US 3,965,789 AGranted

Electronic musical instrument effects control

AssigneeARP Instruments, Inc.

InventorAlan R. Pearlman

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Abstract

The keyboard type instrument includes circuitry for controlling an envelope generator and a voltage controlled oscillator which in sequence operates a voltage controlled filter, and a voltage controlled amplifier both of which receive control signals from the envelope generator. The keys of the keyboard preferably have a common variable conductance touch sensor or transducer associated therewith which is responsive to key depression pressure in excess of a predetermined threshold pressure to control one or more audible characteristics of the played note. In one embodiment vibrato, pitchbend, brilliance and volume of the note are controllable. Associated with the keyboard is selection means including a plurality of audible characteristic selectors and variable means delimiting the range of the audible characteristics. The playing of a note at less than the threshold pressure provides the usual audible pitch and applied pressure above the threshold pressure introduces one or more of the audible characteristics at an intensity that is dependent upon the applied pressure and the setting of the variable control means associated with the keyboard.

Claims6

Dependent claims

For an electronic musical instrument having a keyboard, means coupled from the keyboard and responsive to a minimum key pressure for providing an audio signal, and means responsive to the audio signal for generating an audible tone corresponding to the played key, effect control means comprising;

transducer means operatively associated with the keyboard and having a conductance that is variable in accordance with pressure applied to a key of the keyboard, said transducer means being disposed relative to said keyboard so as to be operative only at applied pressure above a predetermined threshold pressure, which predetermined threshold pressure is greater than said minimum key pressure,
means coupled from said transducer means for establishing a control level signal that is variable in accordance with pressure applied above said threshold pressure,
a plurality of separate selection means each one for introducing a different audio effect, at least one of said selection means being selectable,
each of said selection means being responsive to said control level signal and producing an audio effect signal that is variable in accordance with said control level signal,
and means coupled from said selection means for altering said audio signal in accordance with at least one of said audio effect signals to thereby introduce the selected audio effect in the audible tone.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.