and John M . Hanert , the Hammond electric organ was first manufactured in the mid-1930s . Originally intended to provide churches with a smaller , less expensive alternative to a pipe organ , it gained popularity with jazz players and , later , artists across a broad spectrum of popular genres . The B3 is the most iconic of these , produced from 1954 to 1974 .
Ultimately , the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation bought Hammond in 1985 , but demand for the sound and unique interface has resulted in a variety of recreations from the likes of Suzuki , Korg , Roland , Nord , and multiple software developers .
“ The various models of Hammond organs reside appropriately in a large amount of music that I gravitate towards ,” Hofmann says . “ They complement musical arrangements of bands like Genesis , Pink Floyd , Supertramp , and Yes , to name a few , exceptionally well . I remember the first time I listened to Dark Side of the Moon and fell in love with the sound of the organ . The model used by Richard Wright during that album was an RT-3 series Hammond , which has the same internal components as the B3 series , except the bass pedals have a separate tube tone generation system . The Hammond organ can be viewed as one of the earliest synthesizers ever . Its unique design employing drawbars controlling tone wheels to stack sine waves , combined with the layering of the Doppler effect from the Leslie cabinet , allows for a multitude of sonic possibilities . A great example of this organ complementing a song is Pink Floyd ’ s ' The Great Gig in the Sky .' The Leslie ’ s rotation speed is put to work , violently whirling during chaotic non-lexical vocals and slowing to a crawl during calm breaks . Its ability to reinforce dynamics is undeniable .”
Hofmann uses a Nord Electro 2 rack for his Hammond recreations and a Nord Lead A1 as his MIDI controller . “ The Electro 2 has fantastic control and depth of all the essential parameters – drawbars , vibrato , percussion – a realistic Leslie simulation , and also has a series of built-in effects to further manipulate the sound . For example , to recreate the unique Hammond sound developed by Rick Wakeman in Yes ’ ' Roundabout ,' I add a phaser and flanger simultaneously , as was used on the original recording .” Going forward , Hofmann would like to see more equipment “ that makes experimentation user-friendly ; a large degree of control and accessibility is a must .”
KAYLA DIAMOND
Solo
Korg SV-1 Stage Piano Native Instruments Kontakt
Fender Rhodes Arguably two of the most popular makes of electroacoustic pianos are the Wurlitzer and Fender Rhodes .
The latter was invented by Harold Rhodes as an
attempt to create pianos for soldiers recovering from WWII . Over time , the Rhodes has become iconic , a unique sonic alternative to other electric pianos and used extensively by artists including Herbie Hancock .
Kayla Diamond is a major fan . “ One of my all time favourite vintage keyboards is , without question , a Fender Rhodes . Remember those sounds that you once heard and fell in love with when you were younger , but didn ’ t know what it was called or why it affected you in such a way ? That ’ s the Rhodes for me ,” she says . “ As a fan of classic hits , it would come up a lot of the time – Pink Floyd , The Doors – and it always evoked that nostalgic feeling for a time when I wasn ’ t even alive yet . I didn ’ t really know what the instrument was until around 2008 , when I discovered this song called ‘ Dance So Good ’ by a band called Wakey Wakey . It was a completely stripped down ballad with just a Rhodes and a vocal , and it made me cry even harder than it would have if it were recorded on an acoustic piano . The instrumentation in that song inspired me so much , I actually recorded my very first song , ‘ Crazy ,’ in two different versions : the Steinway Grand version and the Rhodes version . The difference between the two was that when I played the piano solo in that song , it felt much more full with the Rhodes and added that beaten up kind of flavour that our classic rock , funk , and jazz predecessors gave us . I think what really got me is that perfectly imperfect sound it creates ; that mixture of grit and soul .”
As for modern recreations : “ A particular patch I love
52 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN