1950s Jenny Ondioline Demo Record - Synthesizer Precursor

[cph1776]

06:20 "I'm Popeye The Sailor Man..."

[bvsiness]

Extremly surprised, very interesting instrument, thanks for posting!

[hydrodwarf]

Found 'this' from my love of STEREOLABS 1994 track 'Jenny ondioline', which demonstrates the unique hazy hypnotic waves.

[AR1264]

Wonderful, thank you!

[HideawayStudio]

Thanks for posting this fascinating video.

Anyone interested in very early electronic instruments might want to do a search for "Novachord Video" - this is a presentation of a partially restored 72 year old Novachord in action - a 1/4 ton, 163 tube monster with 72 note polyphony, a VCA on every key with central ADR envelope control, filters and a 6 channel vibrato system - it cost $1850 in 1939

[killercrabman]

his holy modal majesty by al kooper and mike bloomfield uses one of this crazy things and just happens to be super sweet and will mess with your head.

[DavesTrumpet]

Thank you for posting this!

[ventouse]

Fantastique !

[SuperDisbelief]

What is the name of the tune played with the Hawaiian Guitar? I have always wondered that, since I heard it played on a Yamaha Electone once and thought it was a wonderful tune.

[Alexanification]

Aloha Oe

[happymoogman]

"Aloha Oe" - a classic Hawaiian native song.

[plungerdrum]

If I didn't know better, Id've thought that was a real violin!!

[mewrth]

This is mindblowing!

Today's workstations have nothing on this electronics masterpiece...words fail me :)

[happymoogman]

By the way, I have an Ondioline in the shop, and hopefully it will be fully repaired soon. I plan to make a dedicated web page to it, with videos and audio samples. It is one of the most expressive electronic musical instruments I've ever heard.

- Dana Countryman

[OriginalSimulacrum]

@happymoogman - wow, I didn't think they had the tech back then - touch sensitive and clear sounds... what, was it a sort of rudimentary waveshaper???

[happymoogman]

Nice work. For your info, that's the legendary Jean-Jacques Perrey, playing both Ondioline (right hand), and piano (left hand), at the same time. This was the demo record he made for Georges Jenny, the inventor, - all before he left his homeland France, for his future success in America.

- Dana Countryman

[jafafah0ts]

Thanks for the info, I sure wish I had known that at the time I posted it, it got a lot of interest on Matrixsynth and other sites, people would have loved that info!

[countwolfram]

@happymoogman hello, i got an Ondioline last week. I knew it from the first Marvelettes LP and Frank Hunter's "White Godess". I would have a few questions : what the use of the 2 knobs SW and SE of the switch row ? when you press a key, is the sound beginnig imediatly and fading in, or is it begining with a certain level and then fading in the deeper you press the key ? thank you in advance for your help

[happymoogman]

Hi --

On my Ondioline, those two knob are actually potentiometers. The add an additional octave to some of the voices. In other words, two octaves at once, while playing one note.

[AudioBooTH]

absolutely fascinating - thanks for this!

[jafafah0ts]

My pleasure. If you check my channel you'll see I've posted a bunch of other instrument & synth demos, but I think this is my favorite - the thing just sounds beautiful.