Embodiments are directed to a musical instrument having buttons, where the buttons determine the magnitude of the interval by which the melody will jump from the last note played. With a small number of interval buttons and an up/down strum bar, embodiments can play almost any melody and more notes than a piano. One embodiment is directed to an interval-based guitar including fret buttons whose input signals are used to calculate the interval by which to change the pitch of the prior note. Providing input via a strum bar or a sensor, a new note is generated by adding or subtracting the interval to/from the prior note to generate a new note.

A button includes a button unit suspended vertically in Z direction in a frame and which has a button body with an upper actuating surface and at least one shaft extending vertically downwardly from the button body. An X-Y sensor unit is arranged vertically below the button body and fixed to the frame for detecting X-Y positions on the actuating surface. The X-Y sensor unit has one opening such that the shaft can vertically move therethrough. One transfer element is elastically suspended vertically below the shaft and moved vertically downwardly upon downward movement of the shaft. A Z sensor unit arranged vertically below the transfer element is fixed to the frame. The Z sensor unit has at least one detection element for detecting vertical downward movement of the transfer element. The X-Y sensor unit may include a capacitive sensor. The Z sensor unit may include an inductive sensor, a capacitive sensor, or a magnetic sensor. The button may be illuminated by the shaft, where the shaft and the extension include a translucent material to form a light guide connected to the button body. A light source is located vertically below the shaft, so the light of the light source leaves upwardly and enters the shaft from below. An optical device deflecting the light that entered the shaft from the light source in a horizontal direction is arranged in the vertical upper area of the light guide above the shaft.

A button is disclosed, which includes a button unit suspended movably vertically in Z-direction in a fixed frame and having a button body with an upper actuating surface and at least one central shaft extending vertically downwardly from the button body and extending at an upper end below the button body horizontally into an extension. The shaft and the extension having a translucent material such that they commonly form a light guide which is fixedly connected to the button body. The button additionally includes a light source vertically below the shaft. Light from the light source leaves vertically upwardly and enters the shaft from below. The button further includes a first optical device arranged in the vertical upper area of the light guide above the shaft for deflecting light that has entered the shaft from the light source in a horizontal direction into a plane of the extension.

A button is disclosed, which includes a button unit suspended movably vertically in Z-direction in a fixed frame and having a button body with an upper actuating surface and at least one central shaft extending vertically downwardly from the button body and extending at an upper end below the button body horizontally into an extension. The shaft and the extension having a translucent material such that they commonly form a light guide which is fixedly connected to the button body. The button additionally includes a light source vertically below the shaft. Light from the light source leaves vertically upwardly and enters the shaft from below. The button further includes a first optical device arranged in the vertical upper area of the light guide above the shaft for deflecting light that has entered the shaft from the light source in a horizontal direction into a plane of the extension.

A signal processing system, machine and method of use to dynamically change the parameters of an audio-visual signal processing circuit without making physical contact.

A magnetic pedalboard system to supply power to effects pedals for use with a musical instrument is provided. The magnetic pedalboard system includes a base member, a pair of conductive strips coupled to the top surface of the base member and electrically coupled to a power supply, and at least one pedal coupled to the pair of conductive strips, the at least one pedal having a first portion of magnetic electrical contacts electrically coupled to a second portion of magnetic electrical contacts. The at least one pedal is designed to slide along any portion of the conductive strips with the first portion of magnetic electrical contacts directly coupled to the first conductive strip and the second portion of magnetic electrical contacts directly coupled to the second conductive strip, thereby permitting the power supply to transmit electricity through the conductive strips to the at least one pedal.

An instrument playing apparatus has: a movable member configured to be displaced responsive to a playing operation of a user; a detection part formed from a magnetic or conductive body and disposed on the movable member; and a filter that includes a coil. The filter has a frequency response that changes depending on a distance between the detection part and the coil, and generates a detection signal from a reference signal.

A wearable sensor system is disclosed that provides a measurable magnetic field that changes horizontally within the range of motion of human limbs. The wearable sensor system includes a magnetic sensing device, and one or more magnet devices that provide the measurable magnetic field with a strength exceeding the Earth's magnetic field. To this end, the magnetic sensing system provides a personal magnetic field about a user, with that magnetic field traveling with the user and overpowering adjacent interfering fields. The wearable sensor system may include a sensor arrangement that measures a strength of the personal magnetic field and field direction to perform horizontal localization, and may send a representation of a same to a remote computing device to cause an action to occur. Some such actions include output of pre-recorded or synthesized musical notes, for example.

A signal modulator and method of use which provides means to dynamically vary the power supplied to a signal processing circuit, imbuing the output signal of the signal processing circuit with additional desirable modulation and distortion above and beyond what is typically produced by the signal processing circuit.

A wearable sensor system is disclosed that provides a measurable magnetic field that changes horizontally within the range of motion of human limbs. The wearable sensor system includes a magnetic sensing device, and one or more magnet devices that provide the measurable magnetic field with a strength exceeding the Earth's magnetic field. To this end, the magnetic sensing system provides a personal magnetic field about a user, with that magnetic field traveling with the user and overpowering adjacent interfering fields. The wearable sensor system may include a sensor arrangement that measures a strength of the personal magnetic field and field direction to perform horizontal localization, and may send a representation of a same to a remote computing device to cause an action to occur. Some such actions include output of pre-recorded or synthesized musical notes, for example.