Device for automatically producing tone patterns based on a tonic note

Claim 1

A device for automatically producing musical tone patterns having a tonic note selected by an instrumentalist comprising: a plurality of tone production controlling means, each of said tone production controlling means adapted to selectively provide a plurality of tone controlling signals; instrumentalist operated selection means connected to simultaneously condition each of said tone production controlling means to provide, upon actuation thereof, a tone controlling signal; driving means for actuating preselected individual ones of said tone production controlling means at predetermined times to provide a predetermined pattern of the tone controlling signals which said tone production controlling means are conditioned to provide; audio means responsive to said tone controlling signals to produce musical tones; and interrelating means connected between the said tone controlling means and the said audio means to cause each of said tone controlling means to provide a tone controlling signal to the said audio means to control production of a tone different from but related to each of the other tones, production of which is controlled by each of the other tone controlling signals, one of said tones being the tonic note which is determined by operation of said selection means but which may not be included in a particular musical tone pattern produced by the device.

Claim 2

A device for automatically producing musical tone patterns having a tonic note selected by an instrumentalist comprising: a plurality of tone production controlling means, each of said tone production controlling means adapted to selectively provide a plurality of tone controlling signals; instrumentalist operated selection means connected to simultaneously condition each of said tone production controlling means to provide, upon actuation thereof, a tone controlling signal; driving means for actuating preselected individual ones of said tone production controlling means at predetermined times to provide a predetermined pattern of the tone controlling signals which said tone production controlling means are conditioned to provide; audio means responsive to said tone controlling signals to produce musical tones; and interrelating means connected between the said tone controlling means and the said audio means to cause each of said tone controlling means to provide a tone controlling signal to the said audio means to control production of a tone different from but related to each of the other tones, production of which is controlled by each of the other tone controlling signals, one of said tones being the tonic note which is determined by operation of said selection means but which may not be included in a particular musical tone pattern produced by the device.

Claim 13

A device for automatically producing tone patterns having a tonic note selected by an instrumentalist comprising: a plurality of spaced terminals; pulse generating means for producing driving pulses on said spaced terminals at predetermined time intervals; a plurality of control points; pattern switching means for selectively connecting each of said terminals to one of said plurality of control points, the particular one of said control points to which a given one of said terminals is connected being determined by the pattern chosen; a plurality of sets of pedal gates, each of said sets containing a number of pedal gates corresponding to the semitones of an octave, each of said control points being connected to an associated one of said sets of pedal gates; pedal means operatively associated with said pedal gates and adapted upon actuation to open one of said pedal gates in each of said sets of pedal gates; and a plurality of tone producing circuits connected to said pedal gates, each tone producing circuit developing a different semitone in a two octave range, whereby driving pulses are applied to certain ones of said tone producing circuits as determined by said pedal means and in a pattern determined by said pattern switching means.

Claim 14

A device for automatically producing tone patterns having a tonic note selected by an instrumentalist comprising: a plurality of spaced terminals; pulse generating means for producing driving pulses on said spaced terminals at predetermined time intervals; a plurality of control points; pattern switching means for selectively connecting each of said terminals to one of said plurality of control points, the particular one of said control points to which a given one of said terminals is connected being determined by the pattern chosen; a plurality of sets of pedal gates, each of said sets containing a number of pedal gates corresponding to the semitones of an octave, each of said control points being connected to an associated one of said sets of pedal gates; pedal means operatively associated with said pedal gates and adapted upon actuation to open one of said pedal gates in each of said sets of pedal gates; and a plurality of tone producing circuits connected to said pedal gates, each tone producing circuit developing a different semitone in a two octave range, whereby driving pulses are applied to certain ones of said tone producing circuits as determined by said pedal means and in a pattern determined by said pattern switching means.

Claim 19

A device for automatically producing bass tone patterns having a tonic note selected by an instrumentalist comprising: logic circuitry pulse generating means, connected to said generating means to produce spatially separated pulses at predetermined time intervals; pulse forming means connected to said logic circuitry to give a desired shape and polarity to said pulses; a plurality of control points; pattern switching means connected to apply said pulses from said pulse forming means tO designated ones of said control points in one of a plurality of predetermined patterns, the predetermined pattern being selected by actuation of said pattern switching means; a plurality of sets of pedal gates, each set of pedal gates having thirteen pedal gates corresponding to the semitones of an octave and each of said pedal gates normally blocking passage of said pulses; control elements connected to said sets of pedal gates, each of said control points being connected to a corresponding control element; a plurality of pedals, each pedal representing a musical note and connected to a pedal gate in each of said sets of pedal gates, operation of a pedal conditioning the associated pedal gates to pass said pulses, application of one of said pulses to one of said control elements causing said pulse to be passed through the corresponding pedal gate; a source of harmonically related tone generator signals; a plurality of audio gates, each of said audio gates normally blocking passage of the harmonically related tone generator signals which are combined at said audio gates, each of said audio gates adapted to pass the combined tone generator signals when actuated by one of said pulses and adapted to provide a decay characteristic representative of a string bass note to the combined tone generator signals passed therethrough; interrelating means connecting each of the pedal gates actuated by a pedal to an audio gate that passes tone generator signals corresponding to notes having as a tonic note the note represented by said pedal; and a pre-amplifier connected to said audio gates to amplify said tone generator signals passed by said audio gates and to alter said tone generator signals to more nearly approximate string bass tone signals prior to conversion to audio tones.

Claim 20

A device for automatically producing bass tone patterns having a tonic note selected by an instrumentalist comprising: logic circuitry pulse generating means, connected to said generating means to produce spatially separated pulses at predetermined time intervals; pulse forming means connected to said logic circuitry to give a desired shape and polarity to said pulses; a plurality of control points; pattern switching means connected to apply said pulses from said pulse forming means tO designated ones of said control points in one of a plurality of predetermined patterns, the predetermined pattern being selected by actuation of said pattern switching means; a plurality of sets of pedal gates, each set of pedal gates having thirteen pedal gates corresponding to the semitones of an octave and each of said pedal gates normally blocking passage of said pulses; control elements connected to said sets of pedal gates, each of said control points being connected to a corresponding control element; a plurality of pedals, each pedal representing a musical note and connected to a pedal gate in each of said sets of pedal gates, operation of a pedal conditioning the associated pedal gates to pass said pulses, application of one of said pulses to one of said control elements causing said pulse to be passed through the corresponding pedal gate; a source of harmonically related tone generator signals; a plurality of audio gates, each of said audio gates normally blocking passage of the harmonically related tone generator signals which are combined at said audio gates, each of said audio gates adapted to pass the combined tone generator signals when actuated by one of said pulses and adapted to provide a decay characteristic representative of a string bass note to the combined tone generator signals passed therethrough; interrelating means connecting each of the pedal gates actuated by a pedal to an audio gate that passes tone generator signals corresponding to notes having as a tonic note the note represented by said pedal; and a pre-amplifier connected to said audio gates to amplify said tone generator signals passed by said audio gates and to alter said tone generator signals to more nearly approximate string bass tone signals prior to conversion to audio tones.