A vibrato tailpiece system for a stringed instrument includes a tailpiece, a vibrato bar operable with the tailpiece and having an end portion rotatable about an axis of rotation, and a magnet attached to the end portion of the vibrato bar. A sensor chip 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 vibrato bar. The sensor chip outputs a control signal based on the change in the magnetic field. A sensor circuit uses the control signal from the sensor chip to adjust or modify the pickup output signal based on the position of the vibrato bar and deliver an adjusted output signal to an output connector of the stringed instrument.

Electronic musical instruments as disclosed, include sensors to digitize and alter the sound using FSR sensors in the mouthpieces and other elements of the instrument to mimic the variations available in analog instruments.

An electronic instrument comprising an elongated member, comprising a plurality of detectors aligned in the elongated member, each detector for detecting a finger-sized object in the vicinity thereof and for providing a corresponding signal; a processing unit operatively connected to the plurality of detectors, the processing unit for receiving the signals from the plurality of detectors and for generating a signal indicative of a sound to generate and a sound generating unit operatively connected to the processing unit, the sound generating unit for receiving the signal indicative of a sound to generate and for generating a sound accordingly and wherein the processing unit and the sound generating unit are located inside the elongated member.

An audio signal processing apparatus comprises at least one controllable element 90, 91, 92 for performing an analogue audio processing function. The controllable element is operable with a digital controller 58 that controls the analogue audio processing function performed by the controllable element 90, 91, 92. At least one audio processing module 52, 54 comprises a partial audio processing circuit for an audio processing operation. The module 52, 54 is operable with the controllable element 90, 91, 92 to complete the audio processing circuit and thus to enable the audio processing operation. In this way the audio processing operation is controllable by the digital controller. A switching array 96 selectively couples audio processing modules 52, 54 and the controllable elements 90, 91, 92. A power supply 66 is operable to supply power selectively for audio processing circuit of the or each module 52, 54.

An audio signal processing apparatus comprises at least one controllable element 90, 91, 92 for performing an analogue audio processing function. The controllable element is operable with a digital controller 58 that controls the analogue audio processing function performed by the controllable element 90, 91, 92. At least one audio processing module 52, 54 comprises a partial audio processing circuit for an audio processing operation. The module 52, 54 is operable with the controllable element 90, 91, 92 to complete the audio processing circuit and thus to enable the audio processing operation. In this way the audio processing operation is controllable by the digital controller. A switching array 96 selectively couples audio processing modules 52, 54 and the controllable elements 90, 91, 92. A power supply 66 is operable to supply power selectively for audio processing circuit of the or each module 52, 54.

A piezo pickup which detects a key depression vibration occurred by a key depression operation is provided on the center of the lower surface of a key switch board where key switches of a keyboard are arranged. A CPU acquires the key number of a depressed key and a distance between the key switch of this key number and the piezo pickup in response to the key depression operation, and controls the sound volume and the tone color of a musical sound at a pitch corresponding to the key number based on control data acquired by correcting the detection output level (piezo input envelope waveform) of the piezo pickup in accordance with the acquired distance.

An electronic instrument comprising an elongated member, comprising a plurality of detectors aligned in the elongated member, each detector for detecting a finger-sized object in the vicinity thereof and for providing a corresponding signal; a processing unit operatively connected to the plurality of detectors, the processing unit for receiving the signals from the plurality of detectors and for generating a signal indicative of a sound to generate and a sound generating unit operatively connected to the processing unit, the sound generating unit for receiving the signal indicative of a sound to generate and for generating a sound accordingly and wherein the processing unit and the sound generating unit are located inside the elongated member.

An electronic device capable of synthesizing one or more musical instruments. A plurality of sensors, which may be mounted on the hand of the user, provide signals to a control module indicating that a sensor has made contact with a surface. A control module receives signals and determines whether to play a sound. Exemplary sensors include pressure-sensitive resistors and dedicated motion-sensing integrated circuits, and are in communication with one or more integrated circuits in the control module over a communication link.

Aspects disclosed herein relate to an instrument trigger system and methods of using such a system. In one aspect, the instrument trigger system includes a plurality of triggers, where each trigger is vibrationally isolated from the other triggers and/or from vibrations of the instrument to prevent unintended actuation of a trigger. In another aspect, the instrument trigger system includes one or more triggers that are easily accessible by a musician such that trigger actuation can be naturally integrated into the musician's play. In some embodiments, a sound module is integrated with the instrument trigger system.

Described herein are systems and methods for modifying musical signals. An exemplary system for modifying musical signals has at least one non-contact switch. The non-contact switch includes an actuator that translates and rotates when pushed and turned, respectively, by a user. A sensor, such as a magnetic field sensor, an optical sensor, an AC induction sensor, or another non-contact sensing device, senses the position of the actuator, which may include both translational position and rotational position. Modification of the musical signals may be based on the position of the actuator. No physical contact between the actuator and the sensor is required during operation of the non-contact switch. Accordingly, the forces generated during the pushing and turning of the non-contact switch are applied to the non-contact switch, while the sensor and other components within the effects unit are isolated from the forces.