Digital touch responsive tempo generating device
AssigneeHammond Corporation
InventorAngelo A. Bione
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a digital touch responsive tempo generating device for use in an electronic musical instrument, preferably an electronic organ. The instrument player selects a desired tempo to control a standard rhythm unit or other circuit either before or during playing by repetitively actuating a touch plate at a rate corresponding to the desired tempo. A digital value related to the time interval between predetermined repetitive touches by the instrument player is stored in a digital circuit having a memory under control of a clock circuit. A tempo generator circuit coupled to the digital circuit produces tempo output pulses spaced apart as a function of the time interval between the repetitive touches.
Claims12
A tempo generating device for a rhythm instrument comprising:
- a touch detector circuit repetitively actuatable by an instrument player at a desired tempo for producing touch control signals defining a time interval corresponding to said tempo;
- a clock means for providing timing pulses;
- a digital circuit having a memory energized by said touch control signals and responsive to said timing pulses for determining and retaining a digital value representative of said time interval and for repetitively producing output pulses;
- and
- generator means responsive to said repetitive output pulses from said digital circuit for producing tempo pulses spaced apart as a function of said time interval.
A tempo generating device for a rhythm instrument comprising:
- a touch detector circuit repetitively actuatable by an instrument player at a desired tempo for producing touch control signals defining a time interval corresponding to said desired tempo;
- a clock means for providing timing pulses;
- a counter-decoder circuit responsive to said touch control signals for providing operation signals;
- a control logic circuit coupled to said clock means and energized by said operation signals for passing said timing pulses for a period corresponding to said time interval;
- a reversible counter circuit including a memory means and responsive to said passed timing pulses and said operation signals for counting up to a value representative of said time interval and repetitively counting down to an empty state and producing an output signal upon the occurrence of said empty state;
- and
- generator means responsive to said counter output signal for producing tempo output pulses spaced apart as a function of said time interval.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.