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Vako Orchestron Model A

Discover Roth-Händle studios

Description: A polyphonic keyboard instrument that uses pre-recorded optical discs as soundsource.

Approximate number made: 50 - 70,

Production period: 1974-1976

Keys: 37

Sounds: 8

Used by: Kraftwerk, Mitchell Froom, Jon Brion, Patrick Moraz (Yes), Foreigner, and Jethro Tull (not confirmed)

Original price : 5000 US-dollars

This polyphonic Orchestron is advanced beyond all electronic organs or synthesizers ever built for live performances.

- From an add for the tri manual Orchestron.

The Orchestron was based on a 60´s instrument called the Optigan made by the toy company Mattel. (For more info please check out www.roth-handle.nu/instruments/replay_optigan.htm). The Optigan was a kind of home organ, which used optical celluloid discs as the sound source. The discs had both accompaniment and solo instruments. The pitch and tempo of the disc was determined by how fast the disc spinned. Needless to say this wasn’t a very dependable safe system. The discs themselves are reminiscent of those old flexi discs that you got with some pop magazines in the 80’s. All the discs had speciality sounds on them or tried to narrow in on a particular style like country, bluegrass, latin or even rock. Another problem with the discs was that they almost seemed to be made to break and scratch and damage. I can just imagine what a couple of four year old kids could do with a bunch of discs, an optigan, some Kool-Aid and a pile of peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches. Needless to say the Optigan didn’t go down to well i history. The Orchestron didn’t either.

The brainchild of former Moog employee Dave Van Koevering (hence the company name VAn KOevering), the Orchestron was supposed to be a serious contender to the Mellotron ( for more info please check out www.roth-handle.nu/instruments/replay_mellotron400.htm ). For one thing it was smaller, the discs took no time to change and there were no limitations to how long you could hold down a chord as the discs were looped. Another major difference between the Mellotron and the Orchestron is that there isn’t any friction or actual mechanical action between the keyboard and the sound source which means that you can play extremely fast runs on the Orchestron which is more or less impossible on the Mellotron. If you are a big Yezda Urfa fan you can hear them doing this with the Pipe Organ disc. I used to be a member of a Swedish progressive rockband called Änglagård and we used to listen to Yezda Urfa a lot trying to figure how the could play that fast on the Mellotron. Now…finally the mystery is solved.

8 Discs (i.e sounds) were manufactured for the Orchestron. No silly auto komps, vintage sounding drumloops or anything. The Orchestron was a serious professional instrument. The sounds for the Orchestron are Cello, Violins, Vocal Choir, Saxophone, Hammond B3, French horn, Flute and Pipe organ. Some of these sounds were according to Pea Hix taken from the Optigan sound library, some were recorded by Paul Beaver. But there are also rumours concerning the Cello and Violin actually being identical to the Mellotrons 3 violins and Cello sounds. I have never actually taken the time to compare them even though I have both sounds and use them frequently mainly becuse even if the sounds were originally the same the character is very different due to the amplification and of course the difference in sound source. Tapes or discs. If you click on the icons below you can see some snippets of film with the sounds of he Orchestron.

I purchased mine over the Internet from a private seller located in Florida. When comparing the Orchestron with the Mellotron the sounds are more pad like and one big difference is that where the Mellotron has tape-hiss, the Orchestron has vinyl crackles and pops. The sounds for the Mellotron are more lifelike and more natural sounding. The Orchestron sounds a bit more like a ´30s version of a synth. They are both great sounds in different ways. As a fanatic when it comes to the Mellotron it feels great to be able to blend sounds from the two instruments. This technique was used heavily on Swedish band Celestines debut album Between bedtime and sunrise.

Several different models of the Orchestron were made. From models A-E including the monstrous the Model X Phase Four, which had four keyboards, a synthesizer unit and the topping of the cake...foot pedals. One weird thing about these massive 4 manual keyboards is that none of them seem to be working or in use these days. The only pictures I have been able to track down were of old black and white scanned catalogues. So… another logical questions…were they ever in existence besides the prototypes ? Patrick Moraz used one of those monster Orchestrons on Yes’s Relayer tour but it apparently broke down afterwards, was sent of for service and just vanished. If you anything about these instruments please get in touch. My Orchestron is a Model A which is also weird as there are no pictures of a Model A. My Model A looks exactly like a Model B but with “ unlimited “ pitching possibilities.

This is what Patrick Moraz had to say about his ventures with the Orchestron. As told to yesmuseum.com.

“ I had an Orchestron Trimanual, which resembles a Mellotron although, of course, has its differences. But I got rid of it because I didn't quite got to like it entirely. I spent a lot of time in the factory where they make them in Florida trying to get the hang of it, but finally I returned it. I love the Mellotron; is very practical and one can work rapidly. “

I found this quote as well. This is from 4eigner.net from an interview with Al Greenwood. The interview appeared in Keyboard magazine from 1979.

I've only used it twice, actually. The only song I used it for on the first album was called "Cold As Ice" because it had that real cold icy sound, and the Orchestron really fit into that particular part. I also used it on "Tramontane" on the "Double Vision" album. But the main reason I used it was that it just happened to be there. It's an awkward instrument. I don't really play it at all live. I don't depend on it at all; it sounds like a scratchy record most of the time. It's a good concept, but it could have been done a little bit better.

Another cool feature of the Orchestron is of course the fact that it is very seldom heard. It is used on very few recordings. But one of the most obvious recordings with Orchestron is Kraftwerks Trans Europe Express and Radioactivity where they used the strings and Choirs. On later listenings I have also detected some flute and french horn. Florian Schneider picked up their Orchestron in Florida in 1975 while being on the Autobahn tour. This was just in the beginning of Vakos life as a company. According to Pea Hicks they used a Model A as featured on the inside of the cover of Man Machine.

In 2003 I recorded an entire albums worth of material using the Optigan, Mellotron and Orchestron. The band is called AK-momo ( www.roth-handle.nu/bands_akmomo.htm and we have released one album called Return to N.Y. It is available from Exergy music and Parasol.

Foto: David Lundberg