Made in West Germany in the 1960s by the Koestler Company, the Harmochord is an electrified harmonium. Unlike its cousins, the harmonium and the accordion, it uses a motorized blower in place of the bellows. The reeds are activated as you depress the keys and the sound emanates from two grilles on top of the instrument. We recorded with stereo close and room mics.
Made in West Germany in the 1960s by the Koestler Company, the Harmochord is an electrified harmonium. Unlike its cousins, the harmonium and the accordion, it uses a motorized blower in place of the bellows. The reeds are activated as you depress the keys and the sound emanates from two grilles on top of the instrument. We recorded with stereo close and room mics. There were two models of this cool reed organ - the furniture cabinet and the space-age-looking, 49-key portable model, meant to sit on a table and fold up into its own suitcase. The sound of the two was virtually identical. The Harmochord is popular with Indie bands and its value has increased rapidly with the revived interest in unusual vintage instruments.
Resources: Keyscape Reference Guide
All musical instrument manufacturer and product names used in Keyscape are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Spectrasonics. The trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose tones and sounds were studied during Spectrasonics sound development. All names of musical artists and instrument inventors have been included for illustrative and educational purposes only and do not suggest any affiliation or endorsement of Keyscape by any artist or instrument inventor.
