Sound Board Vibration Waveform Recording and Reproduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pianos fail to faithfully replicate the acoustic characteristics of an acoustic piano and struggle with sound volume adjustment, as they generate unintended resonant sounds due to compulsory sound board vibrations mixing with string striking sounds, and lack the ability to record and reproduce sound board vibrations.
Innovation Solution
A musical instrument and sound reproduction apparatus that records and reproduces sound board vibration waveforms, using performance operation keys, sounding members, transmission joints, a vibration waveform detector, and a controller to store and play back vibration waveforms, allowing for faithful acoustic reproduction and sound volume adjustment by exciting the sound board based on recorded waveforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If compulsory vibrations of the sound board are generated by an actuator, then sound volume and audio effects can be enhanced, but resonant sounds mix with string striking sounds to produce unintended acoustic effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary vibration waveform information from the sound board vibrations during recording, and reproduces only these extracted waveforms during playback. This separates the useful sound board vibration characteristics from the harmful resonant sounds generated by compulsory actuator vibrations, allowing faithful reproduction without unintended acoustic effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent records the actual vibration waveforms of the sound board during a performance in advance, storing them for later reproduction. This preliminary recording action captures the natural acoustic characteristics without needing to generate compulsory vibrations during reproduction, thereby avoiding the generation of harmful resonant sounds while maintaining sound volume and quality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If sounds are generated by compulsory vibrations of the sound board in addition to string striking, then audio effects can be added, but the technique cannot faithfully replicate original acoustic characteristics of an acoustic piano
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the actual sound board vibration waveform during recording and uses this copied waveform to drive the sound board during reproduction. This copying approach faithfully replicates the original acoustic characteristics of the acoustic piano, while the recorded waveform data can also be processed to create various audio effects, thus maintaining both fidelity and adaptability.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the system is constructed to merely generate sounds by compulsory vibrations of the sound board, then sound effects can be produced, but sound volumes cannot be adjusted during performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables dynamic adjustment of sound volume during performance by controlling the amplitude and characteristics of the reproduced vibration waveform. The system can modify the recorded waveform data in real-time to adjust volume levels, providing operational flexibility while maintaining the ability to generate various sound effects through waveform processing.
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 faithful reproduction of acoustic piano characteristics and allows for sound volume adjustment by generating sounds purely from sound board vibrations, reducing unintended resonant effects and improving sound fidelity.
Implementation Method 1
a vibration waveform detector configured to detect a vibration waveform corresponding to vibrations of at least one of the sound board and the transmission joints
Implementation Method 2
an excitation device physically excitable in accordance with an input waveform signal and disposed in such a manner that physical vibrations generated by the excitation device are transmitted at least to the sound board
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of transmission joints provided in corresponding relation to the plurality of sounding members and each disposed in such a manner as to physically transmit vibrations of a corresponding one of the sounding members to the sound board
Data Source
AI summary
In a musical instrument, such as a piano, having a sound board, the sound board vibrates in response to vibrations of a string responsive to depression of a key. A waveform corresponding to such vibrations of the sound board is detected and recorded into a memory for each of the keys. The recorded vibration waveform is usable for reproduction of a sound based on sound board vibrations. In a sound reproduction apparatus, such as a piano, having a sound board, an excitation device physically excitable in response to an input waveform is provided on the sound board. In response to an operation of a key, a sound board vibration waveform corresponding to the operated key is read out from the memory, and the excitation device is driven in accordance with the read-out waveform signal so that the sound board is vibrated.