{"id":29452,"date":"2018-07-06T14:18:15","date_gmt":"2018-07-06T14:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greatsynthesizers.com\/?p=29452"},"modified":"2022-08-28T22:12:55","modified_gmt":"2022-08-28T20:12:55","slug":"novachord-hammonds-polyphonic-synthesizer-from-1938","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greatsynthesizers.com\/en\/general\/novachord-hammonds-polyphonic-synthesizer-from-1938\/","title":{"rendered":"Novachord: Hammond’s Polyphonic Synthesizer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Was this the first commercial synthesizer? Built in\u00a01938, the Novachord hit the market long before Moog, Buchla and\u00a0other synthesizers saw the day of light. The Hammond Novachord is a hybrid\u00a0machine, a mixture of an electronic piano and a synthesizer.<\/p>\n

Technically speaking, this is a fully polyphonic (!) instrument that consists of 12 master oscillators (with frequency dividers), various high- and low-pass-filters and even LFOs. The Novachord, which has a whopping 150 tubes, was actually designed for home use. But high costs and lack of tuning stability caused the instrument’s commercial downfall.<\/p>\n

\"Novachord-01\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After all, the Novachord made it into some respectable studios. It was frequently used on the soundtrack of the mystery \/ science fiction series “Twilight Zone”\u00a0way back in the\u00a050s and 60s.<\/p>\n

The Novachord shown here is currently being offered on eBay<\/a>. Completely restored and technically near mint, the starting price is a slim $ 84,000. Happy bidding!<\/p>\n

\"Novachord-04\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Novachord-07\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Novachord-02\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Novachord-03\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Novachord-10\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Novachord-05\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Novachord-11\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Novachord-12\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Novachord-06\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Novachord-09\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Hammond-Novachord-GreatSynthesizers\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In this Youtube video<\/a> Daniel Fisher (Sweetwater) explains and demonstrates the instrument offered on eBay.<\/p>\n

“Daniel Fisher, Sweetwater\u2019s full-time synth fanatic, gives an in-depth tour of the Hammond Novachord, which is widely regarded as the father of the modern polyphonic synthesizer. It debuted at the 1939 World\u2019 Fair and featured 72-note polyphony, oscillators, filters, envelopes, and frequency modulation, which were used to craft its organic and otherworldly sounds.” <\/em><\/p>\n

(Source: Youtube.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

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\nFurther Links:<\/p>\n