MOTM

The worlds first synthesizer (commercially released synthesizer, that
is) - anyone know what it was?

It was the Hammond Novachord, first marketed in 1939. Fully polyphonic
tube synthesizer (169! tubes), with independent LFOs per note, and
controllable envelope generators and formant filters.

These are ultra rare in playable condition. Here's a link to a well
documented recent successful restoration by Phil Cirocco. Near the top
of the page are some links to old sound files, while near the bottom
are links of the newly restored machine being played.

It sounds stunning, with warm pads the equal of any CS-80. What an
amazing machine!

http://www.discretesynthesizers.com/Nova/intro.htm

Moe
http://www.hotrodmotm.com
http://www.wiseguysynth.com

Moe, 
Thanks so much for the link!!! This is truly amazing!
I had no idea this thing exists. And it does sound
wonderful! Almost like a Yamaha CS80. What a monster
of an instrument. 500 pounds... 
I googled a bit and I found this other very
interesting link:

http://www.organhouse.com/hammond_novachord.htm

It has some high-res picts... look at those knobs
(levers?) and the labelings (which I believe is the
standard same font that one sees on many Hammond
organs)... I get goose bumps from looking at that...
and I can feel the raising of craving inside me.... 
Does anybody know what sort of filter circuits are
being used in this thing? And how would such filter
circuits work?

Thanks again for sending that link!!!

Best,
Dino


 

--- mate_stubb <mate_stubb@...> wrote:

> The worlds first synthesizer (commercially released
> synthesizer, that
> is) - anyone know what it was?
> 
> It was the Hammond Novachord, first marketed in
> 1939. Fully polyphonic
> tube synthesizer (169! tubes), with independent LFOs
> per note, and
> controllable envelope generators and formant
> filters.
> 
> These are ultra rare in playable condition. Here's a
> link to a well
> documented recent successful restoration by Phil
> Cirocco. Near the top
> of the page are some links to old sound files, while
> near the bottom
> are links of the newly restored machine being
> played.
> 
> It sounds stunning, with warm pads the equal of any
> CS-80. What an
> amazing machine!
> 
> http://www.discretesynthesizers.com/Nova/intro.htm
> 
> Moe
> http://www.hotrodmotm.com
> http://www.wiseguysynth.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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I don't know, except that one basic tone is lowpass filtered, another
is highpass filtered, and there are 3 global formant filters, I
suppose those would be bandpass or peaking...

Now that JH has gotten excited about it, I'll bet we'll have an MOTM
version soon <G>...

Moe
http://www.hotrodmotm.com
http://www.wiseguysynth.com

--- In motm@yahoogroups.com, Dino Leone <d_p_leone@y...> wrote:

>
> Moe, 
> I get goose bumps from looking at that...
> and I can feel the raising of craving inside me.... 
> Does anybody know what sort of filter circuits are
> being used in this thing? And how would such filter
> circuits work?
>

>I don't know, except that one basic tone is lowpass filtered, another
> is highpass filtered, and there are 3 global formant filters, I
> suppose those would be bandpass or peaking...
> 
> Now that JH has gotten excited about it, I'll bet we'll have an MOTM
> version soon <G>...

With a $600 Schaffer panel :)

Paul S.

--- Paul Schreiber <synth1@...> wrote:
> > Now that JH has gotten excited about it, I'll bet
> we'll have an MOTM
> > version soon <G>...
> 
> With a $600 Schaffer panel :)
> 
> Paul S.


Well, after listenting to those samples for about the
10th time since yesterday, I think I would be willing
to go that far. However, there's another issue: a very
basic 12AX7 tube is around $12... a Novachord uses
what, something over 100 tubes? And I'd bet something
those are not all 12ax7, so the tubes alone would
probably be close to $2k, then add all those matched
caps.... I guess not for this Xmas' budget... :-)

In all seriousness, just how would a tube-based
bandpass or lowpass filter sound? Anybody any ideas???


Dino




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>In all seriousness, just how would a tube-based
>bandpass or lowpass filter sound? Anybody any ideas???

<http://www.metasonix.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=30>

Eric really needs some better samples. This is pretty minimal.

-- 

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"

There are eleven 6W7G tubes per tone, plus an additional three unspecified
tubes per oscillator.  The filters in the Novachord appear to be passive RLC
circuits.  There is no need for voltage control when there's a filter for
each note.

John Loffink
The Microtonal Synthesis Web Site
http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com
The Wavemakers Synthesizer Web Site
http://www.wavemakers-synth.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: motm@yahoogroups.com [mailto:motm@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Dino
> Leone
> Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 12:11 AM
> To: Paul Schreiber; motm@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [motm] Re: The world's first synthesizer....restored!
> 
> 
> 
> Well, after listenting to those samples for about the
> 10th time since yesterday, I think I would be willing
> to go that far. However, there's another issue: a very
> basic 12AX7 tube is around $12... a Novachord uses
> what, something over 100 tubes? And I'd bet something
> those are not all 12ax7, so the tubes alone would
> probably be close to $2k, then add all those matched
> caps.... I guess not for this Xmas' budget... :-)
> 
> In all seriousness, just how would a tube-based
> bandpass or lowpass filter sound? Anybody any ideas???
> 
> 
> Dino
>

Zitat von Paul Schreiber <synth1@...>:

> >I don't know, except that one basic tone is lowpass filtered, another
> > is highpass filtered, and there are 3 global formant filters, I
> > suppose those would be bandpass or peaking...
> > 
> > Now that JH has gotten excited about it, I'll bet we'll have an MOTM
> > version soon <G>...
> 
> With a $600 Schaffer panel :)


My latest front panel arrived last week. EUR 500,00.
Take a look if you like:
http://www.oldcrows.net/~jhaible/matrix_fx/jh_matrix_fx_fpd_testprint.pdf

JH.

-------------------------------------------------
debitel.net Webmail

>  >In all seriousness, just how would a tube-based
>  >bandpass or lowpass filter sound? Anybody any ideas???

I was looking for some demos of this tube beast:

http://www.gearjunkies.com/news_info.php?news_id=963

but haven't found any yet. Interesting idea.

But if you use a passive RLC for each note, wouldn't
you need as many RLCs per note as there are switch
positiions on the control panel? There's a
"Brilliant/Mellow" lever, and also a "Brilliant Tone"
knob with 4 positions... that switch would then
mechanically switch between different filter circuits
per note? I don't get it...  at least the
brilliant/mellow switch seems to mechanically adjust
each note:
http://www.organhouse.com/images/novafullopen.jpg

Are there any schematics online? Damn. Can't find
any...

Dino



--- John Loffink <jloffink@...>
wrote:http://www.organhouse.com/images/novakey2.jpg

> There are eleven 6W7G tubes per tone, plus an
> additional three unspecified
> tubes per oscillator.  The filters in the Novachord
> appear to be passive RLC
> circuits.  There is no need for voltage control when
> there's a filter for
> each note.
> 
> John Loffink
> The Microtonal Synthesis Web Site
> http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com
> The Wavemakers Synthesizer Web Site
> http://www.wavemakers-synth.com
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: motm@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:motm@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Dino
> > Leone
> > Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 12:11 AM
> > To: Paul Schreiber; motm@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: Re: [motm] Re: The world's first
> synthesizer....restored!
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Well, after listenting to those samples for about
> the
> > 10th time since yesterday, I think I would be
> willing
> > to go that far. However, there's another issue: a
> very
> > basic 12AX7 tube is around $12... a Novachord uses
> > what, something over 100 tubes? And I'd bet
> something
> > those are not all 12ax7, so the tubes alone would
> > probably be close to $2k, then add all those
> matched
> > caps.... I guess not for this Xmas' budget... :-)
> > 
> > In all seriousness, just how would a tube-based
> > bandpass or lowpass filter sound? Anybody any
> ideas???
> > 
> > 
> > Dino
> > 
> 
> 
> 
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> --------------------~--> 
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>
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>
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
> 
> 
>  
> Yahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
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> 
>  
> 
> 
> 


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