Patent GB-1007377-A (GB)
Title: Musical instrument
IPC: G10H3/09
Filed: 1962-08-07
Abstract: 1,007,377. Electrophonic organs; selective tape player. H. C. CHAMBERLIN. Aug. 7, 1962, No. 30240/62. Headings G5J and G5R. An electrophonic musical instrument has three keyboard sections devoted respectively to melody, harmony, and rhythm. Associated with each key is a magnetic tape record bearing three parallel tracks each track being divided into six sections. The tapes associated with the melody keys bear records of individual notes from a plurality of like instruments or from the human voice. Corresponding sections of different melody tapes bear similar recordings differing only in pitch. Each section of a tape associated with a key in the rhythm section bears a record of a chord produced by a group of one kind of instrument or of various instruments such as a banjo, a guitar, a bass viol and drums, the chord being repeated with a characteristic tempo, for example, of a waltz or of a foxtrot. Corresponding sections of the different rhythm tapes bear records of the same instruments playing at the same tempo but differing in pitch. The harmony keys and tapes are similar to the rhythm keys and tapes but the recorded instruments are different. Saxophones and trombones may be recorded on the harmony tapes. Between setting operations, reproduction is confined to one section of each tape. Key control of reproduction.-Tapes 10 are stored in spools on rollers 12 and 13, one roller 12 being common to all the melody tapes and a second roller 12 being common to all the rhythm and harmony tapes. Rollers 13 are similarly arranged. A tape 10 runs from a normally fixed roller 12 over pulleys 17, 19, 22, 23 and a roller 40. When a key 11 is depressed, roller 40 presses the tape into contact with a magnetic pick-up head 25 and engages a drive roller 28 which feeds a length of tape into a receiver 29. As roller 12 is fixed, pulleys 19, 23 rise and extend spring 30 which withdraws the tape from receiver 29 when the key is released. Reproduction is thus confined to one section of the tape. A note or chord can be sustained for up to eight seconds without unduly extending spring 30. The same note may be played by depressing a pedal 43 linked to the key 11 by a wire 46. Operation of the key does not operate the pedal. Change of track.-The pick-up heads 25 of a section are carried by a support 55 mounted on rollers 58 so that they can be shifted to read any one of the three tracks. Vertical rods 67 carried by the supports are controlled by keylike arrangements 66 controlled by knobs 59. Change of section.-A chain 70 driven by a motor 76 turns a pair of rollers 12, 13 to bring different sections of the corresponding tapes into operation. A knob 79, Figs. 1, 8 is set to the one of the six sections it is desired to use and a friction-operated switch 84 is momentarily closed to operate a forward-drive relay 85 and to start the motor 76. A reverse-drive relay 86 operates to reverse the drive later. A control tape with apertures 82, 83 &c. opens appropriate contacts of contacts A, B, C, D to stop the motor when the diesired section is in position for reproduction. A friction-operated switch 89 enables the drivng mechanism to reverse and hunt for the desired setting when it overshoots. A relay 90, normally energized in the motor driving circuit allows an indicator light 91 to operate when the motor stops and the tapes are set. A switch 94 disables the motor whenever a playing key is operated. A switch 96 disables the motor if spring 30 is extended unduly when, for example, the control tape fails to stop the motor.