Transperformance, LLC

Other

Neil C Skinn

Stephen J Freeland

Gerard F Hallaren

Steve Kith

Frank Strazzabosco

Sharon R Stanberg, Legal Representative

An automatic tuning system for a stringed instrument is provided having a string adjustment assembly comprising a motor and gear assembly, wherein the motor and gear assembly is pivotable on a housing for the tuning system. The system can also include a vibrato arm in contact with the motor and gear assembly, and a vibrato return spring in contact with both the motor and gear assembly and the instrument, which is capable of reversibly changing the position of a string contact surface in the string adjustment assembly with respect to the string, thereby lowering the pitch of the string and then raising it to its original pitch. The system can also include an option board for wireless communication with remote components such as a remote footswitch or other type of control panel. Other remote devices may also be wirelessly connected to the tuning system, including other instruments, audio devices for receiving sound, and the like. The system comprises a processor that can be preprogrammed with generic instructions for motor movement to achieve specific pitch changes and can also be programmed to store the motor instructions required to achieve specific pitch changes each time the system performs an automatic tuning correction, and to utilize these instructions the next time the system is tuned. The system is capable of performing fine tuning corrections as well as of prompting a user to perform coarse-tuning corrections. It also allows a user to change tunings while playing.

Apparatus and method for self-tuning stringed musical instruments with an accompanying vibrato mechanism

This invention is a display system for measuring and displaying, individually or simultaneously, the frequencies contained in a musical sound. A transducer coupled to the sound source produces an electrical signal representing the musical sound. The system receives the signal and separates and measures the frequencies of the individual tones comprising the sound. The measured frequency values are displayed as the frequencies themselves or as deviations from target frequencies. The system can utilize a local transducer with the display system or a remote transducer coupled to the sound source.

Multiple frequency display for musical sounds

This invention is a display system for an automatically tuned stringed instrument displaying, individually or simultaneously, the frequency of each string of the instrument. The system provides for using the display to manually tune the instrument or to initially tune the instrument to within the operating range of the automatic tuning system.

Frequency display for an automatically tuned stringed instrument

The invention is a control system for automatically tuning a stringed musical instrument with a capo installed, using an original calibration function or closed-loop tuning system for the instrument without the capo. The control system uses a capo scale factor which scales frequencies measured with the capo installed to what they would have been without a capo. The control system enables a musician to quickly tune an instrument after installing a capo, in a manner unlikely to be noticed by an audience.

Musical instrument self-tuning system with capo mode

This invention provides a control system for automatically tuning a stringed musical instrument, utilizing a library of calibration functions to tune the instrument in a plurality of operating conditions without recalibration. The operating conditions can include changes in temperature and humidity, different sets of strings made with different materials and gauges, broken strings and the installation of a capo. Calibrations can also be provided for instruments of different makes and models, string lengths, body materials and actuator types. The control system is adapted for use in a stringed instrument having actuators attached to each string for changing the frequency of the string in response to a control signal. Each calibration function relates the frequency of a string to the actuator position of that string. The invention further provides an automatically tuned stringed instrument using the control system, and a method for tuning a stringed instrument.

Musical instrument self-tuning system with calibration library

A tuning system is described for automatically tuning a musical instrument having adjustment means for changing the frequency of a musical tone produced by the instrument. The tuning system is useful with respect to a wide variety of musical instruments, e.g., stringed instruments such as guitars, harps, pianoes, etc.; horns; and other instruments. The tuning system is capable of automatically tuning all strings of a stringed instrument simultaneously.

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Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

Neil C Skinn