Clavinet

Above: A Hohner Clavinet D6; below: a Fender Rhodes

A clavinet is an analog, electro-mechanical keyboard instrument with 60 keys and was built by Hohner in Germany . It was invented by Ernst Zacharias in 1964 . Developed as the "Electric Clavichord ", the sound of which it was designed to imitate, the Clavinet was used in many funk and rock recordings , especially in the 1970s .

Sound generation

Above: How the clavinet works: 1: tuning mechanism; 2: damper wrapping; 3: tangent; 4: anvil; 5: key; 6: string; 7: pickup; 8: Tailpiece

The Clavinet has a diagonally stretched, tunable string for each note , one end of which is wrapped in wool to dampen vibrations. Under each key of the keyboard there is a bolt (tangent) that hits the string on a small anvil when the key is pressed . The string now vibrates in the undamped part and is picked up there by an electromagnetic pickup (similar to a pickup on an electric guitar ). Releasing the button mutes the entire string again. The volume and character of the sound can be deliberately influenced by the velocity . Due to the background noises generated during this tone generation (a clearly audible "pop noise"), a characteristic "release sound" is created, which is desired by many players and perceived as an important element of the sound.

The Clavinet has built-in preamplifier-filter electronics, which are operated by a 9 V battery or an appropriate power supply unit. On the D6 and E7 models, the buttons for setting the sound are located to the left of the keyboard. They are labeled "Brillant", "Treble", "Medium" and "Soft" as well as "A / B" and "C / D" and allow the sound character to be changed quickly.

To fill a room with sound, the Clavinet requires a corresponding power amplifier and subsequent loudspeaker .

Versions

There are different versions of the clavinet that have come onto the market over the years:

• Hohner Clavinet I.
• Hohner Clavinet II
• Hohner Clavinet L
• Hohner Clavinet C.
• Hohner Clavinet D6 , which is probably the most popular
• Hohner Clavinet E7 , which is very similar to the D6
• Hohner Clavinet / Pianet Duo , which is a combination of Clavinet and Pianet ; Here you can either play one of the two instruments or mix them continuously.

use

• Stevie Wonder : " Superstition "
• Bill Withers : "Use me"
• Billy Preston : "Outa Space"
• Herbie Hancock : " Chameleon "
• Maceo Parker : "To Be Or Not To Be"
• Lonnie Liston Smith : "Voodoo Woman"
• Tina Turner : " Nutbush City Limits "
• Nina Hagen Band : "At the Zoo station in the ladies toilet"
• Pink Floyd : " Shine On You Crazy Diamond "
• Steely Dan : Kid Charlemagne
• Elvis Presley : "Promised Land"
• Red Hot Chili Peppers : "Warlocks"
• Commodores : "Machine Gun"
• Led Zeppelin : "Trampled Under Foot"

Audio samples

• Audio samples in Ogg-Vorbis format:
  • Recording a Clavinet D6 with changing pickup settings ^{? / i}

See also

• Fender Rhodes

Web links

• Manuals, circuit diagrams and sound samples for the Clavinet
• Detailed page about the Hohner Clavinet and its maintenance
• Small page to the Clavinet
• Page on John Paul Jones' (Led Zeppelin) Clavinet ( Memento from February 10, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
• Longer article on the Electronic Musician page about the Clavinet
• Detailed pictures of the Clavinet 1, Clavinet L and Clavinet D6

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} keyboards.de: The Hohner Clavinet and its inventor Ernst Zacharias
2. ↑ songfacts.com: WARLOCKS by RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS