Wireless Electronic Percussion Instruments With Low-Latency Hubs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art wireless electronic drums suffer from latency issues, while wired electronic drums are cumbersome due to the need for multiple connections.
Innovation Solution
The development of wireless electronic percussion instruments with integrated sensors and transmitters that minimize latency by using a hub to convert sensor impulses into MIDI signals, employing a frequency-shift keying modulation scheme, and utilizing a single frequency for message transmission to reduce interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wireless connections are used in electronic drums, then ease of operation is improved, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
A hub device serves as an intermediary between multiple electronic percussion instruments and the audio interface/computer. The hub receives data from multiple instruments simultaneously via wireless connections, consolidates the data stream, and transmits it to the audio interface. This intermediary architecture allows wireless operation without requiring each instrument to maintain separate continuous connections, reducing overall system latency while maintaining ease of wireless operation.
2Loss of time
If wired connections are used in electronic drums, then latency is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple wired connection functions are merged into a single wireless hub device. Instead of requiring separate wired connections from each percussion instrument to the audio interface, all instruments connect wirelessly to the hub, which consolidates their data streams. This merging approach eliminates the need for multiple physical cables and connection points, reducing device complexity while maintaining low latency through efficient data consolidation.
3Ease of operation
If multiple instruments are connected wirelessly, then ease of operation is improved, but interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hub acts as a mediator that receives data from multiple wireless instruments sequentially rather than requiring simultaneous continuous connections. This intermediary approach allows instruments to transmit data in bursts when actuated, with the hub managing the data flow and preventing signal interference between multiple instruments. The hub consolidates these intermittent data streams into a single organized output to the audio interface.
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
The solution achieves low latency of 20 ms or less, allowing seamless integration of multiple instruments with a single hub, reducing the need for wired connections and enabling interchangeable acoustic and electronic modes.
Implementation Method 1
employing a frequency-shift keying modulation scheme
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates generally to electronic musical instruments, systems, and methods. More particularly, this disclosure relates to electronic percussion instruments such as tom toms, snare drums, bass drums, cymbals, and hi-hats, and assemblies of instruments (e.g., percussion instruments), such as drum sets. Even more particularly, this disclosure relates to wireless electronic percussion instruments, and percussion instruments with interchangeable and/or removable components to change the instrument between a traditional percussion instrument (that relies on resonance and/or vibration to produce sound) and an electronic percussion instrument. The present disclosure also relates to electronic cymbal instruments, such as cymbal assemblies and hi-hat assemblies, that can be used in conjunction with a traditional acoustic metal cymbal.