Musical instrument pickup, correspondingly equipped system, and use of an automotive audio bus (A.SUP.2.B) for same

Abstract

A musical instrument pickup, in particular for a plucked string instrument and/or a bowed string instrument. The pickup comprises at least one sensor which is designed to convert soundwaves detected by the sensor into electric signals. The pickup has a digital audio bus interface which is designed to transmit electric signals and supply an electric current to at least parts of the musical instrument pickup via a connection cable which can be releasably connected or captively connected to the digital audio bus interface and which only has two wires or at least two wires. The musical instrument pickup system can be equipped with the musical instrument pickup and can be used as an automotive audio bus for or as an audio bus interface of the pickup.

Claims

1. A musical instrument pickup (1) comprising sensors (S1 S5) for arrangement on or in a musical instrument and a digital audio-bus-interface (ABS), wherein: at least a first of the sensors (S1 S5) is designed as an airborne sound-sensors (S1 S3) in order to convert airborne sound detected by that sensor into electric signals; at least a second of the sensors (S1 S5) is designed as a piezoelectric-sensor (S5) in order to convert pressure and/or mechanical stress into electric signals; at least a third of the sensors (S1-S5) is a structure-borne sound-sensor (S4) designed to detect and convert structure-borne sound into electric signals; and the digital audio-bus-interface (ABS) comprises a connector (A1) with only two contact poles (P1, P2) is designed to both establish a multi-channel digital data connection for transmitting the electric signals of the sensors (S1 S5) and to supply an electric current to at least parts of the musical instrument pickup (1) via a connection cable (K) in the form of an unshielded or shielded two-wire line, wherein the connector (A1) is connected to an audio-bus-transceiver (ABT1) and is or comprises a jack socket.

2. The musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 1, further comprising at least one A/D converter (W) which is designed to encode the electric signals present as analog signals into digital signals.

3. The musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the sensors (S1 S5) is connected to the audio bus interface (ABS) directly or with the interposition of the A/D converter (W).

4. The musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 1, wherein the audio-bus-interface (ABS) is a two-wire digital bus that can be controlled in a clocked manner.

5. The musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 1, wherein the audio-bus-interface (ABS) comprises an audio bus transceiver (ABT1).

6. The musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 5, wherein the audio-bus-transceiver (ABT1) is designed to establish a data connection via the connection cable (K) with another audio bus transceiver (ABT2).

7. A musical instrument pickup system (10), comprising at least one musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 1 and a connection cable (K) which is releasably connected to the connector (A1) of the musical instrument pickup (1).

8. The musical instrument pickup system (10) according to claim 7, further comprising a remote station (G) with another audio-bus-transceiver (ABT2), which is connected to the audio bus transceiver (ABT1) of the musical instrument pickup (1) via the connection cable (K), which is connected to a connector (A2) of the remote station (G).

9. The musical instrument pickup system (10) according to claim 7, wherein the connection cable (K) is shielded or unshielded.

10. The musical instrument pickup system (10) according to claim 7, wherein the connection cable (K) has at least two wires (D1, D2), only two of which at least two wires (D1, D2) are conductively connected to the digital audio bus interface (ABS) of the musical instrument pickup (1).

11. The musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a physical automotive-audio-bus (A.sup.2B) as an audio-bus-interface (ABS).

12. The musical instrument pickup system (10) comprising a connection cable (K) according to claim 7, further comprising a physical automotive-audio-bus (A.sup.2B) as an audio-bus-interface (ABS).

13. The musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a physical 10BASE-T1L-transceiver or a 10BASE-T1L-capable device as an audio-bus-interface (ABS).

14. The musical instrument pickup system (10) comprising a connection cable (K) according to claim 7, further comprising a physical 10BASE-T1L-transceiver or a 10BASE-T1L-capable device as an audio bus interface (ABS).

15. The musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 1, wherein the structure-borne sound-sensor (S4) is a contact pickup.

16. The musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 1, wherein the unshielded or shielded two-wire line is a twisted two-wire line.

17. The musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 1, wherein the two-wire line is releasably connected or captively connected to its connector (A1).

18. The musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 6, wherein the data connection is selected form the group consisting of multi-channel data connections and bidirectional data connections.

19. The musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 8, wherein the connection cable (K) is releasably connected to the connector (A2) of the remote station (G).

20. The musical instrument pickup system (10) according to claim 10, wherein the at least two wires (D1, D2) are twisted wires.

21. The musical instrument pickup (1) according to claim 1, wherein the jack socket is a mono jack socket.

Description

FIGURE DESCRIPTION

(1) The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown schematically in the single figure, from which further advantageous details and effects can emerge. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a musical instrument pickup according to the invention in a purely schematic representation; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a musical instrument pickup system according to the invention with the musical instrument pickup of FIG. 1 in a purely schematic representation.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(4) FIG. 1 shows a musical instrument pickup 1 according to the invention in a its schematic representation. In the embodiment shown here, the musical instrument pickup 1 comprises, purely by way of example, a total of five sensors S1-S5, a total of three sensors S1-S3 of which, also purely by way of example, are designed to detect soundwaves in the form of airborne sound. Each of these sensors S1-S3 can also be referred to as a microphone. Said sensors S1-S3 are combined to form an array SA in order to be able to record, in the best possible way, the sound of a musical instrument (not shown in detail herein) equipped with the musical instrument pickup 1. A fourth sensor S4 is configured to detect soundwaves in the form of structure-borne sound. When used, in particular, in or on a plucked string instrument or bowed string instrument, the fourth sensor S4 can be attached directly to the sound body, in particular to the top, of said musical instrument. A fifth and, in the example shown herein, last sensor S5 is designed as a piezoelectric sensor, which serves to convert pressure and/or mechanical stress into electric signals. When used in a plucked string instrument or bowed string instrument, the fifth sensor S5 can, for example, be arranged in the bridge below the strings in order to record the vibrations generated by the strings and convert them into electric signals.

(5) In the example shown herein, all sensors S1-S5 each deliver electric signals which are present in the form of analog signals. In order to encode them into digital signals, the sensors S1-S5 are first connected to an A/D converter W. For this purpose, each of the sensors S1-S5 is connected in a signal transmitting manner to the A/D converter W via its own cable line K1-K5. After encoding the analog signals coming from sensors S1-S5, they are passed on as digital signals to an audio bus interface ABS. For this purpose, the corresponding digital audio bus interface ABS is connected in a signal transmitting manner to the A/D converter W via a suitable cable line K6.

(6) Compared to the exemplary embodiment shown, in which each sensor S1-S5 is coupled to the audio bus interface ABS via the A/D converter W, at least one of the sensors S1-S5 can of course also be connected directly to the audio bus interface ABS. This requires for this sensor S1-S5 to be designed to supply digital signals.

(7) The digital audio bus interface ABS is a two-wire digital bus that can be controlled in a clocked manner. The audio bus interface ABS has an audio bus transceiver ABT1, which is designed to transmit I.sup.2S audio and I.sup.2C control data together with clock pulse and power. Furthermore, the audio bus interface ABS also has a connector A1, which has only two contact poles P1, P2. Both contact poles P1, P2 of the connector A1 are each connected in a single-wire and signal transmitting manner to the audio bus transceiver ABT1. To illustrate this, the two contact poles P1, P2 in FIG. 1 are each coupled to a contact of the audio bus transceiver ABT1 via a cable line K7, K8. Of course, a two-wire cable line can also be used for this purpose, the two wires of which then connect one of the contact poles P1, P2 of the connector A1 with one of the two contacts of the audio bus transceiver ABT1.

(8) Finally, the connector A1 comprises a jack socket or is designed as such, which serves to receive, in a signal transmitting manner, a jack plug (not shown in detail herein).

(9) FIG. 2 shows a musical instrument pickup system 10 according to the invention, which in the exemplary embodiment shown herein comprises a single musical instrument pickup, which is the previously described musical instrument pickup 1 according to the invention. Another component of the musical instrument pickup system 10 is a connection cable K, which is preferably releasably connectable or couplable to the connector A1 of the musical instrument pickup 1. For the sake of clarity, the length of the connection cable K is variable, which is indicated by two parallel, spaced-apart, inclined and discontinuous lines. A jack plug C1, C2 is arranged at both ends of the connection cable K. As can be seen, the connection cable K in the example shown herein is a two-wire line having two twisted wires D1, D2. For clarity, one of the wires D1 is shown with a continuous wavy line, while the other wire D2 is shown as a discontinuous wavy line. The connection cable K can preferably be designed to be unshielded, wherein, alternatively, a shielded variant can also be used. Of course, the connection cable K can also have more than two wires D1, D2; however, only two wires D1, D2 thereof are connected conductively and thus in a signal transmitting manner with the two jack plugs C1, C2. In any case, the connection cable K can be connected to the audio bus interface ABS of the musical instrument pickup 1 by coupling one of its two jack plugs C1 to the connector A1 of the musical instrument pickup 1 (only indicated herein).

(10) In order to achieve processing of the signals that can be transmitted in this way, a remote station G is provided in the exemplary embodiment shown herein, which also comprises an audio bus transceiver ABT2 with a connector A2 in the form of a jack socket. Alternatively, the connector A2 may comprise such a jack socket. What has already been said about the musical instrument pickup 1 applies also to the design of the connector A2 and its connection to the audio bus transceiver ABT2 of the remote station G. So, the connection cable K is also connectable to the audio bus transceiver ABT2 of the remote station G by coupling the other jack plug C2 of the connection cable K to its connector A2 (also only indicated herein).

(11) Advantageously, both connectors A1, A2 can be designed for coupling a jack plug C1, C2 with a (equivalent to 6.35 mm) outer diameter, as is commonly used for music production devices and on musical instruments equipped with a pickup. Since the connectors A1, A2 each have only two contact poles P1, P2, the respective jack socket can preferably be a mono jack socket. Of course, at least one of the jack sockets can also be designed as a stereo jack socket having more than two contact poles P1, P2 (not shown herein), in which case only two of the total of three contact surfaces of the stereo jack socket separated from one another by insulators are connected to one of the two contact poles P1, P2 in a signal-transmitting manner.

(12) In any case, the audio bus transceiver ABT1 is designed to establish a data connection to the remote station G via the connection cable K. Said data connection is preferably a multi-channel and/or bidirectional connection. The digital audio bus interface ABS of the musical instrument pickup 1 is configured both to transmit electric signals to the remote station G and to supply an electric current to at least part of the musical instrument pickup 1 via the remote station G.

(13) The audio bus transceiver ABT2 of the remote station G is provided to translate the signals arriving from the audio bus transceiver ABT1 of the musical instrument pickup 1 into a different protocol, which can then be further processed by devices commonly used in this area. Said protocol can be a classic protocol such as I.sup.2C, I.sup.2S, TDM, or PDM.

(14) In the simplest case, the remote station G can be connected for example to an amplifier V via another cable line K9, which amplifier V is in turn connected to a loudspeaker L1, L2 via a cable line K10, K11 in each case. In this way, the musical instrument pickup 1 can transmit the sound detected by a musical instrument (not shown in detail herein) to the remote station G via connection cable K, from where the signals generated for this purpose can be amplified by the amplifier V and emitted again by the loudspeakers L1, L2 quasi in real time.

(15) Particularly preferably, a physical automotive audio bus (A.sup.2B) is used as an audio bus interface ABS for both the musical instrument pickup 1 and the musical instrument pickup system 10.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(16) 1Musical instrument pickup 10Musical instrument pickup system A1Connection of 1 A2Connection of G ABT1Audio bus transceiver of 1 ABT2Audio bus transceiver of G C1Jack plug of K C2Jack plug of K D1Wire of K D2Wire of K GRemote station KConnection cable of 10 K1Cable line between S1 and W K2Cable line between S2 and W K3Cable line between S3 and W K4Cable line between S4 and W K5Cable line between S5 and W K6Cable line between W and ABT1 K7Cable line between ABT1 and P1 of A1 K8Cable line between ABT1 and P2 of A1 K9Cable line between ABT2 and V K10Cable line between V and L1 K11Cable line between V and L2 L1Loudspeaker L2Loudspeaker P1Contact pole of A1 P2Contact pole of A1 SAArray of S1-S3 S1Sensor of 1 S2Sensor of 1 S3Sensor of 1 S4Sensor of 1 S5Sensor of 1 WA/D converter of 1