Ergonomic electronic musical instrument with pseudo-strings
An ergonomic, portable, electronic, string-like instrument that utilizes a pseudo-string interface. The pseudo-string interface is tactile for sightless playability and capable of advanced input such as force and pressure sensitivity. The pseudo-strings function to select a note, trigger a selected note, select and play a note on the instrument or an external peripheral. The instrument is played using the techniques of multiple other stringed instruments and the ergonomics allow the user to hold and handle the device consistent with traditional and non-traditional playing techniques familiar to musicians of various instruments. It is internally or externally powered and connects directly to industry-standard musical hardware such as MIDI devices, amplifiers and multi-track recorders.
1. A musical device comprising:
an ergonomic, portable, electronic, string-like instrument comprising
a body having a plurality of pseudo-strings, a plurality of sensors, a strum section and a fingerboard wherein each pseudo-string is associated with at least one of the plurality of sensors for user input;
a switch to toggle the device between multiple playing techniques; and
software that changes the tuning and responsiveness of the instrument to a user's touch input and translates said user input into musical data representing at least one note;
wherein the body of the device is designed and shaped to resemble two or more other stringed instruments and allow the user to play, hold and handle the device in multiple positions and with multiple triggering techniques consistent with multiple playing techniques of said two or more other stringed instruments.
2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one fret associated with at least one of the plurality of pseudo-strings, wherein the user plays at least one note at the at least one fret while simultaneously modulating additional properties of the at least one note.
3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the plurality of pseudo-strings configured to bend the pitch of the at least one note.
4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a configuration panel to tune the instrument to a progression, scale or sequence of notes.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pseudo-strings are string-like raised lines.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pseudo-strings are divided into multiple note locations comprising multiple sensors per note location having micro-tonal sensitivity.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are divided into discreet positions by frets or electronic parameters along a pseudo-string to detect input.
8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of sensors receive user input at different positions and the software further comprises a function to interpolate or computationally compare the user input and to translate the user input to musical data representing pitch bending or vibrato.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the fingerboard is configured as a matrix of triggers on a grid, the grid having an X and a Y axis and each sensor position is used to trigger notes or effects in two dimensions at any location on the grid on the X and Y axes.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the strum section is activated by a synthetic bow.
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the fingerboard functions as a fader to trigger multi-track mixers.
12. The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one electronic input and one electronic output for connecting the instrument to external peripherals, wherein the instrument connects directly to gaming, lighting and display equipment.
13. The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one electronic input and one electronic output for connecting the instrument to external peripherals and further comprising external peripherals that provide user input independent of the pseudo-strings.
14. A musical device comprising:
an ergonomic, portable, electronic, string-like instrument comprising
a body having a plurality of pseudo-strings divided into multiple note locations, multiple sensors per note location, a strum section and a fingerboard wherein each note location of one of the plurality pseudo-strings is associated with multiple sensors for user input;
a switch to toggle the device between multiple playing techniques; and
software that changes the tuning and responsiveness of the instrument to a user's touch input and translates said user input into musical data and modulation of musical data; and
wherein the ergonomics of the device are designed and shaped to resemble two or more other stringed instruments and allow the user to play, hold and handle the device in multiple positions and with multiple triggering techniques consistent with multiple playing techniques of said two or more other stringed instruments.