Abstract:
A portable device for combining the sounds from at least two users includes a first input for inputting first sounds from a first user, a second input for inputting second sounds from a second user, a circuit to combine the first sounds from the first input and the second sounds from the second input to generate a combined signal and an output circuit to output the combined signal so that the first user and the second user can listen to the combined signal without disturbing other non-musicians.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     Musicians from beginners to experts practice their music almost on a daily basis. This need for practice exists whether or not the musicians are at home or away. This is especially true for musicians who play together in a band or orchestra. This need for practice conflicts with the interest of non-musicians when the musicians practice their music away from the conventional, room-size studio. More particularly, when the musicians practice either at home or on the road, there is a need not to disturb the non-musicians with the sound of the musician&#39;s music.  
         [0002]     Also, there is a need for musicians to equalize their music in order to eliminate undesirable sounds and to enhance the more desirable music.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003]     The present invention provides an apparatus for a musician to practice his/her music with other musicians without the need of the conventional room-size studio or the associated expensive and bulky equipment.  
         [0004]     Additionally, the apparatus of the present invention provides a means for musicians to hold a silent practice session by using headphones and to record the silent practice sessions so that the resulting music from the silent practice sessions are retained for later use. These silent practice sessions are advantageous for use in a hotel room, a cramped apartment, or any other area where a silent practice session is desirable.  
         [0005]     The present invention allows the user to equalize the music input so that undesirable sounds can be eliminated or minimized while the desirable sounds can be enhanced.  
         [0006]     The present invention provides the ability to record and create well produced recordings for example on compact disc or cassette tapes. This allows the musicians to audition for most record labels. These recordings can be edited and enhanced to generate a nearly perfect song or track, saving thousands of dollars in studio editing time.  
         [0007]     The present invention allows a plurality of users to input music into a common portable apparatus so that the inputted music can be heard by all of the users, and other users can input additional music to be combined with all the other inputted music and the resulting combined music can be recorded onto a recording medium. Additionally, the inputted music can be equalized so that undesirable music can be eliminated or reduced and desirable music can be enhanced by the user.  
         [0008]     The number of users could vary depending upon the model of the apparatus.  
         [0009]     The apparatus of the present invention is portable, relatively lightweight, and includes a handle for carrying the apparatus from one location to another.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a Gigbox or apparatus of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates a headphone or WiFi apparatus headphone;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates a circuit diagram to be used with the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a Gigbox: a music mini-studio constructed in accordance with the present invention. The Gigbox  100  includes a grip handle  110  to allow the Gigbox  100  to be portable and to be easily carried from one location to another location. The Gigbox  100  also includes speakers  112  shown on two sides of the upper portion of the Gigbox  100  to output the music or sounds from the Gigbox  100 . Additionally, shown in  FIG. 1  is a recording device  114  to record the music or sounds output from the Gigbox  100 . The recording device  114  is shown in  FIG. 1  in the top portion of the Gigbox  100  which could be both a CD recorder and a tape recorder. Other locations for the recording device  114  are within the scope of the present invention. Along the side of the Gigbox  100  are individual equalizers shown as equalizers  116   a ,  116   b , and  116   c . Taking equalizer  116   a  as an example, equalizer  116   a  equalizes the input music from the first user. In a similar fashion, equalizer  116   b  equalizes the input music from the second user. As a result of equalizer  116   a , the first user can attenuate or reduce undesirable music such as low-frequency music from the music input to the Gigbox  100  or alternatively enhanced the desired music input to the Gigbox  100  such as enhancing the high-frequency music. Each user playing a different tune or vocalizing inputs the music or song into the respective input for example input socket  118   a  or input socket  118   b . The music or song from each user is equalized and then combined and the output of the combined music is output to the respective output socket  120   a  and  120   b . In this manner, the first and the second user can hear the effect of playing together. Furthermore, the results can be saved both on a tape recorder or compact disc recorder.  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  additionally shows the inputs to the Gigbox  100 . The Gigbox  100  includes a input socket  118   a  to accept input music from an instrument such as electric guitars, drum machines, keyboards, microphones or any such instrument which has an appropriate output plug. The Gigbox  100  includes output socket  120   a  to output the music from the Gigbox  100 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  illustrates headphones  210  which could be WiFi headphones or wired headphones for the user to listen to the output music from the Gigbox  100 . Typically, the headphones  210  would be plugged in to the output socket  120   a  for example for the first user. Another user would plug in to output socket  120   b.    
         [0016]     The Gigbox  100  provides a portable way of practicing music while the musicians are away from the conventional room-size studio, and the Gigbox  100  eliminates the need for musicians, from a beginner to an expert, to carry expensive and bulky equipment from location to location. Users of the Gigbox  100  can conduct virtually silent practice sessions anywhere. The sessions can be held virtually anywhere and advantageously where creating high volumes of sounds is unacceptable for example small hotel rooms and apartments, or tiny practice chambers. Furthermore, the Gigbox  100  allows the user to individually equalize the input sounds to allow the various users independent equalization to provide high-quality, ear pleasing sounds. Additionally, the Gigbox  100  allows the user to make balanced, well produce recordings on compact disc or/and cassette tapes. This allows the various users/musicians to create demo tapes and demo CDs which are important in an obtaining an audition from record labels. These recordings can be used to edit and enhance songs or music tracks to a perfect condition and it could save studio editing time.  
         [0017]     The present invention could be made to accommodate various numbers of users for example 3, 5 or 8 users. Consequently, the device could be tailored to the user&#39;s needs, intentions and their budgets. Ideally, the Gigbox  100  would be lightweight for example 20 to 25 pounds. By virtue of the fact that the user can plug in an amplifier into for example input  118   a  and plug in their headphones into output  120   a  allows the user to be ready to make a professional recording. The Gigbox  100  could be modified for specially made microphones and could jack in woodwind, string, and standard percussion instruments. The present invention could include a tape recorder and a compact disc recorder to play the music on the tape recorder and use the compact disc recorder to record the music on a CD in order to make a more permanent recording.  
         [0018]     The device of the present invention combines the functions of a compact disc recorder, speakers, equalizers and a sound mixer which is the main equalizer to provide a Gigbox  100 . The present invention utilizes current technology and adds miniaturization and combination to provide the Gigbox  100 .  
         [0019]     The function of the CD player should use a high-quality compact disc recorder (CDR) to be able to withstand repeated use and would includes the functions of record, erase, playback, skip forward to a track, reverse to a track and stop/eject. The tape recorder would have the same functions as described above; however, the function of erase may not be needed because the user could rewind the tape and record over any mistakes or unwanted selections. Both recording systems namely the tape recorder and the CD recorder could be played through the high Fidelity speakers shown on the top of this Gigbox  100 . The master equalizer which includes a volume knob and possibly a bass boost button to allow the user to adjust the timbre, tone, balance, and overall quality of the sound.  
         [0020]     Furthermore, the Gigbox  100  would allow a single user to sharpen their own vocal and instrumental performances, critique their own songs, tighten beats and raps, and just about any other function that they could do in a full-size music studio.  
         [0021]     Turning now to  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 3  illustrates the major electrical components of the gig box  100 . It should be noted that the letter ‘a’ has been used to designate the apparatus having a mono version, and the letter b has been used to designate the apparatus with a stereo version. Additionally, the subscripts denote different channels for different users, namely S 1  corresponds to a first user, S 2  corresponds to the second user and Sn corresponds to the nth-user. Additionally, T 1 , T 2  and Tn designate a number of transducers for example microphones playback heads etc. The transducer, for example T 1 , is connected to the preamplifier  10 , and a tone regulating circuit  11  is connected to the output of the preamplifier  10 . The operation of the tone regulation circuit  11  is controlled by potentiometers  17 ,  18 . A potentiometer  16  is located upstream of the circuit  11  to control the volume of the signal coming out of the preamplifier  10 . A voltage follower  12  is connected with the output of circuit  11  and has the function to isolate the upstream part of a circuit blocks  10  and  11  from the downstream part. The downstream part includes three band-separating active filters  13 ,  14 ,  15  respectively. The output of the band-separating active filters  13 ,  14 ,  15  from each respective source is connected to summer  50   a  to be summed and output to recorder  101   a  which could be a tape recorder or/and CD recorder to record the summed signal. Lastly, the output of the recorder is output to speaker  112 . A master equalizer could be used to equalize the combined music and song prior to being output at the output socket  120   a - 120   c.    
         [0022]     The present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments. Modification to the specific embodiments are well within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention.