Casio Computer Co., Ltd.

Casio Computer., Ltd.

Shigeru Uchiyama

Yoshiyuki Murata

Katsuhiko Obata

Kazuhisa Nakamura

Kenichi Tsutsumi

Akio Iba

Yukio Kashio

A detecting device for detecting the positions where strings are operated, and an electronic musical instrument using the detecting device, such as an electronic stringed instrument or an electronic keyboard instrument, wherein each of frets, with which conductive strings are brought into contact, is formed of a two-layer structure of a conductive member and a resistance member provided on the conductive member. Voltage pulses are sequentially applied to either the conductive strings or the conductive members of the frets and a voltage pulse is detected from a conductive member or a string, thus detecting a position in which a string is stopped against the fret.

Operated position detecting apparatus and electronic musical instruments

A detecting device for detecting the positions where strings are operated, and an electronic musical instrument using the detecting device, such as an electronic stringed instrument of an electronic keyboard instrument. Wherein each of frets, with which conductive strings are brought into contact, is formed of a two-layer structure of a conductive member and a resistance member provided on the conductive member. Voltage pulses are sequentially applied to either the conductive strings or the conductive members of the frets and a voltage pulse is detected from a conductive member or a string, thus detecting a position in which a string is stopped against the fret.

Apparatus for detecting the positions where strings are operated, and

A vibration of a string is picked up by a pickup to be converted to an electric signal. A pitch extracting circuit obtains pitch data expressing a pitch or a duration of the string vibration from the electric signal. A musical tone generating circuit generates a musical tone having a corresponding tone pitch in accordance with the pitch data. An envelope extracting circuit extracts an envelope from the electric signal detected by the pickup and supplies a signal expressing the envelope to a multiplier. Furthermore, a signal expressing the musical tone is supplied to the multiplier to be multiplied by the signal expressing the envelope. Thus a musical tone having a controlled envelope determined by the extracted envelope is generated.

Electronic musical instrument for generating musical tones on the basis

A plurality of strings are extended along a surface of a body, and an operation by a player with respect to the strings is detected by two detection systems. The first detection system is operated when a string vibration is started, and electrically obtains an operated fret position of the string by detecting an ON/OFF operation of a switch arranged below each fret. The second detection system is enabled after the first detection system is enabled, and directly measures a pitch period of the string vibration. The second detection system detects a change in pitch by a choking operation or an arming operation of a tremolo arm with respect to the string after tone generation is started.

Pitch control device for electronic stringed instrument

An electronic musical instrument extracts a pitch from an input waveform signal by a pitch extracting circuit, and directs a sound source circuit to generate a musical tone at the pitch based on the extracted pitch. The sound source circuit electronically generates musical tones at the pitches according to the performance. The pitch extracting circuit obtains fundamental period of the input waveform signal by detecting the time interval (t1) between these first two zero-cross points after two positive peak points of the input waveform signal are detected, by detecting a time interval (t2) between first two zero-cross points after two negative peak points of the input signal waveform are detected, or by detecting both the time intervals (t1, t2).

Electronic musical instrument in which musical tones are generated on

An input waveform signal is first converted into a compressed waveform signal by log-conversion. The compressed waveform signal is then converted into a digital compressed waveform signal so that a pitch of the input waveform signal is extracted from the digital compressed waveform signal. Note-on/off states of a musical tone to be produced are controlled in accordance with the level of the digital compressed waveform signal and a predetermined threshold. The attenuation period of the input waveform signal and, thus, the note-on time, can therefore be prolonged to correspond more closely with the actual playing of an instrument from which the input waveform signal is obtained.

Input apparatus of electronic system for extracting pitch data from

A string member and a string trigger switch mechanism associated with the string member are arranged on an instrument main body. The string member is extended on the instrument main body at a given tension. When the string member is deviated against the tension upon a string displace operation and is then released from its state of tension, a string trigger switch starts a switching operation. While the string member is displaced from its state of rest, the string trigger switch does not start a switching operation. The string trigger switch outputs a tone generation start instruction signal based on the switching operation, and this signal causes a musical tone generating apparatus to start generation of a musical tone. When the string member is plucked while depressing a pitch designating section arranged on the instrument main body, a musical tone at a selectively designated pitch is generated. A plucking force or a plucking speed is detected by a touch response detecting section, and characteristics of a generated musical tone are controlled accordingly.

Electronic stringed instrument having a string trigger switch

An input waveform signal is converted into a digital peak value signal by an A/D converter, and the digital peak value signal is input to one input terminal A of a comparator. The other input terminal B of the comparator receives a preset digital peak value signal from a memory. These input signals are compared by the comparator. The content of the memory is reduced at a predetermined rate. If the comparator detects that the currently input waveform level is larger than the continuously reduced level of the memory, i.e., if A&gt;B, a new waveform level is loaded in the memory. As a result, the output from the comparator is inverted. That is, condition A&gt;B is changed into condition A&lt;B. The timing of this change in condition serves as a peak timing of the input waveform signal.

An electronic stringed instrument includes a mode selecting section for selectively setting a normal play mode and at least one other selection mode. When picking of a string under a pitch designation operation status is performed after the normal play mode is selected by the mode selecting section, generation of a musical tone with the designated pitch can be started. When picking of a string also under the pitch designation operation status is performed after another selection mode is selected by the mode selecting section, a desired musical tone parameter such as a timbre corresponding to the designated pitch or a rhythm pattern can be easily set. The content of the set musical tone parameter can be confirmed by a sound.

Electronic stringed instrument

A plurality of drum pads are each provided with a respective piezoelectric pick-up. The output of each piezoelectric pick-up is fed to a corresponding envelope-extracting circuit. The envelope signal extracted by the envelope-extracting circuit is converted by an A/D converter into a digital signal which is fed to a CPU. The CPU feeds a tone designation signal to a tone generator unit according to parameter data from a parameter data setter and the digital signals noted above, thereby causing generation of a corresponding drum sound.

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Sayama, Japan

Shigeru Uchiyama