Yamaha Corporation

Masahiko Obata

Hideo Suzuki

Masao Sakama

Shunichi Matsushima

Akira Nakada

Takamichi Masubuchi

Shinji Kumano

Mamoru Kimpara

Takamichi Masabuchi

A musical tone control apparatus has grips and elbow angle detectors, in which the grips are hand held and provided with push-button switches and an actuator, both of which are operated by fingers to generate musical tone control data having variations of musical tone. While the elbow angle detectors are provided with an angle detector for measuring an angle of the elbow during a performance, and generating musical tone control data with the variations corresponding to the angle of the elbow. Each variation is determined by function assignments which correspond to each of the fingers and elbows. The function assignments are preloaded in a memory device, such as a depth of vibrato, a speed of tremolo, a range of pitch-bend, and the like. Accordingly, the musical tone control apparatus transfers musical tone control data having variations to a musical tone generating apparatus to produce a musical tone from a speaker.

Hand musical tone control apparatus

The musical tone control apparatus includes at least a sensor for detecting a movement of a player and a control circuit for controlling a tone element of a musical tone to be generated based on the detected movement of the player. The sensor may be equipped within a stick or mounted at predetermined portion of the player. As the movement of the player, the sensor can detect a swinging angle of a player's arm, an acceleration applied thereto or a distance between a player's hand and a predetermined object such as a wall. As the tone element of the musical tone, the control circuit controls a tone color, a tone pitch or a tone volume of the musical tone.

Musical tone control apparatus

Musical instruments usually require a high level of skill on the part of the operator. In the case of electronic instruments, playing an instrument often involves the depressing of keys on a keyboard. In the present invention, an apparatus for the generation of musical sounds is described which is instead based on monitoring motions of the body, especially the natural motion of swinging the arms and legs. The monitoring of body motion depends on the use of an acceleration sensor in a hand-held element, or on the use of an acceleration sensor contained in a detachable housing which is held by a 'Velcro' (Trademark) type fastener to a part of the body. The signal from the acceleration sensor is transmitted via a cable or a wireless transmitter to a musical tone signal generating circuit which is contained, along with batteries, in a belt-shaped casing which may be worn by the user. The musical tone generating circuit receives signals from the acceleration sensor, and using the musical tone color information stored in its memory, produces the appropriate output signal. Therefore, musical tones can be generated simply by moving a monitored part of the body, without the actions usually required to play an electronic musical instrument.

Motion-controlled musical tone control apparatus

A musical-tone-control apparatus having digit members worn along the fingers and contracting and expanding in the longitudinal directions of the digit members in response to the bending and straightening of the fingers. The bending of the digit members is detected by detectors coupled to the digit members and the generation of musical tones is controlled on the basis of the detected signal, i.e. the bending of the fingers. The contraction and expansion of the digit members facilitates the bending and straightening of the fingers. The digit members can also rotate in a plane of the hand to further facilitate the movement of the fingers. The digit members are made to bend about the axes positioned on the third joint of the fingers or the second joint of the thumb (the joint just below the root of the fingers or the thumb), which makes the bending of the digit much easier. A palmar member that supports the digit members are curved to conform the shape of the palm, which makes the bending of the fingers easier as well as preventing the displacement of the palm member.

Musical tone control apparatus employing palmar member

A brace type angle-detecting device for musical tone control includes a brace to be fit around a joint portion of a player and an angle-detecting mechanism mounted on the brace for detecting the bending angle of the player's joint and producing a musical tone control signal in response to the angle of the player's joint. The angle-detecting mechanism includes first and second elongated members detachably mounted on the brace which are connected to one another so as to be pivotable in a bending direction of the player's joint. The device includes a fastener for tightly fastening the brace to a body member of the player.

Brace type angle-detecting device for musical tone control

A musical tone control apparatus comprises a main unit and at least one detector for detecting movement of player's finger, hand and the like. The main unit can be mounted on a player's wrist by use of a belt. When plural detectors are provided for detecting movements of player's fingers, tone color, tone pitch of musical tone or key-on timing is controlled based on combination of bent fingers. In order to detect bending of each finger, a joint switch is provided for each finger. In order to prevent deviation of key-on signals, a comparator is further used for comparing the predetermined threshold value with detection value corresponding to the bending of each finger so that the key-on signal is generated when the detection value exceeds the threshold value.

A musical tone control apparatus includes at least one grip device having the shape which can be held by player's hand. This grip device further includes plural push switches each having a piezoelectric element whose resistance is varied in response to depressing pressure applied thereto. Based on a combination of depressed push switches and its depressing pressures, an externally provided musical tone generating apparatus is controlled such that tone pitch, tone color, tone volume, touch response or the like of musical tone will be controlled. In addition, an angle detector for detecting a swing movement of a player's arm can be further provided. Thus, the detected swing movement of the player's arm can be additionally used for controlling the musical tone.

Handheld musical tone controller

The present invention relates to an angle sensor for musical tone control which controls a musical tone in response to changing angles at an articulation of the human body. Both ends of a pair of plate members are coupled pivotally and movably around an axis parallel to both faces of plate members. This pair of plate members are attached on the interior side of articulation of the human body by attaching means to generate a signal in response to the bending motion of the articulation. Thus, a musical tone control signal in response to the bending angles is outputted from detecting means which is placed on the plate members to control musical tone.

Angle sensor for musical tone control

A musical tone control apparatus having first and second detectors mounted on a player's arm for detecting bending angles of the player's joints, and a musical tone control data generating circuit worn on the player's waist for generating musical tone control data based on output signals of the first and second detectors. The musical tone control data generating circuit is connected to the first detector via the second detector through a single common cable. Hence, the number of common cables can be reduced to a minimum, allowing free movement of the player. Further, the first detector having a potentiometer comprises first and second links rotatably connected at their ends so that the links rotate in a bending direction of the player's joint, a resistance element provided at the first link, and a sliding contact provided at the second link. The sliding contact, keeping contact with the resistance element, slides thereon with the rotation of the first or second link. The potentiometer produces a signal between the sliding contact and the terminal of the resistance element in response to a bending angle of the player's joint. Hence, the detector can be made thin, allowing free motion of the player's arm.

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Hamamatsu, Japan

Masahiko Obata