Keyboard type electronic musical instrument

Abstract

A keyboard type electronic musical instrument wherein tone assignment signals (key depression signals) designated by depressing desired keys of keyboards are transmitted to an electronic circuit block through only one signal line per sort of keyboard as time-divided serial timing signals. The electronic circuit block includes therein a circuit which generates parallel output signals having respectively different timings in correspondence with notes of the keyboards. The parallel timing signals are respectively sent to the corresponding key switches of the keyboards, they are selected by turning 'on' the switches, and they are converted by OR circuits into serial timing signals representative of the selected notes. The serial timing signals are sent to a device for detecting and storing notes or chords, whereupon as in prior arts, a tone signal is generated from the obtained signal indicative of a note or chord by tone signal producing device and it is amplified and provided as an output by a loudspeaker. This time-division control system is applicable to electronic musical instruments having any desired forms of keyboards.