Optigan.com shared this video demo of the Vako Orchestron – the rare and bizarre sample playback keyboard that’s part of Kraftwerk’s iconic sound.
This keyboard, which is adapted from the Mattel Optigan, was introduced in 1975 by Dave VanKoevering. It was intended to be a competitor to the Mellotron, but it never really took off.
Kraftwerk was a very early adopter of this instrument. The Orchestron never really caught on, but that didn’t stop Kraftwerk from using it to form a part of their specific synthetic sound. Listen to one of these beasts in action below. Scroll further to watch a rather insane commercial for the device from the ’70s.
Here’s a demo of all 8 original discs that were made for the Vako Orchestron.
