A musical sound producing apparatus includes a plurality of keys, a sound production information generator that generates sound production information for producing a musical sound based on a first key operation on any key among the plurality of keys, a control information generator that generates control information for controlling, on the basis of a second key operation different from the first key operation, a mode of the musical sound produced on the basis of the first key operation, and a musical sound signal generator that generates a musical sound signal on the basis of the sound production information and the control information.

A device is provided for capturing vibrations produced by an object such as a musical instrument such as a cymbal of a drum kit. The device comprises a detectable element, such as a ferromagnetic element, such as a metal shim and a sensor spaced apart from and located relative to the musical instrument. The detectable element is located between the sensor and the musical instrument. When the musical instrument vibrates, the sensor remains stationary and the detectable element is vibrated relative to the sensor by the musical instrument.

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.

An electronic hi-hat 1 has a rod movable up and down with an operation of a player. A top cymbal 2 has a striking surface that can be struck by the player. A bottom cymbal 3 comes into contact with or separates from the top cymbal 2. An optical sensor 7 detects separation dimension between the top cymbal 2 and the bottom cymbal 3. The optical sensor 7 detects separation dimensions of a plurality of areas that are displaced with inclinations of the top cymbal 2 and the bottom cymbal 3 with respect to the rod r. The plurality of areas where the separation dimensions are detected are located on a common circumference of the top cymbal 2 and the bottom cymbal 3 around the rod r as a center.

An electronic drum, comprising: a bottom member; a drum head; a drum sensor comprising: a passive resonant circuit mounted on the drum head and having a resonant frequency; and an active resonant circuit mounted on the bottom member and configured to excite the passive resonant circuit at the resonant frequency; a sensor driver to drive the active resonant circuit with an RF drive signal at the resonant frequency; and a detector to detect a level of RF signal from the driven active resonant circuit for sensing a position and/or velocity of the drum head; and a signal processor, coupled to the detector, configured to process the detected level of RF signal to sense a position and/or velocity of the drum head for determining when the drum head is hit.

A sensing system for a computer input device. The sensing system comprises an actuator to attach to a key top or button. The actuator is moveable along an axis or hinged. The sensing system further comprises a biasing element to exert a biasing force on the actuator directed along the axis. The sensing system further comprises an actuator motion sensor associated with the actuator. The actuator motion sensor comprises a passive resonant circuit configured to be moved by the actuator and having a resonant frequency, an active resonant circuit configured to excite the passive resonant circuit at the resonant frequency, a sensor driver to drive the active resonant circuit with an RF drive signal at the resonant frequency, and a detector to detect a level of RF signal from a driven actuator motion sensor for sensing a position and/or velocity of the actuator.

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 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.

To provide an electronic wind instrument capable of accurately detecting the amount of rotation of a transmission member. An electronic wind instrument whereby contact with an optical sensor by a flat surface of a rear section can be suppressed even when at least a prescribed amount of a reed is bitten, as a result of the flat surface rotating in a direction away from the optical sensor when the rear section of the transmission member rotates in conjunction with displacement of the reed. As a result, the spacing between the facing flat surface and the optical sensor can be set comparatively narrowly in the initial state and the detection sensitivity at the optical sensor increased, thereby enabling accurate detection of the rotation amount of the transmission member (the amount of the reed that is bitten).

To provide an electronic wind instrument capable of accurately detecting the amount of rotation of a transmission member. During an electronic wind instrument performance by a performer, external light (such as light from lighting) may easily shine on the upper surface side of an instrument main body. However, the light-receiving section of an optical sensor faces toward the bottom surface side of the instrument main body therefore external light from the upper surface side of the instrument main body can be prevented from reaching the light-receiving section of the optical sensor. As a result, erroneous detection of the external light by the optical sensor can be suppressed therefore the rotation amount of a transmission member can be accurately detected by the optical sensor.