US3553340A - Musical instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

A musical instrument comprises an elongated drum on the curved surface of which there are a plurality of actual recordings of different notes of a musical instrument, the recordings being arranged at different axial positions on the drum, drive means for rotating the drum at a predetermined speed, and a plurality of pickup devices selectively operable to cause the notes recorded on the drum to be selectively reproducable.

Description

United States Patent inventor James Joseph McLoughlin 298 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, England Appl. No. 739,007 Filed June 21, 1968 Patented Jan. 5, 1971 Priority June 27, 1967 England No. 29,599/67 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 84/1.28, 84/1.03, 84/1.09, 84/1.26, 8411.27 Int. Cl. Gl0h 3/04, G10fl/0O:Gl0h 1/02 Field of Search 84/1 .01

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,893,250 l/l933 Severy 84/1 .28X 2,500,947 3/1950 Jewett 84/1.28 2,533,461 12/1950 lllsley 84/1 .28 2,714,633 8/1955 Fine 84/S(UX) 2,784,632 3/1957 Christ... 84/1.28

Primary Examinerl*lerman Karl Saalbach Assistant Examiner-T. Vezeau Attorney-Holman, Glasco'ck, Downing & Seebold ABSTRACT: A musical instrument comprises an elongated drum on the curved surface of which there are a plurality of actual recordings of different notes of a musical instrument, the recordings being arranged at different axial positions on the drum, drive means for rotating the drum at a predetermined speed, and a plurality of pickup devices selectively operable to cause the notes recorded on the drum to be selectively reproducible.

PATENTED JAN 5 SHEET 1 BF 3 TO? M K /NVEN Q TTOQNEYS PATENTEU JAN 5187i SHEET 2 OF 3 HTTOQNEV PATENTED JAN 5 I97! SHEET 3 OF 3 F7 TT'OENEV MUSICAL INSTRUMENT This invention relates to a musical instrument.

A musical instrument in accordance with the invention comprises an elongated drum on the curved surface of which there are a plurality of actual recordings of different notes of a musical instrument, the recordings being arranged at different axial positions on the drum,.drive means for rotating the drum at a predetermined speed, and a plurality of pickup devices selectively operable to cause the notes recorded on the drum to be selectively reproducible.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown one example of a musicalinstrument in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the instrument;

7 FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the mechanical and electrical aspects of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 3-3 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

The musical instrument described makes use of a plurality of drums 10 mounted on a carrier 1 l forrotation about spaced parallel axes. The carrier 11 is rotatable about an axis parallel to the axes of the drums 10 which are equiangularly spaced about the axis of the carrier. As shown in FIG. 3 each drum consists of a central roll 12 on which a covering of soft resilient foamed plastic material is provided. The outer surface of the drum 10 is formed by a film 14 of the material from which magnetic recording tapes are manufactured. The film 14 is divided into a plurality of zones arranged along the length of the drum and each zone has recorded upon it the sound of one note played on a chosen musical instrument. Each of the drums 10 carries recordings of the notes of a different musical instrument, so that in the present example six different musical instruments are recorded on the drums 10.

There are a series of magnetic pickup heads 15 arranged to engage the film 14 of the drum which is at any given time, at a pickup station. The pickups l engage the film 14 of the particular drum in question in the respective zones on which the different notes are recorded. The provision of the foam covering 13 enables the pickup to be pressed against the film 14 without excessive wear on either part.

The instrument has a keyboard 16 which actuates a plurality of switches 17 whereby the pickups 15 can be selectively connected to an amplifier 18 through the intermediary of a suitable mixing circuit (not shown). The amplifier feeds a loudspeaker 19.

The notes on the individual zones of the drums are recorded with the attack and any dying-away efiect which may be characteristic of the instrument concerned omitted so that continuous pressing of a given key will produce a continuous note including the harmonic content characteristic of the instrument. To obtain any desired attack and dying-away characteristics there are six knownelectric circuits S to S which are selectively connected between the pickup heads and the amplifier 18under the control of a rotary selector switch 21 coupled to the carrier 11. When any drum 10 is presented to the pickup heads 15 the associated circuit of the circuits S to S is selected to give the required characteristics for the instrument recorded on the drum.

To provide for the simultaneous-playing of a melody and an accompaniment, with the melody at a higher volume than the accompaniment, there is an auxiliary amplifier, 22. The higher notes of instrument are all fed directly to this amplifier 22 which delivers its output to the switch 21. The lower notes are delivered directly to switch 21. Associated with the intermediate notes of the instrument is a series of switches 23 which, when actuated cause the pickup heads associated with these notes to be connected to amplifier 22, but which connect these pickup heads directly to the switch 21, when the switches are not actuated. The switches 23 are actuable by a slide 24 on the front of the housingof the instrument which can be slid between extreme positions in one of which it actuates all the switches 23 and in the other of which it actuates none of the switches 23. The slide 24 is thus positioned in use to suit the com ass of the particular melody tobe played.

Separate vo ume controls 25, 26 for the amplifiers 18 and 22 are provided. In the example shown the volume controls are actuated by pedals 27, 28 respectively.

Various arrangements may be provided for driving the drums 10 at a predetermined speed. Forexample a motor 30 may be provided on the axis of the carrier, the motor being coupled to a pulley 31 which engages a single belt 32 extending around pulleys 33 connected to the individual drums 10; A separate motor may be provided for indexing the carrier 11 to bring the different drums 10 into engagement with the pickup heads 15. Alternatively, as shown, a manually actuated arrangement including a knob 34 may be provided for such indexing movement.

In another form of the invention the recordings of all the instruments may be carried on a single rotatable drum and arranged so that the notes of a selected instrument may be obtained by axial adjustment of the position of the assembly of the pickup heads 15.

lclaim: 1

l. A musical instrument comprising a rotatable carrier, a plurality of drums arranged in an equiangularly spaced, parallel relationship about the rotary axis of said carrier, each drum having a curved surface on which there are a plurality of actual recordings of different notes of a musical instrument, the recordings being arranged at different axial positions on the drum and the drums bearing recordings of a plurality of different instruments respectively, pickup position, means for indexing the carrier to bring any selected'drum to bear on a pickup position, drive means for rotating a drum at the pickup position at a predetermined speed, and a plurality of pickup devices at said pickup position selectively operable to cause the notes recorded on a drum at the pickup position to be selectively reproducible.

2. A musical instrument as claimed in claim 1 in which the curved surface of each drum is constituted by magnetizable film and the pickup devices are magnetic pickup heads.

3. A musical instrument as claimed in claim 2 in which the pickup devices are respectively connectable to an amplifier by a plurality of keyboard operable switches.

Claims (3)

1. A musical instrument comprising a rotatable carrier, a plurality of drums arranged in an equiangularly spaced, parallel relationship about the rotary axis of said carrier, each drum having a curved surface on which there are a plurality of actual recordings of different notes of a musical instrument, the recordings being arranged at different axial positions on the drum and the drums bearing recordings of a plurality of different instruments respectively, pickup position, means for indexing the carrier to bring any selected drum to bear on a pickup position, drive means for rotating a drum at the pickup position at a predetermined speed, and a plurality of pickup devices at said pickup position selectively operable to cause the notes recorded on a drum at the pickup position to be selectively reproducible.

2. A musical instrument as claimed in claim 1 in which the curved surface of each drum is constituted by magnetizable film and the pickup devices are magnetic pickup heads.

3. A musical instrument as claimed in claim 2 in which the pickup devices are respectively connectable to an amplifier by a plurality of keyboard operable switches.

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