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127-668: Similar products included the Hammond Condor, the Conn Multi-vider and the Maestro series of analogue effects boxes marketed by Chicago Musical Instruments. Notable Varitone players were Eddie Harris , Lou Donaldson , Moe Koffman , and Sonny Stitt . Michael Brecker also used a Varitone extensively during his time in the Brecker Bros. Band. The Varitone could also be used with brass instruments by soldering

254-422: A balanced mono signal and AC power directly from the organ via a six-pin cable. Spinet organs contained their own built-in amplifier and speakers. The tone cabinet was originally the only method of adding reverberation to a Hammond organ. The first models to be produced were the 20-watt A-20 and 40-watt A-40. The A-20 was designed for churches and small-capacity halls, and featured a set of doors in front of

381-525: A speaker cabinet . The organ is commonly used with the Leslie speaker . Around two million Hammond organs have been manufactured. The organ was originally marketed by the Hammond Organ Company to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ , or instead of a piano . It quickly became popular with professional jazz musicians in organ trios —small groups centered on

508-466: A $ 75,000 Skinner pipe organ in the University of Chicago 's Rockefeller Chapel . During the auditory tests, sustained tones and excerpts from musical works were played on the electric and pipe organs while a group of musicians and laymen attempted to distinguish between the instruments. While attorneys for Hammond argued that the test listeners were wrong or guessed nearly half the time, witnesses for

635-557: A 12-note pedalboard. The M model was produced from 1948 to 1951, the M-2 from 1951 to 1955, and the M-3 from 1955 to 1964. The M series was replaced by the M-100 series in 1961, which used a numbering system to identify the body style and finish as used on earlier console series. It included the same manuals as the M, but increased the pedalboard size to 13 notes, stretching a full octave, and included

762-416: A Hammond organ comes from a tonewheel. Each one rotates in front of an electromagnetic pickup. The variation in the magnetic field induces a small alternating current at a particular frequency, which represents a signal similar to a sine wave . When a key is pressed on the organ, it completes a circuit of nine electrical switches, which are linked to the drawbars. The position of the drawbars, combined with

889-430: A Hammond's tuning is concert A at 440 Hz . Crosstalk or "leakage" occurs when the instrument's magnetic pickups receive the signal from rotating metal tonewheels other than those selected by the organist. Hammond considered crosstalk a defect that required correcting, and in 1963 introduced a new level of resistor–capacitor filtering to greatly reduce this crosstalk, along with 50–60 Hz mains hum . However,

1016-605: A Leslie speaker. Hammond designed it as the company's flagship product, in response to market competition and to replace the B-3. However, it was considered expensive at $ 9,795 and it sold poorly. It did not sound like a B-3. Hammond introduced their first integrated circuit (IC) model, the Concorde, in 1971. The company had stopped manufacturing tonewheel organs entirely by 1975, due to increased financial inefficiency, and switched to making IC models full-time. Console models included

1143-463: A cheaper design, was not as sophisticated as on the other organs. The L-100 sold particularly well in the UK, with several notable British musicians using it instead of a B-3 or C-3. The T series, produced from 1968 to 1975, was the last of the tonewheel spinet organs. Unlike all the earlier Hammond organs, which used vacuum tubes for preamplification, amplification, percussion and chorus-vibrato control,

1270-407: A church organ. Modern Hammond-Suzuki models use waterfall keys. Hammond console organs come with a wooden pedalboard played with the feet, for bass notes. Most console Hammond pedalboards have 25 notes, with the bottom note a low C and the top note a middle C two octaves higher. Hammond used a 25-note pedalboard because he found that on traditional 32-note pedalboards used in church pipe organs,

1397-426: A computer keyboard, but providing the least realism. More sophisticated keyboards incorporate weights in the keys but rely on springs for return, making these semi-weighted keyboards fast to depress and slower to return. Keyboards that use moving weights similar to the motion of hammers without relying on springs are called hammer-action . The hammer weights may vary by the note being played, similar to how keys in

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1524-455: A console half-moon or pedal switch, with the most distinctive effect occurring as the speaker rotation speed changes. The most popular Leslies were the 122, which accepted a balanced signal suitable for console organs, and the 147, which accepted an unbalanced signal and could be used for spinet organs with a suitable adapter. The Pro-Line series of Leslies which were made to be portable for gigging bands using solid-state amps were popular during

1651-427: A cushion of felt or soft leather upon which the different parts of the action rest or come in contact with each other. Their purpose is that of rendering the action noiseless and easy of operation. Bnc R , shows the end of the balance rail, underneath the keys and extending the entire length of the keyboard. B P , is the balance pin. This is a perfectly round pin driven firmly in the balance rail. The bottom of

1778-414: A different feel than in a grand piano action. The return motion of the hammer as it rebounds from the string(s) is assisted by the catcher and bridle, which is a flexible strap (generally leather) connecting the catcher to the wippen; the bridle adds the weight of the wippen to the hammer to help the hammer return to the back check. When the key is released, the damper is restored to its resting position by

1905-492: A digital tonewheel simulator. The New B-3 is constructed to appear like the original B-3, and the designers attempted to retain the subtle nuances of the familiar B-3 sound. Hammond-Suzuki promotional material states that it would be difficult for even an experienced B-3 player to distinguish between the old and new B-3 organs. A review of the New B-3 by Hugh Robjohns called it "a true replica of an original B-3 ... in terms of

2032-492: A felt covering upon which the extension rests; in this case it is necessary to provide what is called an extension guide which is hinged to the extension guide rail shown in the cut at the left of the extension. In actions of this kind, the extensions remain in place at all times and the trouble of placing them properly on the bottom when replacing the action is obviated. Other methods also are employed which are readily understood upon slight examination, but are essentially similar to

2159-469: A good response from bass pedals. Many players prefer to play the Hammond through a cabinet with a rotating speaker known, after several name changes, as a Leslie speaker , after its inventor Donald J. Leslie . The typical Leslie system is an integrated speaker/amplifier combination in which sound is emitted by a rotating horn over a stationary treble compression driver , and a rotating baffle beneath

2286-420: A high-quality electrical connection when pressing a key. This design was discontinued with the introduction of the transistor organ. This means tonewheel organs have between 3.2 and 8.4 grams of palladium, depending on make and model. The sound on a tonewheel Hammond organ is varied through the manipulation of drawbars. A drawbar is a metal slider that controls the volume of a particular sound component, in

2413-421: A key consists of the key itself and all its appurtenances. These appurtenances include a see-saw like leverage-system, the escapement, a supplementary device for repetition, and a check for hammer rebound. The illustration to the right is of a circa 1907 Wessell, Nickel and Gross upright action; the parts are listed below. Ky , is the key in its resting position. c , found in multiple places, represents

2540-419: A note is being played, and a chorus effect where a note's sound is combined with another sound at a slightly different and varying pitch. The best known vibrato and chorus system consists of six settings, V1, V2, V3, C1, C2 and C3 (i.e., three each of vibrato and chorus), which can be selected via a rotary switch. Vibrato / chorus can be selected for each manual independently. The B-3 and C-3 models introduced

2667-465: A noticeable downward thrust is required. The action, in short, is what makes a piano playable or not to an individual musician." The string hammer action was the important innovation that Bartolomeo Cristofori created when he invented the pianoforte; Cristofori is credited with building his first instrument by 1700. Although similar hammer actions were devised at about the same time by Marius (1716) and Christoph Gottlieb Schröter (1717), Cristofori

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2794-400: A number of presets. The L-100 series entered production at the same time as the M-100. It was an economy version, with various cost-cutting changes so the organ could retail for under $ 1,000. The vibrato was a simpler circuit than on other consoles and spinets. Two variations of the vibrato were provided, plus a chorus that mixed various vibrato signals together. The expression pedal, based on

2921-468: A pedalboard with only 25 notes, instead of the standard 32 on church organs, and it quickly became a de facto standard. On April 24, 1934, Hammond filed a patent for an "electrical musical instrument", which was personally delivered to the patent office by Hanert, explaining that they could start production immediately and it would be good for local employment in Chicago. The invention was unveiled to

3048-484: A pick-up onto the lead pipe. Jazz trumpeter Clark Terry used it on a 1967 recording for Impulse! titled It's What's Happenin' (Terry was a Selmer endorser at the time). Varitone is also the name of a device used for changing the sounds of an electric guitar , featured on Gibson's BB King "Lucille" signature ES-355. This article relating to woodwind instruments is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Hammond organ The Hammond organ

3175-613: A rail at the back of the keyboard, the result being to jerk the hammer to the string". Stein also refined this action by adding an escapement. This "Viennese" action continued to be developed by Stein's daughter, Nannette Streicher , and was widely used by other makers in Vienna, and was the action of pianos played by Haydn , Mozart , and Beethoven , as it was characterized by a "pleasant light elastic touch and [a] charming musical quality of tone". It survived in Viennese pianos almost to

3302-413: A relatively small (key) movement into a longer, faster (hammer) movement. As an overview, when a key is depressed, a felt hammer strikes one or more strings, causing them to vibrate. The vibrations are transmitted to the soundboard, which makes the audible note. The action also automatically retracts the hammer after it strikes the string(s), preventing it from damping their vibration. In addition, as long as

3429-434: A set of pickups, it changes the pitch of the overall sound slightly. From here, the sound is sent to the main amplifier, and on to the audio speakers. The Hammond organ makes technical compromises in the notes it generates. Rather than produce harmonics that are exact multiples of the fundamental as in equal temperament , it uses the nearest-available frequencies generated by the tonewheels. The only guaranteed frequency for

3556-431: A similar way to a fader on an audio mixing console . As a drawbar is incrementally pulled out, it increases the volume of its sound. When pushed all the way in, the volume is decreased to zero. The labeling of the drawbar derives from the stop system in pipe organs, in which the physical length of the pipe corresponds to the pitch produced. Most Hammonds contain nine drawbars per manual. The drawbar marked "8′" generates

3683-426: A skirt, often a consideration when a church organ was placed in front of the congregation. The model C did not contain the chorus generator, but had space in the cabinet for it to be fitted. The concurrent model D was a model C with a prefitted chorus. Development of the vibrato system took place during the early 1940s, and was put into production shortly after the end of World War II . The various models available were

3810-571: A slightly different tone generator. This was followed by the H-100 series, with a redesigned tonewheel generator and various other additional features. An extended model, the H-300, also featured an integrated drum machine . The organ was not particularly well made, and suffered a reputation for being unreliable. Hammond service engineer Harvey Olsen said, "When they [H-100s] work, they sound pretty decent. But die-hard enthusiasts won't touch it." Though

3937-471: A slower pace and generate a lower pitch for a short time. Hammond's New B3 contains similar switches to emulate this effect, though it is a digital instrument. The Hammond organ's technology derives from the Telharmonium , an instrument created in 1897 by Thaddeus Cahill . The telharmonium used revolving electric alternators which generated tones that could be transmitted over wires. The instrument

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4064-419: A spring, silencing the note, and the hammer returns to its initial resting position on the hammer rail (20). If the damper or sustain pedal is depressed, that action lifts a bar (10), which moves all of the dampers off the strings simultaneously, causing notes to be sustained even after the keys are released. The Zumpe action, as fitted to his square pianos from c.  1765 , is fairly straightforward: as

4191-526: A stationary bass woofer . This creates a characteristic sound because of the constantly changing pitch shifts that result from the Doppler effect created by the moving sound sources. The Leslie was originally designed to mimic the complex tones and constantly shifting sources of sound emanating from a large group of ranks in a pipe organ. The effect varies depending on the speed of the rotors, which can be toggled between fast (tremolo) and slow (chorale) using

4318-399: A structure analogous to the letoff button just before the hammer strikes the string. This letoff button is attached to the hopper, which is hinged and held in place normally by the spring slide wire (15). The rising end of the key tilts the hopper against the spring, towards the rear of the piano, causing the hopper to disengage from the hammer butt; the hammer continues to rise until it strikes

4445-572: A sufficient return. In 1936, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint claiming that the Hammond Company made "false and misleading" claims in advertisements for its organ, including that the Hammond could produce "the entire range of tone coloring of a pipe organ". The complaint resulted in lengthy hearing proceedings, which featured a series of auditory tests that pitted a Hammond costing about $ 2600 against

4572-409: A thumbscrew (not shown in the cut, being behind the hammer) which fastens the action securely in position. M R , is the main rail; so called because the main constituents of the action are attached to it. (Everything designated as "rail" in the action runs the entire length of the action in one solid piece.) W , is the wippen. Those pieces upon which or by which the small letter g is shown are

4699-399: Is a wooden block called the bottom; sometimes called the key-rocker. It is held in position by the two screws shown in cut by which it can be adjusted or regulated. When the key is depressed by the player, the bottom rises, as it is on the opposite side of the pivot pin. E , is the extension communicating the motion of the key to the upper part of the action. There are various ways in which

4826-400: Is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated sound by creating an electric current from rotating a metal tonewheel near an electromagnetic pickup , and then strengthening the signal with an amplifier to drive

4953-492: Is comparable to a seesaw ; when the player depresses one end, the end on the other side of the pivot point rises. The capstan (2) is on the rising side of the key. The rising capstan lifts the wippen (3), which is connected to the L-shaped jack (5). The rising wippen carries the long end of the jack, which pushes on a felt knuckle near the pivot point of the hammer shank (8), causing the felt-covered hammer (10) to rise and strike

5080-416: Is connected via the transfer wire (20) to a felt block called the damper (10), which normally rests on the string(s), preventing vibrations. With the damper lifted, the string(s) vibrate after the hammer has struck them. Since the felt hammer itself would dampen these vibrations if it remains in contact with the string(s), a hammer escapement is provided by the notched rising end of the key, which engages with

5207-712: Is controlled by a pedal (also known as a "swell" or "expression" pedal). The keys on each manual have a lightweight action , which allows players to perform rapid passages more easily than on a piano. In contrast to piano and pipe organ keys, Hammond keys have a flat-front profile, commonly referred to as "waterfall" style. Early Hammond console models had sharp edges, but starting with the B-2, these were rounded, as they were cheaper to manufacture. The M series of spinets also had waterfall keys (which has subsequently made them ideal for spares on B-3s and C-3s ), but later spinet models had "diving board" style keys which resembled those found on

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5334-540: Is credited with building a pianoforte dated to 1730. However, Gottfried Silbermann built pianos with both Cristofori and Schröter actions. Silbermann produced Schröter action pianos as early as 1728; Silbermann also built two Cristofori action pianos which were submitted to Johann Sebastian Bach ; according to Bach's pupil Johann Friedrich Agricola , Bach rejected them for having a weak treble and heavy action, and Silbermann did not build more Cristofori action pianos for two decades, when he built several for Frederick

5461-438: Is put near the balance rail according to the requirement. In some actions the lead is omitted entirely; but in the best actions it is almost invariably present. In the action of the grand piano the keys are leaded in front of the balance rail instead of back of it. This is because, in the grand piano, the hammer rests in a horizontal position and its whole weight must be actually lifted and the force of gravity overcome, while in

5588-432: Is the mechanical assembly which translates the depression of the keys into rapid motion of a hammer, which creates sound by striking the strings. Action can refer to that of a piano or other musical keyboards, including the electronic or digital stage piano and synthesizer , on which some models have "weighted keys", which simulate the touch and feel of an acoustic piano. The design of the key action mechanism determines

5715-402: Is the metal action bracket. The bracket is one solid piece of metal. There are generally four brackets in the upright action. The brackets rest on supports in and at the sides of the keybed, and are secured at the top by large bolts (BB). BB , are the bolts which go through the metal plate and into the wooden frame or pin block. At the top of each bracket is an opening to receive this bolt and

5842-437: Is turned on for about four seconds. The "Start" switch is then released, whereupon the organ is ready to generate sound. The H-100 and E-series consoles and L-100 and T-100 spinet organs, however, had a self-starting motor that required only a single "On" switch. A pitch bend effect can be created on the Hammond organ by turning the "Run" switch off and on again. This briefly cuts power to the generators, causing them to run at

5969-545: The Hammond Clock Company , in 1928. As well as clocks, his early inventions included three-dimensional glasses and an automatic bridge table shuffler. However, as the Great Depression continued into the 1930s, sales of the bridge table declined and he decided to look elsewhere for a commercially successful product. Hammond was inspired to create the tonewheel or "phonic wheel" by listening to

6096-426: The fundamental of the note being played, the drawbar marked "16′" is an octave below, and the drawbars marked "4′", "2′" and "1′" are one, two and three octaves above, respectively. The other drawbars generate various other harmonics and subharmonics of the note. While each individual drawbar generates a relatively pure sound similar to a flute or electronic oscillator, more complex sounds can be created by mixing

6223-419: The lead weight inserted in this portion of the key, which serves three purposes: to balance it, to ensure uniformity of "touch", and to ensure quick and certain return of key to its rest position. As each key may vary in length and weight, and each hammer also may vary in weight, some keys are leaded much more heavily than others. In some cases the lead is inserted in the extreme back end of the key; in others it

6350-400: The "classic" Jimmy Smith sound. In addition to drawbars, many Hammond tonewheel organ models also include presets, which make predefined drawbar combinations available at the press of a button. Console organs have one octave of reverse colored keys (naturals are black, sharps and flats are white) to the left of each manual, with each key activating a preset; the far left key (C), also known as

6477-410: The "weight" of the keys, i.e., the force required to sound a note; that is, the feeling of the heaviness of the touch of the keys. "A professional pianist is likely to care most about the piano's action, because that is what controls its responsiveness and relative lightness--or heaviness--of touch. Roughly speaking, a piano's action is light when its keys fall easily under the fingers, and heavy when

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6604-579: The 1960s, Hammond began to manufacture transistor organs in response to competitors such as Lowrey and Wurlitzer who were offering them, with a greater feature set compared to tonewheel Hammonds. The first organ that bridged the gap between tonewheel and transistor was the X-66, introduced in May 1967. The X-66 contained just 12 tonewheels, and used electronics for frequency division . It contained separate "vibrato bass" and "vibrato treble" in an attempt to simulate

6731-428: The 1970s. Leslie initially tried to sell his invention to Hammond, but Laurens Hammond was unimpressed and declined to purchase it. Hammond modified their interface connectors to be "Leslie-proof", but Leslie quickly engineered a workaround. Some Hammond staff thought Laurens Hammond was being irrational and autocratic towards Leslie, but Don Leslie later said it helped give his speakers publicity. The Leslie company

6858-512: The 8000 Aurora (1976) and 8000M Aurora (1977), which contained drawbars and a built-in rotating speaker. Spinet organs included the K-100 and J-400 series, and the "Cadette" V series. Some models included a headphone jack . The B-3 and C-3 were replaced by the B-3000, designed to be a model for professional use that had the same look and feel of the earlier organs. It contained the same controls, but

6985-578: The A-143 was "warm cherry finish, Early American styling". This model numbering scheme was used for several other series of console and spinet organs that subsequently appeared. The D-100 series, which provided a self-contained version of the RT-3, followed in 1963. The E-100 series was a cost-reduced version of the A-100 introduced in 1965, with only one set of drawbars per manual, a reduced number of presets, and

7112-541: The B-2/C-2 and B-3/C-3, respectively. In 1959, Hammond introduced the A-100 series. It was effectively a self-contained version of the B-3/C-3, with an internal power amplifier and speakers. The organ was manufactured in a variety of different chassis, with the last two digits of the specific model number determining the style and finish of the instrument. For example, A-105 was "Tudor styling in light oak or walnut", while

7239-674: The BV and CV (vibrato only) and BCV and DV (vibrato and chorus). The B-2 and C-2, introduced in 1949, allowed vibrato to be enabled or disabled on each manual separately. In 1954, the B-3 and C-3 models were introduced with the additional harmonic percussion feature, advertised as "touch response percussion control". Despite several attempts by Hammond to replace them, these two models remained popular and stayed in continuous production through early 1975. The last B-3 and C-3 organs manufactured were built from leftover parts, and are not considered as good as earlier models. To cater more specifically to

7366-571: The FTC claimed that Hammond employees had unfairly manipulated the Skinner organ to sound more like the Hammond. In 1938, the FTC ordered Hammond to "cease and desist" a number of advertising claims, including that its instrument was equivalent to a $ 10,000 pipe organ. After the FTC's decision, Hammond claimed that the hearings had vindicated his company's assertions that the organ produced "real", "fine", and "beautiful" music, phrases which were each cited in

7493-401: The FTC's original complaint, but not included in the "cease and desist" order. Hammond also claimed that although the hearing was expensive for his company, the proceedings generated so much publicity that "as a result we sold enough extra organs to cover the expense." The Hammond Organ Company produced an estimated two million instruments in its lifetime; these have been described as "probably

7620-567: The Great in 1747. Two of Silbermann's pupils, Johannes Zumpe and Americus Backers , popularized the Cristofori action as the "English" action after moving to London. Zumpe introduced the square piano between 1760 and 1765; Alfred James Hipkins called Zumpe's action "rudimentary but efficient". The pianos built by Backers did not survive, but his action, patented in 1776, was refined by Robert Stodart (1777) and John Broadwood (1780);

7747-578: The Hammond organ. Jazz club owners found that organ trios were cheaper than hiring a big band . Jimmy Smith 's use of the Hammond B-3, with its additional harmonic percussion feature, inspired a generation of organ players , and its use became more widespread in the 1960s and 1970s in genres such as rhythm and blues , rock (especially progressive rock ), and reggae . In the 1970s, the Hammond Organ Company abandoned tonewheels and switched to integrated circuits . These organs were less popular, and

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7874-492: The Herrburger-Brooks piano action, which was the definitive piano action of the twentieth century. Throughout the history of the action, piano makers tended to make it heavier and sturdier, in response to the increasing size, weight, and robustness of the instrument, which was itself part of a general demand for a more powerful sound. Christian Ernst Friederici invented the first upright piano action in 1745, but it

8001-534: The New B-3. The XK-3 is part of a modular system that allows an integrated lower manual and pedals to be added. In response to some clones, including a variety of vintage keyboards in a single package, Hammond released the SK series of organs, which include grand piano , Rhodes piano , Wurlitzer electronic piano , Hohner clavinet , and samples of wind and brass instruments alongside the standard drawbar and tonewheel emulation. Keyboard magazine's Stephen Fortner praised

8128-568: The T series used all- solid-state , transistor circuitry, though, unlike the L-100, it did include the scanner-vibrato as seen on the B-3. Other than the T-100 series models, all other T-Series models included a built-in rotating Leslie speaker and some included an analog drum machine , while the T-500 also included a built-in cassette recorder. It was one of the last tonewheel Hammonds produced. In

8255-731: The US, Hammond manufactures a number of dedicated console organs, including the B-3mk2 and the C-3mk2, and the A-405, a Chapel Console Organ. The company has a dedicated Church Advisory Team that provides a consultancy, so churches can choose the most appropriate instrument. The authorized loudspeaker enclosure to use with a console organ was the Hammond Tone Cabinet, which contained an external amplifier and speaker . The cabinet carried

8382-546: The United States. The new company produced their own brand of portable organs, including the XB-2, XB-3 and XB-5. Sound on Sound 's Rod Spark, a longtime Hammond enthusiast, said these models were "a matter of taste, of course, but I don't think they're a patch on the old ones". In 2002, Hammond-Suzuki launched the New B-3, a recreation of the original electromechanical instrument using contemporary electronics and

8509-417: The above. Instead of the bottom, a capstan screw is used in some actions as follows: Cpn , is a capstan screw used in some actions in place of the bottom. It is turned by inserting a pointed instrument in one of the four holes, thus raising or lowering the capstan in regulating. The lower end of the extension is felted. In such actions the extension is invariably provided with the extension guide. B ,

8636-407: The back check (11), which is on the same (rising) side of the key as the capstan; this facilitates rapid repetition of notes without fully returning the key to rest, as the repetition lever (9) raises the hammer shank far enough to reset the long end of the jack back under the hammer knuckle for additional key strikes. When the key is released, the damper falls back to its resting position, silencing

8763-437: The bass register of the piano have heavier hammers to sound the thicker strings than those in the treble register; these are known as progressive hammer-action keyboards. Many electronic keyboards use keys that are hinged at the back to minimize keybed depth; some use keys that pivot in the middle or have longer pivot arms with higher-end keybeds, similar to acoustic pianos. The action primarily serves to mechanically amplify

8890-414: The cancel key, de-activates all presets, and results in no sound coming from that manual. The two right-most preset keys (B and B ♭ ) activate the corresponding set of drawbars for that manual, while the other preset keys produce preselected drawbar settings that are internally wired into the preset panel. Hammond organs have a built-in vibrato effect that provides a small variation in pitch while

9017-538: The church market, Hammond introduced the Concert Model E in July 1937, which included a full 32-note pedalboard and four electric switches known as toe pistons, allowing various sounds to be selected by the feet. The model E was replaced by the model RT in 1949, which retained the full-sized pedalboard, but otherwise was internally identical to the B and C models. RT-2 and RT-3 models subsequently appeared in line with

9144-501: The company struggled to survive, proposing the acquisition of a majority stake in Roland in 1972, which the latter turned down. Roland's Ikutaro Kakehashi did not believe it was practical at that point to move the entire manufacturing operation from the US to Japan, and also viewed Hammond's declining sales figures as a problem. In 1985, Hammond went out of business, though servicing and spares continued to be available after this under

9271-662: The company went out of business in 1985. The Hammond name was purchased by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation , which proceeded to manufacture digital simulations of the most popular tonewheel organs. This culminated in the production of the "New B-3" in 2002, a recreation of the original B-3 organ using digital technology. Hammond-Suzuki continues to manufacture a variety of organs for both professional players and churches. Companies such as Korg , Roland , and Clavia have achieved success in providing more lightweight and portable emulations of

9398-524: The concept of "Harmonic Percussion", which was designed to emulate the percussive sounds of the harp , xylophone , and marimba . When selected, this feature plays a decaying second- or third-harmonic overtone when a key is pressed. The selected percussion harmonic fades out, leaving the sustained tones the player selected with the drawbars. The volume of this percussive effect is selectable as either normal or soft. Harmonic Percussion retriggers only after all notes have been released, so legato passages sound

9525-401: The damper is held in place normally by a spring on the damper arm, preventing vibrations. With the damper lifted, the string(s) vibrate after the hammer has struck them; since the felt hammer itself would dampen these vibrations if it remains in contact with the string(s), the short end of the jack, called the jack toe or jack arm (15) is tripped by the letoff button (16) just before the moment

9652-454: The drawbars in varying amounts. Because of this, the Hammond organ can be considered a type of additive synthesis . Hammond manufactured from 1969 onwards have the footage of each drawbar engraved on its end. Some drawbar settings have become well-known and associated with certain musicians. A very popular setting is 888000000 (i.e., with the drawbars labeled "16′", " 5 + 1 ⁄ 3 ′" and "8′" fully pulled out), and has been identified as

9779-413: The effect only on the first note or chord, making Harmonic Percussion uniquely a "single-trigger", but still a polyphonic effect. Before a Hammond organ can produce sound, the motor that drives the tonewheels must come up to speed. On most models, starting a Hammond organ involves two switches. The "Start" switch turns a dedicated starter motor , which must run for about 12 seconds. Then, the "Run" switch

9906-465: The end of the 19th century. In the 19th century, the English action was further modified by French builders, notably in the invention of the repetition lever, which facilitated rapidly repeating notes. Sébastien Érard invented the double-escapement action which incorporated the repetition lever, patented in 1808 and 1821; Dolge credits Érard with combining the refined touch of the Vienna action with

10033-482: The escapement of the original design. One of Silbermann's pupils, the Augsburg builder Johann Andreas Stein , further refined Schröter's action in the 1770s by reversing the orientation of the hammer, with the hammer head closer to the player. As described by Hipkins, in the original "Viennese" action, "the blow is caused by the depression of the key raising the hammer-butt until the back of it comes in contact with

10160-406: The extension is connected to the bottom. In this action, the extension is made round at the lower end and fits snugly into a hole in the bottom upon a felt disc. When the action is taken out, the extensions simply lift out of the holes, and when it is put back it is necessary to insert each one in its place. In other actions, the upper side of the bottom where the extension rests has no hole but simply

10287-403: The felt-covered hammer firmly into the string, which would damp and stop the string vibrations and the sound. In Cristofori's improved escapement action (1720), when the key is depressed, the other end of the key-lever raises a horizontal hopper (which Cristofori called the linguetta mobile ) with a stepped projection; the hopper raises the curved hammer butt. Because of the stepped projection,

10414-404: The flanges. The one at the left of the wippen is called the wippen flange. It is made fast to the main rail by a screw, and upon it the wippen is hinged by means of a "center-pin" at the lower end. The center-pin in the wippen is driven through a hole in which it fits tightly and immovably in the middle part, and it (the center-pin) is consequently stationary in the wippen. The flange extends down at

10541-519: The force and power of the English action. The 2000s-era grand piano action is a distant descendant of Cristofori's original. One of the most well-known French piano actions was created by Jean Schwander in 1844 and improved upon by his son-in-law Josef Herrburger; the Schwander action is still used in Bechstein pianos. At the turn of the century, Schwander-Herrburger merged with Brooks, giving us

10668-432: The hammer strikes the string(s), causing the jack to slip off the hammer butt; the hammer continues to strike the string(s) through inertia, then rebounds and falls back. If the key remains depressed, the hammer is held above its initial resting position by the catcher (19), which rests on the back check (18), which is on the same (rising) side of the wippen as the jack; this facilitates rapid repetition of notes, although with

10795-401: The hole in the key fits closely around the balance pin; at the top, it is the shape of a mortise , parallel with the key, which allows the key to move only in the direction intended. The mortise in the wooden cap on top of the key at this point is lined with bushing cloth which holds the key in position laterally, and prevents looseness and rattling, yet allows the key to move easily. L , is

10922-423: The hopper slips off the key just before the hammer strikes the string, providing the escapement action. Other modern features are apparent in his diagram, including the presence of a back check to facilitate repetition, and using the rising tip of the key-lever to lift the damper. Cristofori died in 1731 and left no significant pupils; the instruments that were in process were finished by Giovanni Ferrini, who also

11049-484: The instrument had been originally designed for use in a church, Hammond realized that the amateur home market was a far more lucrative business, and started manufacturing spinet organs in the late 1940s. Outside of the United States, they were manufactured in greater numbers than the consoles, and hence were more widely used. Several different types of M series instruments were produced between 1948 and 1964; they contained two 44-note manuals with one set of drawbars each, and

11176-444: The jack and the adjacent parts upon which it depends for its exact movements, play an important part in regulating the "touch" of the piano. js , jack spring. Its purpose is to hold the jack inward against the "nose" or "heel" of the hammer butt. (See Bt, hammer butt.) Rr , regulating rail. The regulating button is shown attached to the rail by the regulating screw which is turned by means of its ring on top of Rr. The purpose of

11303-409: The jack which strikes against it when thrown from nose. This rail is absent in some actions, in which case the back of the jack is felted and strikes against the "back catch", which is also felted on inner side. (The back catch has no mark in the cut, but is explained below in connection with the "back check".) BC , is the back check which is simply a piece of wood with a thick piece of felt glued to

11430-409: The key (1) is depressed, the rising end of the lever raises the leather-covered jack (2), also known as the "old man's head". This in turn lifts the hammer, which is hinged using a leather strap, to strike the string(s) above it. Simultaneously, the damper (6) is lifted from the string(s) by the damper jack (5), also known as the "mopstick". In the Viennese action, when the player depresses one end of

11557-412: The key is depressed, the action also lifts a felt damper off the appropriate string(s), sustaining the vibration. The main difference between grand and upright piano actions is the direction of motion. In the grand piano, the soundboard is horizontal; the hammer rises and strikes the string(s) from below, and gravity is used to restore the damper and hammer to their resting positions. In an upright piano,

11684-466: The look and layout, and the actual sound". The instrument project nearly stalled after a breakdown in negotiations between Japanese and United States staff, the latter of whom insisted on manufacturing the case in the United States and designing the organ to identical specifications to the original. The company has since released the XK-3, a single-manual organ using the same digital tonewheel technology as

11811-453: The modern upright. Ignaz Pleyel adopted Wornum's action and it is popularly known as the Pleyel action. Manufacturers of electronic keyboards, synthesizers, and digital pianos have used various designs to recreate the feel of an acoustic piano. The simplest electronic keyboards, sometimes known as synth-action , use springs to restore each key to its resting position, similar in concept to

11938-433: The most successful electronic organs ever made". A key ingredient to the Hammond organ's success was the use of dealerships and a sense of community. Several dedicated organ dealers set up business in the United States and there was a bi-monthly newsletter, The Hammond Times , mailed out to subscribers. Advertisements tended to show families gathered around the instrument, often with a child playing it, as an attempt to show

12065-425: The moving gears of his electric clocks and the tones produced by them. He gathered pieces from a second-hand piano he had purchased for $ 15 and combined it with a tonewheel generator in a similar form to the telharmonium, albeit much shorter and more compact. Since Hammond was not a musician, he asked the company's assistant treasurer, W. L. Lahey, to help him achieve the desired organ sound. To cut costs, Hammond made

12192-675: The name of the Organ Service Company. In early 1986, the Hammond brand and rights were acquired by Hammond Organ Australia, run by Noel Crabbe. Then in 1989, the name was purchased by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation, which rebranded the company as Hammond-Suzuki. Although nominally a Japanese company, founder Manji Suzuki was a fan of the instrument and retained several former Hammond Organ Company staff for research and development, and ensured that production would partially remain in

12319-430: The note. The damper pedal, also known as the sustain pedal, lifts the damper tray (13), which raises all of the dampers simultaneously, causing the notes to be sustained even after the keys are released. Similar to the grand action, in an upright, when the player depresses one end of the key (12), the end on the other side of the pivot point rises. The capstan (13) is on the rising side of the key. The rising capstan lifts

12446-640: The older model continued to be available as the AB until October 1938. A model BA of 1938 may be seen and heard at the Musical Museum , Brentford England. Criticism that the Hammond organ was more aesthetically suitable to the home instead of the church led to the introduction of the model C in September 1939. It contained the same internals as the AB or BC, but covered on the front and sides by "modesty panels" to cover female organists' legs while playing in

12573-544: The organ as a center-point of home life and to encourage children to learn music. Hammond organs, as manufactured by the original company, can be divided into two main groups: The first model in production, in June 1935, was the Model A. It contained most of the features that came to be standard on all console Hammonds, including two 61-key manuals, a 25-key pedalboard, an expression pedal, 12 reverse-color preset keys, and one for

12700-451: The original 122 speaker, the company announced in 2013 that they would start manufacturing a standalone Leslie simulator in a stomp box . Although they are sometimes included in the category of electronic organs, the majority of Hammond organs are, strictly speaking, electric or electromechanical rather than electronic organs, because the sound is produced by moving parts rather than electronic oscillators. The basic component sound of

12827-432: The original tonewheel organs. The sound of a tonewheel Hammond can be emulated using modern software audio plug-ins . A number of features of the Hammond organ are not usually found on other keyboards like the piano or synthesizer . Some are similar to a pipe organ , but others are unique to the instrument. Most Hammond organs have two 61-note (five- octave ) keyboards called manuals . As with pipe organ keyboards,

12954-456: The pedals. To address concerns that the sound of the Hammond was not rich enough to accurately mimic a pipe organ, the model BC was introduced in December 1936. It included a chorus generator, in which a second tonewheel system added slightly sharp or flat tones to the overall sound of each note. The cabinet was made deeper to accommodate this. Production of the old Model A cases stopped, but

13081-435: The percussive effect, and it has been accepted as part of the classic sound. Hammond research and development engineer Alan Young said, "the professionals who were playing popular music [liked] that the attack was so prominent. And they objected when it was eliminated." Action (piano) The piano action mechanism (also known as the key action mechanism or simply the action ) of a piano or other musical keyboard

13208-564: The public in April 1935, and the first model, the Model A, was made available in June of that year. Over 1,750 churches purchased a Hammond organ in the first three years of production, and by the end of the 1930s, over 200 instruments were being made each month. By 1966, an estimated 50,000 churches had installed a Hammond. For all its subsequent success with professional musicians, the original company did not target its products at that market, principally because Hammond did not think there would be

13335-410: The regulating button is to throw the point of the jack out of the nose of the hammer butt, and allow the hammer to rebound from the string. If the button is too high, it does not throw or trip the jack in time to prevent blocking. When the button is too low, it disengages too soon, and much of the force of the key is lost before it reaches the hammer. BR , is the block rail, felted on the side next to

13462-551: The resulting "English" action was noted by Hipkins as "the best single escapement action". Perhaps the best-known English piano action of the nineteenth century is the Brooks action of 1810. Silbermann also was responsible for popularizing the Schröter or "German" action. Dolge characterizes Schröter's original action as "a model of innocent simplicity ... a clumsy device [that] made the touch hard and tough"; Silbermann improved

13589-401: The seesaw-like key (1), the end on the other side of the pivot point rises, lifting the fork (18). The end of the hammer butt (17) is constrained by the hopper (16), so as the fork rises, the hammer shank (21) effectively pivots at the hammer butt and the hammer (3) is raised toward and strikes the string(s) (7). Simultaneously, the rising end of the key also lifts the damper capstan (19), which

13716-423: The sides of the wippen and the holes in flange are made large enough to receive bushing cloth in which the center-pin works freely but not loosely. All flange joints are of this nature; some, however, are provided with a means for tightening the center-pin in the middle portion of the joint. j , is the jack. The purpose of the jack is to communicate the motion of the wippen to the hammer. The precise adjustment of

13843-634: The single manual SK1, indicated that it gave an accurate sound throughout the range of drawbar settings, and said the organ sound was "fat, warm, utterly authentic". The XK-1c model was introduced in early 2014, which is simply an organ-only version of the SK1. An updated flagship organ, the XK-5, was launched in 2016, and a stage keyboard, the SK-X followed in 2019, which allows a player to select an individual instrument (organ, piano or synthesizer) for each manual. In

13970-399: The sound of tonewheel crosstalk is now considered part of the signature of the Hammond organ, to the extent that modern digital clones explicitly emulate it. Some Hammond organs have an audible pop or click when a key is pressed. Originally, key click was considered a design defect and Hammond worked to eliminate or at least reduce it with equalization filters. However, many performers liked

14097-551: The soundboard is vertical; the hammer strikes the string(s) from the side, and a combination of gravity and springs are used to restore the damper and hammer to their resting positions. The key feel when playing repeated notes is slightly different on these actions, as a result. Traditionally, the individual parts of the action of an acoustic piano are made of wood with metal pins and pivots; some manufacturers have switched to using plastic and composite materials for certain items to add strength and environmental stability. The key (1)

14224-461: The speaker, that could be closed when the organ was not in use. The D-20 was introduced in 1937 and only allowed sound from the speakers to escape by a louvered opening on one side and a gap in the top. The most commercially successful set of Tone Cabinets were probably the PR series cabinets introduced in 1959. The 40-watt PR40 weighed 126 pounds (57 kg) and was 37.5 inches (950 mm) high. It has

14351-399: The string(s) (16). Simultaneously, the rising end of the key also lifts the spoon (14), which is connected to a felt block called the damper (15), which normally rests on the string(s), preventing vibrations. With the damper lifted, the string(s) vibrate after the hammer has struck them. The short end of the jack is tripped by the letoff button (4) just before the moment the hammer strikes

14478-438: The string(s), causing the long end of the jack to slip off the knuckle; the hammer continues to rise and strike the string(s) by inertia, but then the hammer rebounds and falls back down. In this way, the felt hammer is prevented from dampening the vibrations after striking the string(s), as it would if it remained in contact with the string(s). If the key remains depressed, the hammer is held above its initial resting position by

14605-472: The string(s), then it rebounds and falls back down. If the key remains depressed, the hammer is held above its initial resting position by the back check (2); this facilitates rapid repetition of notes. When the key is released, the damper falls back to its resting position, silencing the note, and the hammer returns to its initial resting position. The damper guide rail (8) is lifted by the damper pedal, allowing multiple sustained notes. The action mechanism of

14732-420: The string. Cristofori's improved escapement action (1720) embodied many of the principles still found in 2000-era actions. It used levers to magnify the small motion of the piano key into a large motion of the hammer, and was arranged so that the very last part of the hammer's motion before striking the string would be purely the result of inertia and not propelled by the key; this prevents the key from pressing

14859-411: The switches selected by the key pressed, determines which tonewheels are allowed to sound. Every tonewheel is connected to a synchronous motor via a system of gears, which ensures that each note remains at a constant relative pitch to every other. The combined signal from all depressed keys and pedals is fed through to the vibrato system, which is driven by a metal scanner. As the scanner rotates around

14986-506: The top seven notes were seldom used. The Hammond Concert models E, RT, RT-2, RT-3 and D-100 had 32-note American Guild of Organists (AGO) pedalboards going up to the G above middle C as the top note. The RT-2, RT-3 and D-100 also contained a separate solo pedal system that had its own volume control and various other features. Spinet models have 12- or 13-note miniature pedalboards. Hammond organ manuals and pedalboards were originally manufactured with solid palladium alloy wire to ensure

15113-403: The two manuals are positioned on two levels close to each other. Each is laid out in a similar manner to a piano keyboard, except that pressing a key on a Hammond results in the sound continuously playing until it is released, whereas with a piano, the note's volume decays. No difference in volume occurs regardless of how heavily or lightly the key is pressed (unlike with a piano), so overall volume

15240-410: The upright action differs from the grand action. In the upright action, the wippen has a pivot on the main rail (9); as the jack end of the wippen rises for the hammer strike, the other end of the wippen falls, pushing the connected spoon (11) toward the string(s). The moving spoon in turn pushes on the damper arm (7), which also pivots on the main rail, lifting the connected damper (6) from the string(s);

15367-425: The upright, the hammer rests in a vertical position, only requiring to be thrown forward. G P , is the guide pin, generally of oval shape, with the longest diameter in line with the key. The hole in the lower portion of the key, in which the guide pin works, is bushed with bushing cloth and is made to fit so closely that the key will not move laterally, yet not so tightly that the key will not work easily. Bm ,

15494-399: The wippen (14), which is connected to the L-shaped jack (17). The rising wippen and jack push on the hammer butt (8) near the pivot point of the hammer shank, causing the felt-covered hammer (21) to move toward and strike the string(s) (5). The hammer is normally held away from the string(s) by a spring near its pivot and the hammer butt. The mechanism to move the damper off the string(s) for

15621-535: Was 200 pounds (91 kg) lighter than a B-3. Although promoted by Hammond as a suitable replacement, musicians did not think it had a comparable sound. In 1979, a Japanese offshoot, Nihon Hammond, introduced the X-5, a portable solid-state clone of the B-3. Though transistor Hammonds were criticised for their sound, the company remained commercially successful. Many such models were sold to churches, funeral homes and private residences. Laurens Hammond died in 1973, and

15748-467: Was bulky enough to require several railway cars for its transportation, because the alternators had to be large enough to generate high voltage for a loud enough signal. The Hammond organ solved this problem by using an amplifier . Laurens Hammond graduated from Cornell University with a mechanical engineering degree in 1916. By the start of the 1920s, he had designed a spring-driven clock, which provided enough sales for him to start his own business,

15875-416: Was not well-regarded; Hipkins likened it to a Nuremburg clock. The first upright piano was built by Johann Schmidt in 1780, and improvements were made by various engineers and inventors in the early 1800s, including John Isaac Hawkins , but it was not accepted as a proper musical instrument until 1826, with the introduction of Robert Wornum 's upright piano action, which has continued with few changes to

16002-467: Was sold to CBS in 1965, and the following year, Hammond finally decided to officially support the Leslie speaker. The T-200 spinet, introduced in 1968, was the first Hammond to have an integrated Leslie speaker. Hammond finally purchased Leslie in 1980. Hammond-Suzuki acquired the rights to Leslie in 1992; the company currently markets a variety of speakers under this name. As well as faithful reissues of

16129-415: Was the only one of these three to actually construct an instrument. Alfred Dolge notes the first pianos were quite similar in construction to contemporary harpsichords , while incorporating key features of the clavichord , including the soundboard, metal strings, and percussive-string method of creating sounds. With the piano, a hammer strikes the string, whereas with a harpsichord, a mechanism plucks

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