What is this instrument?

[Dragofer]

Starting from around 0:30 in this soundtrack there's an instrument that, I realised, is iconic for maritime settings. Anyone have any ideas what it's called? I'd like to have a bit of it for when wandering through my port.

 

[JackFarmer]

I think this is a harmonium.

 

 

If I recall correctly, several ambient tracks in Dishonored 2 used it as well.

Edited January 5, 2019 by JackFarmer

[Dragofer]

Ah thank you, that'll be the one, and the contraption around the back just made me remember accordions too. Still quite some way for a recording like that to become an immersive background sound, but it's the right path.

[Sneaker]

Yeah, a single note played on an accordion could do that. It's effectively done.

[Epifire]

I was about to say Dishonored immediately came to mind. Another instrument that could be invaluable to a maritime theme (especially an industrial one) would be the waterphone. Not precisely limited to a horror/thriller vibe but it could go hand in hand for any metalic, underwater, or ambient solution...

[esme]

Seems to be 3 ascending notes where the last is very faint is that the bit ?

 

A mouth organ might do it

 

Possibly a crumhorn ?

[Dragofer]

I was about to say Dishonored immediately came to mind. Another instrument that could be invaluable to a maritime theme (especially an industrial one) would be the waterphone. Not precisely limited to a horror/thriller vibe but it could go hand in hand for any metalic, underwater, or ambient solution...

 

Indeed, in particular that tone at 0:12 may be gold for an industrial ship. One of those long-distance sounds that could be coming from anywhere within the ship's metal bowels.

 

Seems to be 3 ascending notes where the last is very faint is that the bit ?

 

A mouth organ might do it

 

Possibly a crumhorn ?

 

Quite an odd instrument, that one. Youtube seems to know it best as the backbone of renaissance music, while Freesound has a handful samples that with a good deal of imagination could be the origin of those sounds.

 

 

Now, I've come across some very peculiar instruments that I'll contribute to this thread, both built with the purpose of creating horror soundscapes: