“Minimalism” is sort of a generic working title. It’s very specifically and shamelessly Philip Glass Ensemble (circa late 70s / early 80s) style chord patterns. But I don’t want to call it “Philip Glass” for potential legal reasons.

Maybe I’ll call it something a little more clever like “MNMLSM” or “Half Full” or “Fill Up Glass” ok stop me before it’s too late… if anyone has any title suggestions, send ‘em my way!

This disc is intended to be more versatile than simply for churning out fake Glass riffs. Set at a slower speed, it can be used in a more ambient way, and I’ve specifically worked out the voicings and special effects tabs to allow for good sounding extended chords when you press more than one button (ie, Cmaj + Emin = Cmaj7). Also, the rhythms are varied enough that you can get some cool polyrhythmic effects, etc. At this point, the keyboard sound is going to be a solo female voice, singing vowels from the various solfege syllables.

The Optigan is a vintage sample playback keyboard that uses optical discs to generate sound.

The Yamaha Electone D-85 is the source of sounds in the fourth volume of the Vintage Keyboard Collection.

Description:

The D-85 was released in 1980 and designed as an home organ a grandmas organ, for the “loaded” grandmas though, cause the price tag was around $10000. The D-85 is completely analog and uses a technique called PASS (Pulse Analog Synthesis System) developed for the legendary Electone GX-1. The sound of the D-85 is rich warm big and very much analog synth and not typical organ.

The Gothic choir sounds of the D-85 is superb and “Kraftwerk” type of sounding. The strings and pads are so rich and warm, you gonna love them!

The built in drum machine has a clearer, more thin sound than, for example, the Ace Tone/Roland and the programing are a bit more progressive and odd. All grooves has been sampled in low tempo and with different mixes so you have hihats, cymbals separated from kick snare etc.

All grooves and fills comes in both A, B and Mixed versions.

The D-85 SampleSet contains 511 24bit mono WAV samples of the instruments and 208 24bit mono WAV grooves. 208 Rx2 files for use in any Rx2 compatible software like Stylus RMX, Reason, Cubase etc. 52 programs for Logic EXS24 67 programs for HALion 1.1 and all versions above 71 programs for NI Kontakt 1 and all versions above 28 programs for SoundFont (16bit) compatible with all samplers supporting the Sf2 format like the free SFZ, Cakewalk Dimension Pro, Reason NN-XT and more. All formats are included when you buy the SampleSet.

This is a demo of the Dr. Böhm Hobbyton – a DIY Stylophone.

via retrosound72:

Dr. Böhm is a German organ factory.

The Hobbyton is a good dubreq stylophone clone with a different square wave sound and vibrato from the late 70s.

Sorry of the bad sound quality of my little web cam

more info: http://www.retrosound.de and http://www.myspace.com/retrosound72

In this effectology video, Bill Rupert demonstrates the sound of an electric guitar processed to imitate a Hammond B-3 Organ.

via Effectology:

Welcome to Electro-Harmonix’s “Effectology” series, in which we play a remarkable collection of sounds all with just a regular guitar and EHX effect pedals!

No keyboards,samplers or midi pickup’s were used.

In today’s episode Bill Ruppert transforms his electric guitar into a classic Hammond B-3 organ (pedals used: HOG and Soul Preacher).

For more details on pedals and actual settings heard in this video, please visit:: http://www.ehx.com/forums/viewthread/1387/

This may be the coolest DIY MIDI controller yet.

Markus Berger built this life-size MIDI organ controller for Native Instruments B4 virtual instrument:

The goal of this project was to build a MIDI Organ Controller to play and control the Native Instruments B4 (II) virtual organ software. Just like the software this project attempts to replicate the ‘real thing’—the classic Hammond B3—as much as possible. All of the software’s functionality known from the original instrument can be controlled from this controller. There is no need to take a look at the computer display or to control the software with the mouse or computer keyboard at any time.

At Instructables, Bigev has published an article that looks at DIY electronic organ repair. Repairing a broken tremolo, sticky keys and dirty contacts are covered.

This could be useful info if you’re including a vintage organ keyboard into your music.

Sunday Synth Jam: This video captures a Vangelis-style improvisation on organ and synthesizer.

Used: Yamaha HS7, Roland D70, Computer with VST: Hypersonic2, Nexus,The Grand.

via Avigoorn:

Go to http://www.arnaudvanbeek.nl/ for more information.

The Stalacpipe Organ is pretty amazing, as long as you don’t mind somebody taking a circular sander to million-year-old geological formations in order to make a tourist attraction.

Located in the Cathedral of Luray Caverns, located in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, is The Great Stalacpipe Organ, the world’s largest musical instrument.

Details below.

Official Description:

Stalactites covering 3 1/2 acres of the surrounding caverns produce tones of symphonic quality when electronically tapped by rubber-tipped mallets. This one-of-a-kind instrument was conceived by Mr. Leland W. Sprinkle of Springfield, Virginia, a mathematician and electronics scientist at the Pentagon.

After visiting the caverns with his son and experiencing the organ-like sounds of a stalactite being tapped, Mr. Sprinkle submitted a complex plan for a stalactite-tapping instrument. It took 36 years of frustrating research, design and experimentation to bring his dream to its present state of perfection. Three years alone were spent searching the vast chambers of the caverns to select and carefully sand stalactites to precisely match the musical scale. Only two stalactites were found to be in tune naturally.

Located in the Cathedral is the Great Stalacpipe Organ, the world’s largest musical instrument. Stalactites covering 3 1/2 acres of the surrounding caverns produce tones of symphonic quality when electronically tapped by rubber-tipped mallets. This one-of-a-kind instrument was conceived by Mr. Leland W. Sprinkle of Springfield, Virginia, a mathematician and electronics scientist at the Pentagon.

After visiting the caverns with his son and experiencing the organ-like sounds of a stalactite being tapped, Mr. Sprinkle submitted a complex plan for a stalactite-tapping instrument. It took 36 years of frustrating research, design and experimentation to bring his dream to its present state of perfection. Three years alone were spent searching the vast chambers of the caverns to select and carefully sand stalactites to precisely match the musical scale. Only two stalactites were found to be in tune naturally.

The four-keyboard console of The Great Stalacpipe Organ was constructed by the Klann Organ Supply Company of Waynesboro, Virginia, to meet the peculiar needs of this subterranean installation. Then the organ was connected to various stalactites with over five miles of wiring.

Today, the organ plays a variety of songs, many chosen for their range and deep, resonate tones. Visitors stand enthralled as haunting melody and chords reverberate throught the vaulted ceilings. The songs, which are played by an automated system, change seasonally. The organ can also be played manually from the console, as Leland Sprinkle did for many years.

2009 Summer NAMM Show: This is an overview and demo of the Nord C2 Combo Organ. 

via SweetwaterSound:

Nord’s C2 takes the electronic organ to a new level of sound quality, playability, and expression. This dual-manual combo organ features Nord’s fantastic tonewheel organ, Vox, and Farfisa models.

Plus, Nord added an incredible baroque pipe organ to the C2, using their well-known sampling technologies for first-class sound. To enhance playability, the Nord C2’s keyboard has a firmer action, so you’ll get that solid feel of an original tonewheel organ.

Take three vintage organs and a baroque pipe organ anywhere, with the Nord C2 dual manual combo organ.

Every Sunday, we bring you a sweet Sunday Synth Jam or two.  This week we’ve got a classic synth jam from Keith Emerson.

OK – this is as much of an organ jam as a synth jam, but when you hear Emerson, Lake and Palmer wail on Knife Edge, there will be no quibbles about that sort of thing.

Keith Emerson jams on organ, wails on the synth, engages in onanistic pantomime with a ribbon controller, makes strange electronic mating noises with a spring reverb and then finishes the thing off by playing the organ again, backwards.

Whew!

via iga0125:

from “Emerson, Lake and Palmer”(1970)- Keith Emerson / keyboards – Greg Lake / vocals, bass, electric & acoustic guitar – Carl Palmer / drums, percussion

Organist Robert Ridgell shows just how funky Episcopalians can be, with a tribute to Michael Jackson in the postlude for the service from June 28th at Trinity Wall Street Church, Broadway, New York.

Beat It and ABC come together seamlessly in a earth-shaking performance.

via alloam

This video demonstrates what a Clavia Nord Electro 2 sounds like when you’re wasted.

via realsakul:

Well, it’s late, I’m wasted!

Nevertheless: Here are some sounds of the Nord Electro 2!!!

Good night!(actually it’s funny, that it’s daylight, wenn you guys over sea read this here, while it’s the middle of the night here in Germany ^^ )

This video for Johann Sebastian Bach’s Toccata & Fugue In D Minor has nary a synth in site, but captures gloriously the majesty possible with keyboards before synths.

via japaq13

Transgendered organist & synthesist Miss Denise Hewitt performs the opening theme from Richard Strauss’s Also Sprach Zarathustra on a modern Technics PR903 Digital Piano, in 1980’s Poly Synthesiser Mode, coupled with electronic organs.

via MissDeniseHewitt:

Also Sprach Zarathustra (Opening Theme) – Composed by Richard Strauss – 1896 – Opus 30 – is one of his famous tone poems, which was inspired by the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. This theme is best known for its dramatic use in the opening credits of Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 visionary film – 2001 – A Space Odyssey – based itself on the science fiction novel written by Arthur C Clarke. In the context of the Kubrick Film, the title is often translated as Thus Spake Zarathustra, or even Thus Spoke Zarathustra!

Photo in the opening and closing credits courtesy of the Hubble Telescope – NASA/ESA.

The opening theme from Also Sprach Zarathustra is performed by transgendered musician – Miss Denise Hewitt -

Here’s another nice video from SOS from Frankfurt Musikmesse 2009, this time looking at the Nord C2 Combo Organ.

Features:

• 36 classical organ tones onboard, plus 8 organ bass tones, 4 harpsichord tones, fortepiano, celesta, and more
• Built-in speaker system with two full range speakers, two tweeters, and two satellites
• Built-in song recorder allows you to record and play back your musical performances
• Portable and attractive; user-installable decorative panels (OP-C30DP01 / 02: optional)

If you’ve used the Roland C-230, leave a comment with your thoughts!

Classic Sounds

The C-230 contains a treasury of sound from some of the world’s most coveted and rare classical instruments from the Rodgers/Roland library. Included in the built-in sound bank is a world’s first — the original fortepiano, which was analyzed and digitally captured by Roland’s sound-design team. Also onboard the C-230: 36 classical organ tones, plus eight organ bass tones, four harpsichord tones, 2 fortepiano, celesta, and more.

Ambience

The C-230 is equipped with a 4-channel digital amplifier and an ambience engine for a rich, spatial sound. The detachable satellite speakers can be placed on the backside using the provided installation kit or separately installed from the instrument by using the provided cable (i.e. on a nearby wall or shelf). Combined with RSS technology, the satellites project a deep spatial image, as if actual organ pipes are surrounding the room.

Easy Operation

The C-230 has been refined to make sound selection and tone customizing fast and easy. Dedicated switches are provided for Pitch and Temperament, with accompanying LEDs for easy selection even under dim lighting. There are also dedicated front-panel switches for jumping the 8 Organ Basses and 36 Classic Organ tones onboard, plus Tone switches for jumping from instrument to instrument in the sound bank.

Portability

The C-230 is  designed to be portable and easy to move — great for traveling musicians, music schools, and churches. Simply unplug and carry the C-230 from room to room, venue to venue.

Private Practice

The C-230 can be connected to an external amplifier or PA system for high-volume performances or used with headphones for private practice. Music students will appreciate the ability to play day or night without disturbing their surrounding environment.

Musikmesse 2009: Arturia released an update to its Origin synthesizer.

Version 1.1, to be released in June 2009, includes:

• New B3 ToneWheel Oscillator:
  • Combined with the Leslie Effect, the ToneWheel allows the addition of famous
    vintage organ sounds, opening Origin to this sonic universe.
  • In conjunction with other Origin modules and effects, the B3 ToneWheel is a great
    oscillator adding new sound design possibilities to explore.
• New Leslie Effect: The Leslie can be used on the ToneWheel to give the classic
  Hammond organ sound, but it is also very interesting in other contexts, notably
  when used on an audio input (such as a guitar).
• New CS-80 envelope: This envelope is modeled after the particular envelope set on
  the filter of the CS-80.
• New Effects: Bit Crusher, Compressor, Equalizer, Ring Mod, Parametric EQ.
• New Midi possibilities:
  • Origin to be used as a MIDI controller
  • Origin to be automated via Sysex.
• Sequencer improvements
  • Better GUI
  • New performance mode.
• Keyboard Module improvements.
• GUI Improvements: Parameter values are now fully displayed.

Musikmesse 2009: At the 2009 Musikmesse in Frankfurt, Nord will be previewing the new Nord C2 Combo Organ. This is a direct descendant of the C1, with the addition of many exciting features.

Updated features include new keyboard action, monitor input, controls moved to “classic” positions, enhanced click and drawbar preview.

Nord will also present two new accessories at the Musikmesse: the new aluminum stand for the C2 and a bass pedal keyboard – the Pedal Key 27.

Details below. If you’ve used the Nord C2 Combo Organ, leave a comment with your thoughts!

Description:

The sound of the C1 with its faithful tonewheel organ, Vox* and Farfisa* models has been augmented with a beautiful baroque pipe organ. This makes the C2 even more versatile, providing not only rock organ players a new palette of sounds, but also makes the C2 a great instrument to use in churches, concert and congregation halls or any other venue where a high quality pipe organ instrument is paramount. It is also a fantastic solution to the pipe organ player who needs a portable dual manual practice instrument that can be equipped with a large pedal board (extra accessory).

New features in the Nord C2:

• Pipe Organ: The Nord C2 is equipped with a beautiful baroque pipe organ that compliments its tonewheel and transistor organs. This new organ has a total of 21 stops distributed across the Swell (9 stops) manual, the Great (9 stops) manual and the bass section (3 stops). The pipe organ is – contrary to the C2’s tonewheel, Vox and Farfisa models – sampled, using Clavia’s longtime experience and expertise in the sample acquisition and sample playback technologies.
• New keyboard action: The keyboard have been enhanced with a firmer action to better provide you with the rock solid feel of an original tonewheel instrument. The ultra fast response time is of course still there.
• Improved output routing capabilities: The C2 treats the main left and right outputs as one group, separated from the other group which consist of the Leslie 11-pin and High Level outputs. This provides an improved flexibility in the routing of the organ models. A tonewheel organ can e.g. always be routed to a rotary speaker connected at the 11-pin or High Level jack output and the pipe organ can be routed to the PA through the main outputs. Another scenario would be for the Vox* and Farfisa* to be routed to a combo amplifier via one of the main outputs, and the tonewheel organ to a rotary speaker connected at the High Level outputs. Other combinations of the organ models and outputs are also catered for.
• Monitor input: Just plug in your mp3 or CD player to the C2 to be able to play along, rehearse or jam with previously recorded music without the need of an external mixer or sound system. The signal that is present at this input will be monitored through the C2’s headphone output.
• Percussion controls moved to the “classic position”: The switches for the percussion controls on the panel have been moved, to the classic tone wheel organ position at the lower right.
• Vibrato and chorus controls moved to the “classic position”: The switches for the vibrato and chorus controls on the panel have been moved, to the classic tonewheel organ upper left position. When the pipe organ is used, these controls activate the tremulant effect.
• Enhanced click: The click level can now be adjusted. The essential click artifact in the tonewheel organ model has been further enhanced. The level can be adjusted and the key-release component of this click has been specifically modeled to further improve the authenticity of the tonewheel organ sound.
• Drawbar Preview: This new function allows you to dial in a new sound while still playing without any changes being heard. When you are ready, the new setting can be instantly activated.

New Accessories

• Pedal Keys 27: This MIDI pedalboard has 27 keys and an integrated Swell pedal, with a sturdy chassis of aluminum. The long keys have a wooden finish and a length of 350 mms, to facilitate the use of a proper toe-heel technique when playing. It is very portable weighing in at only 15.5 kg, 34 lbs. Just connect it to the C2’s Bass Pedal MIDI Input and you are ready to perform. Not included with the C2, available as an extra accessory.
• Aluminum stand: The C2 can be used with a new stand, a very sturdy but lightweight stand made of aluminum. This stand is specifically designed to make room for a large set of pedals underneath the organ. Not included with the C2, available as an extra accessory.

Nord Digital Modeling

The classical sounds of the tonewheel, Vox* Continental and Farfisa* Compact Deluxe are all carefully modeled from their originals. The C2 also features Nord’s famous tube style overdrive, rotating speaker simulation, delay, reverb and 3-band EQ effects. It will tailor sounds for your body, mind and soul. The original mechanical tonewheel design as well as the Vox* and Farfisa* transistor designs result in diverse interactions between the different parts involved in the sound generating process. Modern sampling technology is able to play back the result of these interactions, but cannot duplicate the dynamic and random processes involved. Without these crucial steps represented, the response and feel of actually playing the instrument is inevitably lost. The solution is a real-time, DSP-based model describing the construction and interaction between each part of the tonewheel and transistor designs recreated faithfully.

No two manual organ would be complete without the ability to play bass notes on a pedal board. The Nord C2 includes two additional bass register drawbars with selectable timbre from either vintage tonewheels or a synth bass. The bass can be controlled with any MIDI-enabled bass pedal board, or by splitting the lower manual.

…COMBINED WITH SAMPLING TECHNOLOGY

The baroque pipe organ presents another challenge which we have addressed using our longtime experience and expertise in the sample acquisition and sample playback technologies, combined with digital signal processing. The wonderful sound of the flue and the reed pipes have been captured using state-of-the-art equipment. The pipe organ has 21 stops in total, distributed as 9 stops for each of the two manuals – called the Swell and the Great manuals – and 3 stops for the pedal section.

The C2 stops and couplers behave just as their real-world counterparts, the 7 couplers allow you to combine stops and manuals in a very effective way. This is necessary to be able to perform the typical organ music in various genres. The couplers make it possible to e.g. play the swell manual stops, on the great manual, or to add a bass stop to the lowest key on the great manual and many other combinations.

The C2 has a swell functionality that can be controlled with a foot pedal (extra accessory). This allows you to use the pedal to close the swell box with the decrease in both volume and frequency content that results in that great sonorous and modest character of the pipe organ sound. The tremulant functionality reproduces the tremolo/vibrato effect from the original instrument.

This is a rendition of Jarre’s Oxygene played entirely on a cheap Casio toy organ (except percussion and sound effects).

Why?

“Just to see if it was possible to get a minimally recognizable result, and to show that you don’t need lots of expensive keyboards to have fun playing classic synth stuff.”

All lines were played by hand with no sequencer and no MIDI, just a multitrack recorder. Some parts were just ad-libbed or deliberately changed to sound better with the (very) limited range of available sounds, but you’ll get a general idea of arrangements and overall mood.

Not bad for a $20 casio toy!

Let me know what you think of covering Jean Michelle Jarre’s Oxygene on a cheap Casio toy!

via cmatsuoka

OK – who’s got the best caption for this? The best I could come up with was “Two Girls, One Organ”.

I know you can do better than that!

Bonus points if you can identify the vintage organ!

Lush.i.ous, via the Synthtopia Flickr Pool