Threedrum

Threedrum is a type of keyboard instrument designed by French organ-making company Orgues Lelièvre in the 1960s. The main feature of the threedrum is its unusual keyboard layout, which combines a three-octave soundboard with a three-octave toneboard, creating a distinct and expanded playing range.

The threedrum is essentially an electronic organ, but with a tactile, mechanical soundboard and a toneboard that connects to a larger sound production system. When notes are played, they are sent to the toneboard which, in turn, sends control signals to the sound recording equipment, creating the desired sound output. The toneboard allows for greater tonal variation and experimentation with sound manipulation.

Compared to traditional keyboards, the threedrum has a significantly larger playing area, taking up less physical space than a typical piano keyboard setup. The threedrum made use of then-new innovations in electronic organs, and Orgues Lelièvre's implementation pioneered bold new territory for organ-making and composition.

To play the threedrum, a musician can use a traditional concert organ stop, where they tap sequences on the soundboard to create melodies. Pitches can be selected at both the soundboard and the toneboard to add unique characteristics and options to performance. Sound division allows for separately controllable, neat audience configurations of the instrument.

Although pioneered in the 1960s, the threedrum's production declined over the years and Orgues Lelièvre shifted focus to other types of electronic and organ-based instruments.