Foot control apparatus for electronic musical instrument
AssigneeNorlin Music, Inc.
InventorsDavid A. Luce, Anthony Marchese
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic synthesizer instrument incorporates bass pedals for the notes of the musical scale, together with foot control apparatus adapted to select and modify the tone quality of sounds produced by operation of the bass pedals. The foot control apparatus includes push button switches which are operated by the toe of an operator's foot, and slide controls which are positioned by the operator's foot. At least some of the switches are preset switches for selecting and controlling multiple combinations of the functional units of the synthesizer. The control state of the instrument is at all times indicated by readily observable indicating lights.
Claims9
For use with a foot-controlled electronic musical instrument, a variable element for varying an electrical parameter, a case for housing said variable element, a movable operating member connected with said variable element for controlling said parameter, said operating member being adapted for rectilinear movement by the foot of the player of the instrument, means for mounting said operating member in slidable relation with a wall of said case, means for mounting said variable element directly on the other side of said wall from said operating member, and link means for connecting said variable element with said operating member whereby the force transmitted to said operating member by said player's foot is resisted by said wall and is not transmitted to said variable element.
A foot-controlled synthesizer instrument for producing sounds having different qualities in response to the condition of a plurality of foot-operated control units, comprising in combination, a plurality of control units interposed in a transmission path between a signal source and an output system, each of said control units being operative to modify the quality of the sound produced by said synthesizer by modifying a characteristic of said transmission path, and a plurality of foot-operated switches for simultaenously controlling preselected combinations of said control units and including multi-state means for generating unique signals on a plurality of control lines independent of said transmission path, preset means connected between said control lines and said control units for simultaneously causing said control units to establish a plurality of predetermined combinations of transmission characteristics, and for operating said control units in accordance with the state of said multi-state means, and foot-operated switch means for selecting the state of said multi-state means.
A foot-controlled synthesizer instrument for producing sounds having different qualities in response to the condition of a plurality of foot-operated control units, comprising in combination, a plurality of control units interposed in a transmission path between a signal source and an output system, each of said control units being operative to modify the quality of the sound produced by said synthesizer by modifying a characteristic of said transmission path, and a plurality of foot-operated switches for simultaneously controlling preselected combinations of said control units and including a variable element for varying an electrical parameter connected with one of said control units for controlling said control unit in accordance with said parameter, a movable operating member connected with said variable element for controlling said parameter, said operating member being adapted for movement by the foot of a player of the instrument, means for mounting said operating member in slidable relation with a supporting wall, and link means for connecting said variable element with said operating member whereby the force transmitted to said operating member by said player's foot is resisted by said supporting wall and is not transmitted to said variable element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.