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1950s Jenny Ondioline Demo Record - Synthesizer Precursor

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Uploaded by on Jul 15, 2009

A vintage record demonstrating Georges Jenny's Ondioline tube-driven electronic instrument, an important but almost forgotten ancestor of the modern synthesizer. I've included English translation of the French-language narration in this video.

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Uploader Comments (jafafah0ts)

  • 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

  • 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!

  • absolutely fascinating - thanks for this!

  • 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.

Top Comments

  • This is mindblowing!

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

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All Comments (19)

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

  • Extremly surprised, very interesting instrument, thanks for posting!

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

  • Wonderful, thank you!

  • 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

  • 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.

  • Thank you for posting this!

  • Fantastique !

  • 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.

  • "Aloha Oe" - a classic Hawaiian native song.

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