Help identify this instrument / sound.

January 24, 2011 9:50 PM

There is a certain organ sound used in a lot of old prog music. A grindy organ sound. A perfect example is here, starting at 2:48. What is the instrument, and, if applicable, what is the setting / tone / whathaveyou (for example, if the instrument were a Hammond organ, what button would be pushed / levers flipped / etc. to get that sound? If a Moog, what dials would be turned, more or less?)?
posted by Bugbread to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

Farfisa organ overdriven through a tube amplifier.
posted by bardic at 10:21 PM on January 24, 2011

Best answer: I think it's a Hammond Organ.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:22 PM on January 24, 2011

Best answer: Seconding the Hammond; Keith Emerson (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) and Rick Wakeman (YES) both had that sound, and both used Hammonds. There's a forum post discussing how Keith Emerson got "that sound" and using terms that are way beyond my vocabulary.
posted by holterbarbour at 10:40 PM on January 24, 2011

Husband says Hammond in overdrive. He knows his prog rock.
posted by oflinkey at 10:52 PM on January 24, 2011

And what's more I'm willing to bet it's one of the Hammond L-100 series or an M-102. I know Keith Emerson used L-100s in concert, and the M-102 was the standard Prog Rock "I like the B-3 but it needs to go to 11" organ of choice in the late 60's/early 70s.

Also, Gentle Giant? FUCK YEAH!
posted by KingEdRa at 11:31 PM on January 24, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks. Fiddling around with a freeware Hammond VST, I've indeed been able to replicate the sound, more or less.
posted by Bugbread at 11:36 PM on January 24, 2011