Electronic Sackbut
Encyclopedia
The Electronic Sackbut is an electronic instrument designed by Hugh Le Caine
beginning in the 1940s.
The Sackbut had a feature which resembles what has become the modulation wheel(s) on today's synthesizer
s: The player used the left hand to modify the sound while the right hand was used to play the keyboard. This compares with today's synthesizers which have one or several modulation wheels to the left of the keyboard (often controlling modulation and pitch).
The controller, which the player of the Sackbut used, modified volume
, pitch
and timbre
. Thus it was one of the first electronic instruments to use a three-dimensional continuous controller to modify the sound in a live situation. Such control sophistication is still rare in today's electronic instruments.
Le Caine began working full time in a new lab at the National Research Council of Canada
in 1954, where he built over 22 different new instruments before his death in 1977. While he developed four models of the Sackbut, none ever saw commercial production.
Hugh Le Caine
Hugh Le Caine was a Canadian physicist, composer, and instrument builder.Le Caine was brought up in Port Arthur in northwestern Ontario...
beginning in the 1940s.
The Sackbut had a feature which resembles what has become the modulation wheel(s) on today's synthesizer
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...
s: The player used the left hand to modify the sound while the right hand was used to play the keyboard. This compares with today's synthesizers which have one or several modulation wheels to the left of the keyboard (often controlling modulation and pitch).
The controller, which the player of the Sackbut used, modified volume
Loudness
Loudness is the quality of a sound that is primarily a psychological correlate of physical strength . More formally, it is defined as "that attribute of auditory sensation in terms of which sounds can be ordered on a scale extending from quiet to loud."Loudness, a subjective measure, is often...
, 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...
. Thus it was one of the first electronic instruments to use a three-dimensional continuous controller to modify the sound in a live situation. Such control sophistication is still rare in today's electronic instruments.
Le Caine began working full time in a new lab at the National Research Council of Canada
National Research Council of Canada
The National Research Council is an agency of the Government of Canada which conducts scientific research and development.- History :...
in 1954, where he built over 22 different new instruments before his death in 1977. While he developed four models of the Sackbut, none ever saw commercial production.