Electronic musical instruments

Claim 1

An electronic instrument for simulating the sound effect produced by a piano, comprising an electronic generator for generating an electrical signal of substantially constant amplitude, an electrical gate connected between an output of the generator and an output of the instrument, a first electrical switch which normally connects a first source of electrical potential to a storage capacitor, a key of the instrument coupled to a movable contact of the switch so that operation of the key disconnects the capacitor from the first source and connects the capacitor to a first control terminal of the gate, the capacitor having a discharge path which insures that the voltage remaining on the capacitor after disconnection from the source is representative of the speed of movement of the key from an unoperated to an operated condition, whereby the gate opens to pass to the output of the instrument a signal whose initial amplitude is representative of the speed of movement of the key to the said operated position, a second switch having a movable contact coupled to the key, a pedal-controlled switch, and means coupling a second control terminal of the gate to a second source of electrical potential via the second switch and the pedalcontrolled switch, whereby when the key is moved to the unoperated condition the second switch is closed, the gate closes and the amplitude of the signal passed to the output of the instrument falls to zero if the pedal-controlled switch is closed but the gate remains open and the amplitude decays at a rate determined by the properties of the gate if the pedal-controlled switch is open.