Omnichord
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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After many years and several revisions the Omnichord has been replaced by the QChord; an instrument based on the omnichord, but with expanded and advanced features, such as a MIDI interface (some later Omnichord models also had MIDI)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:
- Arcade Fire, "Ocean of Noise", from the album Neon Bible
- Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, "You Are What You Love"
- John Mayer Room for Squares
- DEVO Oh, No! It's Devo!
- Daniel Lanois
- SELF on the albums Breakfast with Girls & Gizmodgery
- Jarvis Cocker
- Robbie Williams
- David Bowie on Heathen
- Elvis Costello
- The Dixie Chicks
- John Ringhofer (Half-handed Cloud) on Halos and Lassos
- Brian Eno
- Bob Dylan
- Ringo Starr
- The Mae Shi "Body 2" from Terrorbird and "Remarkably Dirty Animals" and "Nickel Arcade" from Do Not Ignore The Potential
- Metalmags
- Björk
- Sarah Blasko "Amazing Things" from What the Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have
- The Bens
- The Gomorrah Lapse
- My Morning Jacket
- Ween
- Au Revoir Simone
- The Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs
- Ariel Pink "She's My Girl" from House Arrest/Lover Boy (Haunted Graffiti 5-6)
- Silvertongue(NO)
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.
