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US 7,939,742 B2Granted
Musical instrument with digitally controlled virtual frets
OwnerWill Glaserinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A musical instrument that can play notes and scale tones without physically touching the device. Microprocessor control, and its associated DSP functionality, permit designer and performer to determine fine musical characteristics and virtual frets resulting in a pleasant and playable digital Theremin. Control over key, scale, octave, slew, snap and other characteristics are provided.
Claims13
An instrument that comprises:
- a sensor that:
- determines a performer's gesture in the absence of physical contact between the sensor and the performer and
- converts the intent into an electrical signal, and
- digital logic that is operatively coupled to the sensor and that receives the electrical signal from the sensor and transforms the electrical signal into an audio signal that can be audibly presented to a listener;
- where the digital logic biases the audio signal toward notes of a musical scale;
- where a degree of the bias is selected by the performer.
3 more elements
An instrument comprising:
- a sensor for determining a performer's intent in the absence of physical contact wherein the sensor produces an electrical signal,
- digital logic that is operatively coupled to the sensor and that receives the electrical signal from the sensor and produces, using the electrical signal, an audio signal that can be audibly presented to a listener, and
- transforming logic that is operatively coupled to the digital logic and that causes the digital logic to bias the audio signal toward notes of a musical scale;
- where a degree of the bias is selected by the performer.
1 more element
A process for producing an audible waveform, the process comprising:
- sensing the position of a part of the body of a human user in the absence of physical contact between the part and any sensor,
- calculating an output frequency based on the position, and
- generating the audible waveform having the output frequency as a predominant frequency;
- where the calculating biases the output frequency toward frequencies of a musical scale;
- where a degree of the bias is selected by the human user.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.