A musical device includes a frame including a plurality of receptacles for receiving three-dimensional parts each having a face capable of swapping between at least two orientations in the receptacle; each part including an indexing element of the orientation of the part among at least two orientations, a plurality of detectors, each detector being associated with a receptacle to determine orientation of the part by detecting an indexing element in its receptacle, at least one audio system, inserting at least two parts into their respective receptacles triggering the sound diffusion by the audio system of at least two given music tracks simultaneously based on each of the orientations of said parts determined; the device further including a calculation system to ensure synchronization of the music tracks, soundly diffused simultaneously.

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.

An electronic stringed instrument includes: at least one linear string member to be plucked by a user; a plurality of string support members each supporting the string member at different positions in a longitudinal direction of the string member, each of the string support members being individually deformable in accordance with a plucking of the string member by the user; a plurality of sensors that output signals indicating respective deformation states of the plurality of string support members, wherein the respective deformation states of the plurality of string support members may be different from each other depending on a way the string member is plucked; and at last one processor configured to generate a musical tone control signal based on the signals output from the plurality of sensors.

A single axis position transducer uses an elongate permanent three pole magnet having a radial magnetic field at a spot along the magnet in which the magnetic field has radial field lines that decay as 1/R. R is the distance from the center of the magnet along a radial field line perpendicular to the axis of the magnet. The spot has a first pole of one polarity, and the magnet has poles of the opposite polarity spaced along the magnet on opposite sides of the first pole of the radial magnetic field located at the spot. At least one magnetic field sensor is positioned proximal to the spot along the elongate member that detects the motion of the spot and electrically amplifies the sensor output.

There is provided an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that further improve skills. A load weight control unit controls generation of a load weight that becomes a load with respect to motion when a keyboard is depressed by a pianist, and a keystroke recognition unit recognizes motion of the keyboard. Then, the load weight control unit performs control of starting generation of a predetermined load weight at a timing when the keystroke recognition unit recognizes that the keyboard started to be depressed, and ending generation of the load weight at a timing when the keystroke recognition unit recognizes that the keyboard ended to be depressed and started to return. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a performance skill improvement system that evaluates and trains pianists' force sense.

There is provided an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that further improve skills. A load weight control unit controls generation of a load weight that becomes a load with respect to motion when a keyboard is depressed by a pianist, and a keystroke recognition unit recognizes motion of the keyboard. Then, the load weight control unit performs control of starting generation of a predetermined load weight at a timing when the keystroke recognition unit recognizes that the keyboard started to be depressed, and ending generation of the load weight at a timing when the keystroke recognition unit recognizes that the keyboard ended to be depressed and started to return. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a performance skill improvement system that evaluates and trains pianists' force sense.

A button unit is suspended vertically and has a button body with an actuating surface and a shaft extending downwardly therefrom. An X-Y sensor unit is arranged below the button body for detecting X-Y positions on the actuating surface. The X-Y sensor unit has one opening such that the shaft can move therethrough. One transfer element is elastically suspended below the shaft and moved downwardly upon downward movement of the shaft. A Z sensor unit is arranged below the transfer element. The Z sensor unit has a detection element for detecting 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 shaft and the extension may include a translucent material to form a light guide for illuminating the button body via a light source.

An electronic vibrato system for a stringed instrument comprises an actuator and microcontroller which are disposed within a chassis. The control arm moves the actuator from a resting position to non-resting, rotated positions. The system is below a face of a stringed instrument such that the system has a disposed fulcrum within the instrument. The rotated positions impart resistive forces on said actuator and imparting control signals. The microcontroller processes said control signal and modulates pitch.

A pressure measurement device for use with a musical instrument is provided. The pressure measurement devices has at least one inlet to receive air from a player of the musical instrument as the player plays the musical instrument. The pressure measurement device also has at least one sensor associated with the at least one inlet. The sensor is configured to sense information relating to pressure from the received air in real time as the musical instrument is played.

A vibrato control device for a guitar, including a body, a rotation mechanism within the body having an axis, and an arm connected to the body so as to allow rotation of the arm relative to the body about the axis. The arm is oriented so as to rotate generally parallel to the side of the body. The arm has particular application to a mechanically operated but electronically sensed vibrato control device.