@@ -1,20 +1,29 @@ Yes, it's true. Classical organists who are used to playing on pipe organs generally hate the Hammonds. Why? Well here are ten reasons (in no particular order)~:
-# Most Hammonds have the unique preset keys or theatre organ-like tab stops. To a classical organist, the preset keys are an unatural
abomination.
- The
tab stops are not far behind. Pipe organs stops have big round knobs to push and pull.
+# Most Hammonds have the unique preset keys or theatre organ-like flip
tab stops. To a classical organist, the preset keys are an unnatural
abomination and the flip
tab stops are not far behind. Pipe organs stops have big round knobs to push and pull.
# Hammonds have drawbars to mix the organs harmonics together.
Pipe organs have ranks of pipes of different sizes, shapes, materials, etc. each with it's own tone.
- A Hammond has nine sets of sounds that, to a pipe organist, sound like flute pipes.
+ A Hammond has nine sets of sounds that, to a pipe organist, sound like boring
flute pipes. While it is possible to get a fair imitation of a single type of pipe voice, it is difficult to impossible to imitate multiple ranks of pipes. Reed voices, especially are unsatisfactory on a Hammond
.
# Most Hammonds have WaterfallKeys stepped above each other like stairs.
Pipe organs have DivingBoardKeys that overhang each other.
A classical organist sometimes needs to play with a thumb playing one manual and the other fingers on the same hand playing another.
-# The expression pedal on a Hammond changes the volume of both manuals and the pedals
.
- On a pipe organ, the pedal pipes are almost never inside a swell chamber, they're too big!
- To control the volume of the pedal pipes, the organist can only close off pedal
stops until it's quiet enough
.
- The [Swell] manual is the only manual whose volume should change with the __Swell__ pedal.
+# The expression pedal on a Hammond changes the volume of both manuals and the pedal clavier
.
+ On a pipe organ, [Swell] refers to pipes enclosed in a chamber with shutters that are opened and closed with the Swell pedal. These pipes are assigned to the Swell manual (of course...). The [Great] pipes and
the pedal pipes are almost never inside a swell chamber. The [Swell] manual is the "only" manual whose volume should change with the __Swell__ pedal.
+ To control the volume of the Great and
pedal pipes, the organist can only close or open
stops until the volume and tonal quality are correct
.
+ The [Swell] manual is the only manual whose volume should change with the __Swell__ pedal. Certain Hammonds directed specifically at Classical organists (Model E, Grand 100) did split the manuals into two expression circuits
.
-# The attack on a Hammond is much too fast. Laurens
Hammond tried his darndest
to hid
the KeyClick.
+# The attack on a Hammond is much too fast. Hammond engineers
tried all sorts of manual tapering, busbar greasing, speaker fiddling, amplifier filtering, etc.
to hide
the KeyClick.
Organ pipes lag a hair behind the keypress as the valve under the opens and air flows into the mouth. The bigger the pipe, the slower the attack.
+
+# The Hammond is too "pure". Pipes in a organ, not matter how carefully tuned do not stay tuned to each other for long. The position of the pipes in the building, temperature changes and humidity changes can all affect pipe tuning. Subtle differences in pipe tuning give the organ a rich complex tone. The synchronous motor, gears and tonewheels "lock" the Hammond in tune. Hammond tried to imitate this effect first with tremolo and then with the chorus generator and the scanner vibrato.
+
+# The flat 25-pedal clavier was too limiting. Classical organs have 32 radial arc pedals that are far easier to play. The greater number of pedals and the radial arc make two-footed pedal solos and pedal chords possible.
+
+# Weak (and I do mean WEAK) pedal voices. Hammond never gave the pedal clavier it's proper importance. Besides the 25-pedal clavier, the pedal voices are far too limiting on the most popular Hammonds. There are, for instance, no 32' tones available except on certain models that were synthesized with tube oscillators.
+
+# The harmonics are all wrong... Now, try to remain calm, it's true. Hammonds use harmonics from the equal tempered scale but these (while close) are not the same frequencies as the natural harmonics. Stike a key on the piano, the fundamental is tuned to the tempered scale (let's not bring spread tuning into this) but the natural harmonics of vibrating strings are not equal tempered. Case in point; the 7th harmonic is included in very few Hammond models because the equal tempered equivalent on the tone generator to the 7th harmonic is way off pitch. Models with the 7th either put up with the error or had another tone generator to provide a true 7th.
+
+# The keybed (action) is all wrong... Again, try to remain calm, this is also true. While the Hammond does feel a lot like an electric action pipe organ, a real honest-to-god ''tracker'' pipe organ couples the key manuals directly and mechanically to the valves under the pipes. When you press a key, you can actually feel a tactile ''pluck'' as the valve is opened against the wind pressure and then suddenly releases as the air rushes into the pipe. Rodgers Organ Company and other electronic imitators of pipe organs used to offer an optional ''tracker touch'' with a little magnet under each key. When the key was pressed, the magnet was pulled away from a steel rail that added just a touch of heaviness to the spring tension. After about 4mm of travel, the magnet would suddenly break it's attraction to the steel and the key released against only the spring tension to the keybed. Trust me (JimCook), it was a very cool feeling keyboard even when playing non-classical styles.
