Multimonica

Multimonica II (manufactured in 1951)

Detail of Multimonica II

Multimonica

The Hohner Multimonica is one of the first mass produced electronic analog synthesizers, dating back to 1940. Produced by the German Hohner GmbH, it preceded even the more famous Selmer Clavioline. Actually the instrument is a combo of a fan blown reed organ (lower manual) and a monophonic sawtooth synthesizer (upper manual). It’s circuitry was designed by the German engineer Harald Bode.

There have been at least two series of Multimonica, with different control panel layout and schematics. The earlier models are now being a real rarity, since their production was halted by the World War II, and many units may have been lost in the war. Multimonica II was released by the end of the ’40s.

The front panel controls of the Multimonica I from left to right are: gain knob for the microphone input; power switch and overall volume knob; synthesizer/amplifier selector; power switch for the blower fan; tuning knob; four selector switches for different harmonics filtering of the synthesizer sound; four selectors for the different loudspeakers; vibrato switch.

The Multimonica II featured no microphone input, and only one loudspeaker, but provided more types of harmonics filtering, and the electromechanic vibrato was changed to a tube based and more sophisticated design. The front panel controls of the Multimonica II from left to right are: power switch and overall volume knob; six selector switches for different preset sounds of the synthesizer; tuning knob; two selector switches for different harmonics filtering; three switches for the vibrato speed and amplitude; power switch for the blower fan.

The circuit is based on Philips 13204 X, Philips EL41, Telefunken EF41 tubes for Multimonica I, and EL41; ECC40; EF40 tubes for the second series^[1].
A photo of a third model can be found on the World Wide Web, looking like a simplified version of Multimonica I (without microphone input).

See also

• Harald Bode
• Hohner

References

1. ^ István Sőreg (1959). Hat elektronikus hangszer. Budapest: Magyar Honvédelmi Sportszövetség Repülési Osztálya. pp. 34. 
   (English:  István Sőreg (1959) (in Hungarian). Six electronic instruments. Budapest: Aviation Section of the Sports Association of the Hungarian Army. pp. 34. )

External links

• "The Multimonica (1940)". 120 Years of Electronic Music. http://120years.net/machines/multimonica/index.html.