Musical instrument and method for use therein

In a musical instrument responding to an applied input signal by producing an output signal including at least one of a plurality of signals of different predetermined pitch, which signals lie in a continuum of octaves and correspond to notes of a musical scale within each octave, the combination of:

• a pitch detector responsive to said input signal for producing an octave code signal representing the octave including said input signal and a note code signal representing the note corresponding to the predetermined pitch signal which is closest in frequency to said input signal;
• a source of octave transpose code and note transpose code signals representing a selected transposition for said true pitch signal;
• means for combining said octave code signal with said octave transpose code signal and said note code signal with said note transpose code signal to yield combined note code and octave code signals;
• and
• a pitch generator jointly responsive to said combined octave and note code signals for producing a transposed true pitch signal in the octave corresponding to said combined octave code signal and having a frequency corresponding to said combined note code signal.

In an electronic musical instrument capable of producing an output signal including at least one of a plurality of signals of different predetermined pitch, which signals lie in a continuum of octaves and correspond to notes of a musical scale within each octave, a pitch detector for detecting which of said predetermined pitch signals is closest in frequency to an applied input signal, said pitch detector comprising:

• an octave detector responsive to said input signal for producing an octave code signal representing the octave which includes said input signal;
• means operating on said input signal for producing a shifted input signal having a frequency which is in a selectable ratio with said input signal frequency, said producing means including means controlled by said octave code signal for selecting said ratio in relationship to the value of said octave code signal so that said shifted input signal is disposed in a predefined octave;
• a frequency-to-amplitude converter responsive to said shifted input signal for producing an output signal having an amplitude dependent on the frequency of said shifted input signal;
• a source of a plurality of reference amplitude signals, each signal corresponding to a predetermined frequency related to a different note in said predefined octave;
• and
• coding means jointly responsive to said frequency-to-amplitude converter output signal and said reference signal to provide a note code signal representing the reference signal nearest in amplitude to said frequency-to-amplitude converter output signal.

A method for use in a musical instrument including a variable frequency generator for producing an output signal including at least one of a plurality of signals of different predetermined pitch, which signals lie in a continuum of octaves and correspond to notes of a musical scale within each octave, said method being effective to make said output signal correspond to the predetermined pitch signal which is closest in frequency to an applied input signal, said method comprising the steps of:

• determining which octave includes said input signal;
• producing a shifted input signal having a frequency which is in a selectable ratio with said input signal frequency, said ratio being selected in relationship to the value of said octave code signal so that said shifted input signal is always disposed in the same predefined octave;
• and
• determining which note in said predefined octave most closely corresponds to said input signal;
• generating an octave code signal and anote code signal representing, respectively, said octave including said input signal and said note corresponding to said input signal;
• and
• controlling said variable frequency generator with said octave and note code signals so that the frequency of said generator output signal is the same as said closest predetermined pitch signal.

A method for use in a musical instrument including a variable frequency generator for producing an output signal including at least one of a plurality of signals of different predetermined pitch, which signals lie in a continuum of octaves and correspond to notes of a musical scale within each octave, said method being effective to make said output signal correspond to the predetermined pitch signal which is closest in frequency to an applied input signal, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating a clock pulse signal at a frequency substantially higher than the highest of said predetermined pitch signals;
• dividing the frequency of said clock pulse signal by a variable integer determined by the magnitude of said octave code signal, thereby providing a divided clock signal;
• during a predefined portion of each cycle of said input signal, counting pulses in said divided clock signal;
• and
• choosing as the closest note that note which has a note code signal which is closest in magnitude to the divided clock signal pulse count
• generating an octave code signal and anote code signal representing, respectively, said octave including said input signal and said note corresponding to said input signal;
• and
• controlling said variable frequency generator with said octave and note code signals so that the frequency of said generator output signal is the same as said closest predetermined pitch signal.

A method for use in a musical instrument including a variable frequency generator for producing an output signal including at least one of a plurality of signals of different predetermined pitch, which signals lie in a continuum of octaves and correspond to notes of a musical scale within each octave, said method being effective to make said output signal correspond to the predetermined pitch signal which is closest in frequency to an applied input signal and to produce an accompaniment which tracks the frequency thereof, said method comprising the steps of:

• detecting which octave includes said input signal and which note in that octave is closest in frequency to said input signal;
• generating an octave code signal and anote code signal representing, respectivey, said octave including said input signal and said note corresponding to said input signal;
• controlling said variable frequency generator with said octave and note code signals so that the frequency of said generator output signal is the same as said closest predetermined pitch signal
• multiplying the frequency of said true pitch signal by a predefined integer to produce a high frequency signal;
• generating a plurality of different predetermined pitch signals which are different integer sub-multiples of said high frequency signal;
• and
• selecting at least one of said predetermined pitch signals to be included in said accompaniment.

A method for use in a musical instrument including a variable frequency generator for producing an output signal including at least one of a plurality of signals of different predetermined pitch, which signals lie in a continuum of octaves and correspond to notes of a musical scale within each octave, said method being effective to make said output signal correspond to a selectively transposed version of the predetermined pitch signal which is closest in frequency to an applied input signal, said method comprising the steps of:

• detecting which octave includes said input signal and which note in that octave is closest in frequency to said input signal;
• generating an octave code signal and anote code signal representing, respectively, said octave including said input signal and said note corresponding to said input signal;
• generating octave transpose code and note transpose code signals representing the selected transposition of said true pitch signal;
• combining said octave code signal with said octave transpose code signal and said note code signal with said note transpose code signal to yield combined note code and octave code signals;
• and
• controlling said variable frequency generator with said combined note code and octave code signals
• so that the frequency of said generator output signal is a selectively transposed version of said closest predetermined pitch signal.

In an electronic musical instrument capable of producing an output signal including at least one of a plurality of signals of different predetermined pitch, which signals lie in a continuum of octaves and correspond to notes of a musical scale within each octave, a method for detecting the octave including said input signal and the note in said octave most closely corresponding thereto, comprising the steps of:

• determining which octave includes said input signal;
• producing a shifted input signal having a frequency which is in a selectable ratio with said input signal frequency, said ratio being selected in relationship to the octave determined to include said input signal, so that said shifted input signal is always disposed in the same predefined octave;
• and
• determining which note in said predefined octave most closely corresponds to said shifted input signal.

In an electronic musical instrument capable of producing an output signal including at least one of a plurality of signals of different predetermined pitch, which signals lie in a continuum of octaves and correspond to notes of a musical scale within each octave, a method for detecting the octave including said input signal and the note in said octave most closely corresponding thereto, comprising the steps of:

• producing a first signal having an amplitude dependent on the frequency of said input signal;
• generating a plurality of reference amplitude signals, each corresponding to a predetermined frequency in a different octave;
• selecting as the octave which includes said input signal that octave corresponding to the reference signal which is nearest in amplitude to said first amplitude signal;
• producing a shifted input signal having a frequency which is in a selectable ratio with said input signal frequency, said ratio being selected in relationship to the octave determined to include said input signal, so that said shifted input signal is always disposed in the same predefined octave;
• and
• determining which note in said predefined octave most closely corresponds to said shifted input signal.

In an electronic musical instrument capable of producing an output signal including at least one of a plurality of signals of different predetermined pitch, which signals lie in a continuum of octaves and correspond to notes of a musical scale within each octave, a pitch detector for detecting which of said predetermined pitch signals is closest in frequency to an applied input signal, said pitch detector comprising:

• a frequency-to-amplitude converter responsive to said input signal for producing an output signal having an amplitude dependent on the frequency of said input signal;
• a source of a plurality of reference amplitude signals, each signal corresponding to a predetermined frequency in a different octave;
• coding means jointly responsive to said frequency-to-amplitude converter output signal and said reference signal to provide a code signal representing the reference signal nearest in amplitude to said frequency-to-amplitude converter output signal, which code signal is said octave code signal;
• and
• a note detector jointly responsive to said input signal and said octave code signal to produce a note code signal representing the note corresponding to said closest predetermined pitch signal, said note detector including means controlled by said octave code signal and operating on said input signal to determine, within a predetermined octave, the note corresponding to said input signal.