If you've ever been an organist or in a band that has an organ player, you've probably faced a predicament or two. Most likely, you've shown up to a club with a thousand pound organ, only to be faced with a daunting triple flight of stairs. When you bring an organ, those are the breaks.
Fortunately for spines and backs everywhere,
Electro-Harmonix has created the brand new
B9 Organ Machine pedal, which perfectly captures the sounds of a wide range of organ tones. Developed to match popular organ sounds from the 1960s onward, Electro-Harmonix's pedal can be used on anything from guitar to keyboard, making it so much easier to fit into compact live venues and recording studios.
The nine settings that make up the B9 Organ Machine's repertoire hit upon many elements of what makes the instrument an essential part of modern music. From the jazzy R&B sounds of Booker T and the MGs to the thunderous tones of Deep Purple, players that utilize this pedal will be capable of replicating classic organ lines and creating completely new ones of their own.
Here are the nine basic presets that come with the B9:
Fat and Full: By adding an octave below your guitar's sound, this setting creates a large organ sound that can easily fill an entire room.
Jazz: Following in the tradition of jazz/blues organists like Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff and Don Patterson, the B9 brings a smooth, flowing jazzy sound.
Gospel: The piercing-yet-soulful elements of the upper drawbars on church organs are represented on this preset.
Classic Rock: Looking for a sound that is similar to that of Procol Harum, Deep Purple or Brian Auger? This is the preset for you on the B9 Organ Machine.
Bottom End: While the Gospel setting focuses on the upper drawbars, the Bottom End pulls out the heavy bass sound of the lower drawbars. Think Sugarloaf's "Green Eye Lady" or Bill Withers' "Use Me Up."
Octaves: With the basic tone of the B9 with the octave above tacked on, the Octaves setting affords some extremely hypnotic organ sounds.
Cathedral: The musicians of the psych rock sound in the late 1960s brought elements of church music into their sound. This is one of the most frenzied tones of the B9, one that borderlines on choral music and space rock.
Continental: Think Frat Rock hits from the garage rock era like "96 Tears," "Wooly Bully," and "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)."
Bell Organ: Bringing together an electric piano and organ, the Bell Organ setting offers a unique sound that can easily be adjusted for the level of bell and chime.
While organ simulators of the past have brought weak, watered down versions of vintage sounds, the B9 Organ Machine truly brings a fat tone on all settings. The pedal also offers essential control over the percussive attack, modulation speed, organ level and dry volume, giving users the ability to sculpt their organ sound.
If you're ready to hear the power and beauty of the B9 Organ Pedal, click on the video below and hear all nine presets this awesome piece of gear from Electro-Harmonix has to offer:
