Novachord

The Novachord is an electronic musical instrument with polyphonic sound engine. It involves the first commercially produced in series with a conventional synthesizer piano keyboard (as opposed to 1930 developed Trautonium, which is played over bandmanuals ). The Novachord is played over a 72 keys keyboard comprehensive and used an early form of ADSR technology. The tone serve, inter alia, 12 tube oscillators and a total of 169 vacuum tubes.

The instrument was built between November 1938 and July 1942 a total of 1069 copies of the Hammond Organ Company and used for a short period in broadcasting and specifically in the soundtrack for the soundtrack of eerie scenes often. Examples are from Erich Wolfgang Korngold ( The Sea Wolf, 1941), Hans J. Salter, Frank Skinner, Franz Waxman ( Rebecca, 1940), or Hanns Eisler ( White Flood, 1940; later than Eisler's Chamber Symphony Op 69 adapted for concert use, which also provides the Novachord ).

The as a result of World War II standstill in production has not been subsequently resumed. Only a small number of playable instruments still exists; problematic proved especially made ​​of wax capacitors.