This disclosure relates generally to electronic methods. More musical instruments, systems, and particularly, this disclosure relates to electronic percussion instruments such as tom toms, snare drums, bass drums, cymbals, and hi-hats, and assemblies of instruments (e.g., percussion instruments), such as drum sets. Even more particularly, this disclosure relates to wireless electronic percussion instruments, and percussion instruments with interchangeable and/or removable components to change the instrument between a traditional percussion instrument (that relies on resonance and/or vibration to produce sound) and an electronic percussion instrument. The present disclosure also relates to electronic cymbal instruments, such as cymbal assemblies and hi-hat assemblies, that can be used in conjunction with a traditional acoustic metal cymbal.

An electronic wind instrument is provided with a processor (CPU 5) and plural touch sensors (a detecting unit 12s and detecting units 13s) disposed along a first direction. A first output variable da/dt is obtained, representing a variation per unit time of an output value from a first sensor (detecting unit 12s) in the plural touch sensors disposed on the side close to first end (tip side) in the first direction. A second output variable dS/dt is obtained, representing a variation per unit time of a sum of output values from second sensors (detecting units 13s) disposed between a second end (heel side) and the first sensor in the first direction. The processor judges based on the first output variable da/dt and the second output variable dS/dt whether a tonging process should be performed.

A musical instrument, for example, a keyboard guitar, includes a body, an elongated neck coupled to the body, neck keys disposed on the elongated neck, and an output for transmitting an electrical signal generated by the musical instrument. Activation of each neck key generates an electrical signal at the output representing a pitch associated with a musical note. The musical instrument may also include body keys disposed on the body, and a strum bar that generates an electrical signal at the output representing a pitch associated with a musical note based on which of the body keys are activated during activation of the strum bar. Further, the musical instrument may include a continuous graphic image spanning the front face of the body and the body keys, forming a continuous pattern that is unbroken across a transition between key surfaces of the body keys and the front face of the body.

An electronic musical instrument including a musical instrument body which is supported by first finger of a hand of an instrument player and at least one finger other than the first finger, scale keys which are provided at positions that are contacted with fingers other than the first finger on one surface of the musical instrument body, and each of which specifies a scale of a musical sound, a touchpad which is provided in an area that is contacted with the first finger on an other surface of the musical instrument body, and includes a sensor that has a planar detection area for detecting a contact position of the first finger, and a processor which controls emission of the musical sound whose scale has been specified by the scale key in accordance with the contact position of the first finger detected by the touchpad.

A signal processing system, machine, and method of use to dynamically vary the power supplied to a signal processing circuit, imparting the processed output signal of the signal processing circuit with alterations substantially beyond the alterations typically produced by the signal processing circuit.

A detection device including n number of sensors arrayed in a direction, in which n is an integer of 3 or more and from which (n1) pairs of adjacent sensors are formed, and a processor which determines one specified position in the direction based on output values of the n number of sensors, in which the processor calculates (n1) sets of difference values each of which is a difference between two output values corresponding to each of the (n1) pairs of sensors, and determines the one specified position based on the (n1) sets of difference values and correlation positions corresponding to the (n1) sets of difference values and indicating positions correlated with array positions of each pair of sensors.

An electronic wind instrument is provided with a processor (CPU 5) and plural touch sensors (a detecting unit 12s and detecting units 13s) disposed along a first direction. A first output variable da/dt is obtained, representing a variation per unit time of an output value from a first sensor (detecting unit 12s) in the plural touch sensors disposed on the side close to first end (tip side) in the first direction. A second output variable dS/dt is obtained, representing a variation per unit time of a sum of output values from second sensors (detecting units 13s) disposed between a second end (heel side) and the first sensor in the first direction. The processor judges based on the first output variable da/dt and the second output variable dS/dt whether a tonging process should be performed.

An electronic wind instrument is provided, which is capable of representing a wide range of performances using a tonguing operation. The electronic wind instrument has at least one sensor, a sound source for generating a tone, and a controller. The controller controls a tonguing performance detecting process for detecting a tonguing performance played by the player based on the output value from the one sensor, and a tone muting process for muting the tone output from the speaker in accordance with the lip position of the player determined in the lip position determining process, while the tonguing performance is being detected in the tonguing performance detecting process.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling a light-emitting device of a digital keyboard musical instrument. The method includes: detecting a touch action generated by a user upon a key of the digital keyboard musical instrument and generating a touch signal, by a sensor placed underneath the key, and transmitting the touch signal to a processor, wherein the touch signal comprises the magnitude information of the touch action; receiving the touch signal and generating a corresponding control signal in accordance with the magnitude information of the touch signal, by the processor; and actuating the light-emitting device to produce a light-emitting effect in accordance with the control signal by the processor. Since the detection of the touch action upon the key by the sensors is accurate enough to capture all details of the complete key-touching action, the light-emitting effect produced based on this more detailed detection of the touch action is more exquisite and accurate.

An electronic wind instrument is provided, which is capable of representing a wide range of performances using a tonguing operation. The electronic wind instrument has at least one sensor, a sound source for generating a tone, and a controller. The controller controls a tonguing performance detecting process for detecting a tonguing performance played by the player based on the output value from the one sensor, and a tone muting process for muting the tone output from the speaker in accordance with the lip position of the player determined in the lip position determining process, while the tonguing performance is being detected in the tonguing performance detecting process.