Clavivox
Encyclopedia
The Clavivox was a keyboard sound synthesizer
and sequencer
invented by American composer
Raymond Scott
in 1952, and patented in 1956.
Scott had earlier built a theremin
as a toy for his daughter Carrie. In his first Clavivox prototype
, he used a theremin module built by a young Bob Moog (who was more than 25 years younger than Scott). The unit allowed the use of portamento
over a 3-octave
range. Scott then added amplitude envelopes, vibrato
and other effects to the Clavivox.
Later Clavivox models used light shining through photographic film
onto photocells as a source of control voltage to control pitch
and timbre
.
"A lot of the sound-producing circuitry of the Clavivox resembled very closely the first analog synthesizer
my company made in the mid-'60s," Moog explained years later. "Some of the sounds are not the same, but they're close."
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
and sequencer
Music sequencer
The music sequencer is a device or computer software to record, edit, play back the music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically :...
invented by American composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Raymond Scott
Raymond Scott
Raymond Scott was an American composer, band leader, pianist, engineer, recording studio maverick, and electronic instrument inventor....
in 1952, and patented in 1956.
Scott had earlier built a theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
as a toy for his daughter Carrie. In his first Clavivox prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
, he used a theremin module built by a young Bob Moog (who was more than 25 years younger than Scott). The unit allowed the use of portamento
Portamento
Portamento is a musical term originated from the Italian expression "portamento della voce" , denoting from the beginning of the 17th century a vocal slide between two pitches and its emulation by members of the violin family and certain wind instruments, and is sometimes used...
over a 3-octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
range. Scott then added amplitude envelopes, vibrato
Vibrato
Vibrato is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms of two factors: the amount of pitch variation and the speed with which the pitch is varied .-Vibrato and...
and other effects to the Clavivox.
Later Clavivox models used light shining through photographic film
Photographic film
Photographic film is a sheet of plastic coated with an emulsion containing light-sensitive silver halide salts with variable crystal sizes that determine the sensitivity, contrast and resolution of the film...
onto photocells as a source of control voltage to control pitch
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
and timbre
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
.
"A lot of the sound-producing circuitry of the Clavivox resembled very closely the first analog synthesizer
Analog synthesizer
An analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s such as the Trautonium were built with a variety of vacuum-tube and electro-mechanical technologies...
my company made in the mid-'60s," Moog explained years later. "Some of the sounds are not the same, but they're close."
External links
- Photos of Raymond Scott's various CLAVIVOX designs
- Sound file: Raymond Scott demonstrates his CLAVIVOX
- Bob Moog's memories of Raymond Scott & the CLAVIVOX, in Moog's own words
- Circle Machines and Sequencers, article from Electronic MusicianElectronic MusicianElectronic Musician is a monthly magazine published by Penton Media featuring articles on synthesizers, music production and electronic musicians....
magazine, written by Jeff E. Winner & Irwin D. Chusid