Sample Organ Yamaha

An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has since developed into several types of instruments:

• Hammond-style organs used in popular music genres and rock bands;
• digital church organs, which imitate pipe organs and are used primarily in churches;
• other types including combo organs, home organs, and software organs.

Yamaha GX-1, an early polyphonic synthesizer organ in the 1970s

Mar 07, 2018  Mix - TYROS 5 PIPE ORGAN SAMPLE YouTube; Die Kirchenorgel im Tyros 5 von Yamaha. Vintage Euro Organ Expansion Voice Pack Yamaha Genos/Tyros 5 & PSR-S970 - Duration: 9:30.

WERSI Scala, an open architecture software organ platform in 2002

A custom three-manual Rodgers Trillium organ console installed in a church. Note the sound module (Rodgers MX-200 on right top) for extra pipe and orchestral sounds, and the laptop (left top) used for sequencing the organ

• 1History
• 2In churches

History[edit]

Predecessors[edit]

Harmonium

The immediate predecessor of the electronic organ was the harmonium, or reed organ, an instrument that was very popular in homes and small churches in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In a fashion not totally unlike that of pipe organs, reed organs generated sound by forcing air over a set of reeds by means of a bellows, usually operated by constantly pumping a set of pedals. While reed organs had limited tonal quality, they were small, inexpensive, self-powered, and self-contained. The reed organ was thus able to bring an organlike sound to venues that were incapable of housing or affording pipe organs. This concept played an important role in the development of the electric organ.

Pipe organ

In the 1930s, several manufacturers developed electronic organs designed to imitate the function and sound of pipe organs. At the time, some manufacturers thought that emulation of the pipe organ was the most promising route to take in the development of an electronic organ. Not all agreed, however. Various types of electronic organs have been brought to market over the years, with some establishing solid reputations in their own niche markets.

Early electric organs (1897–1930s)[edit]

Telharmonium console by Thaddeus Cahill, 1897.

Electricity arrived on the organ scene in the first decades of the 20th century, but it was slow to have a major impact. Electrically powered reed organs appeared during the first decades of electricity, but their tonal qualities remained much the same as the older, foot-pumped models.

Thaddeus Cahill's gargantuan and controversial instrument, the Telharmonium, which began piping music to New York City establishments over the telephone system in 1897, predated the advent of electronics, yet was the first instrument to demonstrate the use of the combination of many different pure electrical waveforms to synthesize real-world instrument sounds. Cahill's techniques were later used by Laurens Hammond in his organ design, and the 200-ton Telharmonium served as the world's first demonstration of electrically produced music on a grand scale.

Meanwhile, some further experimentation with producing sound by electric impulses was taking place, especially in France.^{[citation needed]}

Tonewheel organs (1930s–1975)[edit]

Consoles

Tonewheels

Console

Optical-tonewheels

After the failure of the Telharmonium business, similar designs called tonewheel organs were continuously developed; For example:

• Robb Wave Organ by Morse Robb (Canada) — developed since c.1923, marketed 1936–1941^[1][2]
• Rangertone by Richard Ranger (United States) — marketed c.1932^[3]
• Hammond organ by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert^[4] (United States) — invented in 1934,^[5] marketed 1935^[6]–1975 (as the tonewheel organs)
• Lichtton Orgel [de] by Edwin Welte, et al. (Germany) — optical-tonewheel sampling organ, marketed 1935–1940s

One of the earlier electric tonewheel organs was conceived and manufactured by Morse Robb, of the Robb Wave Organ Company. Built in Belleville, Ontario, the Robb Wave Organ predates its much more successful competitor Hammond by patent and manufacture, but shut down its operations in 1938 due to lack of funding.^[7]

A typical tonewheel organ, Hammond B3.

Tonewheel (right) rotates beneath
electro-magnetic pickup (left)

Hammond drawbars

The first widespread success in this field was a product of the Hammond Corporation in 1934.^[8] The Hammond organ quickly became the successor of the reed organ, displacing it almost completely.

From the start, tonewheel organs operated on a radically different principle from all previous organs. In place of reeds and pipes, Robb and Hammond introduced a set of rapidly spinning magnetic wheels, called tonewheels, which excited transducers that generated electrical signals of various frequencies that were mixed and fed through an amplifier to a loudspeaker. The organ was electrically powered, replacing the reed organ's twin bellows pedals with a single swell (or 'expression') pedal more like that of a pipe organ. Instead of having to pump at a constant rate, as had been the case with the reed organ, the organist simply varied the position of this pedal to change the volume as desired. Unlike reed organs, this gave great control over the music's dynamic range, while at the same time freeing one or both of the player's feet to play on a pedalboard, which, unlike most reed organs, electronic organs incorporated. From the beginning, the electronic organ had a second manual, also rare among reed organs. While these features meant that the electric organ required greater musical skills of the organist than the reed organ had, the second manual and the pedalboard along with the expression pedal greatly enhanced playing, far surpassing the capabilities of the typical reed organ.

The most revolutionary difference in the Hammond, however, was its huge number of tonewheel settings, achieved by manipulating a system of drawbars located near the manuals. By using the drawbars, the organist could combine a variety of electrical tones and harmonics in varying proportions, thus giving the Hammond vast 'registration.' In all, the Hammond was capable of producing more than 250 million tones. This feature, combined with the three-keyboard layout (i.e., manuals and pedalboard), the freedom of electrical power, and a wide, easily controllable range of volume made the first electronic organs more flexible than any reed organ, or indeed any previous musical instrument except, perhaps, the pipe organ itself.

The classic Hammond sound benefitted from the use of free-standing loudspeakers called 'tone cabinets' that produced a higher-quality sound than small built-in speakers. The sound was often further enhanced by rotating speaker units, usually manufactured by Leslie.

The Hammond organ was widely adopted in popular genres such as jazz, gospel, pop music, and rock music. It was utilized by bands such as Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and Deep Purple, among others. Occasionally the legs would be cut off these instruments to make them easier to transport from show to show. The most-popular and most-emulated organ in the Hammond line is the iconic B3. Although portable 'clonewheel organs' started to synthesize and displace the original Hammond tonewheel design in the 1970s, it is still very much in demand by professional organists. The industry continues to see a lively trade in refurbished Hammond instruments, even as technological advances allow new organs to perform at levels unimaginable only two or three decades ago.

Electrostatic reed organs (1934–1964)[edit]

In the wake of Hammond's 1934 invention of the tonewheel organ, competitors explored other possibilities of electric/electronic organ design. Other than the variations of tonewheel organ design, for example, a purely electronic interpretation of the pipe organ (based on 'additive synthesis' design) seemed a promising approach. However, it required a huge number of oscillators, and these circuit scales and complexities were considered a technical bottleneck, as vacuum tube circuits of those days were bulky and unstable. Benjamin Miessner realized that a hybrid approach, using acoustic tone generators along with electronic circuits, could be a reasonable design for commercial products.

Wurlitzer Model 44 Electrostatic Organ (1953–1964)^[9]

The Orgatron was originally developed in 1934 by Frederick Albert Hoschke, after a Miessner patent.^[10][11][12] A fan blew air over a set of free reeds, causing them to vibrate. These vibrations were detected by a number of capacitive pickups, then the resulting electric signals were processed and amplified to create musical tones.^[13] Orgatron was manufactured by Everett Piano Company from 1935 to 1941. Following World War II and a business transfer, production resumed in 1945 by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company and continued into the early 1960s, including some models retaining the Everett name from 1945 to 1947.

Independently in Japan, a Yamaha engineer, Mr. Yamashita, invented the Magna Organ in 1935. It was a multi-timbral keyboard instrument based on electrically blown free reeds with pickups,^[14][15] similar to the electrostatic reed organ developed by Hoschke a year earlier.

In 1955 the German company Hohner also released two electrostatic reed organs: the Hohnerola and the Minetta, invented by Ernst Zacharias.^[16]

Electronic organs (1930s–)[edit]

HammondNovachord (1939)

On the other hand, the Hammond Novachord (1939) and other competitors selected 'subtractive synthesis' design using various combinations of oscillators, filters, and possibly frequency dividers, to reduce the huge amount of oscillators which was the bottleneck on 'additive synthesis' design. The heat generated by early models with vacuum tube tone generators and amplifiers led to the somewhat derogatory nickname 'toaster'. Today's solid-state instruments do not suffer from this problem, nor do they require the several minutes that vacuum tube organs needed to bring the filament heaters up to temperature.

Baldwin Electronic Organ, designed by Winston E. Kock.^[17]

Electronic organs were once popular home instruments, comparable in price to pianos and frequently sold in department stores. After their début in the 1930s, they captured the public imagination, largely through the film performances of Hammond organist Ethel Smith. Nevertheless, they initially suffered in sales during the Great Depression and World War II. After the war they became more widespread; for example, the Baldwin Piano Company introduced its first in 1946 (with 37 vacuum tubes).^[17] Following the adaptation of solid state electronics to organs in the late 1950s, the market for electronic organs began a fundamental change. Portable electronic keyboards became a regular feature of rock&roll music during the 1960s. They were also more convenient to move and store than were the large one-piece organs that had previously defined the market. By the late 1960s the home organ market was dying while the portable keyboard market was thriving.

Frequency divider organs (1930s–)[edit]

Schematics of Frequency divider organ using transformer-divider (In French)

Early electronic organ products released in the 1930s and 1940s were already implemented on frequency divider technology using vacuum tubes or transformer-dividers.

With the development of the transistor, electronic organs that used no mechanical parts to generate the waveforms became practical. The first of these was the frequency divider organ, the first of which used twelve oscillators to produce one octave of chromatic scale, and frequency dividers to produce other notes. These were even cheaper and more portable than the Hammond. Later developments made it possible to run an organ from a single radio frequency oscillator. Frequency divider organs were built by many companies, and were offered in kit form to be built by hobbyists. A few of these have seen notable use, such as the Lowrey played by Garth Hudson. Its electronic design made the Lowrey easily equipped with a pitch bend feature that is unavailable for the Hammond, and Hudson built a musical style around its use.

Console organs (1930s–)[edit]

A typical modern console organ (Johannus Sweelinck 35)

Console organs, large and expensive electronic organ models, resembled pipe organ consoles. These instruments had a more traditional configuration, including full-range manuals, a wider variety of stops, and a two-octave (or occasionally even a full 32-note) pedalboard easily playable by both feet in standard toe-and-heel fashion. (Console organs having 32-note pedalboards were sometimes known as 'concert organs.') Console models, like spinet and chord organs, had internal speakers mounted above the pedals. With their more traditional configuration, greater capabilities, and better performance compared to spinets, console organs were especially suitable for use in small churches, public performance, and even organ instruction. The home musician or student who first learned to play on a console model often found that he or she could later make the transition to a pipe organ in a church setting with relative ease. College music departments made console organs available as practice instruments for students, and church musicians would not uncommonly have them at home.

Home organs (1940s–)[edit]

During the period from the 1940s through approximately the 1970s, a variety of more modest self-contained electronic home organs from a variety of manufacturers were popular forms of home entertainment.^[18] These instruments were much influenced by the theatre organ in its style, and often these stops contained imitative voicings such as 'trumpet' and 'marimba'. In the 1950s–1970s, as technology progressed, they increasingly included automated features such as:

A full-featured home organ in 1981 (FarfisaPergamon)

• One-touch chords (Hammond S-6 Chord Organ in 1950)
• Glide (Lowrey organ in 1956^[19]) — pitch downs about a semitone by footswitch, to simulate a slide on Hawaiian guitar or trombone.^[19][20]
• Electronic rhythm (Wurlitzer Sideman in 1959)
• Built-in Leslie speaker (Lowrey Holiday Deluxe LSL in 1961,^[19] etc.)
• Automatic Orchestra Control (Lowrey organ in 1963^[19]) — turns a single note (on upper manual) into a full chord (designated on lower manual).^[21]
• Repeat percussion (Thomas Organ)
• Automatic walking bass (Gulbransen)
• Arpeggiator (Hammond organ,^[22] etc.)
• Autochord (Hammond Piper in 1970)

and even built-in tape players.^[19] These features made it easier to play complete, layered 'one-man band' arrangements, especially for people who had not trained as organists. The Lowrey line of home organs is the epitome of this type of instrument. While a few such instruments are still sold today, their popularity has waned greatly, and many of their functions have been incorporated into more modern and inexpensive portable keyboards.

• A typical home organ
  (Kimball Broadway)
• Wurlitzer Sideman (1957, rhythm machine, inside)
• Hammond Piper Autochord (1970)
• A Lowrey organ (high-end model)

Spinet organs (1949–)[edit]

A Typical Spinet organ (Hammond TR-200)
has two short manuals arranged with offset.

Spinet organ's pedalboard spanned only a single octave.

Following World War II, most electronic home organs were built in a configuration usually called a spinet organ, which first appeared in 1949. These compact and relatively inexpensive instruments became the natural successors to reed organs. They were marketed as competitors of home pianos and often aimed at would-be home organists who were already pianists (hence the name 'spinet', in the sense of a small upright piano). The instrument's design reflected this concept: the spinet organ physically resembled a piano, and it presented simplified controls and functions that were both less expensive to produce and less intimidating to learn. One feature of the spinet was automatic chord generation; with many models, the organist could produce an entire chord to accompany the melody merely by playing the tonic note, i.e., a single key, on a special section of the manual.

On spinet organs, the keyboards were typically at least an octave shorter than is normal for organs, with the upper manual (typically 44 notes, F3–C7 in Scientific Pitch Notation) omitting the bass, and the lower manual (typically F2–C6) omitting the treble. The manuals were usually offset, inviting but not requiring the new organist to dedicate the right hand to the upper manual and the left to the lower, rather than using both hands on a single manual. This seemed designed in part to encourage the pianist, who was accustomed to a single keyboard, to make use of both manuals. Stops on such instruments, relatively limited in number, were frequently named after orchestral instruments that they could, at best, only roughly approximate, and were often brightly colored (even more so than those of theatre organs). The spinet organ's loudspeakers, unlike the original Hammond models of the 1930s and 1940s, were housed within the main instrument (behind the kickboard), which saved even more space, although they produced a sound inferior to that of free-standing speakers.

The spinet organ's pedalboard normally spanned only a single octave, was often incapable of playing more than one note at a time, and was effectively playable only with the left foot (and on some models only with the left toes). These limitations, combined with the shortened manuals, made the spinet organ all but useless for performing or practicing classical organ music; but at the same time, it allowed the novice home organist to explore the challenge and flexibility of simultaneously playing three keyboards (two hands and one foot). The expression pedal was located to the right and either partly or fully recessed within the kickboard, thus conveniently reachable only with the right foot. This arrangement spawned a style of casual organist who would naturally rest the right foot on the expression pedal the entire time, unlike classically trained organists or performers on the earlier Hammonds. This position, in turn, instinctively encouraged pumping of the expression pedal while playing, especially if already accustomed to using a piano's sustain pedal to shape the music. Expressive pumping added a strong dynamic element to home organ music that much classical literature and hymnody lacked, and would help influence a new generation of popular keyboard artists.

Chord organs (1950–)[edit]

The first chord organ (1950 Hammond S-6). Array of buttons on left side are used to play chords.

Shortly after the debut of the spinet, the 'chord organ' appeared.^[23] This was an even simpler instrument designed for those who wanted to produce an organlike sound in the home without having to learn much organ (or even piano) playing technique. The typical chord organ had only a single manual that was usually an octave shorter than its already-abbreviated spinet counterpart. It also possessed scaled-down registration and no pedalboard. The left hand operated not a keyboard but an array of chord buttons adapted from those of an accordion.

The original Hammond chord organs in 1950 were electronic instruments using vacuum-tube technology. In 1958, Magnus Organ Corporation introduced chord organs similar to an electrically blown reed organ or harmonium.^[24]

Transistor organs (1957–)[edit]

Early transistor organ (Gulbransen)

Electronic organs before the mid-1950s had used vacuum tubes which tended to be bulky and unstable. This restricted attempts to extend features and spread their use into homes. Transistors, invented at Bell Labs in 1947, went into practical production in the 1950s, and their small size and stability led to major changes in the production of electronics equipment, in what has been termed the 'transistor revolution'.

In 1957, a home organ manufacturer, Gulbransen, introduced the world's first transistor organ, Model B (Model 1100). Although it used transistors for tone generation, vacuum tubes were still used for amplification.^[25] And in 1958, Rodgers built the first fully solid-state transistorized organ for church, called Opus 1 (Model 38).^[26] Other manufacturers followed.

Combo organs (1950s–)[edit]

A combo organ (Vox Continental) using transistors. It's light, compact and portable.

By the 1960s, electronic organs were ubiquitous in all genres of popular music, from Lawrence Welk to acid rock (e.g. The Doors, Iron Butterfly) to the Bob Dylan album Blonde on Blonde. In some cases, Hammonds were used, while others featured very small all-electronic instruments, only slightly larger than a modern digital keyboard, called combo organs. (Various portable organs made by Farfisa and Vox were especially popular, and remain so among retro-minded rock combos.) The 1970s, 1980s and 1990s saw increasing specialization: both the gospel and jazz scenes continued to make heavy use of Hammonds, while various styles of rock began to take advantage of increasingly complex electronic keyboard instruments, as large-scale integration and then digital technology began to enter the mainstream.

Synthesizer organs (1970s–)[edit]

Various synthesizer organs

• Eminent Solina C112s (c. 1974) with built-in ARP Explorer I synthesizer^[27]
• CMI Cordovox CDX-0652 (c.1974) with built-in Moog Satellite synthesizer
• Yamaha GX-1 (c.1975), an earliest polyphonic synthesizer.
• Don Lewis' LEO: (Live Electronic Orchestra)^[28](1977) using an earliest polyphonic keyboard by Armand Pascetta.^[29]

Digital organs (1971–)[edit]

Allen introduced the world's first digital organ (and first digital musical instrument commercial product) in 1971: the Allen Digital Computer Organ.^[30][31][32] This new technology was developed for use in home organs by North American Rockwell (project leader Ralph Deutsch) and licensed to Allen, which began using it for church organs. Allen later sued Rockwell and Deutsch, and gained sole rights to the digital computer organ technology.^[30]

An Eminent 310 organ was prominently featured on Jean Michel Jarre's albums Oxygène (1977) and Équinoxe (1978). The Solina String Ensemble was used extensively by pop, rock, jazz and disco artists, including Herbie Hancock, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder, The Carpenters, George Clinton, Eumir Deodato, The Rolling Stones, The Buggles, Rick James, George Harrison, and The Bee Gees.

In 1980, Rodgers introduced the first church organs controlled by microprocessors, partially based on research at the University of Bradford. The university's 'Bradford Computing Organ' has technological descendants in some European digital organs using synthesis technology today.

This style of instrument has also been popular with some classically trained concert organists preferring to avoid learning an unfamiliar pipe organ for every concert location, and wishing to perform in venues without pipe organs. Virgil Fox utilized a large Rodgers organ dubbed 'Black Beauty' during his Heavy Organ tour during the early 1970s. From 1977 until his death in 1980, he used a custom Allen electronic organ. Carlo Curley toured with a substantial Allen Organ in the US and with an Allen in the UK. Organist Hector Olivera has toured with a custom Rodgers instrument named 'The King,' and Cameron Carpenter has recently begun touring with a custom 5-manual digital organ by Marshall & Ogletree.^[33]

Modern digital organs (1980s–)[edit]

A modern electronic organ (YamahaElectone STAGEA ELS-01). Though it resembles a 1950s spinet organ in appearance, its digital tone generators and synthesis modules can imitate hundreds of instruments.

A modern digital combo organ using DSP technology (Nord Electro 2).

Electronic organs are still made for the home market, but they have been largely replaced by the digital keyboard or synthesizer which is smaller and cheaper than typical electronic organs or traditional pianos. Modern digital organs offer features not found in traditional pipe organs, such as orchestral and percussion sounds, a choice of historical pitch standards and temperaments, and advanced console aids.

Digital organs incorporate real-time tone generation based on sampling or synthesis technologies, and may include MIDI, and Internet connectivity for downloading music data and instructional materials to USB flash drive or media card storage. While much more complex than their predecessors, their basic appearance makes them instantly recognizable.

The best digital organs of the 2000s incorporate these technical features:

DSP technology

In 1990, Rodgers introduced software-based digital church organs with technology which connected multiple Digital Signal Processors (DSP) in parallel to generate pipe organ sound with stereo imaging. Sounds in other digital organs are derived from DSPs in either a sampled or synthesis type generation system. Sampled technologies use sounds recorded from various ranks of pipe organs. In synthesis systems, the wave shape is created by tone generators instead of using a sound sample. Both systems generate organ tones, sometimes in stereo in better systems, rather than simply playing recorded tones as a simple digital keyboard sampler might do. Marketed by Eminent, Wyvern, Copeman Hart, Cantor, and Van der Pole in Europe, synthesis organs may use circuitry purchased from Musicom, an English supply company. In the digital organ category, synthesis-based systems are rarely seen outside of Europe.

Sampling

Digital sampling circuitry of the Johannus model 370 organ (built in 2015), producing the equivalent of 73 ranks with 4 temperaments.

Typical speaker array in a modern digital organ with high-power subwoofers.

Many digital organs use high-quality samples to produce an accurate sound. Sampled systems may have samples of organ pipe sound for each individual note, or may use only one or a few samples which are then frequency-shifted to generate the equivalent of a 61-note pipe rank. Some digital organs like Walker Technical and the very costly Marshall & Ogletree organs use longer samples for additional realism, rather than having to repeat shorter samples in their generation of sound. Sampling in 2000s-era organs is typically done with 24-bit or 32-bit resolution, at a higher rate than the 44.1 kHz of CD-quality audio having 16-bit resolution.

Surround sound

On most digital organs, several audio channels are used to create a more spacious sound. Higher-quality digital organ builders use custom audio and speaker systems and may provide from 8 to 32 or more independent channels of audio, depending on the size of the organ and the budget for the instrument. With dedicated high-power subwoofers for the lowest frequencies, digital organs can approach the physical sensation of a pipe organ.

Pipe organ simulations

To better simulate pipe organs, some digital organs emulate changes of windchest pressure caused by the air pressure dropping slightly when many notes are sounding simultaneously, which changes the sound of all the pipes.

Digital organs may also incorporate simulated models of swell boxes which mimic the environmental effects on pipes, pipe chest valve release, and other pipe organ characteristics. These effects can be included in the sound of modern digital organs to create more realistic pipe organ tone.

Digital pipe sound can include sampled or modeled room acoustics. Rodgers uses binaural and transaural processing to create real-time acoustic models, and Allen also uses room acoustics as part of the sound generation.

Software organs (1990s–)[edit]

A software organ system

The data processing power of PCs has made personal organs more affordable. Software applications can store digital pipe sound samples and combine them in real time in response to input from one or more MIDI controllers. Examples are Hauptwerk, MyOrgan, GrandOrgue, jOrgan, Aeolus, SCPOP, and Miditzer which emulates a Wurlitzertheatre organ. These tools can be used to assemble home-built organs that can rival the sound quality of commercially built digital organs at a relatively low cost.^[34]

In churches[edit]

Pipe-electronic hybrid organs (1930s–)[edit]

Early combinations of pipe organs and electronic technology (including the electronic tone generators, at later) were developed in the 1930s.^[35][36] Custom electronic organ consoles occasionally replace aging pipe consoles, updating the electrical control system for the pipes as well as adding electronic voices to the organ. Even large pipe organs are often supplemented with electronic voices for the deepest bass tones that would otherwise require 16- to 32-foot pipes.

For hybrid organs that combine pipes and electronic sounds, pipes change their pitch with environmental changes, but electronic voices do not follow by default. The frequency of sound produced by an organ pipe depends on its geometry and the speed of sound in the air within it. These change slightly with temperature and humidity, so the pitch of an organ pipe will change slightly as the environment changes. The pitch of the electronic portion of a hybrid instrument must be re-tuned as needed. The simplest method is a manual control that the organist can adjust, but some recent digital models can make such adjustments automatically.

Electronic church organs (1939–)[edit]

The first full electronic church organ was built in 1939 by Jerome Markowitz, founder of the Allen Organ Company, who had worked for years to perfect the replication of pipe organ sound through the use of oscillator circuitry based on radio tubes. In 1958, Rodgers Organ Company built the first solid-state, transistorized church organ, its three-manual Opus 1.

In contrast to frequency divider circuitry with only a few independent pitch sources, quality electronic church organs have at least one oscillator per note and often additional sets to create a superior ensemble effect. For instance, Rodgers Opus 1 featured eight sets of transistorized pitch generators. Even today, digital organs use software-based digital oscillators to create large numbers of independent pitch and tone sources to better simulate the effect of a large pipe organ.

Digital church organs (1971–)[edit]

2006 Johannus 'Rembrandt,' an example of a large digital organ

Digital church organs are designed as pipe organ replacements or as digital consoles to play existing pipes. They have largely displaced the pipe organ for churches that use an organ for musical accompaniment. The differences in sound timbre between piped and digital instruments are debated, but modern digital organs are less expensive and much more space efficient.

Digital organs are a viable alternative for churches that may have a pipe organ and can no longer afford to maintain it. Some pipe organs, on the other hand, might be playable without major rebuilding for many decades. However the high initial cost, and longer lead time to design, build, and 'voice' pipe organs has limited their production. Another reason that all-digital and pipe/digital hybrid organs now significantly outsell pipe organs is the dwindling number of pipe organ dealers. Many churches are hundreds of miles from dealers capable of selling, installing and servicing pipe organs.

Most new digital church organs synthesize sounds from recorded pipe samples, although some including Eminent model the pipe sound by additive synthesis. Modelling the sound is done by a professional organ 'voicer', who finishes the organ in its location, much like the process of regulating and voicing a pipe organ. These organs also use very high-quality custom-designed audio systems. The builders of both custom and factory digital church organs include the firms of Ahlborn-Galanti, Allen, Eminent, Johannus, Makin, Rodgers, Viscount, and Wyvern.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'The Robb Wave Organ'. Canada Science and Technology Museum.
2. ^Murphy, Michael; Cotter, Max (September 2015). 'Frank Morse Robb's Wave Organ - The world's first electronic organ'. eContact!. Montréal: Canadian Electroacoustic Community (CEC). 17 (3). Figure 1. A surviving Robb Wave Organ located at the National Music Centre.
3. ^'Pipeless Organ Turns Electricity Into Music'. Popular Mechanics (September 1931): 374. — article on Rangertone, an early all-electric tonewheel organ between Telharmonium and Hammond organ
4. ^Bush, Douglas Earl; Kassel, Richard (2006). The Organ: An Encyclopedia. Routledge Chapman & Hall. p. 168. ISBN978-0-415-94174-7.
5. ^US patent 1956350, Laurens Hammond, 'Electrical Musical Instrument', issued 1934-04-24
6. ^Corbin, Alfred (2006). The Third Element: A Brief History of Electronics. AuthorHouse. p. 151. ISBN978-1-4678-1338-9.
7. ^Brown, J. J. (1967). The Inventors. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Limited. pp. 121–123.
8. ^'Electric Pipeless Organ Has Millions of Tones'. Popular Mechanics (April 1936): 569. — article on Hammond organ
9. ^Frank Pugno. 'Wurlitzer Organs'. VintageHammond.com.
10. ^'The Everett Orgatron'. The American Organist. American Guild of Organists (July 2009).
11. ^Richard Kassel (2006). Douglas Earl Bush; Richard Kassel (eds.). The organ: an encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 168. ISBN978-0-415-94174-7.
12. ^Miessner, Benjamin F. (Miessner Inventions, Inc) (1936). 'Electronic Music and Instruments'. Proceedings of the Institute of Radio Engineers. 24 (11): 1427–1463.CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
13. ^Eric Larson. 'Wurlitzer Electrostatic Organs'.
14. ^'一時代を畫する新樂器完成 濱松の靑年技師山下氏' [An epoch new musical instrument was developed by a young engineer Mr.Yamashita in Hamamatsu]. Hochi Shimbun (in Japanese). 1935-06-08.
15. ^新電氣樂器　マグナオルガンの御紹介 [New Electric Musical Instrument – Introduction of Magna Organ] (in Japanese). Hamamatsu: 日本樂器製造株式會社 (Yamaha). October 1935. 特許第一〇八六六四号, 同　第一一〇〇六八号, 同　第一一一二一六号
16. ^Swoboda, Andreas (September 2015). 'Die ersten Blassynthesizer und ihre Vorgänger'. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
17. ^ ^abHome electronic organ models usually attempted to imitate the sounds of theatre organs and/or Hammonds, rather than classical organs.Hans-Joachim Braun. 'Music Engineers. The Remarkable Career of Winston E. Knock, Electronic Organ Designer and NASA Chief of Electronics'(PDF). 2004 IEEE Conference on the History of Electronics. IEEE.
18. ^All About Electronic & Electric Musical Instruments (in Japanese). Seibundō ShinkōSha. 1966. ASINB000JAAXH6, 電子楽器と電気楽器のすべて. — guidebook for various electronic organs manufactured or imported in 1960s Japan
19. ^ ^abcdeFrank Pugno; Bil Curry (2005-11-03). 'Lowrey Organs'. Electronic Organs (theatreorgans.com/hammond/keng/kenhtml/electronicorgans.htm). VintageHammond.Com.
    'In 1956, the Glide, a foot switch located on the left side of the expression pedal, was introduced, permitting the effects of a Hawaiian guitar “glide”, the smear of a trombone, the glissando of singing strings and the effect of a calliope. The Glide dropped the pitch of the organ about a semi-tone and cancelled the vibrato. / In 1961, Lowrey’s first home organ with a built-in Leslie speaker appeared as the Holiday Deluxe Model LSL. Automatic Orchestra Control, later renamed Automatic Organ Computer, came on the scene in 1963. / In 1969, Lowrey introduced the first built-in cassette player, a feature later abandoned by all manufacturers. / Fig. 2 – Holiday Deluxe Model LSL'
20. ^Rickytic3 (2011-01-19). Your cheatin heart with the glide pedal.wmv (video). YouTube. — an example of play with glide pedal on Lowrey Regency Organ.
21. ^Organaut (2011-03-04). ORLA Grande Theatre European (Klaus Wunderlich / German Sounds) registrations Set 1 (video). YouTube. Event occurs at 3'–34'. Retrieved 2018-05-25. — an example of play with ORLA Magic Chord (OMC) originated from Lowrey's Automatic Orchestral Control (AOC).
22. ^US patent 3,358,070, Young, Alan C., 'Electronic Organ Arpeggio Effect', issued 1967-12-12, assigned to Hammond Corporation
23. ^'Laurens Hammond'. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2014. His later inventions included ... the chord organ (1950), on which chords are produced simply by touching a panel button.
24. ^''Play by Numbers' Organ Hottest Musical Merchandise'. Billboard. May 11, 1959. p. 1.
25. ^'The Gulbransen Organ'. TheatreOrgans.com. May 2006.
26. ^'Highlights of Rodgers Instruments History'. Rodgers Instruments Corporation. Archived from the original on 2011-12-03.
27. ^'Three Solina Explorer I front panels with rare ARP boards'. MatrixSynth.com. 2013-12-15.
    'Up for sale are 3 Solina (ARP) Explorer I front panels. They are part of the very rare Solina C112S organ. ...'.
    See also images: Image 1 shows front panel with three logos: 'Solina', 'ARP', and 'EXPLORER I '. Image 6 shows a circuit board with printed pattern logo 'ARP' and texts 'MADE IN U.S.A', '(c) 1975 ARP INST'.
28. ^Vail, Mark. 'LEO, the Live Electronic Orchestra-Pre-MIDI Multitimbral Synth System'. VintageGear. Keyboard.
29. ^'The Armand Pascetta Keyboard'. Keyboard. Vol. 32 no. 5. May 2006. p. 68.; Abstract can be read on: 'ebscohost.com'.
30. ^ ^ab'Allen Organ Company', fundinguniverse.com
31. ^Peter Manning (1993). Computer and Electronic Music. Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN0-19-311918-8. The first software digital instrument, MUSIC was developed by Max Mathews in 1957 at Bell Labs, although it was not a real-time system.
32. ^Graham Hinton (2002). 'EMS: The Inside Story - The Non-Products'. The first digital sampler instrument may be implemented on EMS Musys (programming language) c. 1969, or EMS DOB (Digital Oscillator Bank) c. 1972.
33. ^'Cameron Carpenter Performs on His Touring Instrument'. The New York Times. March 10, 2014.
34. ^Images of Hauptwerk consoles, PCorgan.com; Hauptwerk's customer set-ups. For example, Canadian organ builder Artisan Classic Organ has a division called Classic Organ Works for supplying their parts to other builders and hobbyists. Many hobbyists build their own organs using PC software and additional hardware parts (e.g. manuals, pedalboard, touchscreen for stop control, studio quality monitors and subwoofer).
35. ^Hugh Davies (2006). 'Electronic Organ'. In Douglas Earl Bush; Richard Kassel (eds.). The Organ: An Encyclopedia. Psychology Press. p. 167. Other inventions included Abbé Pujet's electroacoustic Orgue Radiosynthétique (1934, with thepipes enclosed in three chambers, each amplified by a microphone and loudspeaker);
36. ^'Un Orgue Radio-Synthétique'. L'Illustration (in French). Paris. 1934-05-05.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Electronic organs.

• Schober From the 1950s to the 1970s, Schober produced a popular line of build-your-own organ kits. Models ranged from spinets up through AGO consoles.
• Download MP3 files of a Makin digital organ, currently at Hammerwood Park in Sussex after serving a dozen years at Londonderry Cathedral, where visitors had said it was 'remarkably effective'. This has now been enlarged to 5 manuals using further electronic organ units known as 'expanders', often used to enhance pipe organs, made by Content in the Netherlands and Ahlborn in Italy.
• Electronic organ manufacturers at Curlie

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Electric_organ&oldid=897817122'

Check out the new CP73 and CP88 stage pianos.By Blake Angelos

A stage piano that sounds great and feels great is important to every pianist and keyboardist. The modern keyboard player also needs to bring studio production elements to the stage. This makes access to key sound shaping controls an equally important part of the instrument. Over the past several months I’ve been playing the new CP88 and just finished a long session with the CP73. It has been a great experience because all the aforementioned attributes of great sound, great feel and great UI have been met! There is something about playing an instrument that looks really good too, and the CP88 and CP73 just look cool. If you’ve ever owned something that you sometimes look at it and think “wow…that is so cool”…That is what it’s like for me and the new CP!
In this article I’ll point out new features and discuss why they are cool and how they can be used in musical situations. If along the way it seems like I’m gushing, it’s because I am, and I’ve only been able to express those feelings to my colleagues until now. In fact, while writing this article my boss said this: “Capture the feelings you express to me every time we talk on the phone about CP”. Now I get to share what I love about the CP88 and CP73 Stage Pianos with you. This won’t be a complete overview of every sound, feature and parameter: I will call out sounds and features I find particularly good. If you’d like to check out the detailed specs go here to the CP product page on the Yamaha website.
Here is a quick summary of what’s new:

• Direct Sound Control
• Authentic Grand, Upright and Electric Pianos
• Two Actions for Two Types of Players
  • CP88: New 88-key Graded Hammer, Natural Wood Action with Synthetic Ivory and Ebony Keytops and GH3 Triple Sensor
  • CP73: New 73-key Balanced Hammer Action
• Sound Expandability
• Cool Design
• Comprehensive Connectivity
• Soundmondo Compatibility
• Comprehensive 4-Zone MIDI Controller
• Cool Cases

Direct Sound Control

The user interface on the new CP88 and CP73 Stage Pianos make it easy for you to control important musical sounds and effects during live performance. One of the best things about the new CP stage pianos is this: you can look at the front panel and figure out how it works! The ONLY difference between the CP73 and CP88 lies in the size and type of keyboard action (more on that below). The user interface and internal sounds are identical.

Sounds on the CP73 and CP88 Stage Pianos are divided into three Voice Sections--Piano, E. Piano and Sub—with a Master Effect Section where you apply Delay, Reverb and Master EQ to the sound. Note that all the Sections have a similar configuration in the black outlined area. This is where you select Voice Categories, Voices, L/R Split, Octave +/-, Volume and Tone. Each section has a switch at the bottom to turn it on and off. Different Insertion Effect options lie to the right of each Voice Category select area.
I’ve had the opportunity to play the CP88 for a while now and the experience has been wonderful. The instrument just sounds amazing, feels great and it's easy to interact and adjust the sound. The cool aviation-style Section switches, the knobs with LEDs that show position and the color-coded rocker switches feel really solid and give you confidence that you are playing a high-quality instrument designed to last.

Once you set up your sound, you can instantly recall it with the Live Set. Conveniently located to the left of the Voice Sections, Live Set gives you 20 banks of 8 Live Set locations for instant recall of Voice Section settings, Master Effect set ups, layers, splits and MIDI controller set ups. Best of all when you move between Live Sets the sounds won’t cutoff because CP88 and CP73 support Seamless Sound Switching.
So, you get this great one-to-one interface that you can instantly interact with and evolve your sound, and when you get it exactly where you want it you can save as a Live Set for instant recall. It’s just a great UI; it’s very wide (one knob/button/switch usually does one thing) and not very deep (not many confusing and distracting menu dives).

Authentic Grand, Upright and Electric Pianos

Piano Section Highlights

The Piano Section sounds are divided into 4 Categories: Grand Piano, Upright Piano, CP (Electric Grand) and Layered Piano. Select a Category and use the Voice Select Switch to choose sounds under that Category. The effects in the Piano Section give you some nice options for live and recording situations and give you some cool options like distortion and drive. I love having the compressor in there to even out the dynamics a bit during recording or in a live situation, and the chorus effect is a must-have for a CP80 sound. Lastly, the ability to play with or without Damper Resonance is especially useful during recording sessions, where a purer, less resonant piano sound is sometimes easier to mix in with other instruments. Here are some of my favorites in the Piano Section:

CFX 9’ Concert Collection Grand Piano The new CFX is amazing. Yamaha describes the CFX 9’ Concert Collection Grand Piano thusly: “The nine-foot CFX is a full sized concert grand piano characterized by a wide palette of tonal colors and the ability to create the most subtle expressive nuances. The CFX can project over the sound of a symphony orchestra, even in very large halls. The crowning glory of the Yamaha line, today's CFX concert grand incorporates numerous refinements in performance, appearance and safety, elevating this revered instrument to an even higher standard of excellence.”
To me that “ability to create the most expressive nuances” is what I love about the actual CFX concert grand and that aesthetic is wonderfully reproduced in the CP88 and CP73. You can play very softly and the instrument will respond accordingly. Individual notes have a singing quality due to the strong fundamental tone of the instrument, and when you play complex chords you can really hear each individual note ring. As you play louder the sound smoothly opens up and ultimately delivers that remarkable projection and dynamic range associated with the CFX concert grand. Its great in a band, great as a solo instrument…It’s just a great piano!
Bösendorfer Concert Grand 290 Imperial: A totally different yet equally impressive concert grand piano is the legendary Bösendorfer Concert Grand 290 Imperial. The actual instrument features a C-to-C 8 octave range. Those 8 additional notes at the bottom of the 290 provide a deep and resonant bass tone that rings out, and that deep and resonant character permeates the overall sound.
When you need a darker, more resonant piano sound the Bösendorfer 290 Imperial will satisfy. There is an enveloping quality that sounds great when accompanying solo vocalists or instrumentalists and a cinematic quality when used with the reverb and delay effects. Notes have a wonderful “bloom” to them.
S700 Concert Grand Piano: Back in 2005 the S90ES Synthesizer was introduced, and that instrument included a meticulously sampled Yamaha S700 7’6” Grand Piano, a very limited run piano built in the early 1990s and renowned for its precise tone and expressiveness. The S90ES became a staple for session musicians around the world and showed up on tour and recording session riders because of the MOTIF sound and that S700 piano (The S90ES Voice “Natural S” used the S700 waveform). For this reason, a completely updated and revoiced version of the S700 piano from the S90ES is included in the CP73 and CP88 stage pianos. This piano has a similar vibe to the CFX but has a little less resonance due to the smaller soundboard. It is a particularly nice piano in a band or in a recording because the sounds blend so well with other instruments. I think that is one of the major reasons musicians dig the S700.
U1 Upright Piano: I just love the character of this piano and when played through studio monitors or headphones the visceral organic quality will hit you. I have played this piano through a large PA and the people listening made a point of saying things like “that sounded so real it was spooky” or “I could feel that sound in my chest”. I think this is because it is not a perfect, pristine U1. The sound design team put it this way: “We intentionally wanted the piano to be out of tune, like a normal piano in a home or a studio where it’s been a few months since the last tuning so that there was a different character to it than the usual perfectly tuned sample sets.” That quality makes the new U1 sound in the CP88 and CP73 really fun to play.

Electric Piano Section Highlights

The new selection of electric tine and reed pianos deliver the right sound for lots of musical genres. They are very dynamic and expressive. A satisfying punch is added by engaging DRIVE and adjusting the depth to taste…in fact I almost always leave DRIVE on with the Depth turned all the way down and increase it when needed...I jus love the added warmth and punch just having it 'On' imparts. The VCM effects cover the classic stomp-box style effects nicely along with a few esoteric ones like Ring Modulation and a choice of three very different and useable Phaser types:

7
8Rd: This electric piano has the most modern sound. It’s has the most “tine” ring, is really dynamic and sounds great with the DRIVE on and set to your taste! It also sounds amazing with the Wah insertion effect. Definitely useful in funk, fusion and modern pop/rock/R&B.

75Rd Funky: Our sound designers put the word “Funky” there for a reason. This electric piano Voice really barks at high velocities! I absolutely love playing this with a lot of drive with the Compressor insertion effect. 75Rd Funky effectively delivers the sound of early 70s jazz/funk and beyond.
73Rd: The mellowest of the three, with that early felt hammer sound of the first-generation electric pianos from the mid-60s. For ballads, jazz trio tunes, mellow R&B the 73Rd excels, but when you thicken it up with additional DRIVE and try out a few effects (like the R. Mod (Ring Modulator effect) I find this electric piano Voice works in MANY musical genres.
Wr Warm: The Wr Warm electric piano has the classic first-generation reed piano sound. I love the wide dynamic range and the beautiful tone. It’s like playing a warm blanket. I use the Tremolo effect (Trem) for that soulful and authentic sound.
Wr Bright: When the tempo picks up and I’m playing in a band I would play this Voice. This has the later generation reed piano sound and sounds great with DRIVE and the Compressor Insertion Effect. It also sounds great with the Phaser effects (Pha 1/2/3).

Sub Section

Pads, strings, basses, brass, leads, organs…That’s what the Sub Section is all about. Because this Section is often used for synth pad layers behind an acoustic or electric piano basic Attack and Release envelope controls are here to fine tune your sound. If you want to split the keyboard and play left hand bass you’ll find acoustic, electric and synth basses in the Sub Section. And a decent selection of tone wheel, combo and pipe organ are here along with a rotary speaker effect controllable with the modulation slider:

Master Section

On the far right of the front panel is the Master Section with Delay, Reverb and Master EQ:

In the Delay Section you have a choice of Analog Delay (like an old tape style delay) and Digital Delay along with simple controls for effect Depth, Feedback and Time. The Reverb Section gives you control over reverb Depth and Time. A nice feature is the Effect Level Display Button which allows you to toggle each Section independently or all Sections by pressing the button a few times (The LED next to the Section name illuminates when selected; when they are all illumintated all Sections are selected). This allows you to have independent send levels per Section, so a Piano Part and Sub Part can have different delay or reverb amounts.
I love the things you can do with this simple feature, especially with the Digital Delay effect. You can create cool looping textures by setting the Depth, Feedback and Time controls to maximum for one Section and to minimum for a second Section. You can then play over the delayed looping Section with the second Section. It is an easy-to-use and cool musical effect.

Section Tip!

Here’s something cool: Say you want to take an acoustic piano like the CFX and apply the “R. Mod” effect found in the Electric Piano Section to that sound? Can that be done? Can ANY sound appear in ANY section? The answer is yes! There is a mode called “Advanced Mode” that can be engaged making this possible. I have created a few Live Sets that feature creative ways to use Advanced Mode that I’ll share on Soundmondo exploring this feature.

Two Actions for Two Types of Players

The very first time you touch a keyboard is an important moment. For a pianist or keyboardist that moment can be summarized with the following words: “Wow”, “Nice” or “It’s ok”. That first impression makes all the difference. Yamaha has over 100 years of experience building world-class acoustic piano actions for the most discerning pianists in the world, and that history is behind the actions in the CP88 and CP73 stage pianos.

CP88: New 88-key Graded Hammer, Natural Wood Action with Synthetic Ivory and Ebony Keytops and GH3 Triple Sensor

I will never forget the first time I played this new CP88 action…that moment was a “WOW” moment. This new action is really designed for a pianist. It feels remarkably stable and solid, is nicely weighted, and the synthetic ivory and ebony keytops feel great under your fingertips. The additional GH3 sensor makes a big difference to a pianist because it simulates the physical behavior of a grand piano action, where a note can be re-struck before the key returns to the top of a keystroke. The bottom line: A pianist will be able to pull off difficult passages easier with the CP88.

CP73: New 73-key Balanced Hammer Action

Having just spent a full day playing the CP73 a few things come to mind. The new Balanced Hammer Action is fast, solid, a bit lighter than the Natural Wood Action, expressive and really playable. It feels very close to the MONTAGE 8 action just with 73 keys. I love how this action feels with the Electric Pianos, but it is great across the board. The size of the 73 is what is striking: Compact, yet totally playable and perfect for gigs on small stages and if you have small car it will fit!

A final word on the two models: You may be wondering…which one is right for you? I can tell you that I will have both! There are times where each model will be useful. For solo piano or jazz piano trio gigs I prefer the CP88 and at 41 lbs. (18.6 kg) it’s still surprisingly light. However, for gigs where space is an issue or where I have to walk for a bit to get to a stage (like at a resort, or a big church) the CP73 is ideal at 28 lbs, 14 oz (13.1 kg).

Sound Expandability

A new feature for the CP88 and CP73 stage pianos is built-in Flash memory. Yamaha will release regular OS updates that add new sounds to the flash memory. To introduce this new feature CP OS v1.1 will be available when for you when you get your new CP home! There are some great instrument additions in CP OS v1.1 :
Yamaha C7 7’6” Grand Piano: The Yamaha C7 Grand Piano is one of the most recorded pianos in the world. The new C7 added with CP OS v1.1 has a huge dynamic range, powerful high end and a wonderfully expressive and present sound when played softly. And excellent choice for a live performance with a band, and at the upper velocity the powerful fortissimo bite will really appeal to gospel and R&B players. I really love this piano.
67Rd “Dark” and “Bright”: Imagine if you could play a meticulously maintained, 100% authentic “silver top” tine piano from 1967. The 67Rd added with CP OS v1.1 comes from a legendary tine piano favored by artists and session musicians in Los Angeles. It has a lot of character and our sound design team created Dark and Bright versions by adjusting the tines on the original instrument during the recording process. This is something that owners of the real thing understand…and to be honest don’t miss. I spent hours in my youth adjusting (and replacing) tines attempting to achieve the sound the 67Rd delivers.
Wr Wide: Scott Plunkett is a legendary sound designer for Yamaha and a seasoned session and touring keyboardist with credits like Boz Skaggs, Don Henley and Stevie Nicks. He meticulously sampled his classic reed piano for the “Wr Wide” electric piano sound added with CP OS v1.1 . The “Wide” modifier speaks to the wide dynamic range and expressive quality. With the Tremolo effect (Trem) the soulful, haunting quality of Wr Wide makes this an ultra-satisfying sound to play.
Stay tuned! More updates and more sounds for your CP73 and CP88 will be coming in subsequent CP OS updates!

Cool Design

I’ll never forget the first time I opened the CP88 box and had a look. “Yeah...This is COOL” That’s was my feeling. The knobs, the cool metal section switches, the LEDs around the knobs…GREAT design. There are little things you might not initially notice. Check out the three sections: YELLOW rocker switch for Piano, RED for Electric Piano, GREEN for Sub…but did you notice that the LED indicator and the line on the Category Selection Knob matches the color? And the CP logo…Did you notice that is a single line that writes out “CP”? This is a hip design. Those little details are super cool. The instrument just looks super cool. But looks aren’t everything.
The new aluminum chassis is strong, lightweight and professional. The pitch bend and modulation sliders are totally useable and sit in a perfect spot at a nice 45-degree angle for comfort. The intuitive one-to-one user interface gives you great real time control optionsl, but not too much to distract from making music. That is a crucial point. Too much control becomes a distraction; to little becomes an encumbrance. The CP88 and CP73 feel just right. It's a fantastic design.

Comprehensive Connectivity

Outputs: On the back of the CP88 and CP73 you’ll see some nice connection options. XLR outputs mean you don’t need a direct box to connect to a sound system. The line-level ¼” instrument outputs allow you to connect to your own system or to a personal monitor system. And the TRS stereo headphone jack is conveniently located on the far right so it’s easy to find and control that pesky headphone cable.
Inputs: The ¼” line-level inputs allow you to connect another keyboard to the CP88 and CP73 and you can set the input gain with the small gain knob located right next to the inputs. This allows you to sum the sound of the second keyboard to the CP audio out for a single stereo connection.
Computer Connectivity: A cool feature is the onboard USB MIDI and audio interface. A single cable allows you to connect to Mac/PC for both MIDI and 2x2 digital audio. It is a simple and straight-forward connection that speeds up the recording process in the studio. For musicians who use laptops and virtual instruments for live performance this feature allows you to leave that audio interface at home: The single cable connects to the computer and whatever virtual instrument host you use.
iOS Connectivity: With a USB cable and an Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adaptor (LUCA) you can connect to an iOS device and pass both MIDI and audio. This opens up a plethora of iOS recording apps and virtual instruments. When it’s time to take a break on a gig you can play your own break music from your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

Soundmondo Compatibility

Speaking of Connectivity, the CP88 and CP73 Stage Pianos join reface, MONTAGE and MODX on Soundmondo, the free Social Sound Sharing site. You’ll be able to download Live Sets from other CP owners and artists, upload your own to share with the community and organize your Live Sets for gigs, sessions or just for fun. I find Soundmondo a great resource when I am looking for a sound for inspiration. Another Soundmondo User’s creation can be exactly the sound I’m looking for. Soundmondo is accessed via the free iOS app seen above or with the Google Chrome browser on Mac or PC.

4-Zone MIDI Controller

The CP88 and CP73 stage pianos work great as MIDI Controllers. Just activate a Zone (4 Zones Per Live Set) and you can decide MIDI Channels, MSB/LSB/Program Change, volume, pan and determine controls like pitch bend, sustain, expression, etc., will be transmitted or not.

Cool Cases

I hesitate to call the CP88 and CP73 cases “gig bags” because they are so much more. First and most important they provide lots of cushion to protect the instrument, and the interior is super plush (we joke that you’ll be tempted to sleep in it). The zippers are high-quality, and the exterior pockets have lots of room for pedals, cables, music, etc. Both cases have nice roller blade style wheels that are wide set for stability and the strong quilted exterior looks great with that cool single-line CP logo stitched on the front. It’s a great case that is well made, provides solid protection, has lots of room for accessories and looks great!
The Stage Piano Reimagined
I think you can tell I love the new CP88 and CP73 stage pianos.
At first CP88 especially grabbed me. The new action is remarkably precise, stable, solid and just wonderfully matches the sound. Then I spent that full day playing the CP73. There is something just captivating about the smaller size and lighter action. On a tiny stage, or a situation where you have to take a subway or walk awhile to get to a gig the CP73 size and weight will be a blessing. Either way, the cases will make the job easier because the design is great, and the wheels are rugged.
The new control you have over the sound makes this instrument fun to play as well. I love being able to instantly control delay times, effect depth, tone, reverb send, etc., at the turn of knob or flick of a switch and NOT with a menu dive. It allows me to stay focused on the music.
Finally, I have to comment once more about the sound quality. Our sound designers did a wonderful job on both the acoustic and electric pianos. The sound is detailed and expressive with new levels of fullness and playability. When you need to cut through a mix with punch and power there are impressive sounds capable of delivering just that. And the CP OS updates are wonderful. CP OS v1.1 rocks: I LOVE the C7 for its expressiveness and power, the vintage authenticity of the Rd67 and the expressive soulful quality of the Wr Wide sound. This is a great new feature.
Everyone who has had a chance to see and play them feels the same way I do, and I think you will too. As soon as you can make sure you go and check out the Yamaha CP88 and CP73 stage pianos.
Make sure you check back here at YamahaSynth.com for lots of cool stuff coming next week during NAMM 2019!
Want to share your thoughts/comments? Join the conversation on the Forum here.