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US3816637A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electronic musical instrument with digital reverberation system

Assignee: MUSICCO LLC
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Filing: 1972-07-07
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Granted: 1974-06-11
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Expires: 1992-07-07
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Abstract

Abstract An electronic musical instrument with a digital reverberation system in which one of the digital signals in a pair of digital signal information channels is delayed. The system is particularly adapted for use in an electronic musical instrument in which a digital multiplex signal is generated by actuation of the keys of the instrument. The digital multiplex signal is used to address a digital wave shape memory which stores signals representative of a musical note in digital form. The signals read out of the digital wave shape memory are, after processing, converted to an analog signal by means of one or more digital to analog converters. A pair of digital channels, one of which has a digital delay means therein, may be incorporated into an electronic musical instrument at various stages. The delay may be incorporated into one of the digital channels before or after the reading of the digital wave shape from memory. In addition, means may be provided to selectively switch between the delayed and undelayed signals as desired for the pedals, great or lower manual, and the swell or upper manual by means of a multiplex keyboard selector which in conjunction with an electronic switch selectively switches in the delay for the portion of the multiplex signal corresponding to a particular keyboard.

Inventors

  • 👤 J Whitefield

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 05:56
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H7/00; G10H7/02; G10H1/00; G10H1/0091; G10H2210/00; G10H2210/155; G10H2210/265; G10H2210/281; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S84/00; Y10S84/26

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 180 words
In a digital electronic musical instrument having keys selectively actuable to cause the production of sounds corresponding to respective notes of the musical scale, apparatus for producing a reverberation effect, comprising: a first channel of digital information corresponding to a selected note of the musical scale, said first channel including a frequency synthesizer and time division multiplexing means responsive to said keys; a second channel of digital information corresponding to said selected note of the musical scale, said second channel including a frequency synthesizer and time division multiplexing means responsive to said keys and digital delay means for delaying said digital information in said second channel; and means for producing analog signals corresponding to said musical note in response to said digital signal in said first and second channels, said means including at least one digital memory for storing signals representative of musical notes, means for addressing said digital memory in response to digital information corresponding to said selected note of the musical scale and means for converting the signals read out of said digital memory to an analog signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 180 words
In a digital electronic musical instrument having keys selectively actuable to cause the production of sounds corresponding to respective notes of the musical scale, apparatus for producing a reverberation effect, comprising: a first channel of digital information corresponding to a selected note of the musical scale, said first channel including a frequency synthesizer and time division multiplexing means responsive to said keys; a second channel of digital information corresponding to said selected note of the musical scale, said second channel including a frequency synthesizer and time division multiplexing means responsive to said keys and digital delay means for delaying said digital information in said second channel; and means for producing analog signals corresponding to said musical note in response to said digital signal in said first and second channels, said means including at least one digital memory for storing signals representative of musical notes, means for addressing said digital memory in response to digital information corresponding to said selected note of the musical scale and means for converting the signals read out of said digital memory to an analog signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 37 words
A digital electronic musical instrument in accordance with claim 1 wherein the outputs of said analog signal producing means responsive to the digital signals in said first and second channels are applied to a single acoustic transducer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 40 words
A digital electronic musical instrument in accordance with claim 1 wherein the outputs of said analog signal producing means responsive to the digital signals in said first and second channels are applied to at least one acoustic transducer per channel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 19 words
A digital electronic musical instrument in accordance with claim 1 wherein said digital delay means comprises a shift register.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 217 words
In a digital electronic musical instrument having keys selectively actuable to cause the production of sounds corresponding to respective notes of the musical scale, apparatus for producing a reverberation effect, comprising: a frequency synthesizer and time division multiplexing means responsive to said keys for producing a digital time division multiplexed signal corresponding to a selected note of the musical scale; a first channel for the digital time division multiplexed signal output of said frequency synthesizer and time division multiplexing means; a second channel for the digital time division multiplexed signal output of said frequency synthesizer and time division multiplexing means, said second channel including digital delay means for delaying said digital information in said second channel; switching means for selectably using either said first or second channel for the output of said frequency synthesizer and time division multiplexing means; and means for producing analog signals corresponding to said musical note in response to said digital signal in said first or second channel as selected by said switching means, said means including a digital memory for storing signals representative of musical notes, means for addressing said digital memory in response to digital information corresponding to said selected note of the musical scale and means for converting the signals read out of said digital memory to an analog signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 217 words
In a digital electronic musical instrument having keys selectively actuable to cause the production of sounds corresponding to respective notes of the musical scale, apparatus for producing a reverberation effect, comprising: a frequency synthesizer and time division multiplexing means responsive to said keys for producing a digital time division multiplexed signal corresponding to a selected note of the musical scale; a first channel for the digital time division multiplexed signal output of said frequency synthesizer and time division multiplexing means; a second channel for the digital time division multiplexed signal output of said frequency synthesizer and time division multiplexing means, said second channel including digital delay means for delaying said digital information in said second channel; switching means for selectably using either said first or second channel for the output of said frequency synthesizer and time division multiplexing means; and means for producing analog signals corresponding to said musical note in response to said digital signal in said first or second channel as selected by said switching means, said means including a digital memory for storing signals representative of musical notes, means for addressing said digital memory in response to digital information corresponding to said selected note of the musical scale and means for converting the signals read out of said digital memory to an analog signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 30 words
A digital electronic musical instrument in accordance with claim 5 wherein said switching means is responsive to keys for selecting delay in at least one of a plurality of keyboards.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

No citation records indexed.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1977-06-10 1977-12-10 1978-06-11 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1981-06-10 1981-12-10 1982-06-11 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1985-06-10 1985-12-10 1986-06-11 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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