Multi-Microphone Sound Pickup Device for Drum Sets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for capturing high-quality performance sounds from a drum set require multiple microphones to be placed and oriented accurately, which is time-consuming and requires significant knowledge and equipment, limiting portability and ease of installation.
Innovation Solution
A sound pickup device with a housing, mount portion, and multiple microphones oriented in different directions, where the installer includes a vibration absorber to minimize vibration transmission, allowing for easy installation on a drum set with overlapping sound pickup areas outside the object, and a processor to add sound effects to the signal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple microphones are arranged and adjusted to surround the drum set or positioned near striking surfaces, then sound pickup quality is improved, but installation time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple microphones are integrated into a single housing unit with predetermined spatial arrangement, combining what would otherwise be separate microphone installations into one unified device that captures sounds from multiple directions simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The microphones are pre-positioned and pre-oriented within the housing during manufacturing, with their spatial relationships and orientations predetermined to optimize sound pickup without requiring field adjustment by the installer
2Measurement precision
If multiple microphones and mounting equipment are used to achieve appropriate placement, then sound localization accuracy is improved, but device complexity and portability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple microphones and their mounting structures are merged into a single integrated housing unit, reducing the number of separate equipment pieces while maintaining the spatial arrangement necessary for accurate sound localization
Solution Approach 2:
The housing serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, determines microphone orientations, enables mounting on the drum set, and facilitates portability, thereby reducing the need for separate specialized equipment
3Measurement precision
If microphones are manually adjusted and oriented toward striking surfaces, then sound pickup quality is improved, but ease of installation deteriorates due to requiring specialized knowledge
Solution Approach 1:
The microphones are pre-oriented toward the appropriate striking surfaces during manufacturing, with their directions predetermined to capture optimal sound without requiring the installer to have specialized knowledge of microphone positioning
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure itself provides the orientation and positioning functionality, allowing the device to automatically achieve proper microphone alignment through its design rather than requiring manual adjustment by the installer
4Measurement precision
If vibration transmission between housing and sound pickup is reduced, then sound quality is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
A vibration-absorbing material is introduced as an intermediary between the housing and the sound pickup components, serving as a mediator that reduces vibration transmission while being integrated into the existing housing structure without adding significant complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy and accurate capture of performance sounds with reduced equipment and knowledge, improving portability and simplifying the installation process while providing high-quality sound localization.
Implementation Method 1
an installer configured to install the sound pickup on the housing such that each of the plurality of microphones is oriented away from the object when the housing is mounted on the object via the mount portion wherein the installer comprises a vibration absorber formed of a cushioning material and configured to absorb a vibration transmitted between the housing of the device and the sound pickup
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A sound pickup device (10; 10A; 10B; 10C; 10D) includes: a housing (150; 150B; 150C; 150D); a mount portion (170; 170B; 170C; 170D) via which the housing (150; 150B; 150C; 150D) on an object (816; 818) constituting a portion of a musical instrument (810); a sound pickup (110) including a plurality of the microphones (113, 115; 117, 119; 113, 115, 119) respectively oriented in different directions; a first output (191) configured to output a sound signal indicating a sound input to the sound pickup (110); and an installer (130) configured to install the sound pickup (110) on the housing (150; 150B; 150C; 150D) such that each of the plurality of microphones (113, 115; 117, 119; 113, 115, 119) is oriented away from the object (816; 818) when the housing (150; 150B; 150C; 150D) is mounted on the object (816; 818) via the mount portion (170; 170B; 170C; 170D).