Description | The Tubon is a tube-shaped electronic monophonic instrument with a guitar-strap. It is primary a bass instrument with preset sounds like tuba, contrabass, electric bass etc, and is played staccato. It was made in the late '60s in Gothenburg, Sweden by a company called Joh Mustad AB. The same company also made the tube organs Bergman Klavitron and Klavinette. The Mustad Tubons also seem to have been sold in the UK under the "Livingston" brand.
Numerous swedish pop and rock acts used this instrument in the late 60s and early 70s, but there are also images showing Paul mcCartney playing one. However, thers is no evidence that the Tubon actually found its way onto a Beatles record. Ralf Hütter in Kraftwerk also used one of these in their early years as a bizarre kraut band.
The obscure and mythical electronic instrument which possibly was the world's first "strap-on"-keyboard. Made in Gothenburg, Sweden in the late 60s by Joh Mustad AB - but also seen branded "Livingston" in the UK. |
| Brand | Joh Mustad AB |
| Model | IE-50 Tubon Bass Synthesizer |
| Device | Synth |
| Type | Keytar |
| Engine Type | Analog |
| Engine | VCO Preset |
| Voices (max) | 1 |
| Oscillators | 1 |
| LFO | 1 Square |
| Engine Detailed | 1 VCO, Square. 4 presets: contrabass, saxophone, electric bass, woodwind. |
| Memory | 4 Presets: contrabass, saxophone, electric bass, woodwind |
| Keys | 30 |
| Key type | Keys mini |
| Velocity | N |
| Aftertouch | N |
|
Produced: | 1966 - 1968 |
| Legend: |
Obvious |
Y: Yes, N: No, N/A: Not Applicable |
| VCO |
Voltage Controlled Oscillator |
DCO |
Digital Controlled Oscillator |
| LFO |
Low Frequency Oscillator |
Sub |
Sub Oscillator |
| VCF |
Voltage Controlled Filter |
VCA |
Voltage Controlled Amplifier |
| Velocity |
As with a piano, the harder you hit a key, the louder the sound, unlike most organs which always produce the same loudness no matter how hard you hit a key. |
Aftertouch |
Pressing a key after you activated it. Channel Aftertouch, no matter which key, it will send a Channel message. Poly Aftertouch, sends the pressure per key instead of the whole channel. |
| Values for OSC, LFO, Filter, Envelope are per voice unless stated otherwise. |
