Novachord

Novachord
Hammond Novachord
ManufacturerHammond
Dates1939–1942
Technical specifications
Polyphony72 voices
Oscillator12-semitone oscillators + 5-octave dividers
LFO6-channel electromechanical vibrato
Synthesis typeSubtractive analogue
FilterThree bandpass filters, one lowpass filter, one highpass filter (in parallel with fixed frequency)
AttenuatorEnvelope with seven preset shapes
HardwareVacuum tubes
Input/output
Keyboard72 notes

The Novachord is an electronic musical instrument often considered the world's first commercial polyphonic synthesizer.[1][2][3] Incorporating many circuit and control elements found in modern synthesizers, and using subtractive synthesis to generate tones, it was designed by John M. Hanert, Laurens Hammond and C. N. Williams, and was manufactured by the Hammond company.[4] Only 1,069 Novachords were built over a period from 1939 to 1942. It was one of very few electronic products released by Hammond that was not intended to emulate the sound of an organ.

  1. ^ Cirocco, Phil (2006). "The Novachord Restoration Project". CIROCCO MODULAR SYNTHESIZERS. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  2. ^ Morris, Jan (1998). Manhattan '45. JHU Press. p. 47.
  3. ^ Davison, Annette (2009). Alex North's A streetcar named Desire: a film score guide. Scarecrow Press. p. 82.
  4. ^ Steve Howell; Dan Wilson. "Novachord". Hollow Sun. Retrieved 26 April 2011. See also site's 'History' page