Varitone
| Category | Wind (woodwind pickup and effects unit) |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | USA |
| Classification | audio effects unit |
| Wikipedia | en.wikipedia.org |
| Wikidata | Q7915945 |
Overview
The Varitone is an electronic pickup and effects unit developed in the mid-1960s for the saxophone, most famously paired with Selmer instruments. It consists of a microphone or transducer mounted on the instrument, a control box worn or placed at the player’s side, and an external amplifier. The system added octave-doubling, tone shaping, and other effects to the natural sound of the saxophone, opening the door to electronically processed live wind playing.
Origin & History
The Varitone was launched by Conn-Selmer in the United States in 1965, marketed as a way to bring electric-instrument-style amplification and effects to wind players. It coincided with broader experimentation in jazz and popular music with electronic processing of acoustic instruments. Saxophonist Eddie Harris was the system’s most prominent advocate, building several recordings around its octave-doubled and processed sound. Although the Varitone never achieved mass adoption, it influenced later attempts at electronic wind controllers and amplification systems.
Editorial note: This entry is a borderline case — the Varitone is an effects unit attached to a wind instrument rather than an instrument in its own right. It is included for historical completeness in the saxophone-electronics lineage.
How It’s Played
The saxophonist plays normally; the Varitone pickup transduces the sound into an electrical signal that is processed through the control box and routed to an amplifier. Foot or hand controls allow real-time selection of effects such as suboctave generation, tremolo, and tone-colour shifts. The acoustic sound of the saxophone is unaffected; what changes is the amplified and processed signal sent to the audience.
Cultural Significance
The Varitone is an early entry in the lineage of electronic woodwind processing that later includes Yamaha and Akai EWI wind controllers, the Lyricon, and modern saxophone microphone systems. It represents a moment when the electric-instrument revolution briefly crossed into the saxophone world.
Related Instruments
- Saxophone – the instrument the Varitone modifies
- – later electronic wind controller
- – Akai’s modern electronic wind instrument
- – Yamaha’s wind MIDI controller
- Bass saxophone – another extension of saxophone range