAl is set by the resistors R39 and R40 in a negative feedback loop such that the change in voltage for a one-octave change in high note position is the standard one volt which is employed in the Moog and AR? type of synthesizers.
  • This volt per octave signal is useful to produce a pitch slide effect in the type of synthesizer system which is shown in FIG. 2.
  • this volt per octave circuit could also be employed in place of the volt per octave circuit in the Moog and AR? type of synthesizer system as described above.
  • the circuitry shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6 herein could be used to produce a very stable volt per octave signal to be used to tune a voltage-controlled oscillator as a primary monophonic tone signal source in a synthesizer system.
  • the circuitry shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 preserves all of the advantages of the Schrecongost system and dramatically enhances its functional capabilities. Unambiguous high note select in a stand-alone synthesizer version or an integrated organ-synthesizer version is provided with note and octave latching so that sustained tones after keyswitch release can be produced. The circuitry would improve the stability of tuning of the oscillator;
  • the diodes D9 in the volts per octave circuit of FIG. 6 can readily be tightly selected to have equal forward voltage drops to ensure a precise volts per octave signal. Moreover, precision resistors could be substituted as voltage dropping elements without changing the function of the circuitry.
  • FIG. 8 depicts a voltage-controlled filter which is of quite simple construction and performs quite ade quately in comparison to much more complex voltagecontrolled filters in prior art synthesizer systems.
  • An audio signal containingmultiple harmonic components is fed through the network of resistors R173 to 177 and capacitor C33 to the positive input of operational amplifier A2.
  • Capacitor C33 and resistor R176 form a high pass filter which attenuates low frequency components of input audio signal.
  • Capacitors C28 to C31 together with matched field effect transistors FET l to FET 4 comprise four cascaded RC phase shift networks in a negative feedback loop of operational amplifier 0A2.
  • the effective source-drain resistance of FET 1 to FET 4 is controlled by the voltage on a control signal input to each of their gate electrodes and alters the frequency response of each network.
  • a some signal frequency depending upon the gate voltage, the four phase shift networks will produce a 180 phase shift in the signal transmitted therethrough. This frequency will be denoted the resonant frequency. Consequently, at the resonant frequency, the negative feedback, in effect, is positive feedback and this peaks the gain of operational amplifier 0A2 as shown in FIG. 9.
  • Operational amplifier 0A] is operated in a unity gain mode and prevents the phase shift networks from loading the input to operational amplifier OA2.
  • the cascaded phase shift networks highly attenuate the signal so there is very little negative feedback for those frequencies.
  • a net positive feedback occurs for low frequency signals to provide fixed amplifier gain at those frequencies as shown in FIG. 9.
  • the cascaded phase shift networks provide essentially no effective phase shift or attenuation, and thus for those frequencies negative feedback far outweighs any positive feedback and the gain of amplifier 0A2 rapidly drops toward zero above the resonant fre- RESISTORS Numbers Ohms Numbers Ohms 7, 20 I00 25 200 24 270 5, 27, 28 IK I4, 26 1.5K 37 SK 8, 32, 15.
  • a monophonic electronic musical instrument comprising:
  • each control signal element being associated with a particular note of the musical scale in one of a plurality of octaves
  • tone signal generating means for generating at least the highest octave of tone signals on separate tone signal busses
  • note memory means coupled to said common note busses for storing control signals appearing on said common note busses
  • octave memory means coupled to said common octave busses for storing control signals appearing on said common octave busses;
  • note gating means for gating one of said tone signals in response to a control signal stored in said note memory means
  • octave gating means for gating one of said octavely related tone signals in response to a control signal stored in said octave memory means.
  • said note gating means comprising note preference gating means for gating only a one tone signal in the event of coincident actuation of more than one of said control elements in said active octave;
  • said note memory means and said octave memory means each comprises 'a separate bistable storage element associated with each of said common note busses and common octave busses respectively.
  • each of said flip-flop circuit being coupled to an associated one of said note collect and octave collect busses to place said flip-flop in a set state in response to a control signal and to produce a gate operate signal on said output lead;
  • each of said flip-flop circuits being coupled in common to said keydown detector circuit means to place said flip-flop in a reset state in response to a keydown signal;
  • said flip-flop circuit further comprising a clamping circuit coupled between said set input lead and said reset input lead to prevent reset of said flip-flop by .a keydown signal coincident with a control signal on said set lead.
  • said keydown detector circuit means comprises circuit means for summing the control signals on said common octave busses to produce said keydown signal each time a con trol signal appears on one of said common octave busses.
  • Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising? at least one tuned circuit means for producing an output signal frequency characteristic varying in accordance with a DC. control signal input;
  • first circuit means for converting control signals in said note memory means into a first signal having amagnitude directly proportional to the position in the musical scale of an associated note;
  • summing circuit means for producing a note position signal comprising a weighted combination of said first and second signals in the ratio of 1:12 such that the magnitude of said note position signal is directly proportional to the position of an actuated control element;
  • At least one tuned circuit means for producing an output signal frequency characteristic varying in accordance with a DC. control signal input
  • a first divider string of equal voltage dropping elements corresponding in number to at least the number of said note flip-flops coupled to said first constant current source
  • a second divider string of equal voltage dropping elements corresponding in number to at least the number of said octave flip-flops coupled to said second constant current source
  • a second set of gates coupled to respective junctions of said voltage dropping elements and in octave order to said octave flip-flops to terminate said first divider string at a position corresponding to the position of an associated octave and thereby to produce at the output of said second constant current source an octave voltage signal proportional to said octave position;
  • a weighted summing circuit coupled to said first and second constant current sources to sum said note and octave voltage signals in a 1:12 ratio to produce a note position signal directly proportional to the position of an actuated control element;
  • each of said gates is a transistor gate turned on by a gate operate signal to ground its associated junction between said voltage dropping elements.
  • a monophonic electronic musical instrument comprising:
  • each control signal element being associated with a particular note of the musical scale in one of a plurality of octaves
  • tone signal generating means for generating at least the highest octave of tone signals on separate tone signal busses
  • keydown detector means for generating a keydown signal in response to a control signal from any one of said control elements
  • a plurality of note and octave flip-flop circuits having set leads coupled to associated common note and common octave busses normally to set said flipflops in response to a control signal thereon, reset leads coupled to said keydown detector means normally to reset said flip-flops in response to a keydown signal, a clamping circuit coupled between said set lead and said reset lead to preventvreset of said flip-flops upon coincidence of a control signal on said set lead and a keydown signal on said reset lead; and an output lead having a gate operate signal thereon in the set condition of said flipflop circuit;
  • octave lockout circuit means re sponsiye to a control signal on one of said common octave busses to lock out control signals from control elements associated with lower octaves and thereby to define an active octave of control elements corresponding to that of the highest actuated control element such that only control signals from said active octave can appear on said common note busses;
  • said plurality of note gates being arranged in a high note preference circuit arrangement such that only a gated tone signal corresponding to the note associated with the highest actuated control element in said active octave appears at the output of said preference circuit even when two control elements in the active octave are actuated.
  • a monophonic electronic musical instrument comprising:
  • each control signal element being associated with a particular note of the musical scale in one of a plurality of octaves
  • tone signal generating means for generating at least the highest octave of tone signals on separate tone signal busses;
  • keydown detector means for producing a keydown signal in response to a control signal on one of said common octave busses
  • octave lockout circuit means responsive to a control signal on one of said common octave busses to lock out control signals from control elements associated with lower octaves from appearing on said common note busses and said common octave busses, thereby to define an active octave of control elements corresponding to that of the highest actuated control element;
  • a plurality of note and octave flip-flop circuits having set leads coupled to associated common note and common octave busses normally to set said flipflops in response to a control signal thereon, reset leads coupled to said keydown detector means normally to reset said flip-flops in response to a keydown signal, a clamping circuit coupled between said set lead and said reset lead to prevent reset of said flip-flops upon coincidence of a control signal on said set lead and a keydown signal on said reset lead; and an output lead having a gate operate signal thereon in the set condition of said flip-flop circuit;
  • a high note preference gating circuit coupled to said note flip-flop circuits and said tone signal busses for gating to a high tone signal lead only the tone signal corresponding to said highest actuated control element in the event of coincident actuation of control elements in said active octave and corresponding coincident gate operate signals from said note flip-flop circuits;
  • a first divider string of equal voltage dropping elements corresponding in number to at least the number of said note flip-flops coupled to said first constant current source
  • a second divider string of equal voltage dropping elements corresponding in number to at least the number of said octave flip-flops coupled to said second constant current source
  • a second set of gates coupled to respective junctions of said voltage dropping elements and in octave order to said octave flip-flops to terminate said first divider string at a position corresponding to the position of an associated octave and thereby to produce at the output of said second constant current source an octave voltage signal directly proportional to said octave position;
  • a weighted summing circuit coupled to said first and second constant current source to sum said note and octave voltage signals in a 1:12 ratio to produce a note position signal directly proportional to the position of an actuated control element;
  • a monophonic electronic musical instrument comprising:
  • At least one tuned circuit means for producing an output signal having a frequency response varying in accordance with a DC. control signal input;
  • each control signal element being associated with a particular note of the musical scale in one of a plurality of octaves
  • note memory means coupled to said common note busses for storing control signals appearing on said common note busses
  • octave memory means coupled to said common octave busses for storing control signals appearing on said common octave busses;

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Electrophonic Musical Instruments (AREA)
US447907A 1974-03-04 1974-03-04 Monophonic electronic musical instrument Expired - Lifetime US3906830A (en)

Priority Applications (11)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US447907A US3906830A (en) 1974-03-04 1974-03-04 Monophonic electronic musical instrument
ZA00750866A ZA75866B (en) 1974-03-04 1975-02-11 A monophonic electronic musical instrument
AU78427/75A AU7842775A (en) 1974-03-04 1975-02-21 Musical indstrument
IT20843/75A IT1033358B (it) 1974-03-04 1975-02-28 Strumento musicale elettronico monofonico
DE19752509332 DE2509332A1 (de) 1974-03-04 1975-02-28 Monophones elektronisches musikinstrument
NL7502457A NL7502457A (nl) 1974-03-04 1975-03-03 Monofoon elektronisch muziekinstrument.
JP2587375A JPS5630559B2 (it) 1974-03-04 1975-03-03
CA221,138A CA1021609A (en) 1974-03-04 1975-03-03 Monophonic electronic musical instrument
BR1274/75A BR7501274A (pt) 1974-03-04 1975-03-04 Instrumento musical eletronico monofonico
GB8929/75A GB1506273A (en) 1974-03-04 1975-03-04 Monophonic electronic musical instrument
US05/599,867 US4023113A (en) 1974-03-04 1975-07-28 Voltage controlled filter

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US447907A US3906830A (en) 1974-03-04 1974-03-04 Monophonic electronic musical instrument

Related Child Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US05/599,867 Division US4023113A (en) 1974-03-04 1975-07-28 Voltage controlled filter

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3906830A true US3906830A (en) 1975-09-23

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ID=23778209

Family Applications (1)

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US447907A Expired - Lifetime US3906830A (en) 1974-03-04 1974-03-04 Monophonic electronic musical instrument

Country Status (10)

Country Link
US (1) US3906830A (it)
JP (1) JPS5630559B2 (it)
AU (1) AU7842775A (it)
BR (1) BR7501274A (it)
CA (1) CA1021609A (it)
DE (1) DE2509332A1 (it)
GB (1) GB1506273A (it)
IT (1) IT1033358B (it)
NL (1) NL7502457A (it)
ZA (1) ZA75866B (it)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4064777A (en) * 1975-09-08 1977-12-27 Roland Corporation Circuit for preferentially selecting highest and lowest tones
US4098162A (en) * 1975-12-15 1978-07-04 Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha Synthesizer type electronic musical instrument
US4103581A (en) * 1976-08-30 1978-08-01 Kawaii Musical Instrument Mfg. Co. Constant speed portamento
US4170160A (en) * 1978-06-09 1979-10-09 Jong Guo Electronic musical instrument
US4236436A (en) * 1978-11-08 1980-12-02 Kimball International, Inc. Electronic music synthesizer
US4238985A (en) * 1976-02-27 1980-12-16 Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha Electronic musical instrument
US4312257A (en) * 1977-09-24 1982-01-26 Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho Automatic accompaniment apparatus

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US2933004A (en) * 1952-08-29 1960-04-19 Hammond Organ Co Combined piano and electrical monophonic instrument
US3006228A (en) * 1957-11-14 1961-10-31 White James Paul Circuit for use in musical instruments
US3051032A (en) * 1959-03-18 1962-08-28 Hammond Organ Co Single manual double countermelody electrical musical instrument
US3180918A (en) * 1961-01-26 1965-04-27 Conn Ltd C G Tone generator system
US3190951A (en) * 1961-11-15 1965-06-22 Chicago Musical Instr Co Electrical musical instrument
US3509262A (en) * 1966-07-11 1970-04-28 Baldwin Co D H Bass register keying system employing preference networks
US3598892A (en) * 1968-10-14 1971-08-10 Nippon Musical Instruments Mfg Controled switching of octaves in an electronic musical instrument
US3781450A (en) * 1971-12-13 1973-12-25 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Signal-selecting system for an electronic musical instrument
US3801721A (en) * 1972-06-16 1974-04-02 Baldwin Co D H Monophonic electronic music system with apparatus for special effect tone simulation
US3806624A (en) * 1972-07-14 1974-04-23 Chicago Musical Instr Co Discovery in keying circuit for a musical instrument
US3806623A (en) * 1972-05-24 1974-04-23 Nippon Musical Instruments Mfg Single note selecting storage circuit
US3808344A (en) * 1972-02-29 1974-04-30 Wurlitzer Co Electronic musical synthesizer
US3828108A (en) * 1972-03-22 1974-08-06 F Thompson Binary organ and coding system for operating same
US3836692A (en) * 1971-10-25 1974-09-17 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Signal-selecting system for a keyboard type electronic musical instrument

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5035804B2 (it) * 1971-08-09 1975-11-19

Patent Citations (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2933004A (en) * 1952-08-29 1960-04-19 Hammond Organ Co Combined piano and electrical monophonic instrument
US3006228A (en) * 1957-11-14 1961-10-31 White James Paul Circuit for use in musical instruments
US3051032A (en) * 1959-03-18 1962-08-28 Hammond Organ Co Single manual double countermelody electrical musical instrument
US3180918A (en) * 1961-01-26 1965-04-27 Conn Ltd C G Tone generator system
US3190951A (en) * 1961-11-15 1965-06-22 Chicago Musical Instr Co Electrical musical instrument
US3509262A (en) * 1966-07-11 1970-04-28 Baldwin Co D H Bass register keying system employing preference networks
US3598892A (en) * 1968-10-14 1971-08-10 Nippon Musical Instruments Mfg Controled switching of octaves in an electronic musical instrument
US3836692A (en) * 1971-10-25 1974-09-17 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Signal-selecting system for a keyboard type electronic musical instrument
US3781450A (en) * 1971-12-13 1973-12-25 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Signal-selecting system for an electronic musical instrument
US3808344A (en) * 1972-02-29 1974-04-30 Wurlitzer Co Electronic musical synthesizer
US3828108A (en) * 1972-03-22 1974-08-06 F Thompson Binary organ and coding system for operating same
US3806623A (en) * 1972-05-24 1974-04-23 Nippon Musical Instruments Mfg Single note selecting storage circuit
US3801721A (en) * 1972-06-16 1974-04-02 Baldwin Co D H Monophonic electronic music system with apparatus for special effect tone simulation
US3806624A (en) * 1972-07-14 1974-04-23 Chicago Musical Instr Co Discovery in keying circuit for a musical instrument

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4064777A (en) * 1975-09-08 1977-12-27 Roland Corporation Circuit for preferentially selecting highest and lowest tones
US4098162A (en) * 1975-12-15 1978-07-04 Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha Synthesizer type electronic musical instrument
US4238985A (en) * 1976-02-27 1980-12-16 Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha Electronic musical instrument
US4103581A (en) * 1976-08-30 1978-08-01 Kawaii Musical Instrument Mfg. Co. Constant speed portamento
US4312257A (en) * 1977-09-24 1982-01-26 Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho Automatic accompaniment apparatus
US4170160A (en) * 1978-06-09 1979-10-09 Jong Guo Electronic musical instrument
US4236436A (en) * 1978-11-08 1980-12-02 Kimball International, Inc. Electronic music synthesizer

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ZA75866B (en) 1976-01-28
CA1021609A (en) 1977-11-29
GB1506273A (en) 1978-04-05
IT1033358B (it) 1979-07-10
JPS5630559B2 (it) 1981-07-15
NL7502457A (nl) 1975-09-08
DE2509332A1 (de) 1975-09-11
AU7842775A (en) 1976-08-26
BR7501274A (pt) 1975-12-02
JPS50123328A (it) 1975-09-27

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