Automatic rhythm system providing drum break

Abstract

A rhythm system includes a memory for storing rhythm patterns, with a plurality of sections for controlling individual rhythm instruments, and instrument generators for producing sounds in accordance with the patterns. The patterns are stored in memory lines, with the number of counts in the patterns differing from one pattern to another. A plurality of short rhythm patterns can be stored on a single memory line. The system includes pushbutton switches for selecting the particular rhythm patterns and automatically selects the proper clock frequency for timing the selected rhythm pattern. The system is automatically reset at the end of the pattern and can selectively reset at the beginning of an intermediate position in the memory line, as required when a plurality of rhythms are stored in sequence on a single line. The system can also provide a special rhythm, such as a drum break, and this can be inserted during the playing of a selected continuous rhythm.

I claim: 
     
       1. An automatic rhythm system, including in combination, memory means having a plurality of selectively enabled sections for storing rhythm patterns, each of said sections having a plurality of inputs and selectively enabled output means, with said inputs being selectively coupled to said output means in accordance with a rhythm pattern,   scanning means connected to said memory means and having portions individually connected to said inputs of a plurality of said sections for applying pulses to said inputs in sequence in response to the application of clock pulses thereto,   clock means for applying clock pulses to said scanning means, and   switch means including a plurality of selectively operated circuits connected to said clock means and to said output means of said sections of said memory means, one of said switch circuits controlling the application of clock pulses to said scanning means, and a plurality of other switch circuits selectively enabling said output means of predetermined sections of said memory means to thereby select a desired rhythm pattern.   
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1 wherein each section of said memory means includes a plurality of storage elements coupled to said inputs and selectively enabled in turn by pulses applied thereto by said scanning means. 
     
     
       3. The system of claim 2 wherein each section of said memory means has a plurality of portions, and each of said portions includes an output and a plurality of storage elements associated with a rhythm pattern individually coupled between such output and said plurality of inputs. 
     
     
       4. The system of claim 3 wherein at least one of said portions includes storage elements associated with two different rhythm patterns. 
     
     
       5. The system of claim 4 wherein the storage elements of said portion of said memory section associated with one of said rhythm patterns are coupled to said inputs to receive a first sequence of pulses from said scanning means, and the storage elements of said portion of said memory section associated with said other pattern are coupled to said inputs to receive a second sequence of pulses from said scanning means. 
     
     
       6. The system of claim 5 wherein said switch means applies potentials to said scanning means to selectively start and reset the same to apply pulses to said memory means in said first and second sequences. 
     
     
       7. The system of claim 3 wherein said portions of each section of said memory means are adapted to store rhythm patterns having different numbers of counts. 
     
     
       8. The system of claim 7 wherein said switch means applies a potential to said scanning means to reset the same at the number of counts associated with said rhythm pattern selected. 
     
     
       9. The system of claim 1 wherein said clock means includes divider means having a plurality of outputs for producing clock pulses of different frequencies. 
     
     
       10. The system of claim 9 wherein said switch means selectively applies pulses from one of said outputs of said clock means to said scanning means in accordance with the rhythm pattern selected. 
     
     
       11. The system of claim 2 wherein said scanning means includes counter means for receiving pulses from said clock means, and decoder means coupled to said counter means for applying pulses in sequence to said inputs of said sections of said memory means for enabling said storage elements thereof in turn. 
     
     
       12. The system of claim 11 including means coupling said switch means to said counter means for starting and resetting the same in accordance with the rhythm pattern selected by said switch means. 
     
     
       13. The system of claim 1 wherein said switch means includes a first group of switches each operable to select two rhythm patterns, and a second selector switch coupled to said switches of said first group for selecting one of the two rhythm patterns selected thereby. 
     
     
       14. The system of claim 13 including first and second indicator lights and circuit means for energizing the same coupled to said selector switch to indicate the positions thereof. 
     
     
       15. The system of claim 14 wherein said circuit means for operating said indicator lights is coupled to said scanning means for operating said lights in accordance with a beat of the selected rhythm pattern. 
     
     
       16. The system of claim 1 further including, instrument generator means for producing sounds of a plurality of rhythm instruments and having terminals for receiving potentials for controlling the individual instrument sounds, and means individually coupling said output means of said sections of said memory means to said terminals for producing said sounds in accordance with rhythm patterns selected by said switch means. 
     
     
       17. The system of claim 16 wherein said switch means includes a first group of switches for operating said switch circuits for causing selected rhythm patterns to be operated continuously, with said switches of said first group being operated to select one or more rhythm patterns, and a second group of switches for operating a circuit coupled to said terminals of said instrument generator means for causing a single operation thereof. 
     
     
       18. The system of claim 1 further including control means for receiving musical instrument signals, and means selectively coupling said output means of said sections of said memory means to said control means for controlling the instrument signals in accordance with the pulse train patterns produced at said enabled output means of said sections of said memory means. 
     
     
       19. The system of claim 18 wherein said control means includes a keyer for keying the musical instrument signals. 
     
     
       20. The system of claim 18 wherein said control means includes a modulator for modulating the musical instrument signals. 
     
     
       21. The system of claim 1 including a touch operated switch coupled to one of said switch circuits for disabling said output means of the memory section selected by said switch means and enabling said output means of a predetermined memory section for insertion of a special rhythm pattern, with said scanning means being coupled to said switch circuit to operate the same at the end of a single rhythm pattern to disable said output means of the predetermined memory section and enable said output means of the section selected by said switch means. 
     
     
       22. An automatic rhythm system, including in combination, memory means having a plurality of selectively enabled sections for storing rhythm patterns with one of said sections storing a special rhythm pattern, each of said sections having selectively enabled output means,   scanning means connected to said sections of said memory means for reading out said patterns as pulse trains to said output means in response to the application of clock pulses thereto,   clock means for applying clock pulses to said scanning means, and   switch means including a plurality of rhythm selector switches, a rhythm break switch and circuit means controlled by said switches and connected to said scanning means and to said output means of said memory sections, said rhythm selector switches being operative to cause said circuit means to selectively enable said output means of predetermined sections of said memory means, said circuit means having a portion connected to said rhythm break switch and rendered operative thereby in response to operation of one of said rhythm selector switches to enable said one section of said memory means to produce the special rhythm pattern.   
     
     
       23. The system of claim 22 wherein said sections of said memory means have rhythm patterns stored therein having first and second numbers of counts, and include first and second memory sections having special rhythm patterns stored therein having said first and second numbers of counts, and wherein said circuit portion operates in response to operation of said rhythm break switch to select one of said first and second memory sections to produce a special pattern having the same number of counts as the pattern selected by said selector switch. 
     
     
       24. The system of claim 22 wherein said switch means further includes a rhythm ON switch operative for causing said circuit means to enable the memory section associated with the rhythm pattern selected by an operated rhythm selector switch, said circuit portion operating in response to operation of said rhythm break switch to disable the memory section for the selected rhythm and to enable said one memory section whereby the special rhythm pattern is inserted in place on the selected rhythm, and said circuit portion operating to enable said one memory section in response to operation of said rhythm break switch when said rhythm ON switch is inoperative. 
     
     
       25. The system of claim 24 wherein said circuit portion is connected to said scanning means to disable said one memory section when the special rhythm pattern is completed and to enable the selected memory section when said rhythm ON switch is operative. .Iadd. 26. An automatic rhythm system, including in combination, memory means having a plurality of selectively enabled sections for storing rhythm patterns with one of said sections storing a special rhythm pattern, each of said sections having selectively enabled output means;   scanning means connected to said sections of said memory means for reading out said patterns as pulse trains to said output means in response to the application of clock pulses thereto;   clock means for applying clock pulses to said scanning means; and   switch means including a plurality of rhythm selector switches, a rhythm break switch and circuit means controlled by said switches and connected to said scanning means and to said output means of said memory sections, said rhythm selector switches being operative to cause said circuit means to selectively enable said output means of predetermined sections of said memory means, said circuit means having a portion connected to said rhythm break switch and rendered operative thereby in response to operation of said rhythm break switch to enable said one section of said memory means to produce the special rhythm pattern. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 27. The system of claim 26, wherein said switch means further includes a rhythm ON switch operative for causing said circuit means to enable the memory section associated with the rhythm pattern selected by an operated rhythm selector switch, said circuit portion operating in response to operation of said rhythm break switch to disable the memory section for the selected rhythm and to enable said one memory section whereby the special rhythm pattern is inserted in place of the selected rhythm.