Drum guitar, drum guitar system

Abstract

We provide a drum guitar and drum guitar system that can move freely around the stage during live performances. [Solution] The drum guitar 2 has a plate-shaped body 12 to which a shoulder strap 15 can be attached and detached, a rail 13 provided on the body 12, and at least one pad unit 6, 6 held on the rail 13, and the pad unit 6, 6 is characterized by having a plurality of pads 9 to which drum sounds are assigned.

Description

Technical Field

[0007] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a drum guitar, which is an electronic drum that can be played by hanging it on the shoulder like a guitar.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a finger drum is known as a type of electronic drum (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since conventional finger drums are used by being placed on a table or the like, users could not freely move on the stage during live performances.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a drum guitar and a drum guitar system that can freely move on the stage during live performances.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention has a plate-shaped body with a detachable strap for hanging on the shoulder, a rail provided on the body, and at least one pad unit held on the rail, and provides a drum guitar characterized in that the pad unit includes a plurality of pads to which drum sounds are assigned.

[0007] Also, the present invention The above drum guitar and, A control device for assigning drum sounds to the pads of the pad unit, The present invention provides a drum guitar system comprising: a speaker for outputting the drum sounds assigned to the pads of the pad unit; and a speaker for outputting the drum sounds assigned to the pads of the pad unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this invention, it is possible to provide a drum guitar and drum guitar system that can move freely on stage during live performances. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a drum guitar system equipped with a drum guitar according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the pad unit removed from the drum guitar rail, and the second rail section removed from the first rail section of the rail. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a drum guitar with only one pad unit attached to the rail. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] A drum guitar system equipped with a drum guitar according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the attached drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the drum guitar system 1 includes a drum guitar 2, a control device 3, an audio interface 4, and a pair of speakers 5, 5.

[0011] The control device 3 is a personal computer (PC) with a typical configuration, and in this embodiment, a notebook PC is used. The control device 3 is connected to the two pad units 6, 6 of the drum guitar 2 (described later) via cables 7, 7, and further connected to the audio interface 4 via cable 8.

[0012] The control device 3 has software installed (hereinafter referred to as "music software") that outputs drum sounds to the speakers 5, 5 based on signals input when the user plays the drum guitar 2, that is, when the pad units 6, 6 of the drum guitar 2 are operated.

[0013] The music software includes various drum sounds (drum sound information) for an acoustic drum set, such as bass drum, floor tom, snare drum, tom, cymbal, and hi-hat cymbal. The user can use the music software to assign their desired drum sounds to the pad unit 6 of the drum guitar 2, and to the multiple pads 9 of 6, which will be described later.

[0014] The audio interface 4 is connected to the speakers 5, 5 via cables 11, 11. The audio interface 4 transmits signals from the control unit 3 to the speakers 5, 5, and outputs drum sounds to the speakers 5, 5 in high quality. Furthermore, the audio interface 4 may be connected to other peripheral devices, such as headphones, in addition to the speakers 5, 5.

[0015] The Drum Guitar 2 is a guitar-shaped electronic drum that can be played by the user while slung over their shoulder, and as shown in Figure 1, it has a body 12, a rail 13, and two pad units 6, 6.

[0016] The body 12 is made of a wooden, roughly gourd-shaped plate-like member, and in this embodiment, a known solid body of an electric guitar is used. A groove 14 is formed in the center of the surface of the body 12, extending in the longitudinal direction of the body 12 and having a constant width and depth. The body 12 is provided with projections 19, 19 at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a long, narrow, strip-shaped shoulder strap 15 is detachably attached to them, similar to a known guitar. The user can hang the drum guitar 2 over their shoulder using this shoulder strap 15.

[0017] Note that the shape of the body 12 is not limited to the gourd shape, and other shapes such as V-shaped, round, rectangular, etc. are also acceptable. Also, the body 12 is not limited to being made of wood, and it may be made of other materials such as resin.

[0018] The rail 13 corresponds to the neck portion of a known electric guitar, is attached to the groove portion 14 of the body 12, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the body 12. The rail 13 detachably holds the two pad units 6, 6 and can adjust the position in the longitudinal direction. The rail 13 is composed of a first rail portion 16 fixed to the groove portion 14 of the body 12, a second rail portion 17, and a connecting portion 18 that detachably connects these.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the first rail portion 16 is composed of a pair of elongated plate-like members 21, 21 made of metal and having an L-shaped cross section. The second rail portion 17 is composed of a pair of plate-like members 22, 22 similar to the plate-like members 21, 21 of the first rail portion 16 and a plurality of elongated plate-like members 23 that connect them in a ladder shape. The connecting portion 18 is composed of a pair of plate-like members 24, 24 made of metal, shorter than the plate-like members 21, 21 and having an L-shaped cross section, and a plurality of screws 25.

[0020] In the rail 13 having the above configuration, one end of the plate-like members 21, 21 of the first rail portion 16 is overlapped with one half of the inner surface of the plate-like members 24, 24 of the connecting portion 18 and fixed with screws 25, 25, and one end of the plate-like members 22, 22 of the second rail portion 17 is overlapped with the remaining half of the inner surface of the plate-like members 24, 24 and fixed with screws 25, 25, whereby the first rail portion 16 and the second rail portion 17 can be connected (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0021] It is preferable to use hand-tightenable screws 25 for the connecting portion 18, such as wing bolts and corresponding wing nuts. Thereby, the user can easily perform the operation of connecting the second rail portion 17 to the first rail portion 16 and the operation of removing the second rail portion 17 from the first rail portion 16 without the need for tools or the like.

[0022] The shape and material of the plate-shaped members 21, 21 of the first rail section 16 are not limited to those described above. For example, a single plate-shaped member with a U-shaped cross-section may be used instead of the plate-shaped members 21, 21. The same applies to the plate-shaped members 22, 22 of the second rail section 17 and the plate-shaped members 24, 24 of the connecting section 18. In addition, other fastening means may be used instead of the screws 25 of the connecting section 18. The plate-shaped members 24, 24 of the connecting section 18 may be pre-fixed to the plate-shaped members 21, 21 of the first rail section 16 or the plate-shaped members 22, 22 of the second rail section 17 by welding.

[0023] The pad units 6, 6 are input devices for the user to input signals (performance information) to the control device 3 by performing a musical act, specifically by tapping with their fingers. The pad units 6, 6 are attached to the first and second rail sections 16, 17 by being fitted between the plate-shaped members 21, 21 of the first rail section 16 and between the plate-shaped members 22, 22 of the second rail section 17. However, the method of attachment is not limited to this, and for example, the pad units 6, 6 may be fixed to the first and second rail sections 16, 17 with screws.

[0024] The pad units 6, 6 use a standard MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) pad controller. As shown in Figure 1, the pad units 6, 6 have a thin, elongated rectangular box-shaped housing 26 on its top surface, equipped with multiple pads (switches) 9, various switches 27, and a small display 28. The housing 26 contains sensors (not shown) that detect tap operations on the pads 9 by the user and output signals, as well as a rechargeable battery (not shown).

[0025] In this embodiment, the multiple pads 9 are square-shaped and of the same size, arranged in a 2x8 grid with a total of 16 pads in the housing 26. As mentioned earlier, each pad 9 is assigned a drum sound by the music software of the control device 3. The shape, number, and layout of the multiple pads 9 are not limited to those of this embodiment. For example, the multiple pads 9 may be arranged in an arch shape to facilitate tapping operations for the user.

[0026] The display 28 can show the status of the pad units 6, 6, such as power on / off and battery level. The various switches 27 include a power switch, a volume control switch, a switch to display an effects menu on the display 28 to apply effects to the drum sounds assigned to each pad 9, and a switch to select the desired effect.

[0027] According to the drum guitar system 1 configured as described above, the user plays the drum guitar 2 by slung over their shoulder, that is, by tapping the pads 9 of the pad units 6, 6, the drum sound corresponding to that pad 9 can be output from the speakers 5, 5. Specifically, when the user taps the pad 9 of the pad unit 6 held on the first rail section 16 with the fingers of their right hand, or taps the pad 9 of the pad unit 6 held on the second rail section 17 with the fingers of their left hand, a signal is input from the pad units 6, 6 to the control device 3, and based on this, the control device 3 outputs a signal for the drum sound corresponding to that pad 9. This signal is input to the speakers 5, 5 via the audio interface 4, and drum sounds are emitted from the speakers 5, 5.

[0028] As mentioned above, the user can play the Drum Guitar 2 while it is slung over their shoulder, so their position during performance is not restricted, unlike with conventional acoustic drum sets, conventional electronic drum sets, or conventional finger drums. Therefore, the user can move freely around the stage during live performances and perform with greater freedom.

[0029] Furthermore, the user can adjust the position of the pad units 6, 6, which are held between the first and second rail sections 16, 17 of the drum guitar 2, by sliding them longitudinally. This allows the user to position the pad units 6, 6 on the first and second rail sections 16, 17 in a comfortable playing position according to their physique, arm length, hand size, finger length, etc., enabling them to play the drum guitar 2 comfortably.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the user can remove the second rail section 17 from the first rail section 16 and use the drum guitar 2 with only one pad unit 6 attached to the first rail section 16, meaning they can play one pad unit 6 with both hands. In this state, the drum guitar 2 (referred to as the "ukulele drum") is compact and lightweight, making it easy to handle and less tiring to play for extended periods.

[0031] Furthermore, when the drum guitar 2 is not in use, the user can make the drum guitar 2 more compact by removing the second rail section 17 from the first rail section 16, making it easier to carry and store in a small space.

[0032] Furthermore, the user can remove the pad units 6, 6 of the drum guitar 2 from the first and second rail sections 16, 17, and place the pad units 6, 6 on a table or the like and use them in the same way as a known finger drum.

[0033] As mentioned above, Drum Guitar 2 is equipped with two pad units 6, 6, but the number of pad units 6, 6 is not limited to this, and it may be configured to have, for example, three or more units. As described above, the drum guitar 2 has two rail sections (first and second rail sections 16 and 17), but the number of rail sections is not limited to this, and it may be configured to have three or more, for example.

[0034] Although the drum guitar system 1 is equipped with an audio interface 4 as described above, it may be omitted and the signal may be directly input from the control unit 3 to the speakers 5, 5. The drum guitar 2 may have a configuration in which the pad units 6, 6 incorporate a control unit with music software installed, and the pad units 6, 6 or the body 12 are equipped with speakers. This allows the control unit 3, audio interface 4, and speakers 5, 5 of the drum guitar system 1 to be omitted, and the drum guitar 2 can output drum sounds on its own.

[0035] In the drum guitar system 1, drum sounds are assigned to each pad 9 of the pad units 6, as described above. However, the system is not limited to this, and the user may assign other electronic sounds, such as the sounds of instruments other than drums, to each pad 9 using the music software of the control device 3.

[0036] As described above, the drum guitar system 1 is equipped with a notebook PC as the control device 3, but it is not limited to this, and may also be configured with a desktop PC with music software installed. Alternatively, the drum guitar system 1 may be configured with a portable device, such as a tablet or smartphone, with music software installed as the control device 3.

[0037] As described above, the drum guitar system 1 connects the drum guitar 2, control unit 3, audio interface 4, and speakers 5, 5 via wired connections using cables 7, 8, and 11. However, it may also be configured for wireless connection. This would allow the user to move more freely on stage during live performances.

[0038] As described above, the drum guitar 2 is configured to be made more compact by removing the second rail section 17 from the first rail section 16, but the configuration of the rail 13 is not limited to this. For example, instead of the rail 13, the body 12 may be equipped with a rail that can be extended and retracted in the longitudinal direction, and when in use the rail the pad units 6, 6 are attached by extending the rail, and when not in use the pad units 6, 6 are removed from the rail and the rail is retracted and stored in the body 12.

[0039] According to this embodiment, it is possible to realize a drum guitar 2 that can move freely on the stage during live performances, and a drum guitar system 1 equipped with it. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 Drum and Guitar System 2 Drums Guitar 3. Control device 4 Audio Interfaces 5 speakers 6-Pad Unit 7 Cables 8 Cables 9 pads 11 Cables 12 Body 13 rails 16. First rail section 17. Second rail section 18 Connecting part 26 cabinets 27 Various switches 28 displays

Claims

1. A flat body with a detachable shoulder strap, The rail provided on the aforementioned body, It comprises at least one pad unit held on the rail, The drum guitar is characterized in that the pad unit has multiple pads to which drum sounds are assigned.

2. The drum guitar according to claim 1, characterized in that the rail holds at least one of the pad units in a detachable and longitudinally adjustable manner.

3. The drum guitar according to claim 2, characterized in that the rail has a first rail portion fixed to the body, a second rail portion, and a connecting portion for detachably connecting the second rail portion to the first rail portion.

4. The first rail section has a pair of plate-like members with an L-shaped cross-section that are fixed to the body. The second rail section has a pair of plate-like members with an L-shaped cross-section, The connecting portion comprises a pair of plate-like members with an L-shaped cross-section and a plurality of screws. The drum guitar according to claim 3, characterized in that the first rail section and the second rail section are connected by overlapping one end of the plate-shaped member of the first rail section and one end of the plate-shaped member of the second rail section with the plate-shaped member of the connecting section and fixing them with the screws.

5. A drum guitar according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A control device for assigning drum sounds to the pads of the pad unit, A drum guitar system characterized by having a speaker for outputting the drum sounds assigned to the pads of the pad unit.

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