Soft volume tab not as bright

[sdemers]

On my A-100, when I switch between "soft" and "loud" on the volume soft/loud tab (not percussion volume), there is a difference in tone. The tone is brighter on "loud", and duller on "soft". Comments, thoughts, etc.

[geoelectro]

It's the same on all -3 models. (B-3, C-3)

Geo

[kziss]

On my A-100, when I switch between "soft" and "loud" on the volume soft/loud tab (not percussion volume), there is a difference in tone. The tone is brighter on "loud", and duller on "soft". Comments, thoughts, etc.

Hi sdemers.
The mellower ( or duller) tonality produced when the Volume Normal/Soft switch is set to the Soft volume position is normal for the AO10 preamp in the B2, C2 and RT2 console organs, and for the AO28 preamp in the A100, B3, C3, D100, and RT3 console organs, and for the amplifier in the M2 spinet organs and for the AO29 / AO67 amplifiers in the M3 and M100 series spinet organs.

Other organs with a Volume Normal/Soft switch such as the L-100 series spinet organs also produce a mellower tonality when the switch is set at the Soft position even though the actual circuitry around the Volume Normal/Soft switch is different from the circuitry of the console and spinet organ models mentioned in the previous paragraph.

This mellower sound produced by the Soft position can be used to advantage if you want a warmer or fatter sounding tonality with a deeper bass and a fatter midrange response.

Some recordings would have been made with the Volume switch set to the Soft position. In the Jimmy Smith "Walk On The Wild Side - Best Of The Verve Years" compilation double CD album, the liner notes booklet includes a photo of Jimmy Smith at Rudy Van Gelder's Englewood Cliffs Studio 1959 C3 organ, and the Volume switch is set at the Soft setting so therefore Jimmy Smith might possibly have used this setting on some recordings.

The dark mellow C3 organ sound heard on Jimmy Smith's early 1960's recordings with Rudy Van Gelder's 1959 C3 organ suggests to me the possibility that the Volume switch might have been set at the Soft position, as well as the possibility that the AO28 preamp Tone Control might have been set at a less than full brightness setting .

In the inner sleeve of the 1971 Deep Purple "Machine Head" album, there is a photo of Jon Lord's white formica cased portable chop Hammond organ with the Volume Normal/Soft switch set at the Soft setting. Through an overdriven Marshall amplifier, the Volume Normal/Soft switch would let Jon Lord use it as a tonal control as well as moderate gain/ full gain switch whereby the switch might be set at the Soft setting for the background rhythm comping parts and the switch then set to the Normal setting for the out front organ solos.

All the best.
Kon.

[Sweet Pete]

Rock players with no bass pedals often stand to play.Uncomfortable to operate the expression pedal,and 'careful to never break the rock poser stance'.
The volume tab set to normal is for solos usually.
Volume tab is on soft for comps and pads,normal for solos.
I like the treble cut on soft,works for me.It's one of my wife's favorite tabs.

[sdemers]

Interesting and informative responses. Thank you! It's good to know it's not a malfunction, but as described, another tonal option.

[sdemers]

I see that I was incorrect in my description of the volume tab. It is "soft and "normal, not "soft" and "loud". I'm always learning.

[Baseman norm]

Good way to describe soft
less treble would be softer