Playing the
What is the Wheel Brake?
This simulates the way in which the tonewheels stop rotating when you switch off the power on a tonewheel organ.
Since the amplifier of a tonewheel organ consisted of analog circuits using vacuum tubes, it would continue to produce sound for a short time even after the power was turned off. However, since the organ’s tonewheels would start slowing down as soon as the power was turned off, this would make the pitch drop. The technique of stopping the tonewheels was sometimes used on tonewheel organs. A skilled performer could use this effect within their music.
What is a Ring Modulator?
This simulates a circuit that produces an unpitched metallic sound by varying the frequency of the ring modulator’s internal oscillator.
In hard rock of the past, some organ players applied aggressive effects such as a ring modulator to their organ in order to compete with the aggressive playing of the electric guitarist. A ring modulator is an effect that generates complex overtones that are not found in the original sound. These complex overtones create a
The word “ring” comes from the
What is a Spring Reverb?
In the days when analog circuits were used, some reverb units produced their reverb effects by using a spring. This was the Spring Reverb. When physical impact is applied to a spring reverb unit, the springs bounce against each other, producing a distinctive clashing sound. Some performers used this sound intentionally.
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