Hanert Electrical Orchestra

musical instrument

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June 29, 2026

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The Hanert Electrical Orchestra was a large, experimental electronic musical instrument developed by John Hanert at the Hammond Instrument Co. between 1944 and 1945. It was a score-reading device, meaning it performed music based on encoded instructions rather than direct player input via a keyboard. The instrument consisted of an entire room filled with electronic tone-generating equipment. A key component was an elaborate, motor-driven scanner mounted on a carriage that moved along a 60-foot table. This scanner read music from encoded cardboard cards that covered the table, allowing for precise and rapid musical changes. This type of instrument was part of a broader post-World War II trend in electronic instrument development, which also saw the rise of electronic organs and early synthesizers.1

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electronic instrument
Post-World War II electronic instruments
One example, the Hanert Electrical Orchestra, built in 1944–45 by John Hanert at the Hammond Instrument Co. in Chicago, consisted of a roomful of electronic tone-generating equipment controlled by an elaborate, motor-driven scanner. The scanner, which was mounted on a carriage that rolled along a 60-foot table, read…
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One example, the Hanert Electrical Orchestra, built in 1944–45 by John Hanert at the Hammond Instrument Co. in Chicago, consisted of a roomful of electronic tone-generating equipment controlled by an elaborate, motor-driven scanner. The scanner, which was mounted on a carriage that rolled along a 60-foot table, read…
Read More