SV: [AN1x] Velocity on organs
2003-01-07 by James Acker
Thanks Bruce! A lot of good and interesting information and answered all my questions and more! Regards, Jim ==================================================== = Check out my original music at = = http://home.online.no/~jacker = = OR = = http://www.soundclick.com/bands/jacker_music.htm = ==================================================== ----- Original Message -----
Show quoted textHide quoted text
From: Bruce Wahler <bruce@...> To: <AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2003 6:11 PM Subject: Re: [AN1x] Velocity on organs > Hi Jim, > > >Guys, > > I had a question. I wondered, on an honest-to-god organ how is the action? > > > > I have a possibly old memory of the organ sounding about the same intensity if you barely touch a key as if you mash down on them. Is that memory right? > > > > On the way home I was listening to a jazz organ and as someone once pointed out about my attempts because I wasn't doing it, the organ sort of slips and slides musically around the notes...I have a hard time explaining it but it seems like if you just glide you fingers barely touching the keys you get a glissando (or something). > > > Yes, that's correct, and is actually part of the reason for the jazz organ style that was developed by Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, and others: If you can't have expressiveness through the keyboard feel, add some though the use of more grace notes and such. In particular, the keyboard on early Hammond organs is extremely light, allowing for techniques like "machine-gun trills" and "windmill chops." (listen to someone like Keith Emerson for examples of both.) There is no commercially-available replacement keyboard out there yet that quite duplicates the feel of the Hammond B-3 keys -- light as a toy keyboard, yet with a solid, reliable feel. The Hammond keys are un-weighted, but with two notable differences from a synth keyboard like the AN1x: 1) the key travel is stopped at the FRONT of the key, rather than the rear, by a short lip that goes under the front wood area; and 2) the B-3 has nine key contacts which drape metal wires across a set of buss bars, leading to a bit more " > natural" springiness than a modern keyboard, which uses spring tension to make the keys bounce back up. > > >Is there ever velocity on real organs? > > Some of the manufacturers added velocity sensing to later models for piano, chimes, vibes, etc. sounds, but a "real" (i.e., pre-70's) Hammond organ is velocity-free. Hammond added a feature called "percussion" to their organs, which is actually a form of a legato triggering: a short ping is added to the tone only if no keys are held down when the next one is struck. It was a crude, 1950's attempt to simulate piano feel and sound. Some recent organs use velocity triggering for their (Hammond-style) percussion voices, which is interesting -- and musically useful -- but does NOT allow for the exact same playing style. > > Regards, > > -BW > > -- > Bruce Wahler > Design Consultant > Ashby SolutionsT http://consult.ashbysolutions.com > 978.386.7389 voice/fax > bruce@... > > > > Community email addresses: > Post message: AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com > Subscribe: AN1x-list-subscribe@yahoogroups.com > Unsubscribe: AN1x-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > List owner: AN1x-list-owner@yahoogroups.com > > Shortcut URL to this page: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AN1x-list > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > >