Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Patent
1991-11-27
1993-03-16
Shoop, Jr., William M.
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C10H 300, C10H 132
Patent
active
051946866
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device for electroacoustically amplifying a stringed instrument with a tailpiece button and with a sound pick-up device attached to the stringed instrument by means of a mounting support, whereby the sound pick-up device is suitable for connection to an amplifier via lead wires that run through the hollow formed tailpiece button.
Up until now, to facilitate the direct electroacoustic amplification of a violin, for example, a microphone had to be provisionally attached to the tailpiece in the vicinity of the violin's bridge. Occasionally, could achieve the desired electroacoustic sound amplification for stringed instruments using such customary clip-on microphones. This type of direct sound amplification is sometimes necessary, particularly to promote studio effects or for concerts held under unfavorable acoustical conditions, such as open-air concerts.
However, the danger with this known device is that during intensely moving play, the configuration can be touched or even pushed off. Moreover, the tonal result is unsatisfactory since outside influences such as noises from the bow or the musician's breath can also be amplified to an undesired degree. In addition, the device represents an unwanted foreign body, which-- besides the fact that it is optically disturbing --can inhibit the musician in his artistic development.
A device which avoids the previously mentioned disadvantages is known from the German Patent 966 106. A hollow tailpiece button for a stringed instrument is described therein, through which lead wires run to a sound pick-up device. This publication makes no mention of where this sound pick-up device has to be mounted in or on the stringed instrument nor of the means required to attach this device there. However, even the question of the mounting support is a problem that needs be optimally solved in order not to interfere with the acoustic pattern of the stringed instrument.
Therefore, the object of the invention is to further develop the known device in a way which will allow the sound pick-up device to be attached in an extremely simple way to a stringed instrument. Another object consists in specifying a device which can be removed again from the stringed instrument with only little manipulation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is solved in that the sound pick-up device is a microphone, and that this microphone is arranged inside the body of the stringed instrument and is supported by the hollow tailpiece button.
Further developments of the invention constitute the subject matter of the dependent claims.
The invention takes advantage in particular of the fact that a tailpiece button is provided anyway in stringed instruments. This tailpiece button is used in stringed instruments to attach the tailpiece cord. Based on this realization, the invention proposes replacing this customary tailpiece button with a hollow tailpiece button, which serves at the same time as a mounting support for a microphone to be introduced inside the body of the stringed instrument. The microphone arranged in the hollow tailpiece button can be removed at any time, and the then remaining hollow space can be replaced by a dummy plug, for example.
Important advantages of the device according to the invention lie in that pressure inside the stringed instrument; to its best advantage; of the microphone inside the body of the stringed instrument; protected in the stringed instrument; system, in other words the electrical lead wire running to the amplifier, the player is no longer impeded.
The invention shall be clarified in the following on the basis of an exemplified embodiment in connection with three Figures for application in a violin. However, the invention is not restricted to violins. On the contrary, the invention can be applied to all types of stringed instruments, which in any case already have a tailpiece button. In a cello, for example, this is an end-pin.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
In detail, the Figures depict:
FIG. 1 a first exempli
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patent: 3935782 (1976-02-01), O'Brien
patent: 4351217 (1982-09-01), Wechter
patent: 4570522 (1986-02-01), May
patent: 4843937 (1989-07-01), Murphy
patent: 4941389 (1990-07-01), Wendler
patent: 4995293 (1991-02-01), Anderson
patent: 5010803 (1991-04-01), Donnell
Donels Jeffrey W.
Shoop Jr. William M.
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