Musical instrument with prerecorded tones on tape

Claim 1

A musical instrument comprising: a multiplicity of elongated circular endless magnetizable tapes, each of said tapes having a plurality of different tracks, a different note being recordable magnetically on each of said tracks, each of said tapes being of sufficient length to accomodate the tone of each of said notes on each of said tracks, respectively; a multiplicity of non-magnetizable supports mounted coaxially for supporting said tapes, respectively; drive means for rotating said supports and said tapes; a multiplicity of magnetic pick-up heads for each of said tracks, said heads being in sufficient proximity to said tracks, respectively, to be energized thereby; a multiplicity of amplifiers having a gain in dependence on a gain-setting voltage, said amplifiers having inputs connected to said magnetic pick-up heads, each of said amplifiers being separately energizable; a multiplicity of keys, each of said keys having contact means for energizing each of said amplifiers, respectively; a multiplicity of magnetic elements pivotable by each of said keys, respectively, upon depression of one of said keys from a first position to a second position at a velocity of motion, the pivoting of one of said elements actuating one of said contact means, respectively; and a multiplicity of coil means surrounding each of said elements, respectively, for generating said gain-setting voltage in dependence on said velocity of motion of one of said elements movable in one of said coil means, each of said coil means being connected to said amplifiers, respectively, whereby, upon one of said keys being depressed, a corresponding one of said magnetic elements generates said gain-setting voltage in a corresponding one of said coil means, thereby presetting the gain in a corresponding one of said amplifiers.