Farfisa Slalom

[Squids]

As I said, the samples and softsynths are still incredible tools for doing more things, convenient things, recall, new things... but, the magic of the real instruments still beat out the emulation aspect is all. Even just the experience playing it as well. The look, feel and smell of a real B3 and the inspiration of hearing a real Leslie whip sound around the room... it's awesome. But, yeah, it's heavy and impractical for live gigs (unless you have a nice budget and some roadies), it's loud and has to be miked so you can't use it anytime you want and need some isolation such as what a studio would provide etc. But, they're great! As for changing your idea later and having to re-record it... well, sometimes you have to know what you want first and this is also another thing samples are great for. You can experiment and try out different arrangements and then decide if you want to go record it with the original instruments or orchestras later if you have that opportunity budget-wise.

[Mr. Tunes]

well i think we can all agree that when people talk against using real vintage instruments they do so out of jealousy(like in my last post ) . i remember the time when i first got to play a rhodes. the clouds in the sky parted and a beam of sun came down on me! my old roomate had one collecting dust in the garage. i never recorded it cause i was too lazy to take it to my room two flights of stairs and also a few keys were broken. besides, i had the SS1 Chorus Rhodes patch anyways. now i'm using Suitcase 88 from version 2

[kpr]

The effect of the Farfisa Slalom Pedal was a Pitch up for one octave, rather nice for a 70ies organ with a Farfisa sound, seriously. You can do this, but better, with today´s Synths too when modulating the Pitch with the Mod Wheel and setting the Mod Amount to 100%, this makes the Pitch going up to elsewhere.

Something like this Jimmy Smith did on a Michael Jackson tune, it´s mentioned on MJ´s HIS album as Jimmy´s Hammond B3 Midi Organ Solo.

[dougsyo]

I need to get a B3 again.

If you're budget-shopping, consider a C-3 (church case B-3) or A-100.

organs are for people who just beg for hernias

Tell me 'bout it. My A-105 (C-3 church case + A-100 series internal speakers and reverb) weighs 450 lbs, although the bench and pedalboard detach. It takes three people to move it.

It takes four to move a B-3 up a flight of stairs That's why I like B-4, samples, and I admit I've got my eye on an XK-3 some day (although I had a Korg CX-3 and sold it after six months, so I dunno that I'd actually keep an XK-3 if I got one).

Doug

[Squids]

We were going to put a rug underneath my grand piano. So, I went over to just lift it a little and... didn't move an inch! The old CP70 was also incredibly heavy and even an RMI Electic Piano was too. That one you could use samples of and not miss much.

[dougsyo]

I need to get a B3 again.

If you're budget-shopping, consider a C-3 (church case B-3) or A-100.

organs are for people who just beg for hernias

Speaking of which, saw this over in Instruments: the guy doing the Novachord restoration has it finished and working! Probably one of the few in the world, it looks/sounds BEAUTIFUL! http://www.discretesynthesizers.com/Nova/intro.htm

Doug, who's not been in this much gear lust since he got his Hammond A-105 ...

[BERFAB]

Gosh, this thread is bringing back the memories. You guys are talking about that lever that you pushed with your knee, right? Or is this that little metal switch on the side of the volume pedal? Whew I'm going back to 1974 here,,,

I believe the knee lever is just a tone booster, not a pitch or mod controller. I have a Farfisa Combo Compact that I've hung on to since 1975. "Compact" of course, is a very relative term. Thing must weigh 100 lbs. fully packed.

Another interesting feature of the Farfisa was the sound of the tonewheels shutting down if you held a note or two while turning it off. It would spiral higher and higher until it ultimately fizzled out. We were constantly trying to figure out a great way to use this effect in a song. Twenty years later Smashmouth nails it in the middle of "Walking on the Sun." Go figure.