Stylophone
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A stylophone
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The Stylophone is a miniature analog stylus-operated keyboard. Invented in 1967 by Brian Jarvis,[1] it entered production in 1968, manufactured by Dubreq. It consists of a metal keyboard played by touching it with a stylus—each note being connected to a voltage-controlled oscillator via a different-value resistor—thus closing a circuit. The only other controls were a power switch and a vibrato control on the front panel beside the keyboard, and a tuning control on the rear. Some three million Stylophones were sold, mostly as children's toys.
The Stylophone was available in three variants: standard, bass, and treble, the standard one being by far the most common. There was also a larger version called the 350S with more notes on the keyboard, various voices, a novel 'wah-wah' effect that was controlled by moving one's hand over a photo-sensor, and two styluses.
In the mid-1970s a new model appeared which featured pseudo-wood on the speaker panel and a volume control. This was shortly before the Stylophone ceased production altogether in 1975.
2007 revival
In October 2007 toy company Re:creation, in conjunction with Dubreq Ltd (re-formed in 2003 by Ben Jarvis, the son of the original inventor), re-launched the Stylophone, 32 years after the original had ceased to be manufactured. The new model, officially called the S1, is a digital copy that closely resembles the 1960s original but has a volume control and features an audio throughput function, as well as sporting two new sounds.[2]
In popular culture
David Bowie is credited with playing the Stylophone on his 1969 debut hit song Space Oddity.[3]
BBC film critic Mark Kermode played a Stylophone on the 8 January 2010 instalment of his and Simon Mayo's film review programme. Kermode described recently learning how to play the instrument.[4]
On the 5 March 2010 edition of his Kermode Uncut vodcast, Kermode played a rendition of Richard Strauss' Sunrise on the Stylophone in homage to Duncan Jones' film Moon.[5]
In the news quiz Have I Got News For You episode hosted by Rolf Harris he used a Stylophone to play two tunes used as clues to a news story.[6]
The Kraftwerk classic song Pocket Calculator uses the stylophone. It's one of the main instruments on this track and a "stylophone solo" ends the song.
Stylophone is being used as a main instrument by russian rock-group "Gromyka".[7]
American alternative rock group They Might Be Giants has made use of the Stylophone on their album The Else.
Stylophone S2
In December 2012, Dubreq released the Series 2 Stylophone, a British made, true full spec analogue synth.[8]
References
- ↑ David McNamee. "Hey, what's that sound: Stylophone | Music". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
- ↑ Elliott, Amy-Mae (14 September 2007). ""Iconic" Seventies Stylophone to be revived by HMV". Pocket-Lint Ltd. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
- ↑ "AllMusic Credits Space Oddity".
- ↑ "BBC Radio 5 live - Kermode and Mayo's Film Review, 08/01/2010". Bbc.co.uk. 2010-01-08. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
- ↑ Archived March 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "YouTube". YouTube.com. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
- ↑ "ГРОМЫКА - "Говорил я вам"/ GROMYKA - "As I Said Unto You"". YouTube.com. 2015-11-05. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
- ↑ "Dubreq Stylophone S2". Stylophone2.com. 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
