The ondes Martenot is a musical instrument invented by Maurice Martenot in 1928. It is one of the very early electronic synthesizers, and its sound will be familiar to those who have heard the theramin.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the ondes Martenot is its method of control. The “ribbon” is a piece of wire with a ring in the middle where the performer places their finger. By moving the ring to the left and right, the performer can change the pitch of the generated sound.

There are probably only a few hundred or thousand ondes Martenots in the world right now, and I'd like to rectify that.