Computone

Computone

Also known as: Computone Inc., Computone Inc

Unclaimed

Computone Inc. was a Massachusetts-based electronic instrument manufacturer founded by Bill Bernardi, best known for producing the Lyricon — the first commercially available electronic wind controller. Bernardi invented the instrument and co-engineered it with Roger Noble and Chuck Greenberg, with production running from the mid-1970s until the company shut down in 1980.

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Computone Inc. was a Massachusetts-based electronic instrument manufacturer founded by Bill Bernardi, best known for producing the Lyricon — the first commercially available electronic wind controller. Bernardi invented the instrument and co-engineered it with Roger Noble and Chuck Greenberg, with production running from the mid-1970s until the company shut down in 1980.

The company's catalog centered on three models: the original Lyricon I, the Wind Synthesizer Driver, and the Lyricon II. The Lyricon I was a fully self-contained wind synthesizer, hand-built in small numbers (roughly 200 units), while the later Driver and Lyricon II were designed to interface with external synthesizers and were produced in larger quantities (around 2,000 combined). Visually resembling a soprano saxophone or alto clarinet, the instrument used breath-pressure and lip-pressure sensors paired with saxophone-style fingering to drive analog synthesis, predating MIDI and giving wind players a way into electronic sound.

The Lyricon found a niche among jazz, fusion, and session players. Tom Scott was the first customer, and the instrument was used by Chuck Greenberg of Shadowfax, Wayne Shorter, Bennie Maupin, Sonny Rollins, Raphael Ravenscroft, and Takeshi Itoh of T-Square, among others. Its distinctive tone appears on recordings by Steely Dan and Michael Jackson. Because the instruments were built in small runs with proprietary parts, working units have become increasingly scarce, and the Lyricon is now regarded as a collector's piece and an important precursor to modern wind controllers like the Yamaha WX and Akai EWI series.

Computone has 3 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Synthesizers. Their gear is featured by 2 artists, with the strongest followings in Electronic, Rock, and Jazz. Notable users include Florian Schneider and Bennie Maupin.

Artists Who Use Computone

Florian Schneider uses 1 Computone product

Florian Schneider

Keyboardist · Kraftwerk

Bennie Maupin uses 1 Computone product

Bennie Maupin

Composer · The Headhunters

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