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US 4,903,563 AGranted
Sound bar electronic musical instrument
AssigneeNippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMasaaki Mizuguchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In the construction of a sound bar musical instrument such as a marimba, at least some of the sound bars have sensors attached thereto. The sensors are electrically connected to an electronic sound generator unit for generation of musical tones as a function of the vibration of battered sound bars, thereby allowing free use of a mallet and enabling visual contact of the performer with the audience.
Claims10
An improved sound bar electronic musical instrument comprising:
- a frame;
- a group of sound bars located side by side on said frame for generation of musical tones, an imaginary straight line passing through all of said sound bars;
- a member;
- means for coupling said member to said frame in the vicinity of said sound bars in a manner permitting said member to be repositioned by a performer at a desired location, substantially along said imaginary line;
- a sensor coupled to said member for generation of electric signals in response to vibration of said member when said member is battered;
- and
- a sound generator unit electrically connected to said sensor and processing said electric signals for generation of a musical tone corresponding to vibration of said battered member.
4 more elements
A musical instrument arrangement, comprising:
- a first group of sound bars located side-by-side in a common plane;
- a first imaginary line extending through all of said sound bars of said first group;
- a second group of sound bars located side by side in said plane;
- a second imaginary line extending through all of said sound bars of said second group;
- said second imaginary line extending parallel to but spaced from said first imaginary line such that said first and second groups of sound bars are spaced from each other in a direction perpendicular to said imaginary lines;
- a member arranged in said plane in a space between two adjacent sound bars of said second group;
- said sound bars of said first and second groups generating musical tones when struck and said sound bars of said first and second groups not being connected to electronic sound reproducing equipment;
- and
- electronic means coupled to said member for generating an electrically generated acoustical sound in response to vibrations of said member when said member is struck.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.