This invention relates generally to the field of musical instruments and more specifically to a complete system for an electronic bass drum.
Virtually every drum kit has a bass drum, whether it is an acoustic set or an electronic set. This invention is designed to replace current bass drums in every type of drum set.
In
Current technology electronic drum sets
In
Cosmetically, a large bass drum shape is very much desired by all drummers, and current electronic bass drum technology is shunned by most conventional acoustic drummers for this reason. And there is no system for mounting tom-toms or other percussion instruments on the typical electronic bass drum. My invention overcomes all of the limitations listed above.
The invention described herein is similar to the instrument that is described in my previous U.S. Pat. No. 7,525,039, with some additional features. Most notably, there is a system for mounting and protecting commercially available drum modules, using a shock-proof mount which I have designed. This system makes it simpler for amplifier companies to manufacture the instrument, and it allows drummers to use their existing drum modules rather than purchase one that is incorporated into the shell. Special jacks allow drum modules to be used wherever they are mounted; either on my bass drum or in a remote location.
An object of the invention is to offer acoustic drummers a bass drum with dozens of different sounds.
A further object is to have several acoustic drum microphone jacks readily available.
Another object is to provide an amplification and speaker system built into the shell of a single instrument, eliminating the need for separate components.
A further object is to have tom-tom and other mounting brackets incorporated into an electronic bass drum.
Another object is to have a mounting system for electronic pads that more closely resembles an acoustic set, eliminating bulky racks currently in use.
A further object is to allow drummers to attach and incorporate any type of drum module onto the instrument.
Another object is to allow drummers to use drum modules that are not attached to the instrument.
Yet another object is to protect mounted drum modules with a shock resistant mounting system.
Another object is to have sound level and drum tone changes readily available to the performer.
Yet another object is to have multiple input jacks for the drum module readily available.
Another object is to allow other band members the capability of sharing the built-in amplification and speaker systems, conceivably performing solely through this one device.
Yet another object is to incorporate a headphone system for a completely quiet band practice.
A further object is to allow for the use of an MP3 player device for play-along practice and recording.
Other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.
Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.
The electronic bass drum is designed so that an entire band can plug into the invention and practice together silently through headphones, or perform together through the integrated amplifier and speaker system. An optional cosmetic cowling 233 is shown.
Since most drummers use recorded music to practice with, there is included an MP3 player dock 37a which holds a removable MP3 player 37. The output from the MP3 player can be heard through the drummer's headphone mixer jack 98. The drummer may choose to monitor the entire band using the headphone mixer jack 98 and the associated volume control 99, or just monitor the drum module using the module-only headphone jack 54 and volume control 53.
There is an internal mixer that is used to balance the sound levels of all the instruments connected to the invention, and the relative volume for all of the accompanying inputs can be controlled by the drummer using the external mixing controls 55 located on the internal mixer control panel 155. Note that all instrument volume levels can be changed quickly and easily, and in many cases levels will be adjusted during live play. The schematic is shown in
The module rests on shock-dampening foam pads 203. These items are part of a module shock mount system which will be described below.
The drum module can be bolted directly to the outside of the shell. However, this may subject the drum module to unwanted vibrations.
Virtually all commercial drum modules are attached to rack clamps using either built-in mounting pipes or universal bolt-on brackets 211 that have a mounting pipe 204 attached. In my invention, the pipe 204 fits into the mounting clamp assembly 205 and is secured using a tightening screw 206. A dog-bone linkage device 207 is pivotally attached on one end to the mounting clamp assembly 205 and is pivotally attached to the clamp base 208 on the other end. The dog-bone linkage device may be made of rubber or a solid material. The clamp base assembly 208 is bolted into the drum shell adjustment track 210 using attachment bolts 209. Note that the adjustment track 210 is long enough to accept any drum module regardless of size. This mounting device holds the module loosely in place, and most of the weight is supported by the shock absorbing pads 203. These pads 203 can be made out of foam, foam rubber, springs, or other shock absorptive materials.
b and 10c show a similar embodiment with a rigid linkage device 216 that connects the clamp base assembly 208 and the mounting clamp assembly 205. The height of the entire bracket is adjustable using adjustment bolts 212 that bolt into a track 214 on the clamp assembly. In this embodiment, the lower attachment bolt 213 is a pivot point, allowing the rigid linkage to pivot, thereby preventing impact vibrations from the drum pedal or loudspeakers from being transferred directly to the electronic drum module. Again, the weight of the unit is primarily supported by the shock absorbing pads, depicted in
An auxiliary jack panel 292 is shown in
There are drummers that will want to keep their drum modules in the original location that was designed into their existing electronic drum kits.
The stereo mixer output jack 219 is used for connecting an external amplifier in situations where the internal amplifier and speakers of the invention are not powerful enough to be heard by an entire audience, at a stadium concert for example. This signal could then conceivably be routed to a huge external amplifier, and a massive wall of speakers could fill the stadium with sound.
For most applications, a single channel is used to drive the internal speakers in my invention. However, most drum modules and amplifiers have stereo outputs. The auxiliary speaker output jack 220 is used to power a second speaker channel using the internal amplifier.
The speaker input jack 221 takes an amplifier signal from an external amplifier and routes it directly to the internal speakers at the front of my invention. This would come in handy in the event of an internal amplifier failure.
Note that in
In some instances, connecting electronic drum instruments directly to the back of the shock-mounted drum module would put wires in the drummers way or be unsightly. My invention includes internal extension cables depicted in
Lots of electrical wiring clutter can be hidden inside the shell of the drum as well. In
In order to protect the loudspeakers at the front of the instrument from dust, debris or physical damage, a cover 230 is depicted in
An easy transport system has been incorporated into my invention. In
As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that fall within metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalents of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the claims.
This application is based on U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/957,593, filed Jul. 8, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference and to which priority is claimed.
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