In 1935, Laurens Hammond designed the first organ with the name Hammond. Originally, the organ was dedicated to churches as a cheaper alternative to the church organ. But before long, the so-called Hammond organ was incorporated into jazz, blues and rock music as an important and quite popular instrument.
The characteristic Hammond sound is generated by mechanical tone wheels. Each key has its own tone wheel on which its own pick up. Each of these tone wheels rotates at their own speed, which combined with the pattern of ‘teeth’ on the wheels defines the note. The rotating wheels give an electromagnetic signal, which is then picked up by the 'pick up system' - which is also seen on an electric guitar.
In this way, it is therefore said that the Hammond organ is more of an electric organ rather than an electronic organ, as the sound is generated via electromagnetic signals, rather than a digital sound generator.
The Sound - The Soul - The One
As mentioned, the Hammond organ has contributed to almost every genre of music since 1935. The majestic organ sound is found nowhere else but in Hammond's own instruments. Many manufacturers, such as Nord and Yamaha, have tried to recreate and copy Hammond's sound, but no one can get as close as the real Hammond.
A new original
For a long time, Hammond's B-3 organ has been the most coveted organ, and still to this day it is an extremely popular instrument. But with new times comes new technologies, and with new technologies comes the Hammond XK-5.
Now you can get the same high quality and the same iconic and massive sound in a digital and compact instrument. With modern technologies, Hammond has recreated the sound of a real Hammond organ to almost perfection, where sonic elements and effects such as 'key click', vibrato, chorus, and even individual models all the way down to the model's year and serial number can be recreated. With the many presets, one can with high precision recreate the sound of i.e. Gregg Rolie from Journey’s Hammond organ. Built into the instrument is also a perfect simulation of Leslie speakers with the ‘rotary’ function in the form of their ‘Digital Leslie’.
With the Hammond XK-5 you get everything you need in an organ - and more. Although the XK-5 is a compact instrument, there is still a smaller alternative found in the XK-1c.
Hammond sound in a compact design
With the same principle as the Hammond XK-5, Hammond has made a more compact version of the same model, namely their XK-1c.
In the past, you had to use an entire van to bring your Hammond B-3 with its Leslie speakers to a gig. Now you can take all this with you in a compact and vintage design of just 7.5 kg. Just like the Hammond XK-5, you get the full experience of a real Hammond organ, and with ‘Digital Leslie’, it doesn’t get much better.
Synthesizer, organ, and piano
As mentioned, Hammond is quite famous for their organs - and with good reason. But with almost 90 years in the industry, Hammond obviously also has a more extensive product range than 'just' organs. We've now got their keyboard named Hammond SK Pro. The model is available with both 61 and 73 keys, and both models, as well as the XK-5 and XK-1c, are on display in our showroom in Aarhus.
But this keyboard is not like any other keyboard. Sure, it is quite normal for a keyboard of this class to have organ, piano and synthesizer combined, but in SK Pro there is the same organ module as in XK-5.
Built into the keyboard is also a Mono Synth that simulates a classic analog synthesizer, and with its 6 oscillators (sound generators) and many filters you can easily create your desired sound.
SK Pro contains high quality samples from some of the world's best grand pianos, upright pianos, pianos, strings and other orchestral instruments.
New classics in new designs
For a long time, Hammond has for many musicians been the only true organ. But because the original Hammond instruments are so large, it's a little easier to go with models like the Nord or Yamaha when using an organ.
But with the aforementioned models - XK-5, XK-1c and SK Pro - it has never been easier to take your organ with you to a gig, and despite their compact designs, their sound will not disappoint you.
In our webshop, we now have a couple of Hammond products in stock, and with these you get closer to the original Hammond sound than ever seen before in such a compact and small instrument.