What is the Ondes Martenot?, I hear you ask. Well, you may not be familiar with the name but if you've ever seen Ghostbusters and chances are you have then you've definately heard it being played. In fact it's the first thing which can be heard at the beginning of Ghostbusters.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll9FCC1QYhQ


This spooky, eerie sounding instrument really set the tone for the film and worked perfectly throughout Elmer Bernsteins Ghostbusters score.

The Ondes martenot is an early electonic musical instrument which was invented in 1928 by Maurice Martenot and sounds much like the theramin.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ondes-Martenot


Below are some links to videos of the instrument being played.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy9UBjrUjwo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IA00Wug6uyc

I really love this instrument and hope to try it out one day.

I do hope that if Ghostbusters III is made, whoever composes the music for it will incorporate the Ondes Martinot into the score.

Huh, that's really cool!(*peter)

Instrument also used in Heavy metal (Taarna's Theme). Starts @ :39.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TXEou-a2J8

I'd also like the waterphone to be used in the Ghostbusters III score. You've probably heard it before in many horror films. It has a terrifying sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQtgkealbRk

They probably won't use the instrument itself as much of what it can do can easily be synthesized by computers these days.

But, who knows. Sometimes they pull things like that into the recording studio to get an “authentic” sound to it…

To this day, I still get a chill down my spine, when viewing Ghostbusters and hearing that sound.

JamesCGamora;165194
They probably won't use the instrument itself as much of what it can do can easily be synthesized by computers these days.

But, who knows. Sometimes they pull things like that into the recording studio to get an “authentic” sound to it…

Yeah, you really can't synthesize the creepiness of either the Ondes Martinot or the Waterphone.

Midcoast Ghostbuster
To this day, I still get a chill down my spine, when viewing Ghostbusters and hearing that sound.

I can actually whistle those opening notes. I wanted to do it when we had that EP showing in October 2008.

Great thread, didn´t knew about it. Thanks Zapit