Tony
2004-05-20 01:49:43 UTC
I did an experiment today with my B3. As I have posted before I have a
Speakeasy stereo rack that I like very, very much. (in fact, I love it) It
greatly improves the Korg and adds some warmth to my EVB3. Great for the
digital clone, IMHO.
With real analog Hammonds, it always comes up in various forums of "hey,
keep the tube preamp" - "rebuild it!"
Bla bla bla -and I have posted before that this is the biggest *myth*
pervading the groups - in my opinion. (better warmness of the old tube amp)
It is a shame this pervades. Purists: bless you, do what you want.
Well, I spent about a couple of hours with this today. The SE is based on
the back end of the AO-28 and should sound as good or better (being new) as
the vintage tube.
First I ran the Hammond using the Trek directly to the Leslie 122 - played
in all kinds of ranges - held chords - did runs - spazzed out on jazz
lines - you name it THEN I quickly hooked up my line-out to my Speakeasy
rack. This wasn't easy because I have a heavy rack case in my studio on top
of my 122 and rolled it out to the B3 (in another room) and screwed up my
carpet that I had to fix and retape a seam.
Then I tried the B3 through the Speakeasy, at first I thought,. "oh the
vibrato sounds better." Went back to the Trek direct to Leslie - and it
sounded exactly the same. In fact, it sounded amazingly the same. Back and
forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, then I thought, "oh
the full organ sounds better and less harsh with the SE." THIS I did about 6
or 7 times and I COULD NOT, I-swear-to-God, hear any difference with matched
bass and treble settings.
I got concerned about heating up my start motor by starting the organ so
many times so I let it rest a while. I turned it off as I changed the chord,
pulling out the Leslie chord and pushing in a guitar chord to the line-out
to SE.
I went back again, THIS time I turned on my Barker on the SE. NOW with a
stronger signal it sounded more like an old vintage AO-28 that needed some
service with a slight grind. Sounded like an old funky, slightly crackling,
slightly distorted B3. I think that is the big misunderstanding with the
different perceptions of the original tube preamp to Trek's. As Bob
Schliecher elegantly posted here, the Trek will sound like a *new* AO-28.
This is not popular to say or believed in the forums - but absolutely true,
IMHO
People have heard so many recordings of Hammonds that need service with bad
caps and worn out preamps needing service that they are after a certain
'vintage' dirty sound.
As BS posted some time ago here, "Hammond owners don't know how the
instrument would sound with it's original, unaged new preamp" <paraphrased>
One would not get this, obviously, dirty, sound with a hypothetical new B3,
stock setup, with a *new* AO-28 unless they had a select, self styled,
speaker, Leslie system or had it set up to be overdriven- compared to an
older AO-28 - it seems to me. When this was posted here, it was unbelievably
tersely accurate, IMO.
In other words, the SE being new, sounds as close as a new off the floor,
if possible, AO-28 from the line out, in my opinion, since it is totally
based on the back-end of the AO-28. The Trek also sounds like a **new**
AO-28 (used with analog Hammond)
Trek=*new* original tube= SE classic<--being normally driven. (with analog
organ)
I honestly thought I was going to hear better warmth and improvement *by a
tiny bit* with the SE, but I didn't.
This is also a very cool option if you have a SS Trek in your organ: You can
use the clean like new AO-28 sound inherent in the Trek- or line it out with
a SE for it to sound like a dirty, old AO-28 with a boosted signal. Use the
SS tone controls to control the SE tone along with it's native controls. As
far as general warmth and quality, IMO, there is no difference in *my* gear.
Tried my damnest to hear it.
Tony
Speakeasy stereo rack that I like very, very much. (in fact, I love it) It
greatly improves the Korg and adds some warmth to my EVB3. Great for the
digital clone, IMHO.
With real analog Hammonds, it always comes up in various forums of "hey,
keep the tube preamp" - "rebuild it!"
Bla bla bla -and I have posted before that this is the biggest *myth*
pervading the groups - in my opinion. (better warmness of the old tube amp)
It is a shame this pervades. Purists: bless you, do what you want.
Well, I spent about a couple of hours with this today. The SE is based on
the back end of the AO-28 and should sound as good or better (being new) as
the vintage tube.
First I ran the Hammond using the Trek directly to the Leslie 122 - played
in all kinds of ranges - held chords - did runs - spazzed out on jazz
lines - you name it THEN I quickly hooked up my line-out to my Speakeasy
rack. This wasn't easy because I have a heavy rack case in my studio on top
of my 122 and rolled it out to the B3 (in another room) and screwed up my
carpet that I had to fix and retape a seam.
Then I tried the B3 through the Speakeasy, at first I thought,. "oh the
vibrato sounds better." Went back to the Trek direct to Leslie - and it
sounded exactly the same. In fact, it sounded amazingly the same. Back and
forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, then I thought, "oh
the full organ sounds better and less harsh with the SE." THIS I did about 6
or 7 times and I COULD NOT, I-swear-to-God, hear any difference with matched
bass and treble settings.
I got concerned about heating up my start motor by starting the organ so
many times so I let it rest a while. I turned it off as I changed the chord,
pulling out the Leslie chord and pushing in a guitar chord to the line-out
to SE.
I went back again, THIS time I turned on my Barker on the SE. NOW with a
stronger signal it sounded more like an old vintage AO-28 that needed some
service with a slight grind. Sounded like an old funky, slightly crackling,
slightly distorted B3. I think that is the big misunderstanding with the
different perceptions of the original tube preamp to Trek's. As Bob
Schliecher elegantly posted here, the Trek will sound like a *new* AO-28.
This is not popular to say or believed in the forums - but absolutely true,
IMHO
People have heard so many recordings of Hammonds that need service with bad
caps and worn out preamps needing service that they are after a certain
'vintage' dirty sound.
As BS posted some time ago here, "Hammond owners don't know how the
instrument would sound with it's original, unaged new preamp" <paraphrased>
One would not get this, obviously, dirty, sound with a hypothetical new B3,
stock setup, with a *new* AO-28 unless they had a select, self styled,
speaker, Leslie system or had it set up to be overdriven- compared to an
older AO-28 - it seems to me. When this was posted here, it was unbelievably
tersely accurate, IMO.
In other words, the SE being new, sounds as close as a new off the floor,
if possible, AO-28 from the line out, in my opinion, since it is totally
based on the back-end of the AO-28. The Trek also sounds like a **new**
AO-28 (used with analog Hammond)
Trek=*new* original tube= SE classic<--being normally driven. (with analog
organ)
I honestly thought I was going to hear better warmth and improvement *by a
tiny bit* with the SE, but I didn't.
This is also a very cool option if you have a SS Trek in your organ: You can
use the clean like new AO-28 sound inherent in the Trek- or line it out with
a SE for it to sound like a dirty, old AO-28 with a boosted signal. Use the
SS tone controls to control the SE tone along with it's native controls. As
far as general warmth and quality, IMO, there is no difference in *my* gear.
Tried my damnest to hear it.
Tony