The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 07, 1978
Filed:
Aug. 09, 1976
Paul H Sharp, South Pasadena, CA (US);
CBS Inc., New York, NY (US);
Abstract
A signal animation system for an electric organ or other electrical musical instrument which utilizes frequency-proportional detuning wherein the percentage detuning is progressive and uniform, to provide celeste and other musical effects. Detuning is accomplished by a shift register through which sampled electrical representations of an input tone signal are shifted progressively through the register from the input to the output, which delays the signal. The trigger pulses which time the shifting function are frequency-modulated in a manner such that the period of the trigger pulses, rather than their frequency is proportional to a control voltage supplied to the trigger pulse generator. In a system for producing celeste animation, a shift register in each of two channels are controlled to progressively and uniformly phase-shift the musical signal in opposite directions simultaneously on a slow cyclical basis, and to produce abrupt reversal of the direction of phase shift of the two signals substantially simultaneously so as to provide two input signals one of which is slightly musically flat and the other slightly musically sharp for substantially identical periods at the end of which the two signals are abruptly reversed so that the first becomes sharp and the other flat. This cycle is repeated as long as a note is held, and when the two signals are acoustically combined, a very pleasing celeste is produced. In another embodiment, a shift register and modulator is provided in only one of two parallel sound channels which progressively and uniformly phase shifts the musical signal in opposite directions on a slow cyclical basis and produces an abrupt reversal of direction of the phase shift so as to provide an output signal which is alternately slightly sharp and slightly flat for substantially identical periods. When this output signal is acoustically combined with the unmodified tone signal, a musically acceptable celeste effect is produced.