Trigger devices, systems, and methods for sensing a strike on a vibratory membrane. A trigger device includes an optical sensor positioned a distance from the vibratory membrane and a processing device. The optical sensor includes an emitter that emits modulated light towards the vibratory membrane and a receiver that receives the modulated light that has reflected off the vibratory membrane and generates an electrical signal corresponding to the received modulated light. The electrical signal includes a peak corresponding to a detected strike on the vibratory membrane. The processing device isolates the peak from the electrical signal and generates one or more of a signal and data corresponding to the electrical signal.

Trigger trays for use with a musical instrument trigger are disclosed. The trigger tray can fit within a drum assembly beneath a playing surface such as a drum head or drum pad. The trigger can be connected to the drum head or drum pad, or can be actuated through vibration of the trigger tray. The trigger tray can include a cutout on its underside or bottom side. The trigger tray can include a substantially circular head mount portion and a trigger mount portion therein, with a plurality of arms connecting the head mount portion to the trigger mount portion.

The visual feedback device bridges the gap between what an observer sees and hears, by creating a new kind of MIDI drum kit, one that responds with obvious visual physical feedback to the specific way that the user can play it. Aggressive strikes may result in more aggressive visual feedback from the visual feedback device, and light playing may result in more subtle visual feedback from the visual feedback device giving the listener a truly unique experience.

A new and improved Digital Musical Instrument includes a hardware segment that electronically detects the physical inputs of a musicians musical playing style or articulated intent; a Software segment that interprets and formulates the data output from the hardware segment, to be applied to any digitally modulated synthesizer or recording sampler; and an optional expanded method of sampling or digitally recording articulated sounds of acoustic instruments.

The portable music studio is a modular apparatus that records and mixes music in real time. The portable music studio comprises a dock and a controller. The dock is a switching device that receives a first set of one or more audio signals from a first set of one or more audio sources and routes the each of the received audio signals as a first multichannel audio signal to the controller. The controller is a logic device that independently records each channel of the multichannel signal and directly receives and records a second set of one or more audio sources. The controller mixes this plurality of recorded audio sources. The portable music studio further generates musical audio input directly from the controller. The controller is separable from the dock to allow for recording, mixing and making audio files at a remote location.

The present disclosure relates, in one embodiment to a multimedia display apparatus. The multimedia display apparatus may comprise a housing which may be connected to a chassis. The chassis may be configured to attach to the underside of a music drum via a biasing element, thereby positioning the housing so as to project a multimedia image onto the head of the music drum. A multimedia projector may be disposed inside the housing and configured to project a multimedia image through the open bottom or transparent surface of the music drum and displayed on the top surface of the white or translucent drumhead.

An apparatus, system, and method for an electronic handheld musical instrument that generates electronic signals for processing by a processor-based module to generate musical sounds adapted to replicate non-electronic traditional hand percussion and other handheld instruments, is provided. A piezoelectric-based trigger is secured in an enclosed volume or enclosure formed in the electronic handheld musical instrument. When manipulated by a musician in a normal fashion, freely moving beads float or travel within the enclosure of the electronic handheld musical instrument and strike against a sensitive face of the piezoelectric transducer device to create a desired sound effect.

An example system and method is provided for detecting a moment of impact and/or strength of a swing based on moving a hand-held device including an accelerometer arrangement. A moment and a magnitude of simulated striking of the object are determined based on one or more accelerometer arrangement outputs resulting from the moving of the hand-held device. Using one or more of aural, visual and tactile outputs, the striking of the object is simulated in accordance with the determined moment of simulated striking and the determined magnitude of the simulated striking.

Percussion devices are described employing sensor arrays based on piezoresistive materials.

An example system and method is provided for detecting a moment of impact and/or strength of a swing based on moving a hand-held device including an accelerometer arrangement. A moment and a magnitude of simulated striking of the object are determined based on one or more accelerometer arrangement outputs resulting from the moving of the hand-held device. Using one or more of aural, visual and tactile outputs, the striking of the object is simulated in accordance with the determined moment of simulated striking and the determined magnitude of the simulated striking.