Kimball International, Inc.

John W Robinson

Stephen L Howell

Ralph N Dietrich

Brian N Wilcox

Gary R Fritz

Billy J Whittington

James Patrick Osburn

Alan B Welsh

Patrick K Doane

Charles E DeLong

Donald Kube

Thomas C Crosby

Melvin J Schroeder

A central processor for an electronic organ in the form of a single, forty pin integrated circuit chip employing multiplexed technology and trinary and tri-level inputs to obtain maximum usage from each pin. The solo manual keys, chord keys, rhythm pattern switches and other control functions are multiplexed externally of the chip, fed into the chip as a time division multiplexed four bit byte over four pins, and demultiplexed internally of the chip. The solo manual information is multiplexed internally of the chip to form a single serial data stream, is combined with solo fill note data generated within the chip and then brought out over a single pin for external demultiplexing. The twelve tones of a musical octave are brought into the chip over twelve pins together with various static control signals, are decoded by tri-level decoders internally of the chip, and then utilized to generate the tones of the chords, also internally of the chip. Chord tone generation is accomplished by selecting the musical fifth tone in an internal ROM, dividing this tone by a factor of three to produce the fundamental and generating the third and seventh tones also through the use of internal ROMs. Keying of the chord tones is accomplished by internal digital sustain keyers which provide an output over a single pin. There is also provided internally of the chip the capability for producing bass patterns, note patterns and rhythm percussion patterns. By suitable controls, the chip may be adapted for use in a large organ configuration, where various of the timing controls are generated externally, and in a small organ configuration, where these controls are generated internally of the chip.

Full note generator system for an electronic organ

A blind capture system for organs and other electronically actuated musical instruments enabling the setting of control switches, such as voicing tabs or keys of the keyboard, to be stored for reactivation upon command. The system includes a programmable, random access memory capable of storing data representative of the composite states of the switches and includes a plurality of storage frames in which data corresponding to a plurality of separate combinations of actuated switches can be stored. The switches are scanned by a multiplexer to produce a time division multiplexed serial data stream, which is then loaded into the memory during the store mode in such a manner that the data will be entered into the proper storage frame. The data is read out of the memory as a serial data stream, which is demultiplexed to produce a parallel format signal which is connected to the control inputs for the system controlled by the switches over a bidirectional data bus. This same bus is utilized for entering data from the switches when the instrument is in the store mode. When the blind capture system is in use, the switches are electrically isolated from the inputs of the system controlled thereby, such as the organ voicing system, and all control is maintained from the blind capture system over the bidirectional data bus. A manually actuated crescendo control enables the player-programmed tab settings to be cumulatively called forth thereby resulting in a gradual buildup of voices.

Blind capture system including crescendo control

An electronic keyboard musical instrument comprising a multiplexed keyboard and a programmable microcomputer interfaced between the keyboard and a system of capture tone generators, and including means for causing phase locking between the tone generators. The loading circuitry for the microcomputer monitors the serial data stream and transmits only key change information to the microcomputer. The microcomputer controls the assignment and the assignment of tone generators for the accompaniment, solo and pedal manuals based on the key change information transmitted to it. In order to avoid cancellation between tones which are in octave or multiples thereof apart, the tone generators for each manual are phase locked with the other tone generators for that manual. Not only are the top octave synthesizers for each tone generator phase locked, but the divider strings are uniformly loaded so that they operate in identical states. The microcomputer phase locks one tone generator to another in accordance with a sequence dictated by its programming, and phase locking is accomplished regardless of whether the tones are initiated simultaneously or not.

Phase locking system for an electronic organ

A system for use in electronic organs and electronically actuated organs wherein a pattern of notes sounding as if played on the accompaniment or solo manual are played from the pedalboard. The pedalboard is encoded such that depression of a pedal will generate an encoded binary word corresponding to a chord having as its root the note corresponding to the depressed pedal. Individual notes of the chord are played in a rhythmic sequence at a rate determined by the rhythm generator of the organ and in a pattern which can be selected by the organist. As the pattern is being automatically played, the organist is free to manually play a melody on the solo manual and accompaniment chords on the accompaniment manual. The pattern is changed from a major key to a minor key having the same root note by actuating a knee paddle.

Pedalboard encoded note pattern generation system

Integrated central processor for electronic organ

A blind capture system for organs and other electronically actuated musical instruments enabling the setting of control switches, such as voicing tabs or keys of the keyboard, to be stored for reactivation upon command. The system includes a programmable, random access memory capable of storing data representative of the composite states of the switches and includes a plurality of storage frames in which data corresponding to a plurality of separate combinations of actuated switches can be stored. The switches are scanned by a multiplexer to produce a time division multiplexed serial data stream, which is then loaded into the memory during the store mode in such a manner that the data will be entered into the proper storage frame. The data is read out of the memory as a serial data stream, which is demultiplexed to produce a parallel format signal which is connected to the control inputs for the system controlled by the switches over a bidirectional data bus. This same bus is utilized for entering data from the switches when the instrument is in the store mode. When the blind capture system is in use, the switches are electrically isolated from the inputs of the system controlled thereby, such as the organ voicing system, and all control is maintained from the blind capture system over the bidirectional data bus.

Blind capture system

An electronic rhythm generator which comprises a large read only memory having a plurality of rhythm patterns and rhythm break patterns programmed therein, player operated selector switches for selecting a rhythm pattern and a break pattern, scanning circuitry for sequentially addressing the memory to read out the stored rhythm pattern, and, when the break circuitry is activated, reading out the break pattern in place of or in addition to the rhythm pattern. The rhythm generator is contained on a single monolithic integrated circuit chip with the pattern selection being accomplished by an external multiplexer driven by an internally generated scan word. The break activation circuitry automatically corrects for improper matching of a rhythmically incompatible rhythm pattern and break pattern by either ignoring the break command or substituting a compatible break pattern in place of the selected break pattern. Channel inhibit circuitry at the input and output of the memory permits selective playing of certain ones of the instrument channels during a rhythm break regardless of whether the break is generated internally of the chip or externally by means of a separate break generator.

Electronic rhythm generator

An integrated keyer system for use in electronic organs comprising a plurality of discrete integrated circuit chips each corresponding to two adjacent octaves of the keyboard and connected in series to accommodate the entire keyboard. The keyer system is adapted for use in multiplexed systems wherein the keyswitch closure information is encoded in a time division multiplexed data stream fed through a plurality of the keyer chips, which are connected in series. Each of the keyer chips includes a plurality of tone inputs and outputs and a divide-by-four circuit for lowering the tones in by two octaves. The keyer chips also include serial data inputs and outputs and a demultiplexer for demultiplexing the serial data stream at the serial data input to produce a plurality of control signals corresponding to keydown signals in the serial data stream, which are fed to the individual keyers. The demultiplexer, which may be in the form of a shift register having latches connected between the various stages thereof and the keyers, also serves to delay the serial data stream by two octaves. The keyer chips have their tone inputs and outputs connected in series with the tone input of the first keyer being connected to the tone generator means. The serial data inputs and outputs are also connected in series so that the data stream is fed through the entire bank of chips in series before the data is latched into the keyers. The keyers are of the pseudo sustain type, in which the charge from one capacitor is incrementally transferred to another capacitor to produce the rise and decay for the keying envelope, and are controlled by a pair of counters having variable effective count lengths. The counters are controlled by means of tri-level inputs over a number of the tone input lines. By also connecting the tone inputs and outputs in series and lowering the frequency by two octaves in each chip, the tones feeding the divider/keyer circuit are at the proper frequency for the particular octaves in question.

Solo sustain keyer system

An electronic music synthesizer capable of simulating a wide variety of musical effects, wherein the settings which create the various effects are hard wired on a plurality of selectable circuit boards so that programming of the instrument can be accomplished by the player with minimum effort. The synthesizer encodes a plurality of keys on the keyboard and selects a tone from the tone generator corresponding to the depressed key. This tone is fed through a chain of dividers to create the needed footages, which are then fed to voicing cards that create the different tone sources for the synthesizer. These tone sources are fed into a state variable active filter which modifies the timbre of the tone sources in order to achieve the desired frequency-related effects. The output of the filter is fed to a gain module wherein the amplitude envelope has a controlled attach and decay as well as several different modes of operation such as steady state and percussive, which are selected by means of multiple bit binary words produced at the preprogrammed circuit board. The operating frequency of the filter is controlled by an envelope generator preset in a percussive mode to have a predetermined envelope. All controls for the synthesizer are preset from the voice boards, which are individually connected in the circuit either by tab switch operation or by physically inserting the voice board in a player accessible connector.

Electronic music synthesizer

A brass pulse keyer for electronic instruments such as electronic organs wherein the tone during attack is both amplitude modulated and pulse width modulated. The keyer is adapted for large scale integration and comprises a timing capacitor, an electronic switch connected between a source of charging potential and a capacitor and having a control terminal which is connected to the tone input, and a second electronic switch connected in series with the charge voltage, the first switch, and the capacitor and having a control terminal connected to receive the keying envelope. A comparator compares the potential on the capacitor with a reference potential and disables a gating circuit when a compare condition is reached such that the duty cycle may be controlled. As the keying envelope continues towards its maximum, the duty cycle decreases so that a more brilliant tone is achieved. This signal is connected to the input of an analog keyer, which is also controlled by the keying envelope such that amplitude modulation of the tone may also be achieved.

Organ brass pulse keyer

A circuit for an electronic organ for producing rhythmic patterns of notes in accordance with the selection of a chord in the accompaniment manual. The organ includes an accompaniment manual and a solo manual, either or both of which may be electronically scanned to develop a multiplexed data stream, and a chord generation circuit controlled by the accompaniment manual for sounding groups of notes in the accompaniment voices in response to the depression of one of the selected group of keys on the accompaniment manual. The circuit according to the present invention automatically sounds notes of the solo manual in a rhythmic pattern in response to the depression of one of the group of accompaniment manual keys by developing a logic pulse at the beginning of the top octave scan which is delayed in time to correspond to the time slot of the chord root note and subsequent notes of the chord. The amount of delay is controlled by pre-programmed patterns preselected by the musician.

Method and apparatus for rhythmic note pattern generation in electronic

An organ keyer system, especially a keyer system operated by logic level signals, such as occur in multiplexing. The keyer system herein described is especially intended for manufacture by large scale integration techniques, and is designed to provide for the controlled attack and decay of the keyed signal without the use of timing components, such as resistor and capacitors, external to the integrated circuit.

Keyer system

A circuit for generating a percussion envelope for use in electronic organs and similar electronic keyboard instruments wherein the envelope has an attack overshoot, a long decay, and a snub decay when the key is released. A velocity sensing feature is included, whereby the force with which the key is struck determines the amount of capacitor discharge, and the voltage remaining on the capacitor is compared with the amplitude of the attack portion of the envelope such that decay is initiated when a compare condition is reached. A second comparator sets the amplitude at which the envelope undergoes transition from a fast decay to the normal long decay. The timing for the attack and three decay portions of the envelope are independently controlled by means of four clock driven electronic gate circuits which incrementally charge and discharge the main timing capacitor. The gate circuits include a pair of serially connected field effect transistors having a capacitor connected at their juncture. The timing control for each individual keyer, including all of the timing capacitors, is contained within a separate LSI chip.

Percussion envelope generator

A keying arrangement for electronic organs in which a tone signal consisting of a square wave having, for example, a fifty percent duty cycle is connected to the input of the keyer circuit, and the output thereof, upon the depression of a playing key, consists of a pulse train with the amplitude rising at a controlled rate and the pulse width or duty cycle decreasing at a controlled rate but lagging the increase in amplitude so as to closely duplicate the playing of a muted brass instrument in the attack fashion. A muted brass tremulant affect is achieved by applying a cyclically time variant signal to modulate the pulse amplitude and pulse duty cycle, again with the change in duty cycle lagging the change in amplitude. The circuitry for accomplishing this comprises a diode keyer wherein a pair of resistor-capacitor circuits having different time constants control the keyer to effect variations in pulse amplitude and duty cycle over respective intervals of time.

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Jasper, IN, United States of America

John W Robinson