Abstract
In this design study, we introduce a novel class of digital audio effects that extend the recently introduced modal processor approach to artificial reverberation and effects processing. These pitch and distortion processing effects mimic the design and sonics of a classic additive-synthesis-based electromechanical musical instrument, the Hammond tonewheel organ. As a reverb effect, the modal processor simulates a room response as the sum of resonant filter responses. This architecture provides precise, interactive control over the frequency, damping, and complex amplitude of each mode. Into this framework, we introduce two types of processing effects: pitch effects inspired by the Hammond organ’s equal tempered “tonewheels”, “drawbar” tone controls, vibrato/chorus circuit, and distortion effects inspired by the pseudo-sinusoidal shape of its tonewheels and electromagnetic pickup distortion. The result is an effects processor that imprints the Hammond organ’s sonics onto any audio input.
Highlights
The Hammond tonewheel organ is a classic electromechanical musical instrument, patented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 [1]
We describe a novel class of modal-processor-based audio effects which we call the
The Hammondizer can imprint the sonics of the Hammond organ onto any sound; it mimics and draws inspiration from the architecture of the Hammond tonewheel organ
Summary
The Hammond tonewheel organ is a classic electromechanical musical instrument, patented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 [1]. Unlike traditional organs, where “stops” bring in entire complex organ sounds, the Hammond organ’s drawbars set the relative amplitudes of individual sinusoids in a particular timbre. These nine sinusoids form a pseudo-harmonic series summarized in Table 1 [19]. Gordon Reid wrote a series of articles for Sound on Sound on generic synthesis approaches to modeling aspects of the Hammond organ [17,32,33,34,35].
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