Musical instrument with means for scanning keys

Sound generating apparatus comrising,

• output means,
• a plurality of tone generators coupled to said output means for providing note signals with each including means for producing any of a large common plurality of frequencies characterizing respective musical notes over at least an octave,
• a plurality of note selecting means for selecting note signals characteristic of selected notes for production by said tone generators where each note selecting means includes means upon selection for providing a note selection signal representing a unique contribution to a signal waveform on said output means which note selection signal is representative of at least one of note pitch, speed of note selection and force applied to note selecting means,
• means coupled to each note selecting means for providing continuous data signals representative of the selected note signals and for selecting which of said tone generators coupled to said output means is to provide said note signals,
• and scanning means responsive to said note selecting means for coupling the selected note selection signals to said control means,
• wherein each of said tone generators includes means for varying the frequency thereof and may be associated with any note and includes means for generating the frequencies of notes at least a semitone apart and said switching means includes means for associating different ones of said tone generators with each note selected by said note selecting means for controlling frequency of an associated tone generator in accordance with that of the associated note and said note selecting means provides an indication of the magnitude of at least one of speed and force with which notes are selected,
• modulating means responsive to the latter signal for modulating the signals from associated ones of said tone generators,
• means for coupling associated ones of said tone generators to said modulating means,
• and further comprising means for establishing the frequency of the tone then being produced characteristic of the note previously selected, the integral over time of the degree of selection with which the current note has been selected, and by the duration of the latter integral.

Sound generating apparatus comprising,

• output means,
• a plurality of tone generators coupled to said output means for providing note signals with each including means for producing any of a large common plurality of frequencies characterizing respective musical notes over at least an octave,
• a plurality of note selecting means for selecting note signals characteristic of selected notes for production by said tone generators where each note selecting means includes means upon selection for providing a note selection signal representing a unique contribution to a signal waveform on said output means which note selection signal is representative of at least one of note pitch, speed of note selection and force applied to note selecting means,
• means coupled to each note selecting means for providing continuous data signals representative of the selected note signals and for selecting which of said tone generators coupled to said output means is to provide said note signals,
• and scanning means responsive to said note selecting means for coupling the selected note selection signals to said control means,
• and further comprising an active bandpass filter comprising four resistors,
• two capacitors,
• two transistors,
• the first end of a first of the resistors comprising an input,
• the second ends of said first and a second of said resistors and said two capacitors being connected together,
• the first end of said second resistor being connected to a source of a second potential,
• the first end of said first capacitor being connected to the first end of a third of said resistors and the base of a first of said transistors,
• the emitter of said first transistor being connected to the base of the second transistor,
• the collector of said first transistor and the first end of a fourth of said resistors being connected to a source of a first potential,
• the emitter of said second transistor being connected to said second potential,
• and the collector of said second transistor, the second end of said fourth resistor, the first end of said second capacitor and the second end of said third resistor being connected together to comprise an output terminal.

Sound generating apparatus comprising,

• output means,
• a plurality of tone generators coupled to said output means for providing note signals with each including means for producing any of a large common plurality of frequencies characterizing respective musical notes over at least an octave,
• a plurality of note selecting means for selecting note signals characteristic of selected notes for production by said tone generators where each note selecting means includes means upon selection for providing a note selection signal representing a unique contribution to a signal waveform on said output means which note selection signal is representative of at least one of note pitch, speed of note selection and force applied to note selecting means,
• means coupled to each note selecting means for providing continuous data signals representative of the selected note signals and for selecting which of said tone generators coupled to said output means is to provide said note signals,
• and scanning means responsive to said note selecting means for coupling the selected note selection signals to said control means,
• and further comprising,
• means including said apparatus for controlling the output of the tone generator associated with a selected note in accordance with at least three of a noise signal, the degree of note selection, a signal indicative that an associated note has been selected by said note selecting means, a signal representative of the nominal frequency of the latter note, and a signal representative of the selected deviation from said nominal frequency indicated by said note selecting means.