Back in the 1930s, there was a man called Laurens Hammond, an electronics engineer, inventor and innovator. At the age of 14, he had designed an automatic transmission mechanism for motor cars (which was rejected by Renault!) and later would invent, in 1922, a 3D movie playback system as well as a clock motor.

However, he is best known for the patent he took out in 1934 for a tonewheel organ which was to become, of course, the B3 and C3 and various other models.

In 1939, however, Hammond released something altogether different - the world's first polyphonic synthesiser.

Yes - you read that correctly ... a fully polyphonic synthesiser ... in 1939!!

Using divide-down oscillators (the world's first?), the Novachord was fully polyphonic. The oscillators pass through resonators, hi-and lo-pass filters and a simple but effective envelope shaper. What is particularly impressive is that the Novachord had LFOs and envelope shapers for every one of its 72-notes so that the instrument was TOTALLY polyphonic! This is actually very impressive as even string synths 40 years its junior such as the ARP Omni, Moog PolyMoog, etc., were paraphonic - i.e. all voices sharing a single LFO/envelope. This means that combined with the huge polyphony, six octaves and a superb sustain control, you can combine massive chords and arpeggios with no chance of note stealing. The electronic architecture that makes this possible is beautifully elegant too. It also has vibrato but not like the type found on analogue synths - instead, the modulation is polyphonic which imparts a rich ensemble effect to its sounds.

But reaction to this magnificent instrument was mixed at the time.

Traditional musicians couldn't grasp the concept because it wasn't a piano (even though it looked a little like one in its magnificent wooden cabinet) and those who had embraced Hammond's tonewheel organs were confused because it wasn't an organ either. As such, most people didn't know quite what to make of it or what to do with it.

Hammond tried to sell it as a 'home entertainment' instrument claiming it could make any sound of the orchestra!!! Errrmmm... a bold claim and obviously they didn't have a Trades Description Act back then. But that claim was enough to get the US Musician's Union in a panic which imposed limitations on how it could be used in recording sessions. they couldn't ban it outright because, ironically, that would restrict their members' ability to work because an MU member would be needed to play it!

However, it was a sure fire hit with the movie and TV industry who used it in soundtracks primarily for the eerie sounds it could create and its haunting sound could be heard in movies as diverse as 'Gone With The Wind', 'The Maltese Falcon' and 'Rebecca' to sci-fi classics such as 'It Came From Outer Space'. 'This Island Earth', 'The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms' and others. It also featured in TV programs such as 'The Twilght Zone', 'The Outer Limits' and 'Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea'. It was also used in 'Hawaii Five-O'. Book him Danno!

Despite all this, unfortunately, like the Theremin, it failed to gain 'serious' musical credibility because it was seen as something of a novelty. However, Dame Vera Lynn, the forces' sweetheart, was acccompanied on one by Arthur Young in several of the wartime songs she recorded including 'We'll Meet Again'. Arthur Young along with Dimitri Tiomkin, Elmer Bernstein and Jerry Goldsmith took the instrument seriously and Goldsmith was using one as late as 1966.

Only 1,069 were ever made. Production stopped in 1941 when parts were difficult to get hold of due to the war effort of WWII. It never went back into production after hostilities ceased. Unfortunately! Imagine how electronic music might have been had Hammond continued with this amazing instrument - it would have had a 20 year head start. Like so many innovations, it was ahead of its time and most people couldn't understand it.

Very few remain today and even fewer are in working order.

However, Hollow Sun is dragging this phenomenal instrument into the present day in its unique sample set which brings the rich and haunting sonorities of the Novachord into the 21st century ... where (arguably) it belongs.

The Novachord in question (serial #346) belongs to one Dan Wilson of Bath, England. As well as being an accomplished muso with an impressive studio, he is also something of an electronics whizz and is lovingly restoring his instrument. Dan is avoiding replacing components with modern equivalents because that can adversely affect the sound. Instead, he is fixing the originals so that the instrument's sound is carefully preserved.

It is unknown how many working Novachords are in existence today but this is almost certainly the only one in the UK.

The textures are unbelievable - quite unlike anything we've heard, Vaguely familiar and reminiscent of modern synths but with a 'quality' that, like this library, is totally unique.

Please also visit our sister site, novachord.co.uk, for more information on this unique project.

Kontakt Control Panel

NOTE : It will work with the Kontakt Player but only in 'demo' mode and the session will be time limited.