US3591699A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Music voicing circuit deriving an input from a conventional musical instrument and providing voiced musical tones utilizing the fundamental tones from the conventional musical instrument
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1968-03-28
•
Granted: 1971-07-06
•
Expires: 1988-03-28
Abstract
Abstract A voicing circuit for use with a conventional musical instrument. A tone pickup is placed on a conventional instrument. For example, a single coil is placed beneath each string on a guitar. The signal formed is the fundamental colored with many harmonics. An electronic circuit filters the harmonics to leave a much cleaner fundamental. The fundamental is voiced by a voicing circuit to add harmonics in such portions as to achieve a desired voicing. The voiced output follows the conventional instrument in terms of relative volume, shift in fundamental, vibrato of the fundamental.
Inventors
- 👤 Royce L Cutler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 03:57
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H3/00; G10H3/12; G10H3/14; G10H3/18; G10H3/186; G10H2210/00; G10H2210/031; G10H2210/066; G10H2230/00; G10H2230/045; G10H2230/075; G10H2230/115; G10H2230/155; G10H2230/205; G10H2230/225; G10H2230/235
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
322 words
Electronic musical apparatus for forming musical notes voiced in a predetermined manner and adapted to be used with a typical stringed instrument having strings which are selectively shortened to alter the tone of the instrument, the tone formed by the instrument including a fundamental and harmonics and which comprises: a. first transducer means for forming a signal proportional to an individual string''s vibrations, said means being adapted to be operably coupled with one string on a typical musical instrument which fOrms notes having a fundamental and mix of harmonics of various phases and amplitudes; b. second transducer means for forming a signal proportional to a second individual string''s vibrations, said means being adapted to be operably coupled with a second string of such instrument; c. positioning means for positioning said first and second transducer means operably coupled with first and second individual strings, said means positioning said transducer means at selected distances from the individual strings and a closer distance from the strings when the strings are shortened to cause said transducer means to form a larger signal for notes made on respectively shortened strings; d. first filter means connected to said first transducer means; e. second filter means connected to said second transducer means; f. each of said filter means being individually tuned for attenuating the various harmonics, their respective signals relative to the fundamental, and each having a rolloff point approximately equal to or greater than the fundamental frequency of the respective open strings, and further having a rolloff which relatively attenuates the harmonics of the notes of shortened strings in comparison with the fundamental of notes of the shortened strings, said filter means forming respective output signals of the relatively filtered fundamentals of the open and shortened strings; and, g. voicing means including first and second voicing circuit means for voicing the fundamentals from said first and second filter means for selectively forming first and second voiced musical notes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
322 words
Electronic musical apparatus for forming musical notes voiced in a predetermined manner and adapted to be used with a typical stringed instrument having strings which are selectively shortened to alter the tone of the instrument, the tone formed by the instrument including a fundamental and harmonics and which comprises: a. first transducer means for forming a signal proportional to an individual string''s vibrations, said means being adapted to be operably coupled with one string on a typical musical instrument which fOrms notes having a fundamental and mix of harmonics of various phases and amplitudes; b. second transducer means for forming a signal proportional to a second individual string''s vibrations, said means being adapted to be operably coupled with a second string of such instrument; c. positioning means for positioning said first and second transducer means operably coupled with first and second individual strings, said means positioning said transducer means at selected distances from the individual strings and a closer distance from the strings when the strings are shortened to cause said transducer means to form a larger signal for notes made on respectively shortened strings; d. first filter means connected to said first transducer means; e. second filter means connected to said second transducer means; f. each of said filter means being individually tuned for attenuating the various harmonics, their respective signals relative to the fundamental, and each having a rolloff point approximately equal to or greater than the fundamental frequency of the respective open strings, and further having a rolloff which relatively attenuates the harmonics of the notes of shortened strings in comparison with the fundamental of notes of the shortened strings, said filter means forming respective output signals of the relatively filtered fundamentals of the open and shortened strings; and, g. voicing means including first and second voicing circuit means for voicing the fundamentals from said first and second filter means for selectively forming first and second voiced musical notes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said last-named circuit means forms a signal having twice the frequency of the fundamental.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said last-named circuit means forms a signal having half the frequency of the fundamental.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said voicing means forms a signal having the quality of the flute.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said voicing means forms a signal having the quality of the string bass.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said voicing means forms a signal having the quality of the bassoon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said voicing means forms a signal having the quality of the bass guitar.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said voicing means forms a signal having the quality of the bass clarinet.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said voicing means forms a signal having the quality of the two string bass.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said voicing means forms a signal having the quality of the guitar.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said voicing means forms a signal having the quality of the soprano guitar.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said voicing means forms a signal having the quality of the clarinet.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said voicing means forms a signal having the quality of the oboe.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said voicing means forms a signal having the quality of the horn.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said voicing means forms a signal having the quality of the sitar.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said last-named circuit means forms a square wave signal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
The invention of claim 16 wherein the frequency of the square wave signal is equal to that of the fundamental from the musical instrument.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The invention of claim 16 wherein the frequency of the square wave signal is equal to half that of the fundamental from the musical instrument.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The invention of claim 16 including an additional circuit means for limiting the envelope of the square wave signal in a manner to decay the signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
The invention of claim 19 wherein said additional circuit means is responsive to the time decay of the musical note sounded on the musical instrument.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2817711A
Cited
US3340343A
Cited
US3476863A
Cited
US3433880A
Cited
US3493669A
Cited
US3519720A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-07-05 | 1975-01-04 | 1975-07-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-07-05 | 1979-01-04 | 1979-07-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-07-05 | 1983-01-04 | 1983-07-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |