The french horn is the third highest sounding brass instrument, after the trumpet and cornet. Horns are normally pitched in F or Bb, and sometimes a combination of both.
Played by:
Bruce Hornsby on:
Development of the french horn samples
The process of capturing the french horn sound on the Chamberlin involved recording the actual instrument playing specific notes and phrases. These recordings were then embedded into the machine’s tape reels. The sound engineers and musicians involved in creating these samples focused on preserving the tonal qualities and articulation of the original instrument as faithfully as possible.
Because of the limitations of the tape technology, the samples typically lasted only a few seconds before the tape needed to rewind, but within that span, the Chamberlin french horns managed to convey the grandeur of the real instrument. The use of french horns on the Chamberlin provided a powerful tool for composers and musicians to experiment with orchestral textures in genres outside classical music.
Impact of the samples
The Chamberlin, with its diverse library of instrumental samples, including the french horns, became popular with a niche of musicians who were looking for new ways to incorporate orchestral sounds into their work. The availability of french horn sounds through the Chamberlin paved the way for the instrument to be used in more experimental and progressive forms of music, bridging the gap between traditional orchestration and modern composition techniques.
As the Chamberlin evolved and its design was eventually adapted into the Mellotron, the french horn samples carried over into this next phase of the instrument’s development. Mellotron french horns became iconic, especially in progressive rock and other genres that embraced symphonic elements.