Piano World Home Page Forums Other Keyboard Instruments Organs - Electronic (B3 etc.), Pipe, Theatre, & Reed Weighted keys for organ?

Hello there!
I recently installed GrandOrgue on my pc. I instantly fell in love with it, no wonder as i've always loved pipeorgan's sound.. Well, who would not?

I'm playing Kawai ES-100 on midi. The question is, can i play and advance as organist on the DP's graded hammer action? I couldn't afford for another instrument anytime soon..

I'm playing bassline on the lefthand, while right hand is reserved for melody and chords. Is that somewhat best i can do without pedals? Hope i'll find a cheap set of them..

Also, feel free to recommend free organsimulators and samplesets.

Thank you!

Hello from Athens, Greece!

It's all matter of personal taste about the feel, BUT if you want to master the organ playing technic you have to use a waterfall action keyboard. I'm not a guru and not eve a good organ/piano player, but you will find out that playing the organ passages, glissandos, open-hand percussion and related styles is not something you can do with ease in a hammer/piano action keyboard, because of the fast action keyboard that is needed and you will probably hurt your hands/fingers if you try to do some classic hammond playing.

When comes to bass pedals, it's another planet, so you will have to study a lot so as to think simultaneously 3 things to play (left, right hand, foot bass), so I can't tell a lot about. I've tried some times with a bass pedal but I didn't like it because I had to sacrifice a lot of thinking, while I'm not a pro player, even with only the two hands. Bass on the lefthand is the standard if you don't have bass pedals or real bass player. If you do, the left hand is usually combying the chords while the right will be available for melodies or solos.

The ES100 is an excellent piano action for the price, I've recently bought it for home studying, but when it comes to organ, I always prefer playing and recording a semi or synth action controller/keyboard like my semi Kurzweil sp4-7 synth or a synth-action Studiologic SL161 controller.
For a live use, you can do the basics with the ES100 with an organ sound, but for studying I would avoid lot of hours playing.
You can buy a good 61keys midi controller for organ just for some bucks. The cheapest one for me would be the M-audio Oxygen 61 Mk4, which also has 9 faders for hammond drawbars control or a swissonic, but I would definitely avoid the keystation, Nektar, alesis cause of the semi piano-like keys that may lead to hurting your hands/finger if doing glissandos.

For a free organ VSTs, you can read the following review:
http://blog.wavosaur.com/7-free-vsts-for-hammond-b3-emulation/
I can recommend the AZR3 as a good one, even comparing it with the NI B4 or the NI Vintage Organs that costs a lot of money.

I hope I have guidance you with the basics, I'm available for any further questions and conversation and I'm sorry for my poor English. ;-)

Hi,
Thank you for informative reply!

I didn't even think of a midi controller before. I have to take a look at them, one 61 or two 49 midi keys mounted together would be really nice. I don't need but good keys, no need for knobs or even internal sounds. For now it will be the Kawai..

As of bass pedals, i decided i'll build them myself to save a load of money. I think i'll be able to connect it with an old wireless pc keyboard inside , i'm pretty sure it can be done. Anyways, i'm only playing for my own pleasure so i just need it to connect to my pc. At the moment, i'm trying to decide measures for them pedals.

Maybe some day, i'll have it all assembled together like homeorgan.. Think of buying an old Electone or similar.

Try downloading Hauptwerk and use an inexpensive midi keyboard, which are less than $100. Put two inexpensive keyboards on top of each other for two manuals. Hauptwerk is free to download and use. If you like it then you can buy one of the two editions. you can pick up a pedalboard at a thrift shop, on an inexpensive organ that doesn't even need to work. Just throw the organ away and keep the bench and keyboard. you can either midi fi the pedal board for about a hundred and sixty or so dollars, or you can use another inexpensive keyboard and attach wires to the underside of the keys, which I have done. There's a short video showing my homemade virtual pipe organ on YouTube under inexpensive virtual pipe organ.

Not sure about in Finland, but here there are any number of old electronic organs for give-away or close to it. Mostly 44 note upper manual +44 note lower manual +13 pedals - but sometimes a 61+61 +25 pedalboard is available. I know one free within walking distance of here - but that's a long way from Finland.

I initially started on a 44+44+13 Thomas 371 organ (GOOGLE to get an idea) (actually started on a pedal pump harmonium), progressed to a 61+61+25 Wurlitzer electronic at my Church (like a Hammond B3 - GOOGLE it) where I became one of the organists. I then went to a Pipe Organ after that experience (they're 61 note manuals plus 32 note pedalboards). I've now got an Allen Classical organ at home (and Church). But - I regularly play on 2 Pipe Organs, one Theatre Pipe Organ, one 44+44+13 and a 61+61+25 electronics. I have little trouble adapting from one to the other.

Depending on the type of music you want to play - for modern, non-classical music (ie last 100 years!!), many are happy with a 44+44+13 - Classical really needs more like a Pipe Organ.

The touch of an organ is very different from a piano. BUT - your ES100 has 2 organs built in which should give you an organ response - without the percussive response of the piano stops.

The actual pressure will be probably more than a real organ - but they vary markedly. Theatre Organs are generally lighter than Classical Organs, and Mechanical Action often heavier than Electric Action pipe organs.