US 4,744,281 A · Automatic sound player system having acoustic and electronic sound sources

Abstract

An automatic music player system having an ensemble playback mode of operation using a memory disk having recorded thereon a piece of music composed of at least two combined parts to be reproduced separately of each other, the parts being recorded in the form of at least two data subblocks, comprising a first sound generator to mechanically generate sounds when mechanically or electrically actuated, at least one second sound generator to electronically generate sounds when electronically actuated and a control unit connected to the first and second sound generators, wherein (1) one of the two or more data subblocks of the data read from the disk is discriminated from another, whereupon the discriminated one of the data subblocks is transmitted to the first sound generator and another data subblock transmitted to the second sound generator, and wherein (2) the transmission of data to the second sound generator is continuously delayed by a predetermined period of time from the transmission of data to first sound generator so that the two sound generators are enabled to produce sounds concurrently and in concert with each other.

Claims7

Dependent claims

An automatic music player system having an ensemble playback mode of operation using a memory medium having recorded thereon a piece of music composed of at least two combined parts to be reproduced separately of each other, the parts being recorded in the form of at least two data subblocks, comprising

(a) first sound generator means to mechanically generate sounds when mechanically or electrically actuated,
(b) at least one second sound generator means to electronically generate sounds when electronically actuated and
(c) control means operatively connected to the first and second sound generator means, wherein said control means is operative so that
(1) one of the two or more data subblocks of the data read from the memory medium is discriminated from another, whereupon the discriminated one of the data subblocks is transmitted to the first sound generator means and another data subblock is transmitted to the second sound generator means, and
(2) the transmission of data to the second sound generator means is continuously delayed by a predetermined period of time from the transmission of data to the first sound generator so that the first and second sound generator means are enabled to produce sounds concurrently and in concert with each other.

2 more elements

An automatic music player system having a plurality of modes of operation including an ensemble playback mode of operation using a data storage medium having recorded thereon performance data representative of a piece of music composed of at least two combined parts to be reproduced separately of each other, the data being recorded on said memory medium in the form of at least two data subblocks consisting of a subblock of data representative of one of said parts and a subblock of data representative of the other of said parts, comprising

(a) first sound generator means operative to mechanically generate sounds when actuated;
(b) at least one second sound generator means operative to electronically generate sounds when actuated;
and
(c) control means operatively connected to said first sound generator means and said second sound generator means, the control means comprising
(c-1) data reading means operative to read data from said data storage medium,
(c-2) discriminating means for discriminating one of said at least two data subblocks from another,
(c-3) bidirectional first data transmission means providing data communication between said first sound generator means and said control means for transmitting the discriminated one of the data subblocks to said first sound generator means, said first sound generator means being to be actuated in response to the data transmitted through said first data transmission means, and
(c-4) at least one bidirectional second data transmission means providing data communication between said second sound generator means and said control means for transmitting another data subblock to said second sound generator means, said second sound generator means being to be actuated in response to the data transmitted through said second data transmission means.

5 more elements

(a) first sound generator means operative to mechanically generate sounds when actuated;
(b) at least one second sound generator means operative to electronically generate sounds when actuated;
and
(c) control means operatively connected to said first sound generator means and said second sound generator means, the control means comprising
(c-1) data reading means operative to read data from said data storage medium,
(c-2) discriminating means for discriminating one of said at least two data subblocks from another,
(c-3) bidirectional first data transmission means providing data communication between said first sound generator means and said control means for transmitting the discriminated one of the data subblocks to said first sound generator means, said first sound generator means being to be actuated in response to the data transmitted through said first data transmission means,
(c-4) at least one bidirectional second data transmission means providing data communication between said second sound generator means and said control means for transmitting another data subblock to said second sound generator means, said second sound generator means being to be actuated in response to the data transmitted through said second data transmission means, and
(c-5) delay means for delaying the transmission of data through said second data transmission means by a predetermined period of time from the transmission of data through said first data transmission means.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automatic sound player system having acoustic and electronic sound sources

Life of this patent

Automatic sound player system having acoustic and electronic sound sources

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7