The Emicon (1932)

Charles D. Stein shows a model how to play the Emicon at the 

Texas Centennial Exposition in Dallas, June 1936

(image courtesy:America's Shrine to Music Museum) 

'The Emicon' (Model S) was developed in the USA by Nicholas Langer and Hahnagyi. The Emicon was a monophonic vacuum tube oscillator instrument controlled with a standard keyboard. The Emicon was said to be able to produce tones similar to a cello, saxophone, oboe, trumpet, mandolin, guitar and bagpipe. The Emicon was manufactured and marketed by Emicon, Inc., Deep River, Connecticut, CA from 1932. A later portable traveling model was built with an amplifier built into a separate case.

"The Emicon is a musical instrument with a keyboard similar to that of a piano, but shorter. It is played by pressing the keys manually, one at a time, a sustained tone resulting. The Emicon presents an almost limitless field for musical expression, because the character of tone and the volume are controlled by the performer. It will offer the musician a fascinating and ever receding horizon of musical possibulities The tone values are those of the Emicon, though being a new instrument, it is natural that the many varieties of tone should be described in terms of those instruments with which the public is familiar. Hence a clear idea of what is heard when the Emicon is played, may be donveyed by statting that the performer may, at will, produce tones which resemble any one of the several stringed, wood-wind, and brass instruments commonly used in orchestras, violin, cello, sax, oboe, trumpet, etc. as well as mandolin, guitar and even the Scottish bagpipe. The musician has a wide field for experimentation of the intermediary tone-value, because the change from one tone vlaue to another is made without a break. Hence the importance of judging the tone values of the Emicon on their merits, and not as imitations of other instruments. For one who has little or no knowledge of recent achievements in the science of electronics, the Emicon holds much dramtic interest, for the tone is produced without any visible movement of any part of the instrument. The source of the tone is a small tube, about the size of a man's thumb, of a glowing disharge type, without filamnet and non heating. The oscillations of this tube are inaudible except when coupled electrically to an amplifier. The Emicon contains a tone compensated electro dynamic speaker. the frequencies and tone color response of amplifier and speaker is subject to control from the console by means of a smooth linear tone control, (tone value knob). The amplifier and power pack utilize standard radio tubes. In the rear of each key is a resistor of the proper value to produce the pitch of that note. When the key is depressed, contact is made with the main circuit through that resistor and the result is a tone. The various tone characteristics or colr are deteermined by a tone control device which filters out over-tones. This makes possible a wide range, from the relatively simple violin charcter, to the more complicated tones of other instruments with varying overtones or harmonics. Two or more Emicons played in combinations make possible charming ensemble music. The Emicon is a musical asset of great value not only for its conventional tone values but for the original musical effects possible."Notes prepared by Charles D. Stein (from the archive of the America's Shrine to Music Museum, The University of South Dakota.)

Two examples of the Emicon survive at the America's Shrine to Music Museum 

Further Information:

'Charles D. Stein Collection of Early Electronic Instruments' 
America's Shrine to Music Museum
University of South Dakota
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD   57069

Phone:   (605)677-5306
Fax:   (605)677-5073
E-mail:  smm@usd.edu