An automatic playing system may include a damper module for changing a sound generated by the automatic playing system. The damper module may include a damper board, a motion driver, and a supporter. The damper board may be configured to control at least one damper of the automatic playing system. The motion driver may be configured to drive the damper board and operated to perform at least one automatic playing function. The supporter may be configured to couple the damper board with the motion driver when the motion driver is operated.

A support device for a pivotal member of a keyboard instrument, in which opposite ends of a pivotal pin fixed to a pivotal member can be each properly positioned in the center of a pin hole, to thereby enable the pivotal member to perform efficient and stable pivotal motion. The support device that pivotally supports the pivotal member pivotally moved by key depression includes a flange body including two support walls opposed to each other with a predetermined spacing therebetween, and two pin holes which are formed in the respective support walls and in which opposite ends of the pivotal pin are inserted, respectively, and two bearings fixed in the pin holes in an inserted state and having opposite ends of the pivotal pin inserted therein, for pivotally supporting the pivotal. Each bearing is formed by a braid formed in a hollow cylindrical shape.

A tool for fitting to a tuning pin of an instrument for inhibiting movement of the tuning pin. The tool comprises a tuning pin engaging portion comprising a through hole for engaging a tuning pin and one or more flexible resilient arms extending from the tuning pin engaging portion. The one or more flexible resilient arms configured, in use, to engage with other tuning pins adjacent to the tuning pin, and/or with the strings attached thereto, to inhibit movement of the tuning pin.

A tool for fitting to a tuning pin of an instrument for inhibiting movement of the tuning pin. The tool comprises a tuning pin engaging portion comprising a through hole for engaging a tuning pin and one or more flexible resilient arms extending from the tuning pin engaging portion. The one or more flexible resilient arms configured, in use, to engage with other tuning pins adjacent to the tuning pin, and/or with the strings attached thereto, to inhibit movement of the tuning pin.

A method and apparatus for self-tuning a piano that optically senses the vibration of all the piano's strings independently and simultaneously. Interference caused by alternating-current ambient lighting is removed by modulating the string's signal onto a high-frequency carrier wave, filtering out the low-frequency ambient light interference wave, then demodulating and removing the carrier to render the original signal. Digital pitch, diagnostic, and control parameter information is interchanged between a supervisory master microcontroller and the autonomous string sustainer circuits via a master-slave serial bus connected through a single, common cable. PWM duty cycles for the string tuning coils are handled autonomously by an FPGA or a decoder network, which also communicates with the master control circuit. Pulse-width modulated control signals are filtered to a DC control voltage and combined with a drive oscillator signal using a summing amplifier to eliminate audible noise due to magnetostriction in the tuning coils.

A method and apparatus for self-tuning a piano that optically senses the vibration of all the piano's strings independently and simultaneously. Interference caused by alternating-current ambient lighting is removed by modulating the string's signal onto a high-frequency carrier wave, filtering out the low-frequency ambient light interference wave, then demodulating and removing the carrier to render the original signal. Digital pitch, diagnostic, and control parameter information is interchanged between a supervisory master microcontroller and the autonomous string sustainer circuits via a master-slave serial bus connected through a single, common cable. PWM duty cycles for the string tuning coils are handled autonomously by an FPGA or a decoder network, which also communicates with the master control circuit. Pulse-width modulated control signals are filtered to a DC control voltage and combined with a drive oscillator signal using a summing amplifier to eliminate audible noise due to magnetostriction in the tuning coils.

The invention is a micro-tuning device for pianos and other keyboard-operated stringed musical instruments. A mass is secured to a single string or choir of strings in the musical instrument by an attachment device between the bridge and the agraffe, nut or V-bar, thereby reducing the speaking length and increasing the pitch of the string.

The invention is a micro-tuning device for pianos and other keyboard-operated stringed musical instruments. A mass is secured to a single string or choir of strings in the musical instrument by an attachment device between the bridge and the agraffe, nut or V-bar, thereby reducing the speaking length and increasing the pitch of the string.

A support assembly including a support rotatably disposed with respect to a frame, a repetition lever hinge mounted to the support, and a repetition lever supported by the repetition lever hinge and rotatably disposed with respect to the support, wherein the repetition lever has a contact surface and the contact surface contacts a hammer shank roller provided to a hammer shank for rotating a hammer, and the repetition lever hinge is mounted to the support in a mounting direction that crosses with a tangent-line direction of a line tangent to the hammer shank roller at the contact between the hammer shank roller and the contact surface.

An acoustic effect impartment apparatus for use in a piano including a plurality of keys, a plurality of strings provided in corresponding relation to the keys and a plurality of hammers each responsive to an operation of any one of the keys to strike the string corresponding to the key. The acoustic effect impartment apparatus comprising at least one elongate member disposed near at least one of the plurality of strings. The elongate member movable by means of a first actuator between a retracted configuration in which the elongate member is disengaged away from the at least one of the plurality of strings and an imparted configuration wherein the elongate member is imparted against the at least one of the plurality of strings, and the first actuator can be actuated by a piano player such that the elongate member is imparted against the at least one of the plurality of strings as said piano player strikes a key associated therewith.