A string instrument tailpiece system, a retrofit kit, and method for control of an off-instrument signal processor are disclosed. The system includes a tailpiece and a control bar having an end portion configured to be received in a socket on the stringed instrument and rotatable about an axis of rotation. A magnet is attached to the end portion of the control bar. A sensor chip in or adjacent the socket is spaced from the magnet by a gap sufficiently small to enable the sensor chip to detect a change in the magnetic field due to a rotation of the control bar. A sensor circuit outputs a control signal based on a change in the magnetic field resulting from rotating the control bar, where the control signal is separate from the audio signal of the instrument.

A method for generating a music file for recording user performance may include: detecting, by a sensor, an event indicating a status change of an execution device of the keyboard instrument; generating, by the sensor, a signal corresponding to the detected event; receiving, by a processor, the signal; and generating, by the processor, a music file based on the signal. In some embodiments, the execution device may include a weight lever. The weight lever may a concrete structure in the keyboard instrument to simulate a rebound force generated by hammer striking on string, by striking on an elastic structure. In some embodiments, a rebound force for a first weight lever may be different from a rebound force for a second weight lever by adjusting parameters of the elastic structure or the weight lever.

A stringed instrument with an interchangeable magnetic pickup system to enable any number of a plurality of pickups to attach to the instrument in variable positions is provided. The stringed instrument includes a base with a central opening, a plurality of strings coupled to the base and extending over the central opening, a main magnetic mounting plate coupled to the base within the central opening and electrically coupled to a phono plug output of the base, a plurality of secondary magnetic mounting plates coupled to the base within the central opening and electrically coupled to the phono plug output of the base, and a plurality of pickup assemblies coupled to the base. Each pickup assembly has a first magnetic member electrically coupled to one of the secondary magnetic mounting plates and a second magnetic member electrically coupled to the main magnetic mounting plate.

This invention eliminates most mechanical switching in vibrational pickup circuits by using variable gains to combine signals of sensors in differential amplifiers as J−1 humbucking pairs for J>1 number of sensors, with the sensors matched to produce the same level and phase of unwanted hum from external sources. It can also combine J>1 number of matched sensors with K>1 number of dissimilar sensors which are matched only to each other in the same manner. This produces not only all the possible mechanically switched humbucking signals, but all the continuously-varying combinations of humbucking signals in between.

A manual vibrato control device, system and processing arrangement are disclosed. A manual vibrato includes a rotatable shaft, a raised cam section on the shaft, first and second biased collars received on the shaft either side of the cam section, the bias of the first collar being rotationally opposite to the bias of the second collar such that as the shaft rotates in one direction, it receives a return force from the first collar but does not rotate the second collar, and vice versa.

Also disclosed are processing techniques to take the rotational data from rotational sensors, preferably Hall Effect, on the shaft and generate pitch change instructions for a pitch modification device. The mapping is user controllable to produce desired effects and performance.

A manual vibrato control device, system and processing arrangement are disclosed. A manual vibrato includes a rotatable shaft, a raised cam section on the shaft, first and second biased collars received on the shaft either side of the cam section, the bias of the first collar being rotationally opposite to the bias of the second collar such that as the shaft rotates in one direction, it receives a return force from the first collar but does not rotate the second collar, and vice versa. Also disclosed are processing techniques to take the rotational data from rotational sensors, preferably Hall Effect, on the shaft and generate pitch change instructions for a pitch modification device. The mapping is user controllable to produce desired effects and performance.

An electrically amplified percussive instrument has at least one tone bar having a bottom side and fundamental nodes each of the fundamental nodes defined by a channel. A permanent magnet on the bottom side of the tone bar is proximal to one of the fundamental nodes and not aligned with a location of maximum tone bar vibration. A pickup coil positioned underneath the tone bar is aligned with the first permanent magnet and in electrical communication with an amplifier.

An electronic vibrato system for a stringed instrument comprises an actuator and microcontroller which are disposed within a chassis. The control arm moves the actuator from a resting position to non-resting, rotated positions. The system is below a face of a stringed instrument such that the system has a disposed fulcrum within the instrument. The rotated positions impart resistive forces on said actuator and imparting control signals. The microcontroller processes said control signal and modulates pitch.

A musical device includes a frame including a plurality of receptacles for receiving three-dimensional parts each having a face capable of swapping between at least two orientations in the receptacle; each part including an indexing element of the orientation of the part among at least two orientations, a plurality of detectors, each detector being associated with a receptacle to determine orientation of the part by detecting an indexing element in its receptacle, at least one audio system, inserting at least two parts into their respective receptacles triggering the sound diffusion by the audio system of at least two given music tracks simultaneously based on each of the orientations of said parts determined; the device further including a calculation system to ensure synchronization of the music tracks, soundly diffused simultaneously.

This invention eliminates most mechanical switching in vibrational pickup circuits by using variable gains to combine signals of sensors in differential amplifiers as J1 humbucking pairs for J>1 number of sensors, with the sensors matched to produce the same level and phase of unwanted hum from external sources. It can also combine J>1 number of matched sensors with K>1 number of dissimilar sensors which are matched only to each other in the same manner. This produces not only all the possible mechanically switched humbucking signals, but all the continuously-varying combinations of humbucking signals in between.