Organ playing is different from Hammond. The Hammond organ was intended for home use and as an alternative to large and expensive church organs. How Hammond's Organ Conquers the Instrumental and Musical Market

Hammond organ- noble furniture! By purchasing this item, you emphasize your social status... Still) After all, this device costs a third of a two-room apartment at current prices. And that's not counting the required attribute - lesley cabinet... In general, guys, this is the thing that should stand in big and important men, for example, in the living room, well, or in their music room. Collectors - into the firebox - the tool should work.

Let's start with toppings... The first thing to look out for is the tool fully analog... That is, all sound is generated by non-digital devices, and in this case, by electromechanics. Electromechanics has the form of a through rotating shaft, on which are located hairy discs with contacts, summed up to each key. If the instrument is tortured, then it is easily checked by ear (the condition of these discs).
In the photo, in the upper section on the left is a motor rotating the shaft, in the lower section there is a power supply unit and outputs from the amplifier.
Hammond, like other instruments, is subject to at the construction site.

There are several types of Hammond, both digital and analog ... Well, of course I'm writing about legendary analog models type B-3 or C-3 with Leslie's office who created the anthology the sound of rock "n" roll, and indeed rock music generally.

The Leslie cabinet itself is a speaker with internal speakers and motors that rotate to create a vibrato effect. In simple words- there the speakers and dampers rotate... Typically a 40W cabinet.

There is a joint- the body was created and operated in pendosia, where mains voltage 110V so if you want to keep authenticity unit (do not make changes to the supply circuit) - stock up on a half-kilowatt mains power converter.
The second jamb is docking places and heavy weight. Okay, the organ itself, but an additional coffin goes to this thing - Leslie's office (+ ~ 3.5k greenery), without which, in principle, such models as C3 and B3 will not sound and yes Leslie is practically the most important organ feature rock and roll... So get ready that this furniture decor will occupy a quarter of your pontovoy living room))

Many modernized music lovers will say that Hammond is last century ... ... but no! Today, you can constantly hear the organ even among very young groups and groups, from which practically do not expect using it (eg Limp Bizkit). Often the instrument flickers in various fusion, jazz and blues bands - and very cool flickers! For example, I love it when Hammond sounds like real locomotive!

Now a little about the settings ...
At the beginning of each keyboard (excluding the pedal-keys underfoot) there are inversely colored octaves - these are presets, tkzt, unregulated settings set by the master at the factory. Naturally, you cannot program them)) The tool is a bearded year!
Above all keyboards is the most interesting crap! - overtone engines for each keyboard (9 sliders for manual keyboards and 2 overtone sliders for legs). That is, the organ can be configured in the most unimaginable way, if you push the sliders to a certain volume level overtones. Personally, I love it when it is piercing and rubbery) In addition to this, there are several switches that control attack, decay and filtering. Under the second keyboard, on the left - leslie-cabinet vibrato speed controller with two modes slow and fast. By the way, the cabinet itself is very cleverly launched:

First, we start the engine with the START toggle switch, then enable the RUN speed support.

The keyboard, though well done, but has nothing to do with sensations on the phono, I mean lack of a hammer system... She soft just as much as soft keys on some string there is a low-budget plastic synthesizer like PSR.

In general, playing this instrument cannot be compared to playing a synthesized Hammond. When you play it, the Leslie sound gives you a baseball bat in the head that you are speechless)

Hammond is playable hands and feet))) By the way, a very nice bench for a musician made of natural varnished wood also goes to the organ)
Every self-respecting keyboardist or accomplished musician I just have to have in the studio or at home Hammond organ, but, unfortunately, not everyone can afford it.

There was a time when no self-respecting rock band appeared on stage without a Hammond organ. Even during the sample playback craze, many synthesizers contained several samples of his sound. And now, when interest in the instruments of the past is on the rise, Hammond is again in demand by musicians.

As was often the case with early keyboards, Hammond is named after its inventor. Laurens Hammond (1895-1973) was born in the USA and at the age of 16 received his first patent (out of more than 80). In 1920, with the aim of creating a precise electric clock, he invented the AC synchronous motor. During the Great Depression, additional possible uses for this motor had to be looked for, and by 1933 a spinning disc sound system had been developed.

A synchronous AC motor drives several wavy-edged discs (one disc for each note) that rotate at a constant speed against a wire-wound magnet. The number of projections on the disc together with the speed of rotation determine the pitch of the sound produced. The tuning is uniformly tempered.

You can add up to eight harmonics (below and above the pitch) to the root to create different tones. The volume level of the harmonics is set by special registers (drawbars). Thus, the Hammond organ is an example of additive sound synthesis.

The first model, called A, has been on sale since 1934, but the official date of its appearance is April 15, 1935, when it was presented at the exhibition in Chicago. This model had two 61-note keyboards (the lower one was Great and the upper one was Swell), two sets of registers (for each keyboard) and 25 pedals with two registers of their own. The lower two octaves on each keyboard are colored in the opposite way as usual and are for recalling preset register settings.

The Hammond organ was intended for home use and as an alternative to large and expensive church organs.

Very often, subsequent models of the organ did not change the internal structure, but only enclosed it in a new body. However, there were also significant innovations.

Chorus was added to the BC in 1936, vibrato in the CV (1945), the B 3 in 1955 with percussion, and the M 3 in 1955 with a built-in amplifier, speakers and reverb.

The percussion function allows you to add an additional sound with a quick attack to the root tone. This adjusts the decay of the envelope of the percussion sound and the tone (second or third harmonic of the note being played). Percussion is added when a key is pressed only if no other keys are pressed at that moment. The most famous example of a Hammond organ sounding with percussion enabled is the intro to Deep Purple's Child In Time.

The typical Hammond organ sound is closely related to the effect produced by a device called the Leslie (the inventor of Don itself is Leslie). This effect is also called the rotary speaker effect, although it is not the speakers themselves that rotate in the device, but the horn (for the tweeter) and reflector (for the woofer). The result is a complex change in sound, resulting in amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, timbre shift, and apparent sound movement.

Don Leslie proposed his device while working for Hammond as a replacement for the standard tremolo. The idea was rejected and Leslie moved to another company, which released the first device in 1949. Since then, a wide variety of models have been produced, with a built-in reverb, with a tube and transistor amplifier, without an amplifier at all, but the most common model is the classic 122, which first appeared in mid-1963.

In the 70s, Hammond employed Japanese developers, one of whom later founded Roland. By 1986, production ceased and Hammond was bought by Suzuki, which also owns Leslie. Suzuki manufactures its own Hammond XB series, but this time based on the principle of sample playback.

The prices for original Hammond organs can be found in a wide variety, but most often it is about $ 2000 for the most popular models, type B 3. Leslie devices cost around $ 500. If you just want something similar in sound, you can try modern imitators such as the Suzuki XB 2, XB 3 and XB 5 keyboards; sound modules Oberheim OB 3 and Peavey Spectrum; the DigiTech RPM 1 and Korg G 4 are specially designed to simulate the Leslie effect.

There are many famous keyboardists among the performers on the Hammond organ. But perhaps the most famous is Keith Emerson, who has been voted the Best Keyboardist of the Year by Keyboard magazine several times. He is also known for his rather unusual handling of the instrument. So, having borrowed a pair of fascist knives, he used them as a means to fix the sounding notes, continuing the performance with both free hands. By the way, for the samples of the Hammond organ in the popular Vintage Keys sound module from E-mu, it was precisely the instrument owned by Keith Emerson that was used.

Finally, let's introduce you to some examples of register settings used by different genres and by different performers.

Gospel: 88 8000 008
Blues: 88 5324 588
Rod Argent: 88 0000 000
Brian Auger: 88 8110 000
2nd Percussion,
C3 Vibrato
Tom Coster (Santana): 88 8800 000
Keith Emerson: 88 8000 000
88 8400 080
Booker T Jones: 88 8630 000
Jon Lord: 88 8000 000
2nd Percussion
Procol Harum: 68 8600 000
2nd Percussion,
soft Percussion,
short decay
Jimmy Smith: 88 8000 000
3rd Percussion,
C3 Vibrato
Steve Winwood: 88 8888 888
80 0008 888
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Probably, it will be wrong in the final part of the story about Hammond Organ not to tell, at least briefly, about the further fate of the creator of the legendary instrument. In 1939 Lawrence Hammond created Novakhord(Hammond Novachord), one of the forerunners of modern synthesizers, which worked on the principle of frequency dividers, and thanks to this had a polyphony of 72 voices. Novakhord imitated sounds similar to strings, choirs, as well as sounds similar to harpsichords and pianos. The first copy was received as a birthday present by US President Franklin Roosevelt in 1940. The instrument remained incomprehensible to contemporaries, as it required not only playing skills, but also technical knowledge to create sounds. And the coming war years did their job - commercially Novakhord was not particularly successful. Later, he was sometimes involved in the design of feature films in the genres of horror and fantasy, as well as in television programs.

Hammond Novachord

In 1940 the Solovoks(Hammond Solovox), a three-octave compact monophonic electronic instrument that produced a wide range of sound effects... In the period from 1940 to 1948, three models of the Solovoks were developed, after which their production was discontinued.

Hammond Solovox

During World War II, Hammond designed missile and bomb controls and received patents for infrared and light sensors for the predecessor of today's guided missiles, as well as a new type of gyroscope. In 1955, Hammond stepped down as president of the company in order to spend more time on his engineering development, and on February 12, 1960, at the age of 65, he completely retired. By this time, he had about 90 patents on his account, another 20 patent applications were granted after his death, on July 3, 1973.

Another series Hammond L, organ for beginners, or, as Keith Emerson said about the model, "organ for the poor", was produced from 1961 to 1972. The company's engineers have made a number of changes to the electrical circuit in order to get rid of a faint but audible click when pressing a key, a peculiar and unique effect so beloved by jazz performers. However, the engineers and church organists themselves considered the click to be a hindrance, since in wind organs this characteristic of Hammond there is no sound. Weak point L there were vibrato and chorus effects: there were either too many or too few of them.

The most famous user is Keith Emerson, for whom the group The nice its bought in installments L The -100 was the main studio instrument. Later, since 1968, the classic Emerson organ became C -3, however, Keith did not refuse L -100, using it for feedback sound effects, and getting a taste of the "target =" _blank "> organ toppling and throwing during concerts and shows, after which the stage was often left in picturesque ruins. The same model was used by Tiis van Leer from Focus, Genesis' Tony Banks played L -111 in 1969-70, and in 1971-73 - by L -122.

FOCUS Eruption (Jan Akkerman / Tom Barlage / Thijs van Leer / Pierre van der Linden) 1971

The main charm of the group's compositions Focus, still the best Dutch rock export in history, was the brilliant improvisation of virtuoso guitarist Jan Ackermann and unusual organ, vocal and flute inserts by a former student at the Amsterdam Conservatory Tiis van Leer ( ThijsvanLeer, 31.03.1948), strongly influenced by Renaissance music and Flemish folk melodies.

KANSAS The pinnacle (Kerry Livgren) 1975


Perhaps the most "un-American" group in the United States worked in the genre of epic art-rock, with a style characteristic, rather, of British bands: with a predominance of rigid guitar structures, the themes of which were played up with violin passages by Robbie Steinhardt and virtuoso keyboards Steve Walsh ( SteveWalsh, 06/15/1951) The group was difficult to confuse with anyone else, the paradox is that it is best known for its most "American" hit, the bestseller of the summer of 1978, DustInTheWind.

The semiconductor transistor, invented in 1947 by Bell Labs employees Bardeen, Brattain and Shockley, gradually began to supplant the "lamp" in the 50s, and the small size and stable characteristics of transistor devices, in comparison with the capricious lamp equipment, produced a real one in the world of electronics. " transistor revolution ". In 1957, a manufacturer of home organs and pianos Gulbransen Company released the world's first commercial organ with a transistor tone generator, Model B (Model 1100), although it still used tubes in the amplifier block, and a year later the company Rodgers Instruments Corporation from Oregon produced the first fully transistorized large church organ, the Opus 1 (Model 38), which became the standard for the entire electronic keyboard industry. The Hammond firm for a long time refused to introduce technological innovations into the concept of its brainchild: the last series of instruments with a wheel tone generator was the seriesT, produced from 1968 to 1975, in these organs the tube amplification was finally replaced by transistor technologies, and three years earlier, in May 1965, the production of the model began X-66, which played the role of a kind of intermediate link on the path to complete failure Hammond Organ Company from moving mechanisms and lamp circuitry.


Hammond X-66

In the Kh-66, the timbre coloration of the sound was achieved using transistor octave dividers-filters, which made it possible to add up to eight additional harmonic-overtones to the fundamental tone. An innovation also took place in the design of the instrument: the organ console, atypical for the company, was installed on massive metal supports.

Hammond's organ sounded powerful, wide and brilliantly under the fingers of the musicians of the golden age of rock, mid-60s - mid-70s (you can name, perhaps, the only virtuoso keyboardist in jazz, blues and rock and roll of those years, Garth Hudson stubbornly avoiding Hammond side and preferred to him Lowrey ), however, for a number of reasons, he gradually began to leave the rock scene. One of these reasons was the need for careful and professional care, maintenance and repair. The abundance of rotating parts, lamp filling and kilometers of commutation cables oblige its owners to regularly clean, lubricate and adjust them, and always by a qualified technician. The organ is lamp-based, therefore it especially does not like temperature drops and high humidity. Owners of the V-3 sometimes complain that the instrument has lost its previous brightness and splendor of sound over the years of operation. Usually the main reason for this is the aging of the filter capacitors that make up the generator. Replacing them with new and highly stable types returns density to the sound, "flicker" at high frequencies and overall quality timbre. After the procedure for replacing any parts of the generator, it must be calibrated according to the methods described in the original Hammond patent. Despite the fact that the organs Hammond are electromechanical devices, their structure never changes, unless the frequency of the current in the electrical network deviates from 50 Hz or 60 Hz (network frequency in the United States). This danger lies in wait for musicians mainly at open-air concerts, where portable power generators are used, and the frequency can periodically drop below 50 Hz, which will cause the organ to turn off. An increase in the frequency of the current in the mains does not turn off the instrument, but it starts to overestimate the tuning. 1974 release of the classics Hammond B -3 has been discontinued. Of course, this did not mean that the Hammond sound disappeared from the musical palette of jazz, blues and rock and roll. First of all, this, of course, applies to conservative jazzmen and organ trios in their preferences.

Listening to Hammond Jazz.

JOEY DEFRANCESCOBlues for Bobby C(Jimmy Smith) 2006

Joey DeFrancesco (Joey DeFrancesco, 04/10/1971) - for many years the best organist among jazzmen of the new generation, a world celebrity, a person who has countless awards and merit, which is not surprising at all with such and such genetics: his father is a famous jazz organist, "Papa" John DeFrancesco, and his grandfather, Joseph DeFrancesco, was a true multi-instrumentalist. Joive himself began playing the organ for 4 years, his teacher was the great Jimmy Smith, at the age of ten he played with symphony orchestras, and as a seventeen-year-old boy, while recording a local TV program, he met Miles Davis himself and made such an impression on the legendary trumpeter that he immediately invited him on tour. A man not only talented, but also very cheerful, Joey claims that while still in his mother's womb, he heard his father playing the organ, and he already knew that it was the organ that sounded. He recorded with his teacher and idol, Jimmy Smith, with John McLaughlin, George Benson. In his honor and with his participation, a personalized model of a new Hammond B -3, which Joey himself calls Numa.

BARBARA DENNERLEIN Swing the Blondes (Barbara Dennerlein) 2005/2006

Pianist and organist, the first European performer to enter the top of the world's leading organists, Barbara Dennerline ( Barbara dennerlein , 25.09.1964), began playing the organ at the age of 11, three years later she already performed in local clubs. Barbara (nickname - "Munich tornado") does not have a conservatory education, considers herself a student of Jimmy Smith (not by playing technique, but by spirit), once accompanied him on a European tour. Brilliantly masters the foot keyboard, likes to combine the sound of his B-3 with synth effects and samples. “It's hard to confuse me with anyone else, I have my own, very specific style of playing, mainly due to the use of a bass pedal. Hammond today is a rare instrument, and when people hear its sounds, they immediately have associations with the luminary of jazz - Jimmy Smith. But when you look at it, we have very different styles. "

TONY MONACOMidnight special (Jimmy Smith tribute) ( folk) 2006

One of the leaders among today's jazz organists, Tony Monaco ( Tony Monaco, 14.08.1959) began his "keyboard" life at the age of eight, learning to play the accordion. At the age of twelve, he heard Jimmy Smith and was bewitched by the sound of the Hammond. In his student years, Tony worked in the evenings in the jazz clubs of his native Columbus, and on his sixteenth birthday received a fabulous gift: Smith himself called him with an offer from Monaco to become his student. After four years of training, the young performer already performed with his Master, as well as with other luminaries of the genre, Hank Marr and Dr. Lonnie Smith, in the California jazz club Jimmy.

The production of the legendary organs was discontinued for another banal reason - it was replaced by lighter and cheaper electronic competitors, which became much easier to transport and maintain, despite the fact that their sound was a rather pale resemblance to the B-3. The timid steps of the synthesizer at the dawn of the 70s were only a harbinger of scientific and technological progress in the production of electronic instruments and musical computers. The emergence of more advanced synthesizers, sequencers, rhythm machines, timbre blocks and sound processors that are easy to use and yet relatively inexpensive, coincided with the emergence of a new, post-punk culture, with the professionalization of many semi-amateur groups. The 80s became the decade when electronics and computer technology ceased to be a curiosity and became the property of not only pure professionals, but also ordinary users without special training. In these conditions, a new type of musician was formed and came to the fore, who is more of an orchestrator-programmer than an improviser-composer, as was the case in jazz or progressive rock.

Listening to Hammond Fusion.


NIACINNo Man "s Land (John Novello / Billy Sheehan) 2000


Progressive rock funk trio Niacin(from Nicotinic acid, niacin, vitamin B3) was created in 1996 at the initiative of the legendary bass player Billy Sheehan. The second participant in the project was drummer Dennis Chambers, no less famous in jazz and funk circles. Remembering that there was a time when the body Hammond B-3 was often a more important component of the band's sound than the guitar, Sheehan and Chambers made the decision - the trio will not have a guitar, but there will be a keyboardist playing B-3. By this human became John Novello (Jon Novello, 01/31/1948).


BIG ORGAN TRIO Dragon "s Triangle (Mike Mangan) 2005


Mike Mangan ( Mike Mangan,?.?. 19 ??), founder of a Los Angeles fusion group (there is much more rock in this fusion than jazz, and jazz - much more than funk) Big Organ Trio, is notable for its percussive playing technique on the B-3 and the use of pedal effects.

And finally, in the mid-70s, there was a serious decline in interest in conceptual rock music, a new generation of listeners and buyers of records turned out to be oriented towards other forms that did not go beyond the framework of entertaining music and dance songs. The recording format - from three and a half to four minutes per song - predetermined the further fate of instrumental performance in rock culture. The ability to play well, not to mention the ability to improvise, gradually turned out to be unnecessary for the general mass, subsequent generations of listeners ceased to perceive people with instruments behind the singer as something valuable in themselves, musicians became the backdrop for vocalists. Pop music of those years was dominated by two completely different in their social content and even antagonistic directions in relation to each other. Despite the obvious incompatibility, they are brought together by the fact that both of them appeared for the same reason - as antipodes in relation to rock music. We are talking about the mass passion for disco music, which began in the mid-seventies, comparable in scale only to the twist fever, and about the bursting punk revolution of 1977. Very little time passed, and the punk image imperceptibly turned from a defiant identification mark into a kind of youth fashion, and, as a result, and partly as a symbiosis of punk and disco music, a wide and diverse movement arose called n ew w ave. These cataclysms, plus everything - the metal invasion of the mid-80s, seriously reshaped the rock and roll music market, simplifying the instrumental content and forcing the keyboards in the group to serve as a substrate, one of the elements of the general background, or "galo", in the figurative expression of John Lord.

Listening to Hammond Hard Rock.

RAINBOW Long Live Rock "n" Roll (Ritchie Blackmore / Ronnie James Dio) 1977


It is said that one day Ritchie Blackmore heard on the radio a solo on the keys of the little-known group Symphonic Slam, which he really liked. Canadian keyboardist with classical education David Stone(Dave Stone, Michael David Stoyanoff, 1952), according to tradition, in the Blackmore group did not stay long, leaving just a year later in musical oblivion.

DEEP PURPLE Lazy (Ritchie Blackmore / Ian Gillan / Roger Glover / Jon Lord / Ian Paice) 1972/2011

Don Airy (Donald Airey, 06/21/1950) is a veteran of classic rock who has participated in over a hundred albums, both as keyboardist and arranger. He began to master the classical piano at the age of three, and in his teens he took up the Hammond. In his youth, Airy managed to play in bars and clubs and improve his education (he studied music at the University of Nottingham and piano at the Royal Manchester Conservatory). For a time he made a living by entertaining the public on cruise ships. He handed out his talents to the right and to the left: he played Rainbow, Whitesnake, Colosseum II, with Ozzy,Black Sabbathand Gary Moore, worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jethro Tull, and since 2002 took the place of John Lord who left the group and became a permanent member Deep Purple.

THE BLACK CROWESThorn in my pride (Chris Robinson / Rich Robinson) 1992/2008

Per lack of quality rollers Gregg Allman fromThe allman brothers band and Billy Powell from Lynyrd Skynyrd, classical " southern" rock present The black crowes and shimmery hammond Adam McDougall (Adam MacDougall,?. 08.1974)

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNIONConfessor (Glenn Hughes) 2012

Derek Sherinyan ( Derek Sherinian, 25.08.1966) grew up in California in a family of descendants of Armenians and Greek women who fled from Turkey in 1915. At the age of 5 he began to study at home piano. Among the first musical influences - Elton John, as well as records Beatlesand Bob Dylan from the parents collection. Before leaving school, Derek receives a scholarship to Berklee School of Music... In 1989, Alice Cooper's music director asked Derek to borrow vacant place keyboardist and go on a long tour with the band (over 250 concerts!) in support of the multi-platinum album " TrashAlice Cooper would later refer to Derek as the 'Caligula of Keyboards.' Derek's career took off to a whole new level when he joined Dream Theater... In GroupBCCplaying vintage Hammond B-3 1962. “I don’t listen to keyboards, I’m bored of them. I think keyboards have their place. My playing style is definitely aggressive and I certainly want my sound to be heard, but I absolutely don’t want everyone to play along. I am more of a team player, so I enjoy just putting my own style into the recordings. " ( solo on the mark roller 4:11 – 4:22)

We listen hammond - melodic - rock . (For assortment).


BOSTONSmokin " (Brad Delp / Tom Scholz) 1978/2008

These guys broke through to the top of the charts out of nowhere. Today, few people remember that originally Tom Scholz ( Tom Scholtz, 03/10/1947) was a keyboardist, and only then, performing in the evenings in Boston clubs, he learned to play the guitar, becoming a real man-orchestra. Apparently the record company specialists Epiconly hoped to recoup the cost of recording Scholz's disc & Co, and hardly predicted a stormy success that fell on the newborn group: the Boston album sold 15 million copies in the United States alone. The release of this album helped to bring back some of the younger audience to classic rock. (solo at around 1:45 - 4:01)

REOSPEEDWAGONRoll With The Changes (Kevin Cronin) 1978

Even if somewhat secondary, typically American FM-Radio-rock, melodic and easy-to-listen, disarming and attractive hard of such teams as Journey, Foreigner, R. E. O. Speedwagon, supported the life of classic rock in a difficult time for him: the end of the 70s - the beginning of the 80s. (solo Neela Doty ( Neal Doughty, 07/29/1946) - at 3: 12-3: 49)

We listen to Hammond-punk and Hammond-Brit-pop.

THE STRANGLERS Something better change (Jet Black / Jean Jacques Burnel / Hugh Cornwell / Dave Greenfield) 1977


May 1975 in ""Melody MakerThere was an announcement that a soft rock band was looking for a keyboard player. Responding Dave Greenfield(David Paul Greenfield, 03/29/1949) his future colleagues liked him so much that he immediately agreed that he would not have to play soft rock at all. Later, criticism unanimously declared Greenfield to be a follower of Ray Manzarek, which always amazed him, since he ccreativityThe Doors in those years he was practically unfamiliar: the favorite instrumentalists of Greenfield in the early 70s were John Lord and Rick Wakeman. After a year of club concerts The Stranglersdebuted on the big stage on February 29, 1976 and immediately fell in love with punk fans with their dark energy. It was Greenfield who, with his virtuoso, dark arpeggios, added a psychedelic dimension to the harsh garage punk / pub rock of the early Stranglers. Thanks to the uncompromising position of the musicians, they were highly respected among alternative youth, and the group's discs were consistently included in the top ten of the national top. Subsequently, unlike most punk bands, The Stranglers easily and willingly assimilated innovations as stylistic ones (their most famous single, "" Golden Brown "", is a waltz) and technological, while demonstrating diversity, ingenuity and a penchant for unexpected compositional solutions. It was this innovative approach to creativity, largely initiated by Greenfield, that provided the group, as experts later noted, a unique place on the British rock scene.

THE CHARLATANSThe only one i know (Jon Baker / Martin Blunt / Jon Brookes / Tim Burgess / Rob Collins) 1990

Melodies of the 60s, organ riffs and a thrilling sense of freedom - three pillars that provided the group with widespread support from fans tired of American greased glam and sympathy from critics, many of whom called the work of "charlatans" "the new psychedelia of the club movement of the 90s. Rob Collins(Rob ertCollins, 02/23/1963 - 07/22/1996) - the man who founded the group, and achieved the corporate sound, was a talented keyboard player and its real leader. The musicians were recording their fifth studio album, when in July 1996, on the way to the studio, Rob was drunk and killed in a car accident.

We listen … hammond - hip - hop .

BEASTIE BOYS Root down (Mike D / Adam Horovitz / Adam Yauch / Jimmy Smith) 1994

Nobody even thought of playing keyboards here. The guys just borrowed a sample of Jimmy Smith from 1972 Root Down ( And Get It). (1:31, 1:48-1:56, 3:14-3:24, 3:29-3:34)

Attempts to simulate the Hammond sound Organ were made several times, but the results were for the most part very approximate. This is due to objective difficulties, since it is very difficult to synthesize sound obtained by rotating mechanical parts in an electromagnetic field. Sampling a real Hammond organ gives almost nothing, as the only similarity to the original is when played with single notes. In addition, it is almost impossible to simulate the Leslie effect with a rapidly rotating horn and rotor. However, not all attempts at imitation have failed, and Korg's CX3 and BX3 instruments, specially designed to emulate the sound of Hammond, came closest to the original. The results were so successful that some musicians purchased a Korg CX3 or BX3 in order to have a backup in case of an unforeseen failure of the main instrument during a concert.

In the late 1980s, Suzuki bought the Hammond trademark and began producing new organs under the Hammond-Suzuki name. Models XB2 (portable instrument with one keyboard), XB3 (dual keyboard) and XB5 have all the same features as the classic Hammond organs (switch switches, percussion for the second and third harmonics, key click), only the characteristic mechanical sound of tonal rotation is absent ...

In 2007, Suzuki released the New Hammond B -3, which has a separate name Ultimo ... Its design belongs to the Dutch designer Martin Haxtin. The appearance of the organ is not made in retro style (brown lacquered wood, as in the classic Hammond of the 30-50s), but in a modern black and silver tone, and the polished black parts of the body are covered with piano lacquer, and the silver parts are real metal structures. The tool is solid, its weight is 132 kg. The organ has two five-octave keyboards and a two-octave pedal. The sound is generated in the organ digitally, but the synthesis method is as close as possible to the principle of sound formation in the classical Hammond - the generator (the so-called "digital sound wheel") creates a pure sine wave without harmonics, and the sound of a note is formed by combining signals from several "wheels".

There are a total of 96 generators in the instrument. Pressing a key closes ten contacts associated with generators and register engines, traditionally designated in feet. The position of the registers affects the signal levels of the individual oscillators in the final mix. The instrument sounds excellent - warm, bright, as the musicians say, "bold", with all the timbre shades characteristic of Hammond. The spirit of the times has found application in the new Hammond - preset settings can be stored on a flash card, for which there is a corresponding slot, and for ease of control there is a small liquid crystal display on the top panel of the organ. I wonder if anyone needs this today?

(electric organ) that was designed and built by Lawrence Hammond in April 1935. Hammond's organs were originally sold to churches as an inexpensive alternative to wind organs, but the instrument was often used in blues, jazz, rock and roll (1960s and 1970s), and gospel. The Hammond organ gained wide popularity in military ensembles during the Second World War and in the post-war years.

Currently (2011) the Hammond trademark belongs to Suzuki Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd., and is called Hammond Suzuki Co., Ltd.

Device

Hammond B3 and Leslie speakers

Links

  • article about "Hammond organ" on obsolete.com
  • Hammond C3 and Leslie. Photo gallery.
  • Real Hammond Organ - Remanufactured Instruments Store
  • HammondWiki - Warning: HammondWiki's material is protected by the OPL license, which is incompatible with the GFDL license. Only authors of original articles can copy materials here.
  • - Hammond organ.

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The Hammond organ was created in 1935. Its distinctive feature is that it is not only a mechanical musical instrument, and not a wind instrument like other organs, but an electromechanical one. The instrument was named after its creator and designer - L. Hammond.

The original purpose of the Hammond organ

It was not as expensive as an ordinary wind organ. Therefore, churches bought it as an alternative. But it turned out that Hammond's organ is suitable for playing blues and other fashionable music. Since then, the musical instrument has become more widespread than anticipated. It was used by military musical ensembles, the timbre was studied on it, using in acoustic scientific research... Individuals also bought it for home music making.

History of invention

Inventor Lawrence Hammond has a significant track record of discovery. For example, stereoscopic cinema was originally his idea. In total, he has about 80 patents for inventions, and the first of them was received by Hammond at the age of 16. which was carefully designed, was not his first brainchild.

Having bought a used grand piano, he took out the keys and used them for his experiments in the field of sound generation. Having developed a method of electrical reproduction of sounds, a year later the designer was able to present a new musical instrument at the Industrial Exhibition. The basis for the synthesis of a sound signal was reproduction using mechanical phonic wheels. Levers helped to mix various forms electrical signal. The engine rotated discs with wavy edges. The keyboard of the electric organ was driven, as a result, each disc played a note. The electric magnet was located opposite. Due to the speed of rotation and the frequency set by the "irregularities" of the disc, a tone of a certain pitch was formed. Several harmonics were added to the tone, which were responsible for higher and lower sounds. The registers adjusted the volume. This is how the sound was synthesized under the action of a synchronous motor, which is also an invention of this author.

Hammond organ patent and trademark

Nowadays, the Japanese company Suzuki is the owner of the Hammond music brand, since it acquired this trademark. Suzuki, as an automotive company, has been eyeing the tool for a long time. Several analogies have been released that are not comparable to the original electric organ. They are only called dummies compared to the original instrument. In 2011, the Hammond Suzuki division was formed.

Hammond himself patented the instrument in a very short time, in 1934. Apparently, this was due to the corresponding financial and political environment. The originally marketed organ model had 2 keyboards with 61 notes. It was also equipped with registers for keyboards, 25 pedals and registers for pedals. The organ gained considerable popularity, but it was helped by some occasion.

The beginning of popularity

An interesting story is about two engineers who worked for G. Ford, who instructed them to make an electric organ with given dimensions. The time to complete the assignment was limited, and the engineers decided to go to the Patent Office, where they found a patent already issued to Hammond for a similar development. All parameters were exactly as ordered by G. Ford. But this was not a coincidence. Ford simply became interested in the new body, having learned about it, and decided to buy out the patent, avoiding publicity. After all, the inventor can start bargaining, and Ford did not like it.

The engineers threatened Hammond with trouble and asked to sell the patent. The presentation was planned only for April 1934, that is, a couple of months before this event. The engineers were refused. Then G. Ford personally asked to bring him the instrument after the completion of its assembly.

Ford looked at the organ and did not buy it, although he said that in two decades, everyone should be able to buy such a home musical instrument. After which dinner was given. Now Ford inquired about the price and, having learned it, bought 6 copies at once. Hammond's agents charged $ 1,250. Thus, the first organ sale took place even before the presentation at the Industrial Arts Exhibition.

Company for the sale of electric organs

The further fate of the musical instrument can be called happy. Hammond didn't do a lot of wrap up on every sale. But I must say that Ford asked him about it, offering money and employees for the company. The first year saw sales of 1400 organs. Churches were considered potential buyers, but many individuals, including President Roosevelt, bought the instrument.

Despite the high price of the organ, its popularity was even more significant. Over the next two years, the company made a profit of hundreds of thousands of dollars, which by the standards of our time is equivalent to millions.

The emergence of opponents of successful production

Those who produced organs of the previous models, that is, winds, suffered losses due to the compact dimensions of the new instrument and its relative cheapness. The prices were simply immeasurable. Having started to lose in the market, the manufacturers of the former bodies filed a complaint with the trade commission. The complaint contained a request: Hammond should not henceforth refer to his instrument as an organ. The reason was the lack of a proper sound range in shades and harmonics, sufficient to match the organ.

Checking the organ for compliance with church tradition

This statement was not devoid of real grounds, as it almost corresponded to reality. The sound of the electric instrument was different from the traditional church organ. But the commission did not consider this obvious and decided to arrange a demonstration competition in the church when it was hidden from the audience which instrument the music was played on. Hammond organ or traditional?

The jury consisted of students, but this was only one part of it. The second group included renowned musicians and conductors. Professional musicians recognized the difference in most cases, while students were not always able to distinguish between performances. But not a single group could tell the difference 100%.

The Hammond firm was given the right to call the instrument an organ, but was instructed not to advertise it as an instrument with an infinite sonic range. The exact figure was determined to be 253 million sounds.

Competition

Leslie decided to produce its own electronic musical instruments, similar to Hammond, which led to competition. Electric current in America began to be transferred from 50 Hertz to 60 Hertz. D. Leslie replaced tone generators on organs for the appropriate sound. At the time, he wanted to work for Hammond's firm, but was not accepted. Then he decided to take up the production of loudspeakers for an electric organ and achieved superiority over the engineers of Hammond.

Leslie produced speakers that the Hammond company used in their organ. These were complex instrument parts with rotating components. The companies were in a hostile relationship, although their founders did not quarrel or be friends. D. Leslie's products were not advertised as actively, but they won in terms of quality.

The feud was ended after the death of L. Hammond by the fact that in 1980 his company bought the speaker company Leslie. Lawrence Hamond himself died in 1973.

Tool design development

After the appearance of the first model, subsequent musical instruments from the inside did not always undergo great changes. Often the body was simply replaced. But we can also mention the additional devices that significantly updated the design. These are, for example, vibrato, and subsequently amplifiers, which were built into musical instruments.

The Leslie speakers also had an unusual effect, as they were equipped with a rotating horn and reflector. These details were respectively in the high-frequency and only two. The sound changed according to a set of parameters: timbre, frequency, amplitude.

Famous Hammond Organ Performers

Hammond's organs have been used to perform music by the most famous musical groups, almost all rock bands. In those days, the organ timbre was very popular, so not a single modern musician could do without including it in his composition. No self-respecting rock band ever went on stage without a Hammond organ. For example, it was actively used by the Deep Purple group, as well as by the Beatles. Even during the period of mass enthusiasm for playing samples, some synthesizers contained several of his timbres. In our time, interest in historical instruments has revived, so the Hammond organ has again become in demand.

The Most Famous Artist to Play on Hammond was voted in by Keyboard Magazine. This is Keith Emerson, repeatedly voted the best in the year. By the way, he handled his instrument in a rather unusual way. With the help of ordinary knives, he tried to secure the keys in order to ensure continuous sounding of the notes, while he continued to play music with both hands. Subsequently, it was his instrument that began to be used for samples of the Hammond organ in the popular Vintage Keys sound module from E-mu.

Present period in the life of an organ

Hammond's organs in their original form ceased to be produced in 1976, only loud fame remained. Many models of musical sound synthesizer have been produced, but most are called toys compared to the original. Electronic sound synthesis that mimics the IC-based Hammond is a complex process in terms of accurate reproduction. But still, many tool repair companies make Hammond parts and repair it.

In the 70s, Japanese engineers were involved in production, and in 1986 Suzuki began to acquire the Hammond brand. At that time, she already fully owned Leslie. Now, producing its own Hammond organ, the Japanese corporation uses slightly different methods of sound reproduction.

 

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