HamOrg User Manual [Free Version] 1

Getting Started

My virtual instrument sample libraries use the SFZ format, and are designed to work
best withbasil Plogue's sforzando (or ARIA Player). sforzando is free to download for Mac or
Windows and functions as both standalone application and a VST/AU/RTAS/AXX plugin, which
can be used in most DAWs or notation software.

You can learn more and download sforzando here:

https://www.plogue.com/products/sforzando.html

HamOrg User Manual [Free Version] 2

 About HamOrg

Thank you for purchasing this HamOrg! I hope that you enjoy it and find it useful!

In the 1930s, Laurens Hammond, the owner of a clock company, decided that he would
use his clock motors to build an electronic imitation of a pipe organ. A few years later, a
different company, headed by Donald Leslie, began manufacturing an amplifier, using a unique
rotating loud speaker design. These two inventions came together and created the most
famous electronic organ in the world.

The Hammond B3 is what most people will think of as a “Hammond” organ. It consists
of 2 keyboards (manuals), each with their own devoted key switch presets, both derived from 9
tones. These 9 tones can be manipulated manually, using the sets of 9 drawbars assigned to
each keyboard. The upper keyboard (Swell) includes a “percussion” effect, which adds a
punchier attack to the sound. When played in tandem, the upper keyboard is typically used for
melody lines, while the lower keyboard (Great) is used for accompaniment, but this can differ,
depending on the style of the music or your own creative decisions.

HamOrg User Manual [Free Version] 3

 My virtual imitation uses samples from a modified Hammond CV organ, originally
manufactured between 1945 and 1949. It was my grandfather’s organ, which was inherited by
my father. For a while, my grandfather was the house organist at a Massachusetts roller skating
rink. He actually changed two of the presets on the CV, to reflect the registrations he likely used
at the rink. After inheriting the organ, my father added some key features, which allowed the it
to perform more like a B3.

After my initial recording session with the organ, I decided that it would be “easier” to
recreate the tones exclusively using digital synthesis. This became HamOrg 1.0, released in
December of 2016. Version 2.0 introduced chromatic samples from all nine drawbars, recorded
at 96 kHz/24-bit, from an output jack. From the drawbar samples, I created the “percussion”
effect, the same way it is achieved on the actual organ. I also did extensive research, so that I
could emulate the vibrato and chorus effects as faithfully as possible. The one effect I didn’t
recreate was the rotary speaker, for a number of reasons. In short, I could do it…but it would
be a horrible embarrassment and not really worth the effort it would take. There are plenty of
free plugins out there that will do a far more superior job, so my focus is on the organ console
itself, and making that the best it can be. It actually works out, in my option, since many of the
virtual tonewheel organs that I’ve seen are often focused on the sound of one musical style or
may be too synth-y, when stripped of all the effects. HamOrg captures the natural analogue
sound of those original clock motors, and now you can shape that sound for a roller skating
waltz, blues, rock, soul, funk, or for a simple a hymn.

HamOrg User Manual [Free Version] 4

 How to Use

IMPORTANT: In order for HamOrg to work properly,

make sure Sforzando is set to a polyphony of 128 or higher!!

1) MIDI CC:

CC01= Expression

CC15= Attack
CC16= Release
CC18= Percussion Volume
CC19= Vibrato/Chorus Selection
CC20= Vibrato/Chorus Depth

CC21= Drawbar 1 (Upper Keyboard)

CC22= Drawbar 2 (Upper Keyboard)
CC23= Drawbar 3 (Upper Keyboard)
CC24= Drawbar 4 (Upper Keyboard)
CC25= Drawbar 5 (Upper Keyboard)
CC26= Drawbar 6 (Upper Keyboard)
CC27= Drawbar 7 (Upper Keyboard)
CC28= Drawbar 8 (Upper Keyboard)
CC29= Drawbar 9 (Upper Keyboard)

CC31= Drawbar 1 (Lower Keyboard)

CC32= Drawbar 2 (Lower Keyboard)
CC33= Drawbar 3 (Lower Keyboard)
CC34= Drawbar 4 (Lower Keyboard)
CC35= Drawbar 5 (Lower Keyboard)
CC36= Drawbar 6 (Lower Keyboard)
CC37= Drawbar 7 (Lower Keyboard) (Full Version Only)
CC38= Drawbar 8 (Lower Keyboard)
CC39= Drawbar 9 (Lower Keyboard)

CC41= Drawbar 1 (Pedal Keyboard)

CC42= Drawbar 2 (Pedal Keyboard)

2) Expression: This volume control works independently from the instrument's main volume
(CC07) control. It acts as the swell pedal on an actual organ. You can adjust this control with
your MIDI keyboard's Modulation Wheel (CC01) or by manually changing the value in the
sforzando GUI. By Default, the value is 50%

HamOrg User Manual [Free Version] 5

 (Full Version Only)
3) Key Switches: On the Upper and Lower Keyboards, keys C#1-A1 are devoted key switches
containing the preset registrations. Simply press a key in this range to quickly change the
sound of the organ. Pressing key A#1 will access the manual drawbar controls. Alternatively,
you can use the dropdown menu, labeled “K-SWITCH”, in sforzando. To create custom
presets, see the “Creating Custom Presets” section bellow (pg. 8).

4) Drawbars:

Drawbar Harmonic Interval Footage

1 Sub-Fundamental Sub-Octave 16'
2 Sub-Third Sub-Third 5 1/3'
3 Fundamental Unison 8'
4 2nd Harmonic Octave 4'
5 3rd Harmonic Twelfth 2 2/3'
6 4th Harmonic Fifteenth 2'
7 5th Harmonic Seventeenth 1 3/5'
8 6th Harmonic Nineteenth 1 1/3'
9 8th Harmonic Twenty-Second 1'

Drawbar Value Percentage Equivalent MIDI Value

8 100% 127
7 64% 81
6 40% 51
5 25% 32
4 16% 20
3 10% 13
2 6% 7
1 4% 5
0 0% 0

5) Attack: By default, this control is set at 0% (0, in MIDI speak). A higher value will give you a
softer beginning to the sound.

6) Release: By default, this control is set at 0% (0, in MIDI speak). A higher value will give you a
softer end to the sound.

HamOrg User Manual [Free Version] 6

7) Percussion: Keys F7 and G7-A#7 on the Upper Keyboard are devoted to the percussion
effect. This effect can be use in combination with the drawbars or the preset registrations. The
volume of the percussion effect can be adjusted by changing the value of "Perc. Volume",
which by default is at 100%. Reducing the slider to 71% will replicate a Hammond B3's "Soft"
percussion effect. The percussion effect is NOT polyphonic. This is done intensionally, in
order to faithfully mimic the functionality of a real tonewheel organ. Also, the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th
harmonic options are the same exact tones as drawbars 4, 5, and 7, respectively.

Key Switch Percussion Effect

E7 Off (Default)
F7 2nd Harmonic, Slow
F#7 2nd Harmonic, Fast
G7 3rd Harmonic, Slow
G#7 3rd Harmonic, Fast
A7 5th Harmonic, Slow
A#7 5th Harmonic, Fast

8) Vibrato/Chorus Selection: The effect is disabled at 0% (0, in MIDI speak). From 1% to 50%
(1-64, in MIDI speak), the Vibrato effect will be active. From 51%-100% (65-127, in MIDI speak),
the Chorus effects will be active.

9) Vibrato/Chorus Depth: This controls the intensity of the Vibrato/Chorus effects. A higher
value equates to a stronger effect. You can use the chart bellow to recreate the settings from an
actual Hammond organ.

Vibrato Value Percentage Equivalent MIDI Value

V-1 50% 64
V-2 75% 95
V-3 100% 127

Chorus Value Percentage Equivalent MIDI Value

C-1 50% 64
C-2 75% 95
C-3 100% 127

HamOrg User Manual [Free Version] 7

 (Full Version Only)
10) Creating Custom Presets:

Start by opening the “SFZ” folder and then the “Presets” folder. Next, open the folder for the
keyboard, whose presets you wish to edit (Upper Keyboard or Lower Keyboard). Finally, decide
which preset slot you want to edit (A-I) and then open that file in a basic text editor (Notepad
on Windows, TextEdit on Mac, etc.).

Presets are based on a combination of values from all nine drawbars, using a value expressed
from 0 to 8. Simply plug each value into the space, between the two vertical lines, for each
corresponding drawbar (do NOT delete the spaces on either side of this number)…

Drawbar Value (0-8)

#include “Data/A Draw 1 [ 0 ].sfz”

Drawbar Number (1-9)

As an example, let’s program a preset using the following drawbar registration: 00 5642 200

#include “Data/A Draw 1 [ 0 ].sfz”

#include “Data/A Draw 2 [ 0 ].sfz”

#include “Data/A Draw 3 [ 5 ].sfz”

#include “Data/A Draw 4 [ 6 ].sfz”
#include “Data/A Draw 5 [ 4 ].sfz”
#include “Data/A Draw 6 [ 2 ].sfz”

#include “Data/A Draw 7 [ 2 ].sfz”

#include “Data/A Draw 8 [ 0 ].sfz”
#include “Data/A Draw 9 [ 0 ].sfz”

Save the file, quit the text editor, and then load/reload HamOrg. That’s it!

Now, let’s assume you created the perfect registration in HamOrg and now you want to save it
as a preset. The drawbar values, as seen in Sforzando, are as follows: 0%, 0%, 14%, 18%, 9%,
7%, 0%, 0%, 0%

Convert these percentage values, rounding the best you can, using the chart from the
“Drawbars” section above (pg. 6): 004432000 (or “00 4432 000”). Now you can add this
registration as a preset, exactly the same way as the previous example.

HamOrg User Manual [Free Version] 8

 License Agreement

By downloading my virtual instrument sample libraries, you agree and are bound to the
terms of this License Agreement.
 
All audio files, included as part of any sample library created by Michael Picher, are his
sole property, unless otherwise stated, and are licensed, not sold. The aforementioned sample
libraries, excluding versions explicitly marked as a “Demo” version, CAN be use as part of any
published commercial or non-commercial work, within the context and purpose of a musical
composition or performance. You are NOT allowed to modify, transfer, rent, lease, loan, resell,
distribute, network, electronically transmit, upload, duplicate, or copy any of the files that make
up the aforementioned sample libraries, especially any audio sample files, without expressed
permission from Michael Picher.

Furthermore, you are NOT allowed to use the audio sample files from the
aforementioned sample libraries, or any recordings using the audio sample files, with the
intention of using them in the context of an audio sample, as part of any other sample library,
virtual instrument, game, or related software. The aforementioned sample libraries and any files
included therein are licensed "as is" without warranties of any kind.

If you have any questions regarding my virtual instrument sample libraries or this license
agreement, feel free to send me an Email at contact@michaelpichermusic.com, or you can visit
my website, https://www.michaelpichermusic.com, for more contact options.

Other Legal Stuff

Michael Picher is in no way associated with Hammond USA, Hammond-Suzuki, Plouge,

or MakeMusic, Inc. Hammond, sforzando, ARIA Engine are all registered trademarks and
belong to their respective owners. Any other trademarks or logos belong to their respective
owners. Please don’t sue me.

HamOrg © 2016-2020 Michael Picher

HamOrg User Manual [Free Version] 9