Ondes Musicales Martenot
( Martenot Waves )

One of the first electronical music instrument,
created by Maurice Martenot in 1928

This monophonic instrument with oscilliator is composed with:

• a suspended keyboard with lateral translation which allow pitch-bending and then play vibrato.
• "ruban" or ring attached to a ribbon which is running along the keyboard, by sliding or elevating this ring the performer play glissandi
• "touche d'expression" or loudness control key played with the left hand. Very soft and precise this key must be activated to obtain any sound and it give all the intensity's variations from pianissimo to fortissimo. A quick hit on this key give a sound of percussion. We can easily consider the analogy between this key and the archer of strings instruments.
• at the same location there are keys for timbral changes and to dispatch sound to differents kind of loudspeakers which allow an infinity of combinations.