S970 — changing rotor speed with VARI button

[psr4ever]

I'm setting up a registration bank for "Whiter shade of pale", and I'd like to be able to switch the rotor speed from slow to fast and back again whilst playing. Never having tried that before, I was thinking I might somehow achieve the effect using DSP and the VARI button, which, in theory, seemed reasonable. Right until I tried to make it happen.

Happily, I found that the Owner's Manual says "The [DSP VARI.] button is used to change between variations of the DSP effect. For example, this could be used to change the rotating speed (slow/fast) of the rotary speaker effect while you play."

Great — unfortunately, however, the manual doesn't explain how to achieve that, and I haven't been able to work out how to get it working in practice. I would therefore be grateful if someone could be so kind as to describe the steps?

With thanks,

Brian

[DerekA]

Each DSP has one parameter (it's preselected, you can't choose which one) which has a "normal" value and a "variation" value. When VAR is off, the DSP uses the normal value. When VAR is on, the DSP uses the variation value.

Most (all?) of the rotary speaker DSP have the rotor speed as this special parameter. So if you choose a voice which uses a rotary speaker DSP, the VAR button will switch the speed. But note that some of the organ voices have the rotary effect built into the sample, rather than using DSP, so VAR won't have any effect for them.

You  need to select an organ voice which is using DSP for the rotary effect. Try the "Organ Flutes" voices. These have an on-screen picture and a dedicated button at the side of the screen for the rotary speed, but it's actually just an alias for the VAR button.

[andyg]

If you're playing WSOP, then why not treat the keyboard like a Hammond. Use Organ Flutes and set your virtual drawbars to the WSOP sound - 68 8600 000 plus 4' percussion, about half volume. Left voice would be Organ Flutes again, but 00 7654 321 - no percussion and shiftef up an octave in the Mixer.

Now your DSP Vari button will switch the rotary speed for both upper and lower manuals on your virtual Hammond. Make sure you use Dual Rotor Bright as your DSP effect and play around with the parameters to fine tune the sound.

You can use a footswitch to switch the Vari on or off. Or, more usefully, set up your registrations so that the effect is set to slow or fast as required in the tune. Set up a Registration Sequence and step through them with the foot switch. When setting up the registrations don't forget to make the right and left voices' DSP effects switch variations together - or you'll have a Hammond with slow Leslie on one manual and fast Leslie on the other. (Oh hang on, I've done that on real Hammonds but it's not correct for this tune!)

And it goes without saying that you'll use Organ Ballad, perhaps revoiced and rebalanced. WSOP is, of course, the original intended tune for that style!

[psr4ever]

Thank you most sincerely for your replies, gentlemen, which were enormously helpful. My apologies for the delay in responding, but I have been carefully working through your comments.

@DerekA

Enormous thanks for demystifying some of the tacit (or perhaps, tacet) features of the manual, which now make much more sense to me. Also, your comment about the rotary switch having an alias in the VARI button gave me a real facepalm moment....   


@andyg

Thank you for all your helpful information. In spite of being a pipe organist for decades (sadly, the arthritis in my fingers has finally meant that I have had to give up the pipe organ and piano, which is why I now have to use a keyboard with a lighter touch so have taken up the S970) I have never played a Hammond organ. But the footages and the associated numbers make perfect sense to me, of course, although when you said "plus 4' percussion" I wasn't sure what you meant?

But your treats keep on coming. Thank you for the magic numbers (68 8600 000 and 00 7654 321), and also for the invaluable information about Dual Rotor Bright. Rather than stabbing at buttons at the relevant points in the music, I had already standardised on always using registrations with a dedicated foot switch for changing them, so your suggestion is a perfect fit. Your comment about Organ Ballad being intended for WSOP gave me yet another facepalm moment: I suppose it's obvious when you listen to it, but  <sigh>  with so much to discover about the S970 I hadn't made the connection yet. Mind you, it was only last week that I finally worked out what MOR means, so obviously I have a lot of catching up to do....   

So I'm left with just two questions, and would be grateful for any further advice that you might be kind enough to offer:

• What did you mean by "plus 4' percussion"?
• Is there, by any chance, some information available anywhere on typical uses for Hammond's "magic numbers" (68 8600 000 and so on)? Other than in your head, that is....   

When I started working on WSOP I had no idea just how much I would be able to learn — with your help.

With thanks and every good wish,

Brian

[andyg]

On the second page of the Organ Flutes screens, there are controls for percussion. Two drawbars, one 4' and one 2 2/3'. Plus controls for decay - slow or fast. You need a bit of that 4 drawbar pulled out but not too much.

There are plenty of resources on line for Hammond drawbar settings, but many of them are aimed at getting the Hammond to emulate pipe organ stops or orchestral instruments. Fact is, it can' t do either of those things, it can only make Hammond sounds! So don't worry about getting a book!

Upper (Right 1) drawbars - Set the 16' drawbar to max, then set almost anything you like into the rest. I always used to tell audiences that they could use their phone numbers or their bank balances - until one wag shouted out "Can it do negative numbers, then?" White drawbars add in even pitches for sweet sounds, the black ones are the spice. Add to add some zing. Never use the 5 5 1/3' drawbar unless the 16' is out as well, with the possible exception of the sound Hammond called 'Novel Solo' - 08 8080 800 or special effects.

Most of the online videos will be for rock and jazz settings - basically variations on the WSOP setting 88 8800 000 plus either 4' or 2 2/3' percussion. There may be some on more melodious tones, Peter Hayward might have done one, I haven't looked.

[DerekA]

Yes Andy, Peter Hayward (among others) has a video covering the basics of the drawbars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOOhFOm5dtY

[psr4ever]

That is tremendously helpful information. Once more, gentlemen, I am hugely in your debt.   

My most sincere thanks to you both.   

Cheers,

Brian