WO2012085349A1 - Sillet pour instrument de musique à cordes - Google Patents

Sillet pour instrument de musique à cordes Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2012085349A1
WO2012085349A1 PCT/FI2011/051143 FI2011051143W WO2012085349A1 WO 2012085349 A1 WO2012085349 A1 WO 2012085349A1 FI 2011051143 W FI2011051143 W FI 2011051143W WO 2012085349 A1 WO2012085349 A1 WO 2012085349A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
saddle
string
piezoelectric
vibrator
converter
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/FI2011/051143
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Mauri Konttinen
Samuli Konttinen
Original Assignee
Mauri Konttinen
Samuli Konttinen
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Mauri Konttinen, Samuli Konttinen filed Critical Mauri Konttinen
Publication of WO2012085349A1 publication Critical patent/WO2012085349A1/fr

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Classifications

    • 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
    • G10H3/24—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 incorporating feedback means, e.g. acoustic
    • G10H3/26—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 incorporating feedback means, e.g. acoustic using electric feedback
    • 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
    • G10H3/186—Means for processing the signal picked up from the strings
    • 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
    • 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
    • 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
    • G10H2220/00—Input/output interfacing specifically adapted for electrophonic musical tools or instruments
    • G10H2220/461—Transducers, i.e. details, positioning or use of assemblies to detect and convert mechanical vibrations or mechanical strains into an electrical signal, e.g. audio, trigger or control signal
    • G10H2220/465—Bridge-positioned, i.e. assembled to or attached with the bridge of a stringed musical instrument
    • G10H2220/491—Two or more transducers per string, e.g. 8 transducers on a 4-string violin bridge
    • 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
    • G10H2220/00—Input/output interfacing specifically adapted for electrophonic musical tools or instruments
    • G10H2220/461—Transducers, i.e. details, positioning or use of assemblies to detect and convert mechanical vibrations or mechanical strains into an electrical signal, e.g. audio, trigger or control signal
    • G10H2220/525—Piezoelectric transducers for vibration sensing or vibration excitation in the audio range; Piezoelectric strain sensing, e.g. as key velocity sensor; Piezoelectric actuators, e.g. key actuation in response to a control voltage

Definitions

  • This invention relates in general to a saddle for a string instrument and, especially, to a method and a sustain device for maintaining the vibration of a string of a string instrument.
  • the invention relates particularly to a sustain device of an electric guitar.
  • Sustain may be seen as a state where the vibration of a string does not naturally attenuate, but the string remains in a vibrating state for a long time. To achieve this state, there must exist a feedback of some kind, one component of which is the string.
  • This feedback may be controlled, uncontrolled or weakly controlled.
  • An uncontrolled feedback is created when playing an acoustic guitar with a microphone installed in its sound hole, when the guitar, when played at a high sound volume through an amplifier, starts to resonate within a specific frequency range or a multiple thereof. Resonance vibration is transferred from the strings to the microphone and from there on to a loudspeaker, then back to the guitar etc.
  • a weakly controlled feedback is created when playing an electric guitar at a sufficient enough sound volume and within a suitable distance to the loudspeaker. The guitar starts to resonate with the sound from the loudspeaker, and the microphone picks up the vibration thus created and sends it to the amplifier. This is the traditional way of creating a sustain state based on acoustic vibration without extra equipment, and it has been used by Jimi Hendrix, for example.
  • a controlled feedback is achieved when the participating components are located within the instrument, although the amplifier may as well be outside the instrument. Feedback takes place between a guitar microphone, a string, an amplifier and a vibrator influencing the string.
  • the string is influenced by an element placed in its vibrating area creating a changing magnetic field. This way is used, for example, in Fernandes guitars. Such a method requires steel strings to function. Sustain is only present after a short delay.
  • US-4, 907,483, Rose et al. presents an example of a sustain state created via electromagnetic feedback. It discloses a sustain device of an electrical guitar where guitar strings are affected via a magnetic coupling. Reference is made to Fig. 1.
  • a signal from electromagnetic microphone 1 inside a guitar is transferred via control unit 4 to sustain element 5 consisting of a permanent magnet and a coil surrounding it.
  • sustain element 5 consisting of a permanent magnet and a coil surrounding it.
  • a permanent magnet produced constant magnetic flux located perpendicularly to the plane formed by the strings pulls the metal strings in the direction of the element with a constant force. When this flux is being affected by a changing voltage brought into the coil, the effect of the force is reduced or increased according to the voltage.
  • Loop control is performed by feedback element 4 that processes the control in accordance with a signal from microphone 1.
  • a special purpose of the feedback element is to produce such a drive signal that the change of the magnetic flux is in the same phase with the vibration of the guitar string.
  • Vibrators are based on electromagnetism. Due to their big size, they cannot be placed in the bridge; but they are placed in the body of the instrument, in the case of a guitar, often in the headstock at the end of the neck. A loudspeaker built in the instrument body is also a vibrator. There is a clear delay in the developing of the sustain effect.
  • US-4,245,540, Groupp presents an example of a sustain state created via electromechanic feedback. It discloses a sustain device of an electrical guitar where guitar strings are influenced via acoustic coupling. Reference is still made to Fig. 1. A signal from electromagnetic microphone 1 of the guitar is transferred via amplifier 2 to loudspeaker 3 which has been placed below the strings in a space gouged in the instrument with the loudspeaker cone facing the strings. The loudspeaker is very close to the strings at a distance corresponding to a few multiples of the string thickness, and it is protected against a direct acoustic and electromagnetic coupling with the microphone.
  • Loudspeaker 3 vibrates in rhythm with the vibrations of the string and it is driven by a signal produced and amplified by microphone 1, and, according to Groupp, the change in air pressure produced by the cone amplifies the vibration of the string in the same rhythm.
  • the loop is thus maintained so that the microphone picks up the vibrations, the amplified microphone signal is transferred to the loudspeaker, and the change in air pressure produced by it amplifies the string vibration.
  • Sustain feedback is created directly between the loudspeaker and strings by air, in other words, not as an acoustic feedback between them, which has been especially prevented.
  • a converter such as an electrostatic, a capacitive or a piezoelectric converter may be used instead of the guitar's own microphone.
  • Typical of the prior art sustain solutions is that the feedback may be accomplished for one string at a time, in other words, the sustain is monophonic.
  • each string must have their own microphones, amplifiers and vibrators. In addition, they must be located very close to the string, except for the amplifier that may as well be outside the instrument.
  • a problem of the known sustain devices is that there is a delay in achieving the sustain state due to the delay of the elements creating the feedback and the length of the feedback. Maintaining this state for a long time is also hard, as the vibrator brings in only a little of extra energy to the string, the vibration of which is attenuated rather soon despite the presence of a sustain device.
  • An objective of the invention is to provide a sustain device that solves the above-described problems.
  • the device must be able to maintain a sustain state of a steel string instrument for a long time, and it must also be suited to be used with a non-metal string, in other words, a nylon string, instrument.
  • the invention is based on the insight of not directly influencing the strings, but influencing the strings indirectly through the bridge of the instrument, more specifically, through the saddle, to create a sustain state. It is well known that the energy of a vibrating string is transferred from the string through the bridge into the cover of the instrument. As is known, the sound of an acoustic instrument is produced so that a vibrating bridge makes the cover of the instrument to vibrate.
  • the invention takes advantage of this basic fact, and a converter is placed in the saddle to convert the mechanical vibration of the saddle produced by the string into an electric signal.
  • the converter is preferably a piezoelectric converter.
  • the electric signal is transferred to a control unit which, responsive to the signal, creates a drive signal.
  • This drive signal is used to control a piezoelectric vibrator placed in the saddle, the mechanical vibration of the vibrator causing the saddle to vibrate at essentially the same frequency as the string does.
  • the frequency may be merely the basic frequency, but also its harmonic frequencies.
  • the string continues in the vibrating state for as long as the saddle brings extra energy into it. The extra energy may be brought in endlessly, as the vibrating string transfers energy to the saddle, the converter converts the vibrational energy into an electric signal, on the basis of which the vibrator is further driven.
  • the components of the sustain loop thus comprises the string, the bridge saddle as well as the converter, the vibrator and the control unit placed in it.
  • An essential requirement is that the converter and the vibrator are located in the saddle at such a distance to each other and to the uppermost surface of the saddle that the energy brought in by the vibrator is essentially transferred to the string of the instrument and the energy received by the converter comes essentially from the string of the instrument.
  • each string of the instrument there is a saddle piece according to the invention, and the control unit processes separately the electric signal coming from each saddle converter producing a separate drive signal for each saddle vibrator.
  • the sustain implementation of the invention brings extra energy into the string of the instrument immediately after the note has bee plucked. This is considerably advantageous, for example, when playing using a single hand or a two-hand tapping technique.
  • the known electromagnetism-based devices exhibit a clear delay between the firing of the note and the onset of feedback action. Thus, they do not accomplish the benefit of extra energy in fast playing.
  • a sustain device implemented according to the invention does not bind the magnet microphones of the guitar in any way, but the player can choose them completely freely.
  • the device of the invention produces a sustain circuit audio signal that may be manipulated in various ways, for example, by overdriving or equalizing it. By slightly overdriving the signal, an effect is immediately heard in the sustain circuit sound; however, it does not yet affect essentially the behavior of the string. By increasing the amount of overdiriving, the string also starts to vibrate differently, which may also be heard through magnet microphones.
  • the signals of the guitar microphones and the sustain circuit may also be mixed together, thus creating sounds of countless various types.
  • Fig. 1 represents two prior art sustain arrangements in the same
  • Fig. 2 represents an electric guitar bridge of prior art
  • Fig. 3 represents a saddle according to the basic principle of the
  • Fig. 4 depicts an embodiment of the saddle
  • Fig. 5 is an explosion view of the saddle of Fig. 4,
  • Fig. 6 represents a saddle on the surface of an instrument
  • Fig. 7 represents a way of attaching saddle parts
  • Fig. 8 is a side view of the saddle of Fig. 7,
  • FIG. 9-13a, 13b represent different implementations of the saddle
  • Fig. 14 represents an alternative way of keeping the saddle parts
  • Fig. 15 is an end view of the saddle for a bridge body of Fig. 16, Fig. 16 represents a bridge body when seen from above, and
  • Fig. 17 represents a bridge when seen from the direction of the
  • Fig. 2 represents common electric guitar bridge 20 that is comprised of metallic, for example, stainless steel or aluminum based, body 21. At the ends of the body, there are holes through which it has been attached to the electrical guitar board by screws or bolts in such a way that height H of the body from the surface and, thus, the distance of the strings to the guitar fingerboard may be adjusted with adjustment nuts 24, 25 or adjustment screws. There are through holes 26 in the bridge body, and each hole has saddle 23. For each string of the instrument, there is a saddle, thus bringing the amount of holes to six. The string of the instrument vibrates between the saddle in the upper part of the fingerboard and the bridge saddle.
  • each saddle must be adjustable in direction L of the string using adjustment screw or nut 22. This adjustment is called the adjustment of intonation.
  • Fig. 3 depicts the basic principle of the saddle of the invention accomplishing the sustain function.
  • Reference number 30 refers to a sustain device as a whole, which device is comprised of saddle 301 , a converter, i.e. microphone 35, placed in the saddle converting the acoustic vibration traveling in a solid medium into an electric signal, vibrator 36 placed in the saddle and electronic control circuit 302.
  • the principle of the invention is that the microphone registers the vibrations of the saddle produced by the string and, as a response to them, produces an electric signal.
  • the signal is transferred to control circuit 302 that produces a drive signal to vibrator 36 making it to vibrate.
  • the frequency of the drive signal may be the basic frequency of the vibrating string; however, according to a selection it may also be one of the harmonic frequencies of the basic frequency.
  • the control circuit is used to produce such a drive signal that the vibrator vibrates preferably in rhythm with the string extending over string bridge 33. Because, on one hand, microphone 35 continually registers vibration conducted from the string to the saddle, vibrator 36 is able to maintain the vibration of the string for as long as it receives a drive signal from the control circuit.
  • Both the microphone and the vibrator are piezoelectric components.
  • the piezo component is characterized by the ability to change its volume, i.e. the ability to produce a force when a voltage is conducted to it and, respectively, to generate a voltage when a force influences it.
  • Piezo microphones are commercially available from various manufacturers, and they utilize the ability of the piezo crystal to convert vibrations into an electric signal when it is subjected to a pressure.
  • piezo vibrators are available that vibrate (crystal transformation) according to the voltage variation conducted to them.
  • Saddle 301 consists of two parts: upper part 31 for contacting the string and lower part 32 through which the saddle is attached to the bridge body (not shown in the figure). Both vibrator 36 and microphone 35 have been placed in the saddle in such a way that the vibrator mainly influences the upper part of the saddle, and, respectively, the microphone registers an acoustic signal coming mainly from the upper part of the saddle.
  • Fig. 3 represents a case where both vibrator 36 and microphone 35 have been placed in between the upper and lower parts of the saddle.
  • each instrument string 34 extends over the string ridge of its own saddle and is pressed against it with a force F.
  • the straight part of the string depicted being on the left side of the figure is a part of the vibrating string, and the oblique part on the right side ends in a stopbar tailpiece.
  • the string ridge may be a fixed part of the upper part of the saddle, i.e. formed from the same preform, or it may be a separate piece attached on the upper surface of the saddle.
  • the dimensions of the saddle are somewhat freely selectable, however with the limitation that length D2 of the saddle in string 34 direction and width D3 of the saddle are perpendicular to the string direction such that as many saddles may be attached to the bridge body as there are strings in the instrument.
  • the term “saddle piece” may be used, and in this application “saddle” and “saddle piece” have identical meanings.
  • lower part 32 of the saddle is a rectangle shaped body; however, in reality it is formed to be suitable for attachment to a separate bridge body, as described later in this application.
  • string 34 extending over string ridge 33 creates in the static state a constant force F that is directed below and received by the saddle.
  • the energy of the vibration is transferred from the string to the saddle and further through the bridge body into the guitar body.
  • the saddle according to the invention must attenuate the vibrations as little as possible so that microphone 35 is able to effectively convert the vibration conducted from the string to the saddle into an electric signal and that the vibrational energy produced by vibrator 36 is conducted to the string with as small a loss as possible
  • the saddle material must conduct the vibrations effectively.
  • the most preferable material is bone or artificial bone. In addition, bone acts as an electrical insulation.
  • the positions of the microphone and the vibrator in the saddle are essential. For as little as possible of the energy produced by the vibrator to be conducted through the saddle material to the microphone and for as much of the energy to be transferred to the string, the microphone and the vibrator must be at a sufficient distance from each other.
  • the inventors have found that the practically most preferable solution is the one where the vibrator and the microphone are located in the saddle on different sides of the string ridge, as the microphone is located, when viewing from the direction of the string bridge, on the side of the rear part of the guitar, in other words, the stopbar tailpiece, whereas the vibrator is on the side of the fingerboard (free string).
  • the vibrator and the microphone are located in the saddle on different sides of the string ridge, as the microphone is located, when viewing from the direction of the string bridge, on the side of the rear part of the guitar, in other words, the stopbar tailpiece, whereas the vibrator is on the side of the fingerboard (free string).
  • an opposite placement works, too.
  • a minimum limit is set by the distance where the vibrational energy produced by the vibrator to the saddle starts to disruptively travel directly to the microphone, whereby the microphone starts to listen to the vibrator instead of the vibrant string.
  • the microphone does not react to it, but the vibrator still produces the "old" frequency. There is no operational precondition for the sustain activity.
  • Fig. 3 At least the following minimum requirements are set for the sustain control circuit: 1 ) on/off switch, 2) adjustable sustain activity level, 3) basic note sustain, and 4) optional sustain function for the 1 st and 2nd harmonic note.
  • a volume type pedal function may be appended to the control circuit for continuous adjustment of intensity, a 13- terminal Midi connector and a connector for the audio output of the sustain signal and a connector for an auxiliary device such as, for example, an equalizer or an LFO (Low Frequency Oscillation) device.
  • the saddle of Fig. 4 differs from the saddle of Fig. 3 in that it uses a hard and resilient material as a reinforcement, for example, stainless steel or aluminum. Carbon fiber is also a good material: It has excellent acoustic characteristics, although it is somewhat hard to work on.
  • the saddle upper part is partly made of such material, for example, metal, so that the there is metal layer 41 on top of layer 31 made of bone and artificial bone. Bone and artificial bone are indeed hard materials, but at the same time fragile.
  • metal layer 41 acts as a reinforcement receiving the pressure produced by the string and otherwise protects the saddle from external blows.
  • the layers' thicknesses are such that the thickness of the bone layer is preferably more than half of the thickness of the metal layer.
  • String ridge 33 is a part of layer 41 and made either by soldering or gluing a bridge skirting to it, by performing bending to form a bridge in the layer or by machining.
  • lowest part 42 of the saddle is also made of metal.
  • the thickness of metal layer 42 is much greater than the thickness of bone layer 32 above.
  • Fig. 5 represents the parts of the saddle of Fig. 4 separated from each other. Piezoelectric microphone 35 and vibrator 36 are located between the layers of bone 31 and 32. To be able to couple the microphone and the vibrator to control circuit 302 (Fig. 3), electric cables must be lead to them by one way or another. The figure represents a way where through holes 51 have been drilled in the lower part of the saddle. When electric cables 52 and 53 have first been soldered to the piezo components, these cables are pushed through holes 51 from above and the piezo components are pulled against bone layer 32. The use of holes to feed through the cables also enables the accurate enough positioning of the piezo components and, additionally, reproducibility in producing the saddle.
  • Fig. 6 depicts schematically the positioning of a saddle of the invention. String 34 outgoing from hole 63 of stopbar tailpiece 62 rises up in an oblique angle to the saddle to a string bridge 33 and extends from there to the machine heads in the headstock of the instrument.
  • the tuned string being tensioned presses against the string ridge and thus the saddle against instrument surface 61.
  • microphone 35 recognizes the vibration conducted to the saddle and sends it to the electric signal control circuit.
  • the string vibrates normally and free vibration is attenuated and goes off according to the specific attenuation of the instrument.
  • the control circuit transfers the signal to vibrator 36, the vibration of which travels from the saddle acting as the medium to the string and amplifies its vibration, as presented above. Intonation adjustment is also outlined in the figure.
  • Figs. 7 to 13 are referred to; these depict alternative embodiments for accomplishing the saddle according to the invention.
  • Fig. 9 shows an embodiment where the component thicknesses of piezoelectric microphone 35 and vibrator 36 differ from each other. This is often true in practice, as the transformation force of the vibrator must be high in a vertical direction, which leads to a rather thick component. Instead, for the piezoelectric microphone to register vibrations traveling through in the upper part of the saddle as efficiently as possible, it is preferable that it is wide in a horizontal direction, but thin in a vertical direction. For this reason, material is removed from the side of the vibrator from bone 31 in the upper part of the saddle to create step 91 . The height of the step corresponds to the difference in the thicknesses of the vibrator and the microphone.
  • Fig. 10 represents an alternative to the step solution of Fig. 9.
  • a thicker piezo component here a vibrator
  • the dimensions of the recess correspond to those of vibrator 36, and its depth equals the difference of component thicknesses of the vibrator and the microphone.
  • Fig. 11 is further an expansion of the principle of Fig. 10.
  • recesses corresponding to their thicknesses have been machined. These recesses position the components well when assembling the saddle, and in the finished saddle bone layers 31 and 32 are closely against each other without a gap, as is the case with previous embodiments.
  • both components may be built only partially in the upper saddle part, whereby a gap is left between the bone layers in the finished saddle.
  • the piezo components are not located on the surface of the bone layers in the saddle upper and lower parts or partially built into them, but throughout within the saddle upper part. This may be implemented by forming the upper part of the saddle as laminate structure 120.
  • the layers are, for example, bone layers, artificial bone layers, or even metal plates, in which case the vibrator, the microphone and the wirings must be properly insulated from the surrounding metal.
  • a drawback of the structure is that it may lead to excessive flexibility, which attenuates the vibrational energy too efficiently.
  • both upper part 41 and the lower part 42 of the saddle have been staggered, whereby the upper part and respectively the lower part are comprised of two steps.
  • the isolating bone layers are thus also comprised of two parts, with parts 31a and 31 b on the lower surface of saddle upper part 41 and, respectively, parts 32a and 32b on the upper surface of saddle lower part 42.
  • this structure enables the positioning of microphone 35 in a vertical direction almost below string ridge 33 in such a way that its distance to the string bridge is essentially larger than the corresponding distance of the vibrator. Accordingly, the energy of the vibrator is mainly conducted to the string and not to the microphone.
  • Fig. 13b represents yet another possible embodiment.
  • the saddle consists of two U pieces 130 and 131 which may be put within each other.
  • the material may be of metal, carbon fiber, etc.
  • vibrator 36 In between the above branches between bones 31a and 32a, vibrator 36 has been placed, and in between the two part lower branch of U piece 131 between bones 31 b and 32b, microphone 35 has been placed.
  • the U pieces have been attached together from their lower surfaces with screws.
  • Fig. 14 represents yet another possibility for connecting the saddle structural components without using the screw connection of Fig. 7.
  • buckle 140 made of metal with a cross section according to the figure, the width of the buckle being at most the width of the saddle in the transverse direction to string 34.
  • the buckle is made of, for example, spring steel, and on the surface of its upper branch there is a string bridge 33.
  • the branches of the buckle are spread using a suitable tool and the package is pushed in between the branches. The tool is removed, whereby the branches of the buckle compress the layers of the package between them with a force that depends on the characteristics of steel, dimensions of the branches and material thickness.
  • This embodiment enables placing intonation adjustment screw 140 to the end flange of the buckle lower part.
  • the saddle may be moved in the direction of the string in relation to fixed base 42.
  • FIG. 15 The end view of the saddle has been represented in Fig. 15. It corresponds otherwise to the saddle in Fig. 8 of width W1 ; however, the lower part of the saddle is tapered from its lower portion so that its width is W2. Accordingly, shoulder 151 is formed onto the sides in parallel with the bridge strings. In addition, threaded through hole 152 for the intonation adjustment screw has been formed in the lower saddle part.
  • a bridge body suited to the saddle of Fig. 15 is represented in Fig. 16. It consists of a metal sheet, for example, a sheet made of stainless steel, the dimensions of which are L1 x L2. Grooves in parallel with side L1 have been machined into the sheet with, for example, a cutter, and their width is slightly larger than the saddle lower part width W2 in Fig. 15. There are as many grooves as there are strings in the instrument, usually six of them. In the sheet between the sheet plane surfaces, there are holes in parallel with the grooves; they give into the bottom of the groove and in the opposite direction to the outer edge of the sheet (not shown). The holes are free holes, in other words, without threads. In addition, the sheet has holes 162 through which fastening bolts are pushed to attach the sheet to the surface 61 of the instrument to a desired distance from it.
  • a saddle according to Fig. 15 is placed to each groove, whereby the narrow lower part of the saddle extends through the grooves, but the saddle remains supported by the sheet surface from its shoulders 151.
  • Intonation adjustment screws 163 are pushed into the holes, and they are threaded through the threaded holes extending through the saddles.
  • the end of each intonation adjustment screw 163 is attached to a holder (not shown) formed into the bridge that keeps the screw head in the bridge, but allows it to rotate.
  • Fig. 17 is an end view of the situation where a bridge sheet with its saddles has been attached to the surface of an instrument using bolts 17.
  • screws 163 By threading screws 163 using, for example, an Allen key, the saddle attached to the screw moves in the groove of the bridge body, thus enabling intonation adjustment with this precision.

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un dispositif de maintien pour instrument à cordes, en particulier pour guitare électrique. Il est connu que l'énergie d'une corde vibrante est transférée de la corde à un chevalet. L'invention tire parti de ce fait fondamental. Un microphone piézoélectrique (35) est placé à l'intérieur du sillet (30), ledit microphone convertissant la vibration mécanique du sillet produite par la corde (34) en signal électrique (38). Le signal est transféré à un circuit (302) de commande qui, en réponse au signal électrique, produit un signal (37) d'excitation destiné à un vibreur (36) placé à l'intérieur du sillet, la vibration mécanique du vibreur faisant vibrer le sillet essentiellement à la même fréquence que la corde. La vibration est transférée à la corde qui continue à vibrer tant que le sillet y introduit un supplément d'énergie.
PCT/FI2011/051143 2010-12-22 2011-12-20 Sillet pour instrument de musique à cordes WO2012085349A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FI20106363 2010-12-22
FI20106363A FI20106363A (fi) 2010-12-22 2010-12-22 Kielisoittimen satula

Publications (1)

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WO2012085349A1 true WO2012085349A1 (fr) 2012-06-28

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3407345A4 (fr) * 2016-01-20 2019-10-02 Yamaha Corporation Instrument de musique capable de produire un son de vibration additionnel et procédé associé

Citations (6)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4245540A (en) 1976-04-12 1981-01-20 Groupp Barry A Sound sustaining device for musical instruments
US4907483A (en) 1988-05-27 1990-03-13 Rose Floyd D Musical instrument sustainers and transducers
DE4008865A1 (de) * 1990-03-20 1991-09-26 Nourney Carl Ernst Prof Dipl I Saiteninstrument, insbesondere gitarre, mit einrichtung fuer die elektrische tonabnahme
WO2001020287A1 (fr) * 1999-09-14 2001-03-22 Ierymenko Paul F Systeme de commande a transducteur unique
US6271457B1 (en) * 2000-05-19 2001-08-07 Kaman Music Corporation Piezoelectric bridge-type pickup for a stringed musical instrument
US20090064853A1 (en) * 2004-12-03 2009-03-12 Stephen Gillette Active bridge for stringed musical instruments

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4245540A (en) 1976-04-12 1981-01-20 Groupp Barry A Sound sustaining device for musical instruments
US4907483A (en) 1988-05-27 1990-03-13 Rose Floyd D Musical instrument sustainers and transducers
DE4008865A1 (de) * 1990-03-20 1991-09-26 Nourney Carl Ernst Prof Dipl I Saiteninstrument, insbesondere gitarre, mit einrichtung fuer die elektrische tonabnahme
WO2001020287A1 (fr) * 1999-09-14 2001-03-22 Ierymenko Paul F Systeme de commande a transducteur unique
US6271457B1 (en) * 2000-05-19 2001-08-07 Kaman Music Corporation Piezoelectric bridge-type pickup for a stringed musical instrument
US20090064853A1 (en) * 2004-12-03 2009-03-12 Stephen Gillette Active bridge for stringed musical instruments

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3407345A4 (fr) * 2016-01-20 2019-10-02 Yamaha Corporation Instrument de musique capable de produire un son de vibration additionnel et procédé associé
US10540949B2 (en) 2016-01-20 2020-01-21 Yamaha Corporation Musical instrument capable of producing additional vibration sound and method therefor
CN110767205A (zh) * 2016-01-20 2020-02-07 雅马哈株式会社 音响装置以及机械性振动生成方法
CN110767205B (zh) * 2016-01-20 2023-08-29 雅马哈株式会社 音响装置以及机械性振动生成方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FI20106363A0 (fi) 2010-12-22
FI20106363A (fi) 2012-06-23

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