Hugh Le Caine

Hugh Le Caine was a Canadian physicist, composer, and inventor who is credited with inventing the Electronic Sackbut, one of the first synthesizers, and the Multi-track, a device that could record and play back multiple sound tracks. He was born in Port Arthur, Ontario, on May 27, 1914, to George and Gertrude Bull. He had a difficult childhood, as his family faced financial and personal troubles. He developed an interest in science and poetry, and published his first poem at the age of 17. He graduated in physics from Queen's University in 1939, and joined the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) in 1940. He worked on atomic physics and radar systems during World War II, and later studied nuclear physics in England from 1948 to 1952. Le Caine's main passion was electronic music and sound generation, and he pursued this interest in his own home studio, where he began to build new electronic instruments after the war. He was inspired by the sounds of nature and the human voice, and he experimented with various methods of producing and controlling sounds electronically. He invented the Electronic Sackbut in 1945, a keyboard instrument that could produce a wide range of timbres and pitches, and had touch-sensitive keys and a joystick for expression. He also invented the Multi-track in 1955, a tape recorder that could record and play back up to four sound tracks simultaneously, and could vary the speed and direction of each track. He used these devices to create his own compositions, such as Dripsody (1955), an étude based on the sound of a water drop. ¹ Le Caine also worked as a research associate at the NRC from 1954 to 1974, where he established the Electronic Music Laboratory and developed many other instruments and devices, such as the Special Purpose Tape Recorder, the Serial Sound Structure Generator, the Touch Sensitive Organ, and the Artificial Larynx. He also collaborated with other composers and musicians, such as Pierre Schaeffer, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Josef Tal, and helped Canadian universities set up their own electronic music studios. He published over 100 papers and received several patents for his inventions. He also gave lectures and demonstrations of his work to various audiences, and advocated for a user-friendly approach to electronic music. ¹ Le Caine died of leukemia in Ottawa, Ontario, on July 3, 1977, at the age of 63. He was buried in Beechwood Cemetery. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers and innovators of electronic music, and his name is commemorated in several awards, buildings, and monuments. He was inducted into the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and the Order of Canada. ¹