Rhythmicon
date: label: date made
content: ca 1931
notes: label: Description
content: <p>This rhythmicon was made by Leon Theremin in New York, New York, about 1931. This instrument is the earliest electronic rhythm machine. It produces various drumbeats or rhythms using a unique mechanism of light sources and rotating perforated-wheels. A keyboard is used to produce a repeated single rhythmic note. Multiple keys produce overtone series of notes. Amplification with a loudspeaker produces the audible rhythmic output.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>The instrument was used by Joseph Schillinger in his 1940-41 recordings. Joseph Moiseyevich Schillinger (1895-1943) was a composer, music theorist, and composition teacher, known for the Schillinger System of Musical Composition.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
label: Location
content: Currently not on view (bolts; brackets; crossbar, wooden; electrical cord; fragments, wood; light bulbs; miscellaneous fragments, bag of; pilot light; power switch speaker ring fragments, bag of; tempo motor and fragments; thumb tacks; vacuum tubes)
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Music & Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Electronic Musical Instruments
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. Joseph Schillinger
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MI.66.502
label: catalog number
content: 66.502
label: accession number
content: 265671
objectType: label: Object Name
content: rhythmicon
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 38 1/8 in x 19 1/4 in x 24 1/2 in; 96.8375 cm x 48.895 cm x 62.23 cm