US3675529A - Electromechanical transducer for tuning individual strings of a musical instrument - Google Patents

Electromechanical transducer for tuning individual strings of a musical instrument Download PDF

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Publication number
US3675529A
US3675529A US89389A US3675529DA US3675529A US 3675529 A US3675529 A US 3675529A US 89389 A US89389 A US 89389A US 3675529D A US3675529D A US 3675529DA US 3675529 A US3675529 A US 3675529A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
strings
legs
forked member
group
transducer
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US89389A
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English (en)
Inventor
Albertus Cornelis Van De Woerd
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US Philips Corp
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US Philips Corp
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Application filed by US Philips Corp filed Critical US Philips Corp
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10G—REPRESENTATION OF MUSIC; RECORDING MUSIC IN NOTATION FORM; ACCESSORIES FOR MUSIC OR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. SUPPORTS
    • G10G7/00—Other auxiliary devices or accessories, e.g. conductors' batons or separate holders for resin or strings
    • G10G7/02—Tuning forks or like devices
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
    • G10H3/00—Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means
    • G10H3/12—Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means using mechanical resonant generators, e.g. strings or percussive instruments, the tones of which are picked up by electromechanical transducers, the electrical signals being further manipulated or amplified and subsequently converted to sound by a loudspeaker or equivalent instrument
    • G10H3/14—Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means using mechanical resonant generators, e.g. strings or percussive instruments, the tones of which are picked up by electromechanical transducers, the electrical signals being further manipulated or amplified and subsequently converted to sound by a loudspeaker or equivalent instrument using mechanically actuated vibrators with pick-up means
    • G10H3/18—Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means using mechanical resonant generators, e.g. strings or percussive instruments, the tones of which are picked up by electromechanical transducers, the electrical signals being further manipulated or amplified and subsequently converted to sound by a loudspeaker or equivalent instrument using mechanically actuated vibrators with pick-up means using a string, e.g. electric guitar
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S84/00—Music
    • Y10S84/18—Tuning

Definitions

  • PATENTEDJuL 1 1 1972 ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCER FOR TUNING INDIVIDUAL STRINGS OF A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT The invention relates to an electromechanical transducer for converting the movement of a vibrating string into electric oscillations, in particular for tuning the string.
  • Such transducers are known, for example, in electric guitars, in which the spring vibrates relative to the pole pieces of an electromagnetic system. Thus, the other strings, are not influenced by the transducer.
  • the two remaining strings should be damped so as to prevent them from vibrating in sympathy with the string being tuned.
  • a forked member is provided in which the spacing between the inner surfaces of the legs of the fork is equal to, or smaller than, the spacing between the outer surfaces of the outer strings group of three unitonal strings. This enables the center string to vibrate freely in the space between the legs of the fork while the outer strings are damped.
  • the width of each leg of the fork is greater than, or equal to, the spacing between the two facing surfaces of two adjacent strings. This enables one of the outer strings of a group of three to be tuned while the two remaining strings are damped.
  • each leg is wedge-shaped, which facilitates the attachment of the transducer to the strings.
  • each leg in a further embodiment of an electromechanical transducer according to the invention, the outer and inner surfaces of each leg are provided with notches extending in the direction of the length of the strings along the clamping lines thereof. This enables the legs of the forked member to be clamped more firmly between the strings, so that the transducer is less likely to twist relative to the strings.
  • the parts of the transducing system which cooperate with the vibrating string are located between the legs of the fork.
  • FIG. I shows an electromechanical transducer equipped with an electromagnetic conversion system
  • FIG. 2 shows a similar transducer equipped with an electrostatic conversion system
  • FIG. 3 shows a transducer in which the forked member comprises one metal spring
  • FIG. 4 shows a transducer equipped with two metal springs for an electrostatic conversion system
  • F l6. 5 shows an electromagnetic transducer the conversion system of which is turned through 90 relative to that of FIG.
  • FIGS 1 and 2 show an electromechanical transducer 1 which is provided with a forked member 2 having two legs 3 and 4 which have wedge-shaped ends.
  • the spacing d, between the inner surfaces of the legs 3 and 4 of the fork is slightly smaller than the spacing d, between the outer surfaces of the strings 5 and 6 of a group of three unitonal strings of 5, 6 and 7.
  • FIG. 1 shows, this permits clamping of the electromechanical transducer about the outer strings 5 and 6, notches 8 helping to prevent the transducer from twisting relative to the strings.
  • the vibrations of the center string produce a field variation in an air-gap 9 between pole pieces 10 and 11 of a yoke 12 on which a coil 14 is arranged. Voltages are induced in the coil as a result of the vibrations of the center string 7, which voltages may be taken from output leads 15, if
  • each le of the forked member 2 exceeds the spacin d, between the acmg surfaces of two ad acent strings 7 and In this embodiment also notches 8 prevent the transducer from twisting relative to the strings.
  • the conversion system of FIG. I is an electromagnetic system, obviously it is also possible to use an electrostatic system of the kind shown in FIG. 2, in which the vibrating string varies the capacitance between two plates 16 and 17 which are connected to an amplifier 18 in which the capacitance variations are converted into electric voltages in known manner.
  • This amplifier may be an integrated circuit or a simple transistor which may be accommodated in the transducer.
  • the legs of the fork may be made of a plastic material and may be integral with the transducer in which the electromagnetic or electrostatic system is embedded, but the legs may alternatively be U-shaped metal strings 19 having opposed arcuate portions for engaging the strings as shown, for example, in FIG. 4.
  • each leg of the forked member is a separate string 20 secured to the casing of the transducer 1.
  • the legs 3 and 4 of the forked member are made relatively and intrinsically resilient by a suitable choice of the elasticity or compressibility of the plastics material, which term in this specification includes all elastic non-metallic materials, such as polyvinyl chloride, natural or synthetic rubber and the like, or by a suitable choice of the thickness and the nature of the metal of the springs.
  • the electromagnetic or electrostatic conversion system may also be turned relative to the pole piece, for example, through as is shown in FIG. 5 for the electromagnetic system.
  • a device for use in tuning a group of at least three substantially equispaced parallel strings comprising a forked member having two legs wherein the spacing between the inner surfaces of the legs of the member is at most equal to the spacing between the outer surfaces of the outer strings of the group, the legs of the member thereby restricting vibrational motion of the outer strings, and an electromechanical transducer means afiixed to the forked member for converting vibrations of a single center string of the group into an electrical signal while the other strings of the group are restrained from vibration by the forked member.
  • each leg is provided with notches extending approximately perpendicular to the direction toward which the legs of the fork extend.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Electrophonic Musical Instruments (AREA)
  • General Electrical Machinery Utilizing Piezoelectricity, Electrostriction Or Magnetostriction (AREA)
  • Diaphragms For Electromechanical Transducers (AREA)
  • Details Of Audible-Bandwidth Transducers (AREA)
US89389A 1969-11-27 1970-11-13 Electromechanical transducer for tuning individual strings of a musical instrument Expired - Lifetime US3675529A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL6917828A NL6917828A (fr) 1969-11-27 1969-11-27

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3675529A true US3675529A (en) 1972-07-11

Family

ID=19808486

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US89389A Expired - Lifetime US3675529A (en) 1969-11-27 1970-11-13 Electromechanical transducer for tuning individual strings of a musical instrument

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US3675529A (fr)
JP (1) JPS5012737B1 (fr)
AU (1) AU2261370A (fr)
BE (1) BE759431A (fr)
DE (1) DE2058215A1 (fr)
ES (1) ES193023Y (fr)
FR (1) FR2072454A5 (fr)
GB (1) GB1325569A (fr)
NL (1) NL6917828A (fr)

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4369687A (en) * 1980-06-11 1983-01-25 Meyers Stanley T Pitch sensor
US4452122A (en) * 1982-12-16 1984-06-05 Kovach Bruce F Piano tuning mutes
US5065660A (en) * 1990-05-29 1991-11-19 Buda Eric De Piano tuning system
US6479738B1 (en) 2001-06-27 2002-11-12 Donald A. Gilmore Piano tuner
US20030051596A1 (en) * 1999-12-14 2003-03-20 Peter Gustafsson Electromagnetic microphone for string instruments
US6559369B1 (en) 2002-01-14 2003-05-06 Donald A. Gilmore Apparatus and method for self-tuning a piano
US7122728B1 (en) 2004-06-12 2006-10-17 Russo Stephen M String leveling device and method of use thereof
US20080245218A1 (en) * 2007-04-07 2008-10-09 Bret Thomas Stewart Novel electromagnetic transducer for instrument pickups
US7514626B1 (en) * 2007-12-14 2009-04-07 John Jerome Snyder Method and apparatus for electrostatic pickup for stringed musical instruments
US7989690B1 (en) * 2007-04-16 2011-08-02 Andrew Scott Lawing Musical instrument pickup systems
US8664507B1 (en) 2010-09-01 2014-03-04 Andrew Scott Lawing Musical instrument pickup and methods
US9633637B1 (en) 2015-01-19 2017-04-25 Hood World Productions, LLC Magnetic resonance tuning device for stringed instruments

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2539297A (en) * 1947-02-27 1951-01-23 Lazaro Luis Nicolas Gomez De Electric musical instrument
US2628343A (en) * 1950-02-11 1953-02-10 Varo Mfg Co Inc Mechanical vibrating device
US2725778A (en) * 1952-06-13 1955-12-06 Cronwell John Sound pick-up device for the amplification of banjo music
US3018680A (en) * 1959-12-03 1962-01-30 Paul Les Electrical musical instrument
US3113990A (en) * 1959-01-13 1963-12-10 Zanessi Arrigo Stringed musical instrument
US3183761A (en) * 1962-03-19 1965-05-18 Claude P Van Ooyen Method and means for tuning musical instruments
US3265992A (en) * 1961-02-24 1966-08-09 Litton Systems Inc Pulsed oscillator with start stop controls
US3539700A (en) * 1968-10-10 1970-11-10 Alfred Johnson Stringed musical instrument bridge with dual pickups

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2539297A (en) * 1947-02-27 1951-01-23 Lazaro Luis Nicolas Gomez De Electric musical instrument
US2628343A (en) * 1950-02-11 1953-02-10 Varo Mfg Co Inc Mechanical vibrating device
US2725778A (en) * 1952-06-13 1955-12-06 Cronwell John Sound pick-up device for the amplification of banjo music
US3113990A (en) * 1959-01-13 1963-12-10 Zanessi Arrigo Stringed musical instrument
US3018680A (en) * 1959-12-03 1962-01-30 Paul Les Electrical musical instrument
US3265992A (en) * 1961-02-24 1966-08-09 Litton Systems Inc Pulsed oscillator with start stop controls
US3183761A (en) * 1962-03-19 1965-05-18 Claude P Van Ooyen Method and means for tuning musical instruments
US3539700A (en) * 1968-10-10 1970-11-10 Alfred Johnson Stringed musical instrument bridge with dual pickups

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4369687A (en) * 1980-06-11 1983-01-25 Meyers Stanley T Pitch sensor
US4452122A (en) * 1982-12-16 1984-06-05 Kovach Bruce F Piano tuning mutes
US5065660A (en) * 1990-05-29 1991-11-19 Buda Eric De Piano tuning system
US20030051596A1 (en) * 1999-12-14 2003-03-20 Peter Gustafsson Electromagnetic microphone for string instruments
US6479738B1 (en) 2001-06-27 2002-11-12 Donald A. Gilmore Piano tuner
US6559369B1 (en) 2002-01-14 2003-05-06 Donald A. Gilmore Apparatus and method for self-tuning a piano
US7122728B1 (en) 2004-06-12 2006-10-17 Russo Stephen M String leveling device and method of use thereof
US20080245218A1 (en) * 2007-04-07 2008-10-09 Bret Thomas Stewart Novel electromagnetic transducer for instrument pickups
US7595444B2 (en) * 2007-04-07 2009-09-29 Bret Thomas Stewart Electromagnetic transducer for instrument pickups
US7989690B1 (en) * 2007-04-16 2011-08-02 Andrew Scott Lawing Musical instrument pickup systems
US7514626B1 (en) * 2007-12-14 2009-04-07 John Jerome Snyder Method and apparatus for electrostatic pickup for stringed musical instruments
US8664507B1 (en) 2010-09-01 2014-03-04 Andrew Scott Lawing Musical instrument pickup and methods
US9633637B1 (en) 2015-01-19 2017-04-25 Hood World Productions, LLC Magnetic resonance tuning device for stringed instruments

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2072454A5 (fr) 1971-09-24
ES193023U (es) 1974-10-01
AU2261370A (en) 1972-05-25
DE2058215A1 (de) 1971-06-03
BE759431A (fr) 1971-05-25
ES193023Y (es) 1975-01-16
NL6917828A (fr) 1971-06-01
GB1325569A (en) 1973-08-01
JPS5012737B1 (fr) 1975-05-14

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