Phase locking system for an electronic organ

An electronic musical instrument comprising:

• a keyboard having a plurality of playing keys,
• a plurality of tone generator-keyer means each adapted for generating and keying a respective tone having a selectable frequency and a separate amplitude envelope,
• assignment control means connected to said tone generator-keyer means and responsive to the actuation of at least one key of said keyboard for capturing at least two of said tone generator-keyer means and causing the captured tone generator-keyer means to generate at least two respective tones that are octavely related to each other, and
• phase locking means connected to said tone generator-keyer means for producing a synchronizing signal in response to the condition of one of the captured tone generator-keyer means wherein the synchronizing signal represents the state of the phase of the tone generated by said one captured tone generator-keyer means and for transmitting the synchronizing signal to the other captured tone generator-keyer means, said other captured tone generator-keyer means including means responsive to said synchronizing signal for causing the tone generated thereby to be in phase with the tone generated by said one captured tone generator-keyer means.

An electronic musical instrument comprising:

• a keyboard having playing keys,
• a plurality of tone generator-keyer means each adapted for generating and keying a respective tone having a selectable frequency and a separate amplitude envelope, said tone generator-keyer means each comprising a tone generator and a divider means connected to the tone generator for dividing the tone produced by the respective tone generator, the divider means having a plurality of stages each capable of assuming at least two states,
• assignment control means connected to said tone generator-keyer means and responsive to the actuation of at least one key of the keyboard for capturing at least two of said tone generator-keyer means and causing the captured tone generator-keyer means to generate respective tones, and
• phase locking means connected to said tone generator-keyer means for generating a synchronizing signal to control the tone generators of the captured tone generator-keyer means to generate the respective tones in phase with each other and to set the corresponding stages of the divider means of the captured tone generator-keyer means in the same states whenever the captured tone generator-keyer means are generating respective tones of the same or octavely related frequencies.

An electronic musical instrument comprising:

• a keyboard having playing keys,
• a plurality of tone generator-keyer means each adapted for generating and keying a tone having a selectable frequency and a separate amplitude envelope,
• assignment control means connected to said tone generator-keyer means and responsive to the actuation of a plurality of keys of the keyboard for capturing at least three of said tone generator-keyer means and causing the captured tone generator-keyer means to generate respective tones,
• phase locking means connected to said tone generator-keyer means operable when said three tone generator-keyer means generate tones of the same or octavely related frequencies for producing a first synchronizing signal in response to a first one of a captured tone generator-keyer means wherein the first synchronizing signal represents the state of the phase of the tone generated by said first captured tone generator-keyer means and for transmitting the first synchronizing signal to a second one of the other captured tone generator-keyer means, said second captured tone generator-keyer means including means responsive to said first synchronizing signal for causing the tone generated thereby to be in phase with the tone generated by said first captured tone generator-keyer means,
• said phase locking means further including means for producing a second synchronizing signal in response to one of the first or second captured tone generator-keyer means wherein the second synchronizing signal represents the state of the phase of the tone generated by said one of the first or second captured tone generator-keyer means and for transmitting the second synchronizing signal to a third one of the captured tone generator-keyer means, said third tone generator-keyer means including means responsive to said second synchronizing signal for causing the tone generated thereby to be in phase with the tone generated by said one of the first or second tone generator-keyer means.