D. H. Baldwin Company

Baldwin Piano & Organ Company

David A Bunger

Dale M Uetrecht

Walter Munch

Russell L Withington

A microprocessor-based processing system for monitoring the tempo rate and rhythm in an electronic musical instrument having an automatic rhythm accompaniment unit. In a first mode of operation, the monitor displays the tempo of the rhythm accompaniment unit in numeric characters representing the number of beats per minute. In a second mode of operation, the monitor displays a numerical 1 representing the down beat in a first display device, a numerical 2 representing the second beat in adjoining display device, and successively incremented numerical integers associated with successive beats in successive numerical display devices until all numerical integers associated with beats have been displayed, thereby producing a timing display having a motion effect for synchronizing the music being played with the rhythm accompaniment tempo.

Rythm rate and tempo monitor for electronic musical instruments having

An electronic musical instrument using continuous tone generators capable of simulating the sounds of a conventional acoustical piano. The instrument includes a gating circuit featuring a timed switch travel circuit having a double-time constant for improved control of the dynamic range from the keyboard, and a soft pedal controlling the keying voltage to produce more realistic emulation of the dynamic effects of an acoustical piano. The gating circuit produces a double-time-constant envelope of nearly harmonically related signals for a more realistic piano timbre. The tone spectrum is also controlled as a function of signal level by means of a resistor matrix feeding selected inputs of an active ladder filter, in order to reproduce timbre variation with dynamic level.

Electronic piano

An arpeggiator for an electronic organ, comprising a source of ramp voltage having selectively a slowly ascending and a slowly descending section or only a slowly ascending section followed by a rapid reset, an accordion-like voltage divider for said ramp voltage consisting of a cascade of diodes, each calling forth one of a group of three tone signals when conductive, or no tone signal if short circuited, circuits for determining which diodes shall be conductive and which short circuited according to which keys of an organ are actuated, the ramp voltage peaking when all conductive diodes have been ascendingly scanned by the ramp voltage, each conductive diode when scanned by the ramp voltage falling forth a gating signal for one of the tone signals called for by the actuated keys, in orderly sequence of tone signals. The rates of ascent and descent of the ramp are controllable, and may at will cover all octaves of the organ higher than that encompassing actuated keys, or a limited range, including one, of octaves. The gates employed are arranged to provide piano like tones of variable sustain durations, and the ramp controlled circuitry may be disabled to enable a piano mode rather than an arpeggiation mode.

Arpeggio system for electronic organs

A monophonic system includes means for voicing only tones derived in response to depression of a key associated with the highest pitched note when several keys are struck at approximately the same time, regardless of the order in which the keys are struck. If several keys are released at approximately the same time, only the tones derived in response to the highest remaining activated key are voiced, regardless of the release sequence. In response to the system being played legatissimo, voiced tones gradually shift in frequency, i.e., portamento is achieved. In response to the system being played staccatissimo, voiced tones shift in frequency in discrete steps. For unusual or special effect tone simulation, square wave tone signals derived from a frequency divider chain responsive to a voltage controlled oscillator, controlled primarily by the nomenclature of the highest pitch struck key, may be converted into a sawtooth waveform, a pulse waveform having a pulse width controlled by the highest pitch struck key, or can be left unaltered. Clicks and noise can be derived in response to key activations. The sawtooth, pulse, square wave, clicks and noise are fed through a filter selectively having band pass, low pass and high pass transfer characteristics that can be controlled with regard to resonant frequency and selectivity (Q) to provide additional unusual effects. A first group of tone signals derived from the frequency divider is processed to simulate flutes while a second group is processed to simulate brasses. In flute simulation, filtering of harmonics and passage to an output of the fundamental of the tone associated with the highest pitch struck key is assured by including in cascade a low pass filter and an amplifier having a variable gain characteristic directly related to the nomenclature of the highest pitch struck key. In brass simulation, an attack envelope having plural slopes is provided. Brass brightness is controlled by providing a variable wave shaper that responds to pedal control or is a transient function during the attack of the voice. Flatting during the attack of a brass tone is simulated by transiently reducing the voltage controlled oscillator frequency when a new highest pitch key is struck by an amount indicative of the nomenclature of the struck key. Attack rates of the flutes and unusual tones can be controlled to a plurality of values; if the system is in a percussive mode the attack rate is relatively fast. Roll-off rate of certain flute tones is fixed, while other flute tones and the unusual tones can be provided with a fixed roll-off or sustain effect. The voltage controlled oscillator frequency is modulated by a vibrato oscillator frequency, the frequency of which can be fixed or controlled in a random manner in response to a noise source to simulate brass vibrato effects.

Electronic music system

Modulation systems for electrical signals representing music in which synchronous vibrato and tremolo modulations are applied to a flute signal in one channel, the vibrator being produced by a bucket brigade modulator and the tremolo by a balanced modulator in cascade with the bucket brigade modulator, and in which in a second channel tones other than flute tones, and pedal tones, are separately treated to have independent vibratos, and in which balanced modulators for modifying the amplitude of the tone signals are concurrently controlled by a common expression voltage. In one modification flute signals are vibrato modulated in opposed phases, and passed via diverse filters to a common tremolo modulator. Provision is made for combining the inputs of the channels, the outputs of which are electroacoustically transduced by separated loudspeakers. Provision is made for slowly varying the frequency of a sub-sonic modulating oscillator, which is either turned off, or operates at about 1 or about 6 Hz., in proceeding from any one of these three values to any other, the rate of variation being such as to simulate the rate which occurs when the modulations are produced by rotation of a mechanical device such as a rotating loudspeaker.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

David A Bunger