Jean Laurendeau and the Ondes Martenot

[ObiTrev]

0:45 Ghostbusters!

[FlametopFred]

What probably would be very cool now is for somebody to design a MIDI controller with the same properties, but attached to outboard MIDI modules or virtual synths, plugins. Imagine this whole console connected to a Moog Voyager.

[FlametopFred]

I like how there is actually sheet music for this ... musical instruments are always better when they have some kind of drawer that pulls out. Nice up-close detail

[robberval]

At 1:18 he plays SOS in morse code.

[fsxolliefsx]

I keep hearing bits that remind me of Where I End And You Begin and The National Anthem! I want an Ondes Martenot so badly...

[paullubliner]

It WAS used however to establish the most eerie of feelings of the "Village" in the late, great Patrick McGoohan's (No. 6) fantastic ITV television series "THE PRISONER."

[paullubliner]

It WAS used however to establish the most eerie of feelings of the "Village" in the late, great Patrick McGoohan's (No. 6) fantastic ITV television series "THE PRISONER."

[MargaretsLight]

wtf!? it sounds so good!

[paullubliner]

I have looked and found no written statements that this early synthesizer was used by Alexander Courage for the second pilot's theme. To my ear in the original second Star Trek pilot's theme, I hear an electric violin's timbre. Also, there is the finger sliding glissando's dissonance created by the taped delay echo and the violin's real time note. This does not occur with the Ondes Martenot. Further, I believe I hear the direction of the violin bow changing and variations in bowing pressure.

[bmwluvr2003]

So um, I need one of these things

[thehoodatron]

2:37 reminds me of the beginning of "Where I End and You Begin"

[Ambulanceo]

Theramin's a poor man's Ondes Martenot

[TheYanzildo]

RADIOHEAD!

[jamielellins]

@TheYanzildo GHOSTBUSTERS

[44eelz]

id like to invent a musical instrument before i die, thatd be cool

[villainousturtle]

Edward Abbey mentioned this instrument in "Desert Solitaire" on pg 208. He likened it to the sound of coyotes. How great that I can look it up so quickly to hear the sound, and yet how ironic, since Abbey wasn't a great fan of technology.

[gcmds7]

Why is there a piano soundtrack? How are we suposed to hear the instrument and what they are saying?

[gcmds7]

How can I remove my comment? It was another page I had opened, so sorry :/

[HeyItsDanae]

@gcmds7 if you click 'reply' on your own comment, you can remove it :P haha

[gcmds7]

Please ignore my comment, I had opened another webpage at the same time :/

[1963mathetes]

Very cool.

[sumomichael]

any FM Synth can do what an Ondes Martenot can do with the right know-how, however it will be Digital as opposed to Analog. Everything is now MIDI - Aftertouch for vibrato, buttons to change patches, and all the rest. It's just the sound that can't be imitated!

[PatGleeson123]

I could see where Vangelis got some of his ideas from - whether or not he used a Ondes Martenot :-)

[karler]

Such an amazing intrument

[fenixx67]

4:06 .. *sigh* that sounded so beautiful.

[fanticol]

Please for the love of God, Native Insruments, make an Ondes Martenot vst. I'd pay $1,000 for it.

[mikedeliv]

@fanticol yes, the ontes matrenot for kontakt

[Kungsgeten]

@mikedeliv Actually, Sonic Couture just sent out an email telling that they will release a sampled version of the Ondes Martenot.

[bruzwork]

@Kungsgeten and they did : sonic couture.com

[Mezzotenor]

Excellent demonstration & lecture by this artist. Many thanks for posting!

[kevycanavan]

this is such a cool instrument. I want one :( 

[zate1982]

Reminds me a little bit of Vangelis in Blade Runner

[retromentodo]

National anthem, How to disappear, Pyramid song....Jonny is a genius of the Ondes Martenot. I Love radiohead

[watarball]

yann tiersen uses this

[urbania70]

Thank you so much.. the world of electronic music has a debt to this instrument. What Mr. Laurendaeu did at 6:00 was a nice surprise at the end.

[FireFox780]

The Black Cauldron had this on its soundtrack. It's pretty badass in my books.

[setuda3]

verry beautiful sound!

[MikeAM78]

Makes me think of the opening notes to Elmer Bernstein's "Ghostbusters." :)

[futurfry]

how to disappear completely!

[gorgolyt]

bleh bleh bleh bleh

ch-

Kid A.

Kid A.

bubu-

[jdepth67]

It's funny that you mentioned RADIOHEAD... they use the ondes martenot (pyramid song and others)... I've been to hundreds of shows, radiohead was top 3, if not #1...

[cmontheplane]

Excellent upload. The PSO are probably my favorite symphony orchestra. I had to miss the Messiaen concert that year, unfortunately. But I saw Radiohead in concert, so I guess it's just as good, eh?

[sevensyringes]

i really want one

[salvadorokcomputer]

cuanto cuesta un ondes martenot

[deplanetiser]

absolutely incredible instrument.

[guslopez12]

he is maybe one of the best ondes martenot player but jonny greenwood is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AquariaSpirit]

This sound beautiful. 

[x9x8x7x61]

hah, yea radiohead, that's how i came here. This instrument is making such a beautfiul sound. It's softer than I expected.

[SamAndrew27]

AUDIO BLISS!

[ChemHandbook]

Want one.

[coolcooja]

It has like the same looking keys as a microkorg, they are little :D

[locustskater]

I want France

[47985555]

LOL! sounds like he said 'listen bitches' at 1:40

[purplekirabunny]

1928? sheesh. I wonder how far back electronic music dates!

[chulk607]

@pabsw182

Probably a million boring repetitive arpeggios, just for a change...



[EvesUnderground]

Very beautiful

[RaveyRaveyClub]

Most beautiful instrument ever made.

[Hammundatorp]

Why don't you adapt the brilliant idea of the vibrato onto pianos? It's really awesome!

[paisleytits]

What a beautiful instrument.

[staubsaugar]

I bet you could freak out any professional musician with the sounds from 4:06, combined with the question "do you know this instrument?"

It's amazing how much the ondes can do °.°

[beninsky12]

@staubsaugar Well today with computer software you can build any noise you want, so...

[staubsaugar]

@beninsky12 sure, nevertheless this instrument is awesome :P

[Putaspellonyou]

an amazing instrument...1928? i want one.

[nic0ftime]

I'm still lost....

[SOADafi]

I love this, so much!

[1viva]

Very nice and interesting expose Maestro Laurendeau.  Merci beaucoup!

Mario

[Leadhead444]

Kid A!

[OgenX88]

How much are these if you were willing to get your hands on one?

[Galantski]

Fascinating video of this wonderful instrument. and performer Thanks for the upload.

[mikegnik]

Fantastic. Thank you for sharing this.

I used to try to play melodically on my Kurzweill K2600 ribbon controller and now wish I had those dots on the front to mark the notes. Hmmm, white-out? :)

[foggel88]

Wow, this is so much cooler than any modern keyboard.

[pyromohanzed]

so much cooler than anything modern.

[Cgrrp]

I WANT ONE AAAAAHHHHHH

[tianarulez123]

lol!!! LAURENDEAU IS MY LAST NAME

[joeab09]

Im constantly trying to the finger shake thing to get vibrato on my keyboards...

why do modern companys not think of these things

And why are great inventions always so fucking expensive :@

[Bkmz666]

Fantastic/ Radiohead also used it.

[trainguy111]

4:07 Sounds like a violin!

[Redzombie13]

Nine Inch Nails used this keyboard during their "With Teeth" North American Tour in 2006 and their "Lights In The Sky" Tour during 2008.

[ceridawn]

this is a lovely instrument!!

[xDYLxDYLx]

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

I love the vibrato on the keyboard! They should make new synthesizers with that option.

[gwargk]

Most synths have a vribrato stick. Some also have ribbon controls (oberheim ob12, yamaha cs-80 etc.).

I'm not sure about the existence of ring-controlled synths. It would be nice but I think the french connection controller already covers this market pretty good.

[xDYLxDYLx]

when I said "ON" the keyboard I didn't mean on the synth in general. I meant on the actual Keyboard... where your fingers touch the keys.

check 4:50 to see what I mean.

[pyromohanzed]

The whole keyboard moves by the finger's force.

[xDYLxDYLx]

I bet it would be easy for a company to do this. I'd buy one in a second!

[gwargk]

ah sorry, I see what you mean. Well I only know the yamaha cs-80 should have that feature.

They should put it back on the new synths indeed.

[pap4456]

For the record, the original TV theme for "Star Trek" composed by the late Alexander "Sandy" Courage featured a female vocalist, not a theremin or ondes Martenot. The singer was the late Loulie Jean Norman, a well-known studio singer back in the day.

[unidaddy]

Thanks! I had heard that was the fact, but it was after I made the video. Thank you for the clarifying information.

[Ballsarama]

@pap4456

I'm not quite sure this is correct. Although the original series had a varied version for each of the three seasons. If I remember correctly, the first season had no vocal at all. The second and third seasons had the vocal with the the third season having the bongos added. The one episode which had, what sounds like, a violin for where the vocal normally is was the "Where No Man Has Gone Before" episode, which was the 2nd Pilot episode and the third episode aired.

[EarthFMEnterprises]

this was used in the first ghostbusters movie

[crisogno]

amazing...1928 ???????

[rugbytlse]

In fact Maurice Martenot conceived it in 1918 but he shows it for the 1st time at the Opéra de Paris in 1928

[maddhattertime]

Wow. I would love to play on of these! Great video , too

[reCupcake]

i would love to play one of these....

but lol, there'd be like a fee just to actually LOOK at one of these things xD so rare! ;~;

Why doesn't anyone make any more like the original? I think it's amazing, only limited to one note yeah but the sound is really cool..

[mehemeheme]

If I could own only one instrument, this would be it

[atjhsieh]

Jonny Greenwood!

[razzlebrazzle]

And Colin Greenwood!

[HuggumsMcgehee]

Why aren't they still making these? I think they could be marketable to serious artists. Maybe not a casual person, but collectors and musicians.  I'd love to have one.

[shapednoise]

i bought one. but they are very rare and very expensive!!!

look at analogue systems french connection!

good luck

[rogelyosep]

So awesome. o.o

[cincincincin]

Spectacular!!

[mightyman9001]

can these actually be bought?

[delin5]

The Odes Martenot (as iv heard) are no longer being made..

[J1MP4NS3]

There is a similar device that can be bought. Its manufactured by Analogue Systems.

[johnmcarthur86]

want!

[FijneWIET]

I want ooooooneee.. oh darn you onemanband44, me too! me first!!!??

[onemanband44]

i WAnt one!!

[GuitAri13]

4:04

i might be wrong by radiohead

[hammerEQ]

They don't use the Ondes Martenot when play this song.

[Soljenta91]

Wow I really like that sound

[PolaroidSX70]

How cosmic-sounding.

[racon]

from 4:13 to 4:40 he played two themes from messiaen's turangalila

[dormiturefl]

awesome piece of equipment.

[cradleofjohannes]

hmm...so it acts like a synthesizer? can i play the keyboard and make keyboard sounds like an ordinary piano?

[utterbeastage]

that HAS to be innuendo

[spoot088]

anyone know of any other keyboard type instruments that have vibrato response like that!!!?? message me

[eggbertsmith]

Well yes...both the butt-harp and skin-flute are very sensitive to multiple types of vibrato via hand and/or lip manipulation. There are multiple online resources with many visual aids to demonstrate the almost limitless varieties.

[Aspartamebraintumor]

Harmonium - L'exil (live) check it

[Th3RedX]

That is cool. Radiohead use's one of these? very cool. very interesting.

[werhz5564]

no, it's jonny himself playing it.

[Mygalej]

Ohhh Mr.Greenwood..

[taniatikaram]

You can hear the ondes maternot in the songs ''National anthem'' ,''Kid A'' and many others from the Kid A Album

[andreas85dk]

Is that really an ondes martenot. I just thought they used the French Connection from Analogue Systems, which is based upon the ondes martenot, but still isn't anything like the original

[pedrowasabi]

get into the analoguesystems website to buy it. it's called french connection

[mootbooxle]

It's amazing!!!

I had been looking for info on the Ondes long before I heard Jonny Greenwood use it, but that just catapulted my interest in the instrument to new heights!

Too bad it's so expensive...the sound is beyond amazing, and all of the expressive capabilities of it - lateral keyboard movement, the finger ring, the touch sensor, out of this world, man! LIGHT YEARS ahead of its time.

[zgress]

whats the tune they are playing at the end?

[Live1052]

Its the theme song from the original series of star trek.

[teduele]

Yes... Star Trek ST :-)

[rugbytlse]

Star Trek

[artvandelay13]

so freaking cool. i want!!!!!

maybe radiohead is selling one of theirs?...

[Soljenta91]

Do they may use martenot in Portishead too??

[Live1052]

I believe they used a theremin.

[ajkpchee1]

radiohead fan here

hahaha

thats why i'm looking this up

[Soljenta91]

The same here :D

[danielinsporto]

me three

[timmcmonigle]

me too hahaha

[taniatikaram]

haha me too!!

[dfdgfdgf0000]

thanks for the video.

[yesplease91]

I absolutely NEED that instrument.

oh yes, im a radiohead fan.

[raizumichin]

check out analogue systems, they make a controller called french connection wich is very similar to a ondes martenot. Check out stretta's video response to this video for more info.

[actresscp]

I am also a huge radiohead fan. They are so inventive :)

But yes this instrument would be amazing to have it is beautiful!!!

[basement94]

It is practically impossible to get an original Ondes Martenot, unless you have $500,000 and some very good connections... You will have to make your way with the replica, the French Connection.

[julvo]

Jaja! The most of us arrived here thanks to Johnny Greenwood!!

This instrument is so fucking amazing!!!!

[Johni22]

I WANT IT!!

[lBearman]

Where I End and You Begin

[denistemir]

jonny greenwood!=)

[PimpinBassie2]

Love that cello-like sound at 4:03

[johnguertler]

check out the trautonium ansd oskar sala (myspace)

[7uh]

TURANGALILA!!!

[veli64]

RADIOHEAD!!!

[Goatattack08]

Radiohead.

[Raunchola]

what an incredible instrument! i could spend hours with it i guess.

[inspirationmagnus]

I love your proyect

Im Ezequiel to from Argentina

[kmtsa5845]

cool

[Lissbirds]

Why didn't the inventor just make the lever he's pushing with his left hand a foot pedal? That way he could play more than one note....

BTW, it sounds a lot like a cello at 4:10, which is pretty impressive because it's hard to get an authentic string sound from a synthetic instrument.

[xxsmokeymcpotxx]

He couldn't play more than one note anyway, the Ondes Martenot uses radio frequencies to register the notes, so it's inherently monophonic.

[Basso9x13]

What a cool instrument!

I had to laugh at myself when he demonstrated vibrato - I use the same motion when playing synthesizer w/ aftertouch vibrato - but in my case it's not necessary, just an affectation. However, I'll be ready when I get my own Ondes!

*****

~R

[Grubenpony12]

Awesome sound. Better than any shynt...!

[Snoebaer]

I notice, like with other early electronic keyboards, that is not polyphonic. But interesting and has features that seem to have taken a long time to incorporate into modern day midi keyboards and sequencers. Thanks for the info.

[tmryantm]

thats amazing,, and it responds to vibrato. i want that

[Atma01]

That must cost serious cash!! I need one.

[davidchoimusic]

That's dope. I want it!!!

David

[gouizmoboy]

puts you in the moog...

[0nobodies0]

check out

[doquieer]

Does someone knows the price of an Ondes Martenot?

[MrPelicanPants]

I'm sure they're quite rare and probably worth a fortune. They haven't been made since 1988 anyways.

Quite fascinating considering the synth wasn't invented until decades later.

[SlyHobbit]

I am completely fascinated by this instrument. Just like i was fascinated the first time I saw Mardo using a Theremin on stage.

[ErikKiliam]

4:04 to 4:10 is pure magic. Wow. Imagine a midi controller like this.

[bccbrd22]

radiohead uses these in a few songs