The
following series describes the typical Hammond Organ, such as the model B3,
C3 in some detail. I have been asked numerous times what happens inside these
instruments to make them function. Why do they never go out of tune? How do
they make so many different sounds? These are just two of many questions that
I've heard, and in this article, we'll show you exactly what is behind the
scenes in a typical Hammond tone-wheel organ, the instrument which really
defined the term "electronic organ."
This series has now begun on this website,
more will be added on a regular basis as time permits. We hope that you
will find it useful. Although newer electronic organs and modern keyboards
use a different technology, this is what got the whole industry started,
and there are still many thousands of these Hammond organs around. Probably
there's one in your own home! We hope you will find this both interesting
and useful.
Please note that the
many sound clips and animated diagrams in this presentation make use of
Flash. In order to view and listen to everything correctly, you will need to have FlashPlayer
version 6.0 or later installed in your computer. You should also have
InternetExplorer version 6.0 or later or an equivalent browser, If you
have a computer that is less than 5 years old, these options are most
likely already on your computer. This should also work on a Mac, but the
site was authored using a PC and coded primarily for IE 8.0. But it's also
been tested in Firefox and Google Chrome and works correctly there as well.
In addition, the site should also display accurately in IE 6. We are, as of
10 12 11, in the process of changing some of the pages over from tabular layout
to CSS layout. If you are very web-savvy, you will know the ultimate advantages
that CSS will bring. As we update the site pages, we are, where necessary
running two stylesheets per page; one specifically tailored to IE 6 in an
effort to make these pages look good and function properly in all the major
web browsers.
If you're not into the technicalities
of web design, let's just say we're improving the functionality and appearance of the web
pages and making it as cross-browser compatible as possible, and for your convenience, on the Hammond pages, the
navigation button array should remain in place while the rest of the page scrolls. If you have
a very old computer, using a really early or old browser, or are using a dialup Internet connection, portions
of this site will be extremely slow to load or may not function at all. You can begin this series
with a little music.
Click on any of the buttons in the players
to hear a Hammond used for different selections. This particular Hammond is
fitted with extra contacts that control MIDI sound modules for the addition
of piano, bell, chime and other instrumental effects making it a supremely
versatile custom instrument.
We hope you enjoy this and the many other sound clips on this website. If you listen to them all,
you'll actually find this website is a mini concert of sorts on a number of different electronic musical
instruments, from the early Wurlitzer 4600 to modern MIDI equipment.