Oral cavity size controlled musical sound apparatus and method

Abstract

.Iadd.In a method and apparatus for controlling musical sounds there is provided a housing with an inner cavity and a mouthpiece forming an air channel and a loudspeaker cone for vibrating the air in the inner cavity for introducing sound energy into the oral cavity of a player via the mouthpiece. The sound energy is acoustically monitored by a microphone which produces an output control signal that is used to control the pitch of an electric sound generator in relation to the size of the oral cavity. .Iaddend. Means forming an air channel is connected between the output of .[.a.]. .Iadd.the .Iaddend.loudspeaker and the input of .[.a.]. .Iadd.the .Iaddend.microphone. The output of the microphone is amplified by means of an amplifier, the output of the amplifier being fed to the speaker, an acoustical feedback path thus being formed between the speaker and the microphone. A mouthpiece is connected in this acoustical path such that an operator can determine the frequency of the feedback signal by adjusting the size of this oral cavity, thus forming musical tones.

I claim: 
     
       1. A mouth operated electronic musical instrument for use in forming tones comprising: a microphone,   a loudspeaker,   amplifier means for amplifying the output of said microphone, the output of said amplifier means being fed to said loudspeaker,   means for providing an acoustical feedback path between the loudspeaker and the microphone input comprising a casing for enclosing said microphone, enclosure means for forming an enclosure with said loudspeaker, and tube means for interconnecting said casing and said enclosure means, and   a mouthpiece connected to said means for providing a feedback path.   
     
     
       2. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said tube means comprises a first tube connected at one end thereof to the enclosure means, said mouthpiece being located at the other end of said first tube, and a second tube interconnecting said first tube and said casing. 
     
     
       3. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said enclosure means for forming an enclosure with said loudspeaker comprises a housing having an open end portion forming a horn for said loudspeaker, said loudspeaker having a speaker cone and being mounted in said housing, one side of said cone forming an enclosure with said housing, the other side of said cone radiating sound through said horn, said tube means being connected to the last mentioned enclosure. 
     
     
       4. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said enclosure means comprises a casing enclosing said loudspeaker and further including an amplifier connected to receive the output of said amplifier means and a second loudspeaker connected to receive the output of said amplifier. 
     
     
       5. A mouth operated electronic musical instrument for use in forming tones with an operator's oral cavity comprising: a microphone,   a casing for enclosing said microphone,   a loudspeaker having a cone for radiating sound,   a housing for said loudspeaker, the cone of said speaker and said housing forming an enclosure for the sound radiated by one side of said cone,   amplifier means for amplifying the output of said microphone, the output of said amplifier means being fed to said loudspeaker,   means providing an air channel interconnecting the microphone casing and said enclosure, and   a mouthpiece for use by the operator, connected to said last mentioned means.   
     
     
       6. The instrument of claim 5 and further including a switch having a pressure responsive actuator and a pair of electrical switch contacts, a casing member for housing said switch and means for providing an air channel between said casing member and said mouthpiece, said switch contacts being interposed between said microphone and said loudspeaker, whereby said switch contacts are closed only when there is a predetermined air pressure signal at said mouthpiece. 
     
     
       7. The instrument of claim 5 wherein said housing is shaped to form a horn for radiating sound from the other side of the loudspeaker cone. 
     
     
       8. The instrument of claim 5 wherein said housing encloses the other side of said cone and further including an amplifier connected to receive the output of said amplifier means and a second loudspeaker driven by the output of said amplifier to provide the sound output. 
     
     
       9. A mouth operated electronic musical instrument for use in forming tones comprising: a microphone,   a loudspeaker,   amplifier means for amplifying the output of said microphone, the output of said amplifier means being fed to said loudspeaker,   means for providing an acoustical feedback path between the loudspeaker output and the microphone input,   a mouthpiece connected to said means for providing a feedback path,   pressure actuated switch means for controlling the generation of said tones, and   channel means interconnecting said switch means and said mouthpiece,   said switch means being actuated to cause tones to be generated only when a pressure signal is introduced into said mouthpiece.   
     
     
       10. The instrument of claim 9 wherein said pressure actuated switch means is an electrical switch interposed between said microphone and said loudspeaker. .Iadd. 11. In oral cavity controlled musical sound apparatus, the combination comprising: means for introducing sound energy into the oral cavity of a player to obtain information on the size thereof;   means for acoustically monitoring the sound energy information and producing an electric output control signal containing information about the size of the oral cavity; and   electric signal utilization means utilizing the information about oral cavity size in said electric output control signal to establish the pitch of musical sounds emitted into the atmosphere by a device that converts variations of electric energy to corresponding variations of acoustic energy. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 12. In oral cavity size controlled musical sound apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said means for introducing sound energy includes a housing for confining a mass of air in a first cavity having a constant configuration with a first tubular member in communication with said first cavity through a small opening and terminating in a mouthpiece, a loudspeaker cone for vibrating the confined mass of air in the first cavity to generate sound energy that is transmitted through the small opening and first tubular member into the player's oral cavity. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. In oral cavity size controlled musical sound apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said means for acoustically monitoring include a microphone in a tube in communication with the means for introducing sound energy. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14. In oral cavity size controlled musical sound apparatus as set forth in claim 11 including an electric amplifier having an input coupled to the output control signal and an output coupled back to said means for introducing sound energy to form an electric oscillator whereby the oral cavity forms an acoustic load in the feedback loop of the electric oscillator and a change in size of the oral cavity changes the frequency of the electric oscillator. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 15. In an oral cavity size controlled electric musical instrument, the combination comprising:   a hollow body defining a first cavity having a substantially constant configuration for confining a mass of air and communicating with external surrounding air through a small opening in the body to form a cavity resonator, said body having a mouthpiece forming a passage into the first cavity through said small opening, said mouthpiece being adapted to receive the lips of the player so that with the oral cavity of the mouth of the player of the instrument there is formed a resonant frequency for the combined first cavity and player's oral cavity;   a loudspeaker in the first cavity having a cone and a coil for vibrating the confined mass of air to generate sound energy that is introduced into the oral cavity to obtain information on the size thereof and transmitted back and forth between the first cavity and the oral cavity through the small opening;   means for acoustically monitoring the sound energy including a microphone in a tube in communication with the mouthpiece to produce output control signal electric oscillations corresponding to the monitored sound energy; and   utilization means including a first electric amplifier having an input coupled to said output control signal and an output coupled back to said loudspeaker coil by a feedback line to form an electric oscillator having a feedback loop whereby the oral cavity forms an acoustic load in the feedback loop with the loudspeaker in the feedback loop of the electric oscillator and a change in the size of the oral cavity changes the   
     
     
        frequency of the electric oscillator. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16.  In oral cavity size controlled musical sound apparatus as set forth in claim 15 including a second electric amplifier coupled to the output of said first electric amplifier and a second loudspeaker coupled to the output of said second amplifier to emit musical sounds into the atmosphere from the second loudspeaker. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 17. In a method of selectively controlling the pitch of musical sounds emitted into the atmosphere, the steps of: introducing sound energy into the oral cavity of a player to obtain information on the size thereof;   acoustically monitoring said sound energy information and producing an electric output control signal containing information about the size of the oral cavity; and   utilizing the information on oral cavity size in said output control signal to establish the pitch of musical sounds emitted into the atmosphere. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 18. In a method as set forth in claim 17 further including the steps of:   electrically amplifying the output control signal and feeding said amplified output control signal back to a source of the sound energy introduced into the oral cavity to form an electric oscillator having a feedback loop with the oral cavity forming an acoustic load in the feedback loop of the electric oscillator and a change in the size of the oral cavity changes the frequency of the electric oscillator. .Iaddend..Iadd. 19. In a method as set forth in claim 18 further including the step of:   further amplifying the output control signal and converting said output control signal to musical sound waves in the atmosphere. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 20. In an oral cavity size controlled method of selectively controlling the pitch of musical sounds emitted into the atmosphere, the steps of:   confining a mass of air in a first cavity having a constant configuration communicating with external surrounding air through a small opening to form a cavity resonator;   placing the lips of a player over the opening and setting the size of the player's oral cavity to establish a selected resonant frequency for the combined first cavity and oral cavity;   vibrating the confined mass of air in the first cavity to generate sound energy that is transmitted into the oral cavity through the small opening, the sound energy generated being passed back and forth through the small opening between the first cavity and the oral cavity to obtain information on the size of the oral cavity;   acoustically monitoring said sound energy and producing an output control signal; and   electrically amplifying the output control signal and feeding said amplified control signal back to a source of said generated sound energy introduced into the oral cavity to form an electric oscillator having a feedback loop with the oral cavity forming an acoustic load in the feedback loop whereby a change in the size of the oral cavity changes the frequency of the electric oscillator and the pitch of the sound emitted into the atmosphere. .Iaddend.