The Organ Forum

Hello,

 Can anybody tell me if you can make a Hammond RT-3 sound like a classic organ by turning off the vibrato? Also, does it have MIDI? What about internal speakers? Thanks.
 

No. No. and No. 

Well, maybe thats a little harsh, how about:

Somewhat. No. and No.

 

 

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Nathan Wilcox

And now for an unabridged answer:

Make it sound like a classic organ? Why would you want to? You can get no more of a classical organ sound out of a Hammond RT3 than you can a grand piano sound out of a Fender Rhodes (although a Leslie helps it along a bit) . You can play both as their respective instruments, i.e. play an RT3 using classical organ method and play a fender using classical piano method. However, you must respect these instruments for the sounds they produce, and the aura of sonic beauty they emit.

MIDI? Let's see, the Hammond RT3 predates MIDI by about 25 years, so that's a no go. The topic of putting MIDI in a Hammond continues to cause riots all over the organ world. Yet the most feasable answer is most likely that it is so unfeasible as to be not worth it (and that's being really positive!).

There are no internal speakers in an RT3. If you got one with no tone cabinet, you'd have a 450 pound paper weight that made neat whirring sounds and drove up the electric bill. The Hammond D152 is basically an RT3 with internal speakers, if that's what your after.

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First they came for the ABC consoles, then they came for the older consoles. When they finally got to the spinets, they were all gone.

I think that one might be able to make them sound more realistic with some sort of volume swell. One with a controllable attack time. I wonder if anyone makes an autoswell that resets when the notepitch changes. It could probably also be done with a colorful reverb too, but then it will probably sound muddy.

Do yourself a favor and get an Allen. 

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Home: Hammond T-212, Rhodes Mk1 Suitcase 88, Moog Micromoog, Korg DW-6000

Away: Allen 301, Hammond E-311 + RT-2, Mason And Hamlin 802, Yamaha E-70 + DX21, WurliTzer

Gone: Baldwin 4, Allen Theatre DLX, Hammond J-412, Yamaha Motif 6, Roland D-50

I'll venture to say you can sort of get a few realistic sounds from a Hammond, but as noted they are very much a sound unique to themselves.

Depends on the accoustic of the space the organ is located in for one thing. Back in the 1930's or 40's they put a Hammond in a church in chicago with the speakers amongst the pipes of a large pipe organ and had organ students listen to see if they could tell them apart. For the most part they could not, thus Hammonds could claim to be "organs". I suspect that was largely because they were in a reverberant space and ANY sound in a reverberant space picks up characteristics that one associates with a real pipe organ.

For home use no a RT3 doesn't sound like a classic organ. I have one, and love it. I use it mostly for playing hymns, and have a Leslie hooked up to it. I think it makes a fine practice instrument and if you like the Hammond type of sound you'll love a RT3.

I myself really like the key action of a Hammond.

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www.nycfarmboy.com
www.reuter822.com

IMHO, when you turn off the vibrato sans a Leslie on any Hammond, you have the poorest of excuses for a classic organ sound.  To me, they are so percussive, metallic sounding, and even piercing sounds with the upper pitched drawbars that I have grown to find them unmusical. Yes, they can make some sounds that are tough on one's hearing.  I have heard some awful sounds come from many inept so called organists trying to play a Hammond in church.  I have had a love/hate relationship with Hammond.  I played them for years at home and in churches before Leslies were used with them.  I grew tired of them to be honest, and found that many other organs had more to offer as well as sound pleasing to the ears.  I think one thing way back when they were so popular  that made many sales was the nameplate Hammond as well as the fact they did not need a service technician very often.

 When I played in churches I used V1 mostly, then C1 for a bit of variety on the hymns, and even V2 in some cases.  Albeit Hammond has served the known world in many areas, and even in some where it was out of place.  One church I played in could have selected a better electronic organ for their type of worship.

When playing gospel music, the V2 worked best, and Hammond seemed to fit that mode of worship better.  It depended on the type of denomination that I played for regarding the use of vibrato.  Certain denominations expected a certain sound from their Hammond organ, and to be honest it seems some kind of vibrato had to be used in order for them to be tolerable.

Ok, thank you all for responding...I guess I will not be purchasing this organ!

Out of curiosity, what was the asking price?

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Home: Hammond T-212, Rhodes Mk1 Suitcase 88, Moog Micromoog, Korg DW-6000

Away: Allen 301, Hammond E-311 + RT-2, Mason And Hamlin 802, Yamaha E-70 + DX21, WurliTzer

Gone: Baldwin 4, Allen Theatre DLX, Hammond J-412, Yamaha Motif 6, Roland D-50

keep in mind: Hammond's are built like tanks. Most of that RT3 will be functional for ions. My much newer Allen digital organ is half fried (a board went out of it) and is only somewhat playable. My RT3 still plays great except for the tube pedal stops which don't work so hot...the drawbar pedal stops work just fine.

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www.nycfarmboy.com
www.reuter822.com

Hey John, do you think the 50Hz input might have had anything to with the problems you are having with your Allen?

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Home: Hammond T-212, Rhodes Mk1 Suitcase 88, Moog Micromoog, Korg DW-6000

Away: Allen 301, Hammond E-311 + RT-2, Mason And Hamlin 802, Yamaha E-70 + DX21, WurliTzer

Gone: Baldwin 4, Allen Theatre DLX, Hammond J-412, Yamaha Motif 6, Roland D-50

nah it didn't work when I had it in the states either. It's still an amazing organ even without those extra pedal stops.

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www.nycfarmboy.com
www.reuter822.com

OH MY GOSH!!!!! YOU SHOULD HAVE GOTTIN THE RT3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just got one and fell in love with it!!!!!!!!! I am not a Hammond organ person as I play the pipe organ at my church. I wanted a home organ, so my mom got me a 1975 kimball 13 pedal organ a few  years back. Hated every thing about it: sound sucks!: ugly: cheap: always breaking!

So a year ago, I got an old Hammond CV. It was very nice! But I played REAL organ and I needed 32 pedals.

So the hunt was on. I was looking at Allens, Rodgers, Conns, Ahlborn Galanti, Viscount, and every good organ maker.

Well that never worked. A couple days ago a guy said he had a RT3 that he cant fit in his house! He said he can fit a CV in his house, so I said  I will trade you organs! SO I GOT A FREE RT3!!!!

I dont like Hammond sounds, but those 32' stops are very cool! I was told a certain combination of the 32's and something else will make a 64' resulant sound! 

Hi Brandon

I had an RT-3 Hammond .... it was unusal in that it had two volume control pedals one for the great and one for the swell... the RT3 came out of a church they were the original owners.... I the second... it has two HR40 Tone cabinets with about eleven speakers in each one... it could really tear up the floor boards.... I passed it on to another church about 22 years ago... to get that 64' foot sound I beleive I pressed F & G pedals at the same time that the rocker tab for the 32' pipe was on and the 16' pedal drawbar pulled out to 6 or 8.... hope that helps.

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GOD BLESS

Happily
Harold

Hammondlover:

There are no internal speakers in an RT3. If you got one with no tone cabinet, you'd have a 450 pound paper weight that made neat whirring sounds and drove up the electric bill.

--Hee hee! (toast)

But you have to admit, it's a REALLY neat whirring sound...

TD

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"And every Saturday we work in the yard-
Pick up the dog doo,
Hope that it's hard.
We're just ordinary average guys..."
-J. Walsh

congrats Brandon on the RT3... I think it is simply an amazing organ.

I DO highly recommend a Leslie with it.



My RT3 link:http://www.nycfarmboy.com/rt3/rt3detail.html

I have a PR40 and a Leslie 242 on my RT3...a Leslie 242 is the "cloth" "decorator" model the same as a 142 just in a slightly different case.......someday I'd like a model E, but the RT3 or RT2 is a wonderful amazing organ.

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www.nycfarmboy.com
www.reuter822.com