Shigeru Uchiyama

Pitch control device for electronic stringed instrument

A plurality of strings are extended along a surface of a body, and an operation by a player with respect to the strings is detected by two detection systems. The first detection system is operated when a string vibration is started, and electrically obtains an operated fret position of the string by detecting an ON/OFF operation of a switch arranged below each fret. The second detection system is enabled after the first detection system is enabled, and directly measures a pitch period of the string vibration. The second detection system detects a change in pitch by a choking operation or an arming operation of a tremolo arm with respect to the string after tone generation is started.

Electronic drum instrument

A plurality of drum pads are each provided with a respective piezoelectric pick-up. The output of each piezoelectric pick-up is fed to a corresponding envelope-extracting circuit. The envelope signal extracted by the envelope-extracting circuit is converted by an A/D converter into a digital signal which is fed to a CPU. The CPU feeds a tone designation signal to a tone generator unit according to parameter data from a parameter data setter and the digital signals noted above, thereby causing generation of a corresponding drum sound.

Input apparatus of electronic system for extracting pitch data from compressed input waveform signal

An input waveform signal is first converted into a compressed waveform signal by log-conversion. The compressed waveform signal is then converted into a digital compressed waveform signal so that a pitch of the input waveform signal is extracted from the digital compressed waveform signal. Note-on/off states of a musical tone to be produced are controlled in accordance with the level of the digital compressed waveform signal and a predetermined threshold. The attenuation period of the input waveform signal and, thus, the note-on time, can therefore be prolonged to correspond more closely with the actual playing of an instrument from which the input waveform signal is obtained.

Sample hold arrangement for a key signal in an electronic musical instrument

A sample hold arrangement for a key signal in an electronic musical instrument in which a keyboard circuit generates a voltage corresponding to a depressed key. The keyboard circuit is connected at its output terminal to an input terminal of a comparator. An output terminal of the comparator is connected to a memory capacitor and a buffer circuit through two gates connected in a series with one another. An output terminal of the buffer circuit is connected, in turn, to a second input terminal of the comparator, and one of the two gates is connected with its control electrode to a detection circuit. A circuit closing signal is generated by the detection circuit when the potentials of the two input terminals of the comparator become substantially equal. The other one of the two gates is connected with its control electrode to an output terminal of a keying signal generator which generates a keying signal of the keyboard circuit.