Omnichord
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Image:Omnichord.jpg
Rhodes Electric Stage Piano Mark II 73 note
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An Omnichord is an electronic musical instrument manufactured by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation. It typically features a touch plate and numerous chord buttons. The most basic method of playing the instrument is to press the chord buttons, and strum the touch plate. Omnichords often feature preset rhythms with a tempo control which the player may use as accompaniment. Other features may include a selection of voices, and effects such as vibrato and sustain, as well as a chord memory in more advanced models.
[edit] QChord
After many years and several revisions the Omnichord has been replaced by the QChord; an instrument based on the omnichord, but with expanded and advanced features, such as a MIDI interface (some later Omnichord models also had MIDI) and song cartridge capabilities.
[edit] Omnichords in popular music
Several famous musicians have used omnichords in their music, among them:
- DEVO "Oh, No! It's Devo!"
- Daniel Lanois
- SELF on the albums "Breakfast With Girls" & "Gizmodgery"
- Jarvis Cocker
- Robbie Williams
- Bryce Falcon on "The Omnichord EP"
- David Bowie "Heathen"
- Elvis Costello
- The Dixie Chicks
- John Ringhofer (Half-handed Cloud) on "Halos and Lassos"
- Brian Eno
- Bob Dylan
- Coldcut
- Ringo Starr
- The Mae Shi "Body 2" from "Terrorbird" and "Remarkably Dirty Animals" and "Nickel Arcade" from "Do Not Ignore The Potential"
- Alex Bartlett
- Metalmags
- Björk
- Sarah Blasko "Amazing Things" from "What the Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have"
- The Bens
- The Gomorrah Lapse
- My Morning Jacket
- Ween
- The Magnetic Fields "69 Love Songs"
- Ariel Pink "She's My Girl" from House Arrest/Lover Boy (Haunted Graffiti 5-6)
In 2000, the band The High Fidelity released The Omnichord Album; an album of songs featuring omnichords (as well as the occasional QChord).
In 2005, London Elektricity released "Power Ballads" on the Hospital Records label, an album which involves omnichords. The cover art shows the artist, Tony Colman, holding a black and white Omnichord.
In 2006, Half-handed Cloud released "Halos and Lassos", in which nearly all the tracks use an Omnichord.
