UPDATE: AUGUST 2009 - the Ondestrak has been published as part of a paper in the 6th Sound and Music Computing Conference in Porto Portugal! Be sure to check out all of the other cool Gametrak applications. Here's the link: http://smc2009.smcnetwork.org/programme/pdfs/243.pdf
Lastly, thanks for everyone who's shown enthusiasm in this. The word "Ondestrak" didn't exist 8 months ago, as confirmed by the total lack of Google hits. Now there are 14 pages of hits (admittedly, mostly YouTube related, but still). So, again, thanks everyone.
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Signing UpStep 1Historical Background
What made the Ondes Martenot unique compared to its more popular cousin, the Theremin, was that it was a tactile instrument. As anyone who's ever played with a Theremin can attest to, they can be difficult instruments to play with any sort of intuition or accuracy because there are no physical markers to gauge one's actions with. The Ondes, on the other hand, employed a ribbon-controller composed of a looped string with a ring tied in the middle in which one placed one's finger and slid the ribbon back and forth to control pitch. In later models this controller was mounted parallel to a keyboard so that the location of the ring, or "la bague," directly corresponded to the notes above it. This configuration allowed for greater accuracy than the finicky Theremin controller and was more intuitive to musicians familiar with the traditional keyboard.
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Cheers
Liam