U.S. patent number 3,649,736 [Application Number 05/068,112] was granted by the patent office on 1972-03-14 for electronic rhythm apparatus for a musical instrument.
This patent grant is currently assigned to N.V. Eminent. Invention is credited to Tijmen Van Der Kooij.
United States Patent |
3,649,736 |
Van Der Kooij |
March 14, 1972 |
ELECTRONIC RHYTHM APPARATUS FOR A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
Abstract
A system for switching off an electronic percussion instrument
from an electronic rhythm device and coupling it to the manual or
pedal of an electronic organ, comprising a switch between each
output of a programmer and a control input of the percussion
instrument, the switch, in the off-condition, connecting the
percussion instrument to an auxiliary circuit which is energized by
a control pulse for the percussion instrument. The control pulse is
derived from a signal coming from the manual or pedal, and a
multiple switch in each auxiliary circuit has a closing contact for
closing all auxiliary circuits of a plurality of such percussion
instruments simultaneously.
Inventors: |
Van Der Kooij; Tijmen
(Bodegraven, NL) |
Assignee: |
N.V. Eminent (Bodegrave,
NL)
|
Family
ID: |
19807812 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/068,112 |
Filed: |
August 31, 1970 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Sep 1, 1969 [NL] |
|
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69/13345 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
84/713; 84/651;
84/667; 984/351 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G10H
1/40 (20130101); G10H 2230/311 (20130101); G10H
2230/321 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G10H
1/40 (20060101); G10h 001/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;84/1.03,1.13,1.17,1.24,1.26,DIG.12,DIG.22,DIG.25 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Myers; Lewis H.
Assistant Examiner: Witkowski; Stanley J.
Claims
I claim:
1. In an electronic organ of the type that includes at least one
manual and a pedal division, an electronic rhythm device which
comprises:
1. an electronic rhythm programmer having a plurality of output
leads, said programmer producing a series of timed output pulses on
said leads in a predetermined sequence;
2. a plurality of electronic percussion generators connected, on a
one-to-one basis, with the output leads of said programmer, each
generator producing an output signal imitative of a particular
percussion instrument in response to an output pulse from said
programmer;
3. first switch means, interposed between the output leads of said
programmer and said percussion generators, for selectively breaking
the connection between particular ones of said output leads and the
corresponding percussion generator, in accordance with the rhythm
desired;
4. a second switch means associated with the input of each of said
plurality of percussion generators, each said second switch means
having a normally closed contact connecting, via said first switch
means, with a corresponding output lead of said programmer, and a
normally open contact;
5. a first pulse generator connected to the at least one manual of
said organ and generating an output pulse in response to the
actuation of any one of the keys of said manual;
6. a second pulse generator connected to the pedal division of said
organ and generating an output pulse in response to the actuation
of any one of said pedals;
7. a plurality of ganged, third switch means each having a normally
closed and a normally open contact, said plurality of third switch
means being functionally divided into a first group and a second
group, the output of said first pulse generator being connected in
common to all of the normally open contacts of said first group,
and the output of said second pulse generator being connected in
common to all of the normally open contacts of said second
group;
8. a first plurality of leads interconnecting the normally open
contacts of the second switch means associated with certain ones of
said percussion generators to the armatures of the third switch
means in said first group; and
9. a second plurality of leads interconnecting the normally open
contacts of the second switch means associated with the remainder
of said percussion generators to the armatures of the third switch
means in said second group, whereby when a given one of said second
switch means is moved from the normally closed to the normally open
position the corresponding percussion generator no longer sounds
under control of the rhythm programmer and if, in addition, the
ganged, third switch means is moved to the normally open position,
the said percussion generator will sound under control of the pedal
division or manual, as the case may be.
Description
The invention relates to an electronic rhythm apparatus for a
musical instrument, particularly for an electronic organ of the
type that includes an electronic programmer having a plurality of
outputs connected in predetermined programs according to various
rhythms which via selection switches are connected with
electronically imitated percussion musical instruments, the
programmer being controlled by a pulse generator. Such an
electronic rhythm apparatus is used in existing electronic organs,
but can also be used independently or in a combination with other
musical instruments. With such a rhythm apparatus a plurality of
rhythms can be reproduced such as the rhythm of a samba, foxtrot,
etc. In such apparatus, percussion musical instruments are
electronically imitated and used to play said rhythms. Usual
percussion instruments are the big drum, tom-tom-bongoes, string
drum, cymbals, etc. The rhythm patterns are developed mostly over
two measures which then constantly repeat themselves. The
particular rhythm desired can be chosen by means of selecting
switches. Such an apparatus has the possibility to switch out one
or more percussion instruments from the chosen rhythm by means of a
switch between the output of the programmer and the control input
of the percussion instrument in question, which switch is
consequently in series with the above-mentioned selecting switches.
It is not possible, however, to sound one or more of the electronic
percussion instruments which have been excluded from the
rhythm.
On the other hand it is usual in an electronic organ to operate the
electronically imitated percussion instruments from the manual and
the pedal. From the manual and the pedal, then, a signal is
obtained which must be converted into a control pulse for the
percussion instrument in question. There is generally provided a
conversion means for the manual and a conversion means for the
pedal. Furthermore there are a plurality of switches to put one or
more of the percussion instruments into operation when operating
the pedal and/or the manual.
The system according to the invention makes it possible to utilize
electronic percussion elements switched out of the rhythm of the
electronic rhythm apparatus. Thus, an improvement is obtained over
the above-mentioned prior art system while said utilization takes
place with a single multiple switch which is a further improvement
over four or more switches required in the above-mentioned known
second system.
For that purpose the system according to the invention is
characterized in that each such switch, when open, connects the
corresponding percussion musical instrument to an auxiliary circuit
which is fed by a control pulse, for the percussion musical
instrument in question, derived from a signal coming from the
manual or pedal, a multiple switch in each of said auxiliary
circuits having a closing contact to close all auxiliary circuits
simultaneously.
The invention will be further elucidated herebelow by means of an
embodiment.
In the FIG. an electronic rhythm programmer 5 is seen with, as an
example, four outputs U1, U2, U3 and U4 which via selecting
switches 29, 30, 31 and 32 and leads 24, 23, 22 and 21 are
connected with the contacts a of the switches 1, 2, 3 and 4. With
the contact arms of said switches the imitated percussion
instruments 8, 9, 10 and 11 are connected and their outputs are
connected with each other to an amplifier which is connected to the
loudspeaker 7 of, e.g., an electronic organ.
When the electronic rhythm programmer 5 is put into operation in
the electric organ and the selecting switches 29-32 have been
closed, pulses come from the outputs U1 up to U4 to have the
percussion instruments 8 up to 11 sound which, e.g., may be the big
drum, the cymbals, the string drum and the bongoes, respectively.
Said percussion musical instruments come into operation in a
certain rhythm from the electronic rhythm programmer 5, such as a
foxtrot, when the contacts 1 up to 4 are on their contacts a.
Now it may be preferred to switch-out any given instrument, e.g.,
the big drum 8, from the rhythm in question. For that purpose the
switch 1 is put on its contact b.
All contacts b of the switches 1 up to 4 are connected to auxiliary
circuits 17, 18, 19 and 20. Said auxiliary circuits 17 up to 20 are
connected with contact arms 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the multiple
switch 12. Each of said contact arms 13 up to 16 can be on a
rest-contact r or a closing contact s. All contact arms 13 up to 16
of the multiple switch 12 will be on the rest contact r in the rest
position. When now, it is wanted, as said above, to have the big
drum 8 (when the switch 1 is on contact b) sound, one or two times,
during the rhythm coming from the rhythm apparatus, the multiple
switch 12 is switched, so that all contact arms 13 up to 16 arrive
on their closing contacts s.
A plurality of said closing contacts s is connected with a
conversion means 25 converting a pedal signal to a control pulse
27. A plurality of other contacts s is connected to another
conversion means 26 converting a manual signal into a control pulse
28.
When the switch 12 owing to a push on the button has all its
contact arms 13 to 16 moved to the closing contacts s and when only
the switch 1 is on its contact b and the other switches 2, 3 and 4
are on their contacts a, the player of the electronic organ can
kick on a pedal and cause a pedal signal which, via the conversion
means 25, to be converted to a control pulse 27. This control pulse
is fed via the closing contact s and the contact arm 13 along the
auxiliary circuit 17 to the contact b of the switch 1 and from
there to the big drum circuit 8. Consequently during the rhythm
from the rhythm apparatus 5 an output signal comes from said big
drum 8 which signal also, via the amplifier 6 in the loudspeaker 7
produces the sound of a big drum.
It is clear, that if desired, others of the switches 1 up to 4 can
be switched to their contacts b. When this is the case for switch 3
or switch 4, the manual must be operated to send a control pulse 28
via the auxiliary circuit 19 or 20 to the string drum circuit 10 or
the bongoes circuit 11.
Furthermore it will be clear that a much greater plurality of
electronically imitated percussion instruments can be similarly
operated.
The player, when he has switched-out a few percussion instruments
from the rhythm, by opening some of the switches 1 up to 4,
nevertheless, has the possibility of having the switched-out
percussion instruments sound, via the pedal or manual, with one
additional switch 12.
In nonelectronic musical instruments use can be made of foot or
hand operated switches, while application of the system also is
possible to other electronic musical instruments, such as an
amplified guitar or electronic accordion.
* * * * *