Tone keying and synthesizing system for electronic musical instrument

Claim 2

An electronic musical instrument comprising: a plurality of tone generators; keyboard means having a plurality of keys; at least first and second latching selectors operatively coupled to said keyboard means, said first and second latching selectors each including: input terminals connected to said plurality of tone generators, a single output terminal, and means coupled to said single output terminal for producing upon key depression respective first and second single tone signals bearing a predetermined frequency relationship to each other, irrespective of the number of keys which are depressed; a first frequency divider connected to the output terminal of said first latching selector for dividing the frequency of said first tone signal by a first predetermined number to generate a frequency divided first signal; a second frequency divider connected to the output terminal of said second latching selector for dividing the frequency of said second tone signal by a second predetermined number to generate a frequency divided second signal, said second predetermined number being larger than said first predetermined number but not a power of a number 2 with respect to said first predetermined number; and means coupled to the outputs of said first and second frequency dividers for mixing said frequency divided first and second tone signals.

Claim 3

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said frequency divided signal has a frequency bearing a ratio of a substantially integral number of at least two to that of said frequency divided second signal.

Claim 4

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said frequency divided first signal has a frequency bearing a ratio of substantially one to that of said frequency divided second signal.

Claim 5

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 3 wherein said first predetermined number is two and said second predetermined number is an odd number larger tHan two.

Claim 6

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 4 wherein said odd number is three.

Claim 7

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 4 wherein said odd number is five.

Claim 8

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 2 wherein said first predetermined number is two and said second predetermined number is an odd number larger than two, and said frequency divided first tone signal has a frequency representing an approximately and not exactly integral multiple of that of said frequency divided second signal.

Claim 9

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 7 wherein said odd number is three.

Claim 10

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 further comprising first and second gate means respectively coupled between said mixer and said first frequency divider and between said mixer and said second frequency divider, said first and second gate means being operatively coupled to said keyboard means.

Claim 11

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 9 wherein said first gate means provides a sustained envelope to an output from said first frequency divider, and said second gate means provides a percussive envelope to an output from said second frequency divider.

Claim 12

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 10 wherein the output signal from said first frequency divider has a frequency bearing a ratio of substantially one relative to the frequency of the output signal from said second frequency divider, said first and second frequency dividers respectively effecting frequency division by two and five.

Claim 13

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 further comprising a gate means coupled to the output of said mixer means and operatively coupled with said keyboard means.

Claim 14

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein the second predetermined number associated with said second frequency divider is an odd number larger than two, and there is further provided a third frequency divider cascade connected to the output of said second frequency divider for dividing the frequency of a signal by an even number.

Claim 15

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 13 wherein said even number is two.

Claim 16

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said keyboard means comprises a pedal keyboard.

Claim 17

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein the first predetermined number associated with said first frequency divider is two, and the second predetermined number associated with said second frequency divider is an odd number larger than two, and which further includes a first chain of frequency dividers cascade connected to the output of said first frequency divider, the respective frequency dividers of said first chain effecting frequency division by two; a second chain of frequency dividers cascade connected to the output of said second frequency divider, the respective frequency dividers of said second chain effecting frequency division by two; and a plurality of manually operable switches for selectively coupling the outputs of said first frequency divider and the respective frequency dividers of said first and second chains said mixer means.

Claim 18

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 16 wherein an output from said first frequency divider has a frequency bearing a ratio of substantially one relative to the frequency of the output signal from the first frequency divider of said second chain of frequency dividers, said first frequency divider of said second chain of frequency dividers being connected to the output of said second frequency divider.

Claim 19

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said first predetermined number associated with said first frequency divider is two and said second predetermined number associated with said second frequency divider is a first odd number larger than two, and further comprising at least third and fourth latching selectors operatively coupled with said keyboard means; A first chain of frequency dividers cascade connected to the output of said first frequency divider, the respective frequency dividers of said first chain effecting frequency division by two; a second chain of frequency dividers cascade connected to the output of said second frequency divider, the respective frequency dividers of said second chain effecting frequency division by two; a third frequency divider connected to the output of said third latching selector for effecting frequency division by a second odd number larger than said first odd number; a third chain of frequency dividers cascade connected to the output of said third frequency divider, the respective frequency dividers of said third chain effecting frequency division by two; a fourth frequency divider connected to the output of said fourth latching selector for carrying out frequency division by a third odd number larger than said second odd number; a fourth chain of frequency dividers cascade connected to the output of said fourth frequency divider, the respective frequency dividers of said fourth chain effecting frequency division by two; and a plurality of manually operable switches for selectively coupling to said mixer means the outputs of said first frequency divider, and the respective frequency dividers constituting said first, second, third and fourth chains.

Claim 20

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 18 wherein an output from said first frequency divider, an output from the first frequency divider of said second chain, an output from the first frequency divider of said third chain and an output from the first frequency divider of said fourth chain have frequencies which mutually have ratios of substantially one-to-one.

Claim 21

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 18 wherein said first, second, and third odd numbers are three, five and nine, respectively.

Claim 22

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 18 further comprising gate means connected between the output of the respective frequency dividers of said first to fourth chains and said plural switches, said gate means being operatively coupled with said keyboard means for supplying outputs from the frequency dividers to the corresponding switches.

Claim 23

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 7 wherein said odd number is five.

Claim 24

An electronic musical instrument according to claim 7 wherein said odd number is nine.