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Post by Maddog on Apr 16, 2015 20:36:03 GMT -7
I've always loved a grinding vintage Hammond B3 almost as much as a vintage Twin Reverb on "6" or a 4 hole Plexi on "11." Well, I was all jazzed up when Electro Harmonix released their B9 Organ machine. Get that B3 sound with yer guitar!!!!! Sounded great.
So I bought a B9 and played it a bit at rehearsal and played a gig or two with it. Sounded great on Green Onions or Feeling Good (Nina Simone), but I got tired of it. Didn't put me where I wanted to go. Enter the Strymon Lex.... Holy Moly...a Leslie in a box. But dang...I already sold my B9 to Doctorice, so I went back to GC to buy another B9 and hook it up to the Lex.
Dang tho.... GC only had the new version (the C9). Still a great pedal like the B9. So I took it home and awaited the FedEx guy's call that he was up at the main gate! So once I had them both, I hooked 'em up....
Sounded totally AWESOME and believable ......except, the Organ machine just flat quit playing long before the "Leslie" would ramp down. It seems the Organ machine requires a sustained volume to trigger the note, and the natural decay of a guitar was not sufficient to keep the volume at a level that would sustain the note long enough to allow the "Leslie" to be heard as it finished its ramp down to its slowest speed.
I understand some pickers use a compressor to enhance the sustain to keep the Organ machines running. But as is, mine just petered out. So I finally said, "Screw it," and just cranked up some overdrive in the loop and bypassed the C9 all together. I got some great, almost organ-like tones that held together despite the tailing-off of the notes when played with a guitar bypassing the C9. Granted it didn't sound as organ-like as the B9 or C9, but it was still pretty good.
So, I'm still on the hunt to find a tone generator that will sustain the Organ machine's tone/volume long enough and loud enough to trigger the organ device to keep it playing long enough to hear the "Leslie" wind down..... I DO realize I am asking the device to do more than it was programmed to do, but hey, why not try to get what ya want?
I may just give up the idea on the B3 from a guitar for a while and play some more George Harrison / Eric Clapton "guitar thru a Leslie" stuff until then. The Lex is incredible....Pricey, but incredible. The B9 and C9 are crazy good impersonators too, unless you want them to do things they weren't meant to like I did.... So, I guess I'll dink with this thing (C9) for another few days (return policy, ya know) and see if I can figure out a way to become John Lord with a strat....Hmmmmmm .....your thoughts?
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Post by limenine on Apr 16, 2015 21:05:19 GMT -7
I was gonna say "compressor" but it seems you've already considered that - did you try one and it didn't help, or just don't have one handy to give it a shot?
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Post by Maddog on Apr 16, 2015 21:07:26 GMT -7
^^^^ I don't have one...... maybe worth a shot tho...
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Post by limenine on Apr 16, 2015 21:10:57 GMT -7
I think it will do what you need it to - mebbe someone has one you can try out?
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Post by JSA61 on Apr 17, 2015 4:12:03 GMT -7
I have better luck with just my Lex as well. Rarely us the B9, although it's still on my board. I have an Ego comp, which helps, but prefer to just run the Lex for the most part.
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Post by greenblues58 on Apr 17, 2015 4:57:26 GMT -7
You need one of those Fernandes Sustainer Pickups or you could try one of those Freeze pedals that hold the chord or note as long as your foot is on the switch.
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Post by Christopher on Apr 17, 2015 5:16:24 GMT -7
I have a B9 coming in tomorrow. I'm not expecting to have oodles of sustain with it but I'm hoping it can fill in some parts where the other players in the band don't (incl.. the keyboard player!) I'll get back about my experience with it after I get to experience it. Follow?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2015 5:46:26 GMT -7
Have owned the B9 and the Lex and never would've though of running them together--way to innovate, Lee! I don't currently have any Strymon stuff on my board, after having an el Cap and a Flint as my main time-based effects for a year or so--might haveta take another look.
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Post by mcook217 on Apr 17, 2015 7:06:47 GMT -7
if you're just looking for sustained notes while it ramps down, maybe an e-bow?
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Post by doctorice on Apr 17, 2015 9:24:43 GMT -7
I haven't tried the compressor thing, which Lee suggested after I bought his B9. One thing that seems to help is to use a quite light touch on the guitar with guitar volume up pretty high. Seems you have to hit a spot that has enough signal to trigger the B9 but also sustains for a while. A hard plucked string with a steep transient doesn't work so well.
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Post by Eddie on Apr 17, 2015 16:29:04 GMT -7
The demos by EHX on these pedals had me totally pumped, too. Seems like the guy in the demos must have had everything set perfectly to get such convincing tones. I tried a B( at GC and I couldn't get much out of it. True, I did not spend much time with it, but I was hoping it would be plug and play.
Ain't nothin' like the real thing, I guess!
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Post by ME on Apr 17, 2015 17:39:37 GMT -7
I have the Boss RT-20. It works as the Leslie sim. Also has a couple of distortion settings that add some grind. You can sound like Jon Lord, or dial it back for a bit of sustain. It does some convincing, to me, ramping up and down. I have a lot of fun with it. I often think I'd like to try the B/C9 with it.
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Post by walt on Apr 17, 2015 20:09:30 GMT -7
After about a year of checking every few days on c list and e bay,I picked up a mid 60's Hammond L-i00 series-needed some wiring,no leslie,it's not the b-3 or M-series that Jon Lord used,but it is a recognizable Leslie organ-a little clean up in the mix and it's where I want to be.You wouldn't want to gig with it-it's 230 lb +,but for recording you should be able to find something local for a reasonable price-I got mine for 100 bucks! I can't play piano,much less both hands and the bass pedals,but I can BS a right hand melody line,i'm sure you could do the same.
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Post by Maddog on Apr 18, 2015 7:05:54 GMT -7
That's cool Walt. I had a Nord C1 (B3 clone) for a while, but it was just too much stuff to carry to a gig....I'm really wanting to get a tone wheel + Leslie sound from my pedalboard...
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Post by Eric from Cheekago on Apr 18, 2015 9:41:19 GMT -7
What about the Electro Harmonix Freeze pedal?
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Post by thunderstruck(formerly doc001) on Apr 20, 2015 16:18:19 GMT -7
Lee, I have one of these. I haven't had much opportunity or experience playing it. I don't think they still make this particular one. They do have other options which are made specifically for guitar. This guy can be used through an organ or guitar.
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Post by Maddog on Apr 20, 2015 17:39:35 GMT -7
^^^^ Those are VERY cool, Doug. I've been very interested in them....Hmmmmmm...but is it much different than the Lex???
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Post by markT on Apr 20, 2015 18:46:30 GMT -7
You mean to tell me you don't have a B3 out in the jam shack? ?
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Post by Maddog on Apr 20, 2015 19:02:45 GMT -7
^^^^ No.... not anymore.... just stringed instruments and some skins....
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Post by thunderstruck(formerly doc001) on Apr 21, 2015 8:18:32 GMT -7
^^^^ Those are VERY cool, Doug. I've been very interested in them....Hmmmmmm...but is it much different than the Lex??? I'm not sure how it compares to the Lex. I have heard it is different. I can't confirm that though.
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Post by thunderstruck(formerly doc001) on Apr 21, 2015 8:34:50 GMT -7
Here they are side by side through an organ:
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Post by digs57 on Apr 21, 2015 8:41:21 GMT -7
I know when I had my roland I always loved the sustain pedal...volume pedal?...I don't do pedals much anymore...let us know your find mdog.
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Post by Maddog on Apr 21, 2015 9:59:14 GMT -7
Here they are side by side through an organ: After watching this, I have no preference.... I'd be fine with either....Thanks for posting this, Doug!
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Post by thunderstruck(formerly doc001) on Apr 21, 2015 10:21:29 GMT -7
Here they are side by side through an organ: After watching this, I have no preference.... I'd be fine with either....Thanks for posting this, Doug! One guy in a review said the vent is better but not $200 better. Another said the vent sounds more 3D. YMMV
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