Patent Grant
9761212
The field of the invention is electronic instrument triggers.
The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
In the past few decades, drum triggers have increasingly been used with acoustic drums for live performances and studio recordings. In many instances, drum triggers can overcome potential problems with using microphones and can allow a drummer to have more control over the sound of the drum. In effect, the addition of a drum trigger to an acoustic drum converts the acoustic drum to an electric drum pad.
There are several existing varieties of drum triggers. A first type of prior art drum trigger involves a tension arm that is mounted on the rim of a drum using a lug or clamp mount mechanism. For this type of drum trigger, a tension arm attached to the rim of the drum puts pressure on the trigger and places the trigger in contact with the head of the drum. This has several undesirable effects. First, this puts stress on the head of the drum thereby deforming the drum head. This affects the tonal quality of the drum and changes the sound produced by the drum head. Second, the tension applies unnecessary force to the trigger and can cause it to fail because of the mechanical stress placed on the trigger. Third, when the drum is struck, and the drum head vibrates, the trigger will not be in constant contact with the drum head. This can cause problems including double triggering of the trigger. Fourth, the location of the trigger is limited to a position near the rim of the drum. Fifth, the trigger is susceptible to movement and requires frequent re-adjustment. Problems with the position and mechanical issues with the trigger can occur in a few as 150-300 strikes of the drum head, and the majority of prior art triggers begin to suffer from degrading performance beginning with the first strike of the drum. The degrading performance may take the form of a decreased voltage output, noticeable as a decreased amplitude of the output voltage wave, and may also include increases in non-triggering or double triggering. Additionally, the piezoelectric transducer commonly used in these triggers may begin to degrade or wear out quickly because it is placed in high-stress direct contact with the drum head. The very design of prior art triggers causes the triggers to suffer from the aforementioned problems.
This type of tension arm trigger is also difficult to install and configure. The tension arm trigger requires exact tension be placed on the trigger itself to keep the trigger in constant contact with a drum head. This type of installation is finicky and requires expertise or trial-and-error to install correctly. The prior art triggers also require considerable configuration at a drum module. A drum module is an electronic device that interprets an input and produces as an output a sound or other electronic output. A plurality of drum modules, their specifications and methods of operation are described hereinbelow. For prior art triggers, the drum module will need to specifically tuned to not only the type of trigger, but the manner in which the trigger is installed and the type of instrument on which the trigger is installed. The configuration must also take into account other external conditions at the time of configuration. The exact same trigger may need different configuration settings each time the trigger is set up for use.
Many external drum triggers are top rim mounted, but these suffer from the described defects. For example, top rim triggers are bulky and may get in the way of a drummer's performance. One way to overcome this defect is to install the drum trigger on the drum head. U.S. Pat. No. 7,259,317 to Hsien describes an external drum trigger that can be added to a drumhead and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. However, the drum trigger described in Hsein suffers from numerous drawbacks. First, installation of the drumhead in Hsein requires a hole to be created in the drumhead, which permanently damages the drum. Second, the drumhead in Hsein requires a foam buffer, which can decrease the sensitivity of the drum trigger and result in a degradation in response as it is applied to larger drums. U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,473 to Adinolfi describes a drum trigger incorporated into the rim of a drum and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. However, the drum trigger described in Adinolfi is undesirable because it requires the purchase of a completely new drum. Because of this, in many instances external or add-on drum triggers are more favorable.
Another type of prior art drum trigger is a pad installed trigger. Typically these triggers are glued using an epoxy or adhesive to a plate on the underside of a rubber or silicone drum pad. These triggers suffer from problems including a loss of velocity, double triggering, and frequent mechanical failure. The drum pad triggers that incorporate piezoelectric triggers prevent the piezoelectric trigger from functioning properly because the piezoelectric trigger cannot flex properly. The adhesive and solid plate the trigger is disposed on force the trigger to remain rigid and essentially cause the trigger to function as a contact microphone instead of as a proper trigger. Drum triggers may also be glued or otherwise adhered to a drum head directly without an intervening plate or pad. However, this method of attachment is undesirable because it permanently attaches the trigger to the drum head and puts undue stress on the trigger itself.
Additional information about problems that exist with prior art triggers and methods for installing, configuring, and using prior art drum triggers can be found in Norman Weinberg, Tweaking For Touch: The Electronic Trigger, Drum! Magazine, June 2011, and in Mike Snyder, Don't Pull That Trigger!, Drum! Magazine, November 2013, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. The function and operation of piezoelectric transducers and the piezoelectric effect is well known in the art. A description of the functioning of a piezoelectric transducer can be found in the article Piezoelectric Trasnsducers, NDT Resource Center, https://www.nde-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Ultrasonics/EquipmentTrans/piezotransducers.htm, accessed Jan. 5, 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Additional information on piezoelectric transducers can be found in the article What's a Transducer?, APC International, LTD, https://www.americanpiezo.com/piezo-theory/whats-a-transducer.html, accessed Jan. 5, 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Detail on the mechanics and function of piezoelectric transducers can be found in the article Introduction to Piezo Transducers, Piezo Systems, Inc., http://www.piezo.com/tech2intropiezotrans.html, accessed Jan. 5, 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
All extrinsic materials discussed herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Thus, there is a need for improved drum triggers that do not require modification of the drums and that may be releaseably attached at a variety of locations. Additionally there is a need for an improved drum trigger that may be used with a plurality of drum triggers on a single instrument without cross-talk interference or hot-spotting.
The present invention provides apparatus, systems, and methods in which a drum trigger has a first member, which may be a securing device, and a second member, which may be a trigger, which go on either side of a drumhead. The securing device can magnetically couple to the trigger, such that the drumhead is interposed between the securing device and the trigger. This configuration allows the trigger to attach directly to the drumhead without modifying or damaging the drumhead.
In some embodiments, the securing device and trigger contain magnets, and in some embodiments, the magnets are rare-earth element magnets, such as neodymium magnets.
In some embodiments, the drum trigger further comprises a sound-receiving element, such as a piezoelectric transducer, which translates the vibrations of the drum when played into a digital or analog electrical signal. In some embodiments, the sound-receiving element is protected by a silicone buffer layer and is disposed on the bottom of the drum trigger. The sound-receiving element is only attached or secured to the housing of the drum trigger at the edges of the sound-receiving element, thereby allowing the sound-receiving element to properly flex and function as designed. The sound-receiving element, (e.g. piezoelectric transducer) is electrically coupled to an analog or digital sound management system. In some embodiments, the digital sound management system is a drum sound module, and the piezoelectric transducer is connected to the drum sound module via a TRS jack.
Because at least a portion of the drum trigger can rest on top of the drumhead, it is contemplated that in some embodiments at least a portion of the drum trigger is covered in an impact-resistant gel coating or secured within a housing.
The drum trigger of the present invention is advantageous over prior art drum trigger devices because it is more accurate, more durable, and easier to use than the prior art drum trigger devices. The drum trigger of the present invention is magnetically secured to the drum head, drum shell, or drum lug. This enables the trigger to move with the vibrations of the drum or instrument on which it is disposed while capturing the exact vibrations and tone of the instrument. The present invention can pick up the strike of the drum without being subject to the mechanical force that causes problems with the prior art triggers. For example, with the tension arm triggers the tension arm itself is exerting a mechanical force on the trigger in an attempt to keep the trigger in physical contact with the drum head. The tension arm trigger cannot achieve constant contact and the trigger will “bounce” or be out of physical contact with the drum head after the drum head is struck. The trigger of the present invention overcomes this problem by moving with the drum head. The drum trigger of the present invention may move up and down with the vibrations of the drum head and is not subject to any additional forces or impacts. This enables the trigger of the present invention to accurately capture the exact sound and tone of the drum strike. The accurate sound capture is further improved because of the manner in which the piezoelectric transducer is disposed in the trigger. The piezoelectric transducer is secured only around the perimeter of the transducer, thereby providing the transducer with the ability to flex and function as designed. Unlike prior art drum trigger designs which cause the piezoelectric transducer to be in a rigid configuration, the drum trigger of the present invention enables the piezoelectric transducer to flex without causing double triggering or velocity gaps. A velocity gap is a “gap” in the MIDI input range, typically 0-127, that is not captured by a trigger. This can be a “flat spot” in the range, where jumps from one value to another occur, or “dead spots” where a portion of the range is not captured at all. A double triggering event is where a single strike of a drum or similar musical activity causes the trigger to send a single output that is interpreted as two events. A non-triggering event is where a single strike of a drum or similar musical activity causes the trigger to send a single output that is not interpreted as any event.
The manner of securing the drum trigger of the present invention to the drum head also enables a drum module to be easily configured with the drum trigger. The amount of configuration that is necessary is minimal and does not require the tedious trial-and-error required by prior art drum triggers. When installed and configured the drum trigger of the present invention virtually eliminates instances of velocity gapping, double triggering, and non-triggering. The design and manner of installation of the drum trigger of the present invention also
When installed, the drum trigger of the present invention enables a musician to accurately capture the exact playing style used. The drum trigger of the present invention captures the full range of MIDI velocity, the exact tone of the instrument, and the playing style of the individual musician using the drum trigger, which is something that prior art triggers are unable to achieve.
The drum trigger of the present invention has a broad application on any component of a drum kit including snare drums, toms, bass or kick drums, cymbals, and other percussion instruments. The drum trigger of the present invention may be mounted on the shell, rim, lug, or head of a drum and is compatible with all drum head and drum shell types including natural hide drum heads, fabric drum heads, mesh heads, wood drum shells, acrylic drum shells, metal drum lugs, etc. Problems that occur with the prior art drum triggers on smaller drums are exacerbated on larger drums such as kick drums. For example, problems with double triggering and durability that may exist when prior art drum triggers are used on a 13″ snare drum are greatly magnified when the prior art drum triggers are used on a 22″ bass drum as the drum exerts a greater force on the prior art drum trigger. The drum trigger of the present invention is not susceptible to any of these problems because of the way may be magnetically installed on a drum head, shell, or lug and because of the manner in which the piezoelectric transducer is secured within the housing of the trigger.
The present invention trigger may also be used with other acoustic instruments including guitars, violins, cellos, basses, etc. as a musical instrument pickup.
Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.
In a first embodiment the present invention provides a trigger system for sending a signal based on a detected vibration, the trigger system comprising: a trigger comprising: a housing, the housing having a top with an opening disposed in the top, a bottom, the bottom being substantially open, and a pass-through opening; a grommet disposed in the top opening of the housing; a magnet disposed within and secured within the housing; a piezoelectric transducer having a ceramic top and a brass bottom and disposed at the bottom of the housing, the piezoelectric transducer being electrically and physically isolated from the magnet by a first buffer layer disposed between the magnet and the piezoelectric transducer within the housing, and wherein the piezoelectric transducer is enclosed within the housing by a second buffer layer being disposed on the brass bottom of the piezoelectric transducer at the bottom of the housing.
The system may further comprise a securing device, the securing device comprising a housing and a magnet disposed within the housing. The system may further comprise a drum module. The system further adapted to send an electrical signal from the piezoelectric transducer of the trigger to the drum module to cause the drum module to execute a function. The system wherein the function is the playback of a recorded or generated drum sound determined based on the electrical signal from the piezoelectric transducer of the trigger. The system wherein the trigger magnet and securing device magnet comprise neodymium rare earth magnets. The system wherein the first buffer layer and second buffer layer comprise a thin silicone sheet. The system wherein the magnet, first buffer layer, second buffer layer, and piezoelectric transducer are secured by an adhesive in the housing of the trigger. The system wherein the adhesive is an epoxy. The system wherein the magnet is secured within the housing by a set of locking tabs. The system wherein the piezoelectric transducer is disposed within a rim or annular recess formed or provided in the bottom of the housing. The system may further comprise wherein an electrical lead is electrically connected to a set of electrical terminations on the piezoelectric transducer, and wherein the electrical lead passes through the pass-through of the housing. The system wherein the electrical lead is supported by a strain relief means. The system wherein the securing device is adapted to releaseably and magnetically secure the trigger to a drum head, wherein the securing device is disposed on a top of the drum head and the trigger is disposed on a bottom of a drum head. The system wherein the drum is one of a mesh drum head or an acoustic drum head. The system may further comprise a drum shell with an interior and an exterior and having a set of tensioners disposed on the exterior and attached to the drum shell by a set of lugs disposed on said interior, wherein the grommet of the trigger is adapted to fit on one of said lugs and the magnet of the trigger is adapted to releaseably and magnetically secure the trigger to said one of said lugs. The system may further comprise a drum shell with an interior and an exterior wherein the securing device is adapted to releaseably and magnetically secure the trigger to the drum shell, wherein the securing device is disposed on the exterior of the drum shell and the trigger is disposed on the interior of the drum shell. The system wherein the trigger is adapted to be secured to a stringed acoustic instrument. The system wherein the trigger is adapted to not be affected by cross-talk.
In another embodiment the present invention provides a method for causing an electronic module to perform a function based on a detected vibration from a musical instrument, the method comprising: releaseably securing a trigger to an instrument, the trigger comprising: a housing, the housing having a top with an opening disposed in the top, a bottom, the bottom being substantially open, and a pass-through opening; a grommet disposed in the top opening of the housing; a magnet disposed within and secured within the housing; a piezoelectric transducer having a ceramic top and a brass bottom and disposed at the bottom of the housing, the piezoelectric transducer being electrically and physically isolated from the magnet by a first buffer layer disposed between the magnet and the piezoelectric transducer within the housing, and wherein the piezoelectric transducer is enclosed within the housing by a second buffer layer being disposed on the brass bottom of the piezoelectric transducer at the bottom of the housing; and an electrical lead connected through the pass-through opening in an operative electrical connection with the piezoelectric transducer; connecting the electrical lead to the electronic module; causing the musical instrument to emit the vibration; sending an electrical signal by the electrical lead from the piezoelectric transducer to the electronic module; receiving at the electronic module the electrical signal; determining, at the electronic module, which function from a set of functions to execute based on the received electrical signal; and executing, by the electronic module, the determined function.
The method may further comprise wherein the trigger is secured to the instrument by a securing device, the securing device comprising a magnet disposed within a housing. The method may further comprise wherein the instrument is selected from the group consisting of: a snare drum, a bass drum, a tom drum, and a cymbal. The method may further comprise wherein the electrical signal is sent at one of 127 signal levels. The method may further comprise wherein set of functions stored in the electronic module comprise a set of recorded or generated musical instrument sounds. The method may further comprise wherein the electronic module is a drum module. The method may further comprise wherein the drum module comprises a set of input ports. The method may further comprise wherein determining is based on which input port from the set of input ports the electrical lead from the trigger is connected to. The method may further comprise determining a configuration for the electronic module from a set of configurations stored in the electronic module.
In yet another embodiment the present invention provides a method for configuring an electronic module, the method comprising: releaseably securing a trigger to an instrument, the trigger comprising: a housing, the housing having a top with an opening disposed in the top, a bottom, the bottom being substantially open, and a pass-through opening; a grommet disposed in the top opening of the housing; a magnet disposed within and secured within the housing; a piezoelectric transducer having a ceramic top and a brass bottom and disposed at the bottom of the housing, the piezoelectric transducer being electrically and physically isolated from the magnet by a first buffer layer disposed between the magnet and the piezoelectric transducer within the housing, and wherein the piezoelectric transducer is enclosed within the housing by a second buffer layer being disposed on the brass bottom of the piezoelectric transducer at the bottom of the housing; and an electrical lead connected through the pass-through opening in an operative electrical connection with the piezoelectric transducer; connecting the electrical lead to an input from a set of inputs on the electronic module; inputting in a software program on a computer a set of parameters, the set of parameters comprising: a trigger type; a trigger securing method; an instrument type; and an instrument configuration; determining, by the software program based on the set of parameters, a set of suggested settings for the electronic module; and configuring the electronic module based on the set of suggested settings.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a trigger system for generating a signal derived from a vibration detected upon a user operating a musical instrument, the trigger system comprising: a trigger adapted to be removably mounted onto a musical instrument and comprising: a housing; a magnet disposed and secured within the housing and adapted to removably secure the trigger to the musical instrument; a piezo-electric transducer having an electrical output and being disposed within the housing, the piezo-electric transducer being essentially electrically and physically isolated from the magnet and adapted to generate an electrical signal in response to a detected mechanical vibration associated with operation of the musical instrument.
The system of the above embodiment may further comprise a securing device, the securing device comprising a second housing and a second magnet disposed within the second housing, whereby with the trigger disposed opposite the securing device the respective magnets are attracted to each other with a component of the musical instrument disposed between the trigger and the securing device. The system may further comprise an electronic drum module comprising a set of inputs in electrical communication with the trigger electrical output and being adapted to process the trigger electrical output signal and produce an audio signal representative of a sound associated with operation of a musical instrument. The system may further be adapted to send an electrical signal from the piezo-electric transducer of the trigger to the drum module to cause the drum module to execute a function. The function may be the playback of a recorded or generated drum sound determined based on the electrical signal from the piezo-electric transducer of the trigger. The trigger magnet may be a type of rare earth magnet. The trigger magnet may be from the group consisting of neodymium-based rare earth magnet, ceramic composite, ferrite composite, barium or strontium carbonate, iron-oxide composite, samarium cobalt, neodymium iron boron. The housing may comprise a top with an opening disposed in the top, a bottom, the bottom being substantially open, and a pass-through opening; and further comprising a grommet disposed in the top opening of the housing. The piezo-electric transducer may be disposed within an annular recess provided in the bottom of the housing. The system may further comprise an electrical lead electrically connected to a set of electrical terminations on the piezo-electric transducer, and wherein the electrical lead passes through a pass-through opening of the housing. The electrical lead may be supported by a strain relief means. The securing device may be adapted to releaseably and magnetically secure the trigger to a drum head, wherein the securing device is disposed on a top of the drum head and the trigger is disposed on a bottom of a drum head. The musical instrument may be a drum having one of a mesh drum head or an acoustic drum head. The housing may comprise a top with an opening disposed in the top, a bottom, the bottom being substantially open, and a pass-through opening; and further comprising a grommet disposed in the top opening of the housing, wherein the trigger is adapted to mount onto a drum shell having an interior, an exterior, and a set of tensioners disposed on the exterior and attached to the drum shell by a set of lugs disposed on said interior, and wherein the grommet of the trigger is adapted to fit on one of the set of lugs and the magnet of the trigger is adapted to releaseably and magnetically secure the trigger thereto. The system may further comprise a drum shell with an interior and an exterior wherein the securing device is adapted to releaseably and magnetically secure the trigger to the drum shell, wherein the securing device is disposed on the exterior of the drum shell and the trigger is disposed on the interior of the drum shell. The musical instrument may be a stringed instrument and the trigger is adapted to be secured to the stringed instrument. The piezo-electric transducer may further comprise a ceramic top and a brass bottom and wherein the piezo-electric transducer is enclosed within the housing by a second buffer layer being disposed on the brass bottom of the piezo-electric transducer at a bottom of the housing.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for causing an electronic module to perform a function based on a detected vibration from a musical instrument, the method comprising: releaseably securing a trigger to a musical instrument, the trigger comprising: a housing; a magnet disposed and secured within the housing and adapted to removably secure the trigger to the musical instrument; and a piezo-electric transducer having an electrical output and being disposed within the housing, the piezo-electric transducer being essentially electrically and physically isolated from the magnet and adapted to generate an electrical signal in response to a detected mechanical vibration associated with operation of the musical instrument; placing the trigger electrical output in electrical communication with the electronic module; generating a trigger output signal in response to a detected mechanical vibration emitted by the musical instrument; sending the trigger electrical output signal to the electronic module; receiving at the electronic module the trigger electrical output signal; determining, at the electronic module, which function from a set of functions to execute based on the received trigger electrical output signal; and executing, by the electronic module, the determined function.
The method may further comprise wherein the trigger is secured to the instrument by a securing device, the securing device comprising a magnet disposed within a housing. The instrument may be selected from the group consisting of: a snare drum, a bass drum, a tom drum, and a cymbal. The electrical signal may be sent at one of 127 signal levels. The set of functions stored in the electronic module may comprise a set of recorded or generated musical instrument sounds. The electronic module may be a drum module. The drum module may comprise a set of input ports. The determining may be based on which input port from the set of input ports the electrical lead from the trigger is connected to. The method may further comprise determining a configuration for the electronic module from a set of configurations stored in the electronic module.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for configuring an electronic module, the method comprising: releaseably securing a trigger to an instrument, the trigger comprising: a housing; a magnet disposed and secured within the housing and adapted to removably secure the trigger to the musical instrument; a piezo-electric transducer having an electrical output and being disposed within the housing, the piezo-electric transducer being essentially electrically and physically isolated from the magnet and adapted to generate an electrical signal in response to a detected mechanical vibration associated with operation of the musical instrument; and placing the trigger electrical output in electrical communication with the electronic module; generating a trigger output signal in response to a detected mechanical vibration emitted by the musical instrument; sending the trigger electrical output signal to the electronic module; receiving at the electronic module the trigger electrical output signal; inputting in a software program on a computer a set of parameters, the set of parameters comprising: a trigger type; a trigger securing method; an instrument type; and an instrument configuration; determining, by the software program based on the set of parameters, a set of suggested settings for the electronic module; and configuring the electronic module based on the set of suggested settings.
In order to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are referenced with like numerals. These drawings should not be construed as limiting the present invention, but are intended to be exemplary and for reference.
The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments as shown in the accompanying drawings. While the present invention is described herein with reference to the exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to such exemplary embodiments. Those possessing ordinary skill in the art and having access to the teachings herein will recognize additional implementations, modifications, and embodiments, as well as other applications for use of the invention, which are fully contemplated herein as within the scope of the present invention as disclosed and claimed herein, and with respect to which the present invention could be of significant utility.
The following discussion provides example embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed.
In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Moreover, and unless the context dictates the contrary, all ranges set forth herein should be interpreted as being inclusive of their endpoints and open-ended ranges should be interpreted to include only commercially practical values. Similarly, all lists of values should be considered as inclusive of intermediate values unless the context indicates the contrary.
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The housing body 110 of the trigger 100 may be substantially cylindrical, cuboid, or any other suitable shape. The top 116 of the housing may not have opening 112 and may instead be flat and covered in a buffer layer composed of silicone, foam, foam-rubber, or other suitable material. In a preferred embodiment, the silicone buffer layer 130 and silicone buffer layer 140 will comprise a thin layer of silicone secured in the housing body 110 by an adhesive such as an epoxy. However, the silicone buffer layer 130 and silicone buffer layer 140 may also be secured directly to the magnet 120 and piezoelectric transducer 140 respectively. The silicone buffer layer 130 is adapted to provide a physical and electrical barrier between the magnet 120 and piezoelectric transducer 140, and may comprise any other suitable material such as rubber or foam. The silicone buffer layer 150 is adapted to provide a non-skid and impact resistant layer on the bottom 118 of the trigger housing 110, and may comprise any other suitable material such as rubber or foam. The silicone buffer layer 150 keeps the trigger 100 from sliding or shifting from its position even when the trigger 100 is subjected to intense vibrations. Grommet 160 is adapted to fit within the opening 112 on the top 116 of the housing 110, and may comprise a material such as rubber, silicone rubber, or similar suitable elastic material. The grommet 160 may have an opening and may be adapted to fit on and/or receive a lug, screw, or other similar protrusion. The magnet 120 in the trigger 100 may be a neodymium or similar rare earth magnet, which are strong permanent magnets made from alloys of rare earth elements, with suitable Gaussian pull strength, e.g. at least 2500 Gauss. The magnet 120 may comprise the following technical specifications: 20 mm diameter×5 mm thick (0.79″ diameter×0.20″ thick); material: Neodymium (NdFeB); grade: N48; coating: Nickel (Ni); magnetization: through thickness; and pull force: 19.68 pounds. The magnet 120 is adapted to releaseably and magnetically secure the trigger 100 to a ferrous or magnetic structure such as in the securing device 200. However, in some embodiments the magnet 120 may simply be a magnetically attractive plate or disk instead of a magnet and may be attracted to a magnet 220 in the securing device, or vice versa.
The securing device 200 comprises a housing 210 having an opening adapted to receive a magnet 220. Securing device 200 may also be a magnet 220 without housing 210 and having a coating such as a rubberized coating or an impact-resistant gel coating, such as plastic, plastic blend, rubber, rubber blend, or other suitable impact-resistant material. Similarly, the magnet 120 in the trigger 100 may also have a coating such as a rubberized coating or an impact-resistant gel coating, such as plastic, plastic blend, rubber, rubber blend, or other suitable impact-resistant material. The securing device 200 may also have an additional buffer layer on the bottom of the securing device 200 that may be comprised of silicone, rubber, or other suitable material. If used, this layer would aid in keeping the securing device in place and in magnetic attraction with the trigger 100.
The piezoelectric transducer 140 may also be any suitable sound-receiving unit capable of translating a mechanical signal (e.g. vibration of the drumhead) into an electrical (analog or digital) sound signal. The piezoelectric transducer 140 may have the following technical specifications: plate diameter: 27 mm (1.06 inches); element diameter: 20 mm (0.787 inches); plate thickness: 0.54 mm (0.021 inches); lead length: ˜50 mm (1.96 inches); plate material: brass; resonant frequency (kHz): 4.6+/−0.5 kHz; resonant impedance (ohm): 300 maximum; and capacitance (nF): 20.0+/−30% [1 kHz].
In one embodiment, the transducer 140 may instead be a force sensing resistor (“FSR”) capable of producing differing voltages as force is applied to the sensor. Many modules, such as drum module 300 shown in
The use of rare earth magnets on the top in the securing device 200 and bottom in the trigger 100 of a drumhead provides a superior ability to capture and transfer vibrations from the playing surface to a piezoelectric transducer 140 regardless of the size of the drum. The strength of the magnets 120 and 220 also provides a dampening effect that makes it ideal for both electronic and hybrid drums with no permanent alterations to the drum. Additionally, by being magnetically attached, the trigger 100 may vibrate along with the surface or instrument on which it is attached without affecting the sound, tone, or timbre of the instrument. Floating also enables the trigger 100 to be far more sensitive than traditional drum triggers. Being magnetically attachable also enables the trigger 100 to be placed anywhere desired by the musician or user. Additionally, because the trigger 100 may be disposed within a drum or other instrument, the trigger is not likely to be damaged from being struck or impacted in normal use or operation as the only electronic components are inside the instrument out of harm's way.
The use of the trigger 100 provides increased frequency response and reduces the likelihood of double triggering, especially when used with a musical instrument as shown in
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A drum module 300 may have a display 310, set of controls 320, a set of inputs 330, and a set of outputs 340. The trigger 100 is adapted to connect to the module 300 by way of the electronic lead 170 to an input 330. Configuring the drum module is performed by manipulating the inputs 320 and using the display 310 to view the current configuration and options for the module 310. The module 300 may be connected to additional equipment such as speakers, computers, amplifiers, and additional electronic modules by way of outputs 340 which may comprise universal serial bus (USB) ports, TRS receptacles, XLR female receptacles, RJ-45 jacks, or other suitable connections.
In typical operation, a mechanical signal, e.g. a strike of a drum head or drum shell, is translated by the piezoelectric transducer 140 in the trigger 100 into an electrical signal. This electrical signal may comprise a level which may fall on a range of 127 or more levels. This signal is received by the module 300 and the module 300 determines how to interpret the signal. For example, if the trigger 100 is disposed on a drum, and the signal is an electrical representation of the strike of a drum, the module 300 may determine which sound from a library of sounds to output to the outputs 340. The module 300 may also make this determination based on a set of settings used to configure the module. The set of settings may be selected from a library of configurations or settings stored in or loaded onto the module 300. The module 300 may be manipulated by the inputs 320 to fine tune the module to the particular implementation of the trigger 100. These fine tunings may be used to employ a plurality of triggers 100 on a single instrument. The trigger 100 is adapted to be used with a plurality of other triggers 100 to create a set of “zones” on an instrument, e.g. a drum. The trigger 100 does not receive cross-talk interference from other triggers like trigger 100 used on the same instrument, and when used as a set of triggers 100, does not suffer from “hot-spotting” which is the higher sensitivity of particular areas on an instrument such as a drum.
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With respect to
While the invention has been described by reference to certain preferred embodiments, it should be understood that numerous changes could be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concept described. In implementation, the inventive concepts may be automatically or semi-automatically, i.e., with some degree of human intervention, performed. Also, the present invention is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments described herein. It is fully contemplated that other various embodiments of and modifications to the present invention, in addition to those described herein, will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. Thus, such other embodiments and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the following appended claims. Further, although the present invention has been described herein in the context of particular embodiments and implementations and applications and in particular environments, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that its usefulness is not limited thereto and that the present invention can be beneficially applied in any number of ways and environments for any number of purposes. Accordingly, the claims set forth below should be construed in view of the full breadth and spirit of the present invention as disclosed herein.
The present application claims benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/259,047, entitled PIEZOELECTRIC INSTRUMENT TRIGGER (Suitor), filed Nov. 23, 2015, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/100,041, entitled DUAL SIDED MAGNETIC DRUM TRIGGER (Suitor), filed Jan. 5, 2015, both of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
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