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Vox Continental Baroque

Available for use in Recording Studios

Not currently on exhibit

Artifact TypeOrgan, Electronic

Manufacturer Elettronica Musicale Europea (EME) / Vox

Manufacturer LocationItaly, Europe

Datec. 1968

The original Vox Continental combo organ was an iconic instrument in the mid- to late-’60s, beloved by bands like the Animals, The Velvet Underground and The Doors. The more sophisticated Continental II and Continental Baroque, seen here, were introduced to the market in 1967 and 1968, respectively. The Baroque’s double manuals (keyboards) allow players more timbre versatility—the upper manual includes those of the banjo, harpsichord and lute, among many others. It also includes, unusually, a wah- and pitch- bend effect lever.

Operation/FunctionThe Continental Baroque contains twelve oscillators per each of its two five-octave manuals as its primary tone generating component as well as four sets of octave dividers per manual. The instrument is transistor based and comes equipped with a wah- and pitch bend-effect extension. The front panel of the instrument contains eight drawbars, six tab switches, and a bass sustain knob. Upper manual tabs correspond with Harpsichord I, Banjo, Piano, Harpsichord II, Cimbalom, Vibes, Celesta, Lute, Carousel, and Organ timbres.Cultural SignificanceWith its introduction in the early 1960s, the combo organ – and those produced by Vox especially – quickly asserted itself as one of the most iconic instruments of the decade, used extensively by many of the psychedelic bands of the era. Its highly stylish design, often featuring brightly colored Vynide coverings, polished chrome legs, and reverse-coloured keyboards that harken back to the instruments of the Renaissance and Baroque, featured prominently in the visual identity of various rock-inspired genres. Although its popularity has waned considerably since the early 1970s, these instruments remain revered for their clean aesthetic and characteristic tone.Technological SignificanceCombo organs hold a unique place within the development of electronic musical instruments. Although often classified as a type of organ, they share little with their electromechanical predecessors – instruments such as the tone-wheel-based Hammond B3 – in that they generate their tones entirely by solid-state (i.e. transistor-based) electronic means, as with the earliest voltage-controlled synthesizers of the late 1960s. Unlike synthesizers, however, which are capable of producing a large and varied range of timbres and articulations, combo organs are relatively limited in their scope and idiom, capable of producing only a select few sounds, typically in imitation of popular orchestral instruments. Also unlike most early synthesizers, combo organs were usually fully polyphonic, employing a similar form of divide-down architecture seen in earlier electronic organs such as the Hammond Novachord of 1939. Nonetheless, the combo organ was designed as a response to the popularity of the electromechanical organ in the domestic market throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. Although professional musicians regularly used instruments such as the Hammond B3, their large size and commanding weight rendered them largely inconvenient for continued live use. Thus, the combo organ emerged as a smaller, cheaper, more lightweight alternative geared specifically for the stage. As with electromechanical organs, both single and double manual versions of combo organs were developed, with the latter typically allowing the performer to produce two different timbres between their hands. The Continental Baroque was particularly unique among the Vox models, incorporating extended timbres, percussive voices, bass chords, bass sustain, a pitch bend- and wah-effect lever, and built in amplification. The design for its upper manual was developed by the Thomas Organ Company, and featured a filtering and sustain circuit that connected to the adapted tone generator of a Super Continental organ; this allowed the Baroque to produce more varied timbres, such as those of the piano and harpsichord. Later variations of the first Vox combo organs incorporated integrated circuitry and additional presets and effects such as reverb. The majority of combo organs that were produced by various manufacturers – primarily in Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States – throughout the 1960s and 1970s followed a similar format, incorporating a portable design and exhibiting a thin, bright, reedy sound. Most employed transistorized circuitry, with those emerging in the early 1970s also transitioning to integrated circuitry. Although the combo organ became ubiquitous throughout the 1960s especially, it did not by any means replace usage of its larger electromechanical counterparts. With the introduction of the first portable voltage-controlled synthesizers, which were far more flexible and powerful in their design, in the early 1970s, combo organs fell considerably out of favour, experiencing only a brief resurgence toward the late 1970s and into the early 1980s.Users/PerformersThere are numerous examples of the original Continental model in both recorded and live contexts, spanning from the early 1960s until the present, with more sophisticated models such as the Continental II and Continental Baroque emerging toward the end of the 1960s. The 1960s remain the combo organ’s most active period, with usage tapering off in the mid 1970s and increasing once again in the late 1970s. Among the most recognizable albums and compositions to feature either the Continental or one of its double-manual derivatives include: The Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun” from ¬The Animals of 1964; The Doors’ “Light My Fire” from The Doors of 1966 and “Love Her Madly” from L.A. Woman of 1971; The Dave Clark Five’s “Because” of American Tour of 1964; The Zombies’ “Woman” single of 1964; The Monkees’ “I’m a Believer” from More of the Monkees of 1967; Iron Butterfly’s “In A Gadda Da Vida” from In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida of 1968; Elvis Costello’s “Watching the Detectives” from My Aim is True of 1978; Bob Dylan’s “Absolutely Sweet Marie” from Blonde on Blonde of 1966; The Velvet Underground’s “Sister Ray” from White Light/White Heat of 1968; The Beatles’ “I’m Down” B-side of 1964; and, Strawberry Alarm Clock’s “Incense and Peppermints” from Incense and Peppermints of 1967.

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