Derek, you are the keyboard player that every band would like to have (or with any musician would like to work). Your chord progressions and keyboard tones are extremely creatives, strong and aggressives! A simple testimonial of a fan that really enjoys your work. Next solo album?
Whoa! MASSIVE tone! And that playing! Two thumbs WAY up! Derek has a killer mix of technique and feel. Jon Lord approved for sure. Just added something to my bucket list right at the top. To jam with, write something and record with Derek Sherinian. Most likely won't ever happen, but dreams keep us going!
I always loved Derek's Hammond tone in his solo albums. The kind that cuts through guitars when needs to but laid back when comping. The Sons of Anu from Black Utopia is maybe my favorite Derek Hammond moment.
hello Derek, just wanted to say hello..... you probably won't remember me... we met in a brooklyn club in about 1994/95.. i was playing in a cover band & was using a strap=on wireless controller, you came up & played it.. i think you were friends with GTR tech Mark ? (ringo starr, etc). long time ago !!!
Just thinking about sharing a stage with the late Jon Lord AND Keith Emerson on a tour...so cool. Loving these videos, & have been digging in a lot after the Sons Of Apollo teaser a few weeks back. Really stoked for the new album, & hope to see you guys on tour soon! \m/
I think the Schaffer Replica must try to duplicate the massive compression those 1970s-era Schaffer-Vega wireless units imparted onto the guitar sound of people like Angus Young and Ace Frehley. Angus in particular got so addicted to it that he would record with it as well.
I really do appreciate the effort and video. I've been there as well (regarding the search for the best Hammond rock sound) and came to the following conclusion: If you fool around too much with the original system you will end up with a worse sound. The original is loud enough for miking. In a loud live environment there's so much you lose in terms of detail that it really doesn't make any sense to increase the power. The only improvement being worth the effort is to use a different treble driver such as an Atlas PD60A. It has to be a driver which is not overpowering the upper range of the keyboard like the Hammond OEM 100 Watt speaker of the new tube amp driven Leslies speakers by Hammond Suzuki. The treble driver is the heart and core of the tone. There's nothing wrong with the original tube amp of those 122/147/251 Leslies of the 1960ies. You can easily push their front end and find the sweet-spot of the overdrive level where the Leslie still sounds good and there's more than enough overdrive available (it goes way beyond the amound of overdrive in this video). So, what's the real problem here? The answer is simple. The Leslie is not a direct sound source and somehow it doesn't cut through if a guitar plays along. There're frequencies in the mid and upper-mid range which give the guitar the edge which corresponds to that difference. But if you start to use guitar amps with the Leslie it will sound unpleasant or you will spend a lot of time with modifications. The solution I came up with is: Get another 122 amp, modify it the way you could use it like a head and run a 2x12" cab with Celestion G12H30 (heritage speakers). Push the amp, mic it up and also mic up the original Leslie. Use a line mixer with good eq and mix those signals the way that the Leslie will be at 100 % and the straight cab at 70-80 % of total volume. All of a sudden you will find the frequencies you missed at first without missing the Leslie effect. Be careful not to dial in the straight amp too much - otherwise you will end up dealing with phase problems and the Leslie effect will start to sound strange.
One other thing: If you want to have this straight overdriven organ tone then really go for it and put the Leslie away. Jon Lord showed us how to do it: Get a Marshall Major or another early Plexi, modify it the way that the line signal will give enough overdrive and you're good to go. It's far easier to use than a Leslie and you won't have any problems cutting through the mix. That's the one and only real rock organ tone, if you ask me. Otherwise: Nice rig!
Again, another observation: The Hammond sound very much depends on the band/arrangement you're using it for, of course. IMHO coming up with a great tone therefore isn't something you can do just by yourself. Usually fine tuning with a band plays a big role. The real art is to find a tone that sounds both good with a band and solo, whereas the sound in a band context is more important. I often came up with sounds which were just brilliant with the band and as soon as I came to the rehearsal early and played alone I was wondering why this tone sounded so good the last time. I know that you, Derek, have already found out about all this long ago. It's just that I'm sceptical as long as I haven't heard the organ with a band. Remember that Jon Lord's tone of the early 70ies often didn't sound that good when he was playing alone. Sometimes his sound would be very harsh, almost ear-shattering. When he got it right the sound was in fact less distorted than people would think. As I said, there's a sweet spot where there's just enough overdrive but still you'll hear the Hammond's basic tone (because too much overdrive is ruining the organ's sound; I've heard cheap imitations sounded about the same if too much overdrive is used). That spot is really hard to hit.
This is an awesome insight on how your organ tone! I keep trying to replicate your tone with different patches and keyboards! You rock Derek! Thanks for sharing some of your tricks of the trade!
I've always enjoyed your Hammond sounds. I like the fact that they can go toe to toe with guitars and sound just as gnarly. Very much in the spirit of Jon Lord for me.
Absolutely WICKED tone, Derek! I also modded my B3 to get closer to Jon Lord's sound, but wanted to keep the combination B3/122 enough intact for 'stock' sounds when needed. My solution was an additional tube circuit in the AO-28 preamp. Basically this was a switchable FX-loop: signal through one side of a 12AX7 to line-level out, then back in through the other side of the tube - for all kinds of funky weirdness (like wahwah pedals and such ;) ) Controls are, like yours, on top next to the v/c control, and I added a volume control and a bypass switch. Bypass means it's completely stock, and more volume means a 12AX7 that's pushed beyond belief: it's got a growl and punch that's lethal! Intro to DP's Perfect Strangers? No problemo whatsoever. And then some \,,/ I've kept the Leslie amp standard, just swapped that venerable and lovely sounding Jensen driver with an Atlas that can handle those immens harmonics better, while still sounding sweet enough when needed... We do what we need to do to keep our heroes remembered, and no simulation comes close to thát roar :) Keep rockin'!
Just off my phone, I can already tell that that tone's pretty killer! Has such a percussive bite, and the potential to really cut through the mix at the same time! 👌 So glad I had been able to catch one of the dates of that tour (the one in Minnesota). Such a killer lineup of acts indeed!! 👍 Ritchie wasn't on guitar, but I don't think you'll find a better alternative than Steve Morse! R.I.P., Jon & Keith (Greg as well). 😔
The Schaffer Replica is a clean boost which adds a destinctive colour (EQ) and compression to the tone. It's known to work well with low gain tube amps and was used on many guitar recordings in the 70ies and 80ies.
damn! That Hammond has got some serious balls! Thanks for sharing this with us. Dream Theater's "The Mirror" live intro "A Crack in the Mirror" would sound so killer with this setup.
Thank you everybody for the kind words!
+Derek Sherinian Any chance of a similar short doco on the search and signal chain of the monster lead?
+Derek Sherinian Any chance of a similar short doco on the search and signal chain of the monster lead?
+Derek Sherinian You deserve them.
Derek you are the best!! greetings from Argentina !
Jon Lord used the Marshall as an Additional tool to the leslie
that is the greatest dirty hammond sound I've ever heard
Derek, you are the keyboard player that every band would like to have (or with any musician would like to work). Your chord progressions and keyboard tones are extremely creatives, strong and aggressives! A simple testimonial of a fan that really enjoys your work.
Next solo album?
Thank you very much! No solo album planned, i am doing a lot of sessions in my studio Beachwood Manor
Awwwww, I really love Blood of the Snake. You and Brian are inseparable. :D
Whoa! MASSIVE tone! And that playing! Two thumbs WAY up! Derek has a killer mix of technique and feel. Jon Lord approved for sure. Just added something to my bucket list right at the top. To jam with, write something and record with Derek Sherinian. Most likely won't ever happen, but dreams keep us going!
I can taste that organ tone in my mouth
Derek Sherinian and Ray Manzarek from "The Doors" are my top favourite Organ keyboards players!!!
I always loved Derek's Hammond tone in his solo albums. The kind that cuts through guitars when needs to but laid back when comping. The Sons of Anu from Black Utopia is maybe my favorite Derek Hammond moment.
You are so insanely good at playing...
But I got a question for you. If you give away an Hammond. Will that make you a Organ donor ;-)??
hello Derek,
just wanted to say hello.....
you probably won't remember me...
we met in a brooklyn club in about 1994/95..
i was playing in a cover band & was using a strap=on wireless controller, you came up & played it..
i think you were friends with GTR tech Mark ? (ringo starr, etc).
long time ago !!!
Fil!
Killer tone!!!
You and Lachy Doley need to do a duet album. :-)
🔥🔥🔥Absolutely!🔥🔥🔥
yeaaaaah!!!!! love it thanks!
FUCK YEAH!
que timbre mais foda.. sujão. pqp..
This is REALLY killer!!! You've taken Jon Lord's guitaristic approach with the Hammond organ to another level. Jon and Keith are proud of you, Derek!
When Jon Lord passed, some of his spirit went into Derek.
As Derek said, They toured together as Jon was still in Purple in 96.
Takes me back to 84`on the Deep Purple "Perfect Strangers" tour. The opening on "Perfect Strangers" is iconic :-)
Just thinking about sharing a stage with the late Jon Lord AND Keith Emerson on a tour...so cool. Loving these videos, & have been digging in a lot after the Sons Of Apollo teaser a few weeks back. Really stoked for the new album, & hope to see you guys on tour soon! \m/
Just discovered U from the amazing Sons of Apollo CD. What insane organ sound U got there. Just ordered 2 of your solo albums. Keep on rocking
I think the Schaffer Replica must try to duplicate the massive compression those 1970s-era Schaffer-Vega wireless units imparted onto the guitar sound of people like Angus Young and Ace Frehley. Angus in particular got so addicted to it that he would record with it as well.
Incredible Bad Ass sound! You are amazing!
Derek, how's the name of the song played at 2:00 until 2:20?
I really do appreciate the effort and video. I've been there as well (regarding the search for the best Hammond rock sound) and came to the following conclusion:
If you fool around too much with the original system you will end up with a worse sound. The original is loud enough for miking. In a loud live environment there's so much you lose in terms of detail that it really doesn't make any sense to increase the power. The only improvement being worth the effort is to use a different treble driver such as an Atlas PD60A. It has to be a driver which is not overpowering the upper range of the keyboard like the Hammond OEM 100 Watt speaker of the new tube amp driven Leslies speakers by Hammond Suzuki. The treble driver is the heart and core of the tone. There's nothing wrong with the original tube amp of those 122/147/251 Leslies of the 1960ies. You can easily push their front end and find the sweet-spot of the overdrive level where the Leslie still sounds good and there's more than enough overdrive available (it goes way beyond the amound of overdrive in this video).
So, what's the real problem here? The answer is simple. The Leslie is not a direct sound source and somehow it doesn't cut through if a guitar plays along. There're frequencies in the mid and upper-mid range which give the guitar the edge which corresponds to that difference. But if you start to use guitar amps with the Leslie it will sound unpleasant or you will spend a lot of time with modifications. The solution I came up with is: Get another 122 amp, modify it the way you could use it like a head and run a 2x12" cab with Celestion G12H30 (heritage speakers). Push the amp, mic it up and also mic up the original Leslie. Use a line mixer with good eq and mix those signals the way that the Leslie will be at 100 % and the straight cab at 70-80 % of total volume. All of a sudden you will find the frequencies you missed at first without missing the Leslie effect. Be careful not to dial in the straight amp too much - otherwise you will end up dealing with phase problems and the Leslie effect will start to sound strange.
One other thing: If you want to have this straight overdriven organ tone then really go for it and put the Leslie away. Jon Lord showed us how to do it: Get a Marshall Major or another early Plexi, modify it the way that the line signal will give enough overdrive and you're good to go. It's far easier to use than a Leslie and you won't have any problems cutting through the mix. That's the one and only real rock organ tone, if you ask me.
Otherwise: Nice rig!
Again, another observation: The Hammond sound very much depends on the band/arrangement you're using it for, of course. IMHO coming up with a great tone therefore isn't something you can do just by yourself. Usually fine tuning with a band plays a big role. The real art is to find a tone that sounds both good with a band and solo, whereas the sound in a band context is more important. I often came up with sounds which were just brilliant with the band and as soon as I came to the rehearsal early and played alone I was wondering why this tone sounded so good the last time. I know that you, Derek, have already found out about all this long ago. It's just that I'm sceptical as long as I haven't heard the organ with a band. Remember that Jon Lord's tone of the early 70ies often didn't sound that good when he was playing alone. Sometimes his sound would be very harsh, almost ear-shattering. When he got it right the sound was in fact less distorted than people would think. As I said, there's a sweet spot where there's just enough overdrive but still you'll hear the Hammond's basic tone (because too much overdrive is ruining the organ's sound; I've heard cheap imitations sounded about the same if too much overdrive is used). That spot is really hard to hit.
Sounds so freaking bad ass.
This is an awesome insight on how your organ tone! I keep trying to replicate your tone with different patches and keyboards! You rock Derek! Thanks for sharing some of your tricks of the trade!
Dang it, man! That's a monster.
They don't call him Monster King for nothing ;)
I've always enjoyed your Hammond sounds. I like the fact that they can go toe to toe with guitars and sound just as gnarly. Very much in the spirit of Jon Lord for me.
Derek,why don't you form a band in the Boston-Purple-ELP vein???? :-)
Amazing! 🙏
they Jon Lord, Hocus pocus, Don Aire were keyboard scientists the gods
Julian Lopez Hocus Pocus was a song by the band Focus, whose organist Thijs van Leer was / is in fact a genius. :)
Sounds like you are originally a guitar player...
1:13 That's a classic distorted organ sound, associated with Deep Purple and Rainbow
Absolutely WICKED tone, Derek!
I also modded my B3 to get closer to Jon Lord's sound, but wanted to keep the combination B3/122 enough intact for 'stock' sounds when needed. My solution was an additional tube circuit in the AO-28 preamp. Basically this was a switchable FX-loop: signal through one side of a 12AX7 to line-level out, then back in through the other side of the tube - for all kinds of funky weirdness (like wahwah pedals and such ;) )
Controls are, like yours, on top next to the v/c control, and I added a volume control and a bypass switch. Bypass means it's completely stock, and more volume means a 12AX7 that's pushed beyond belief: it's got a growl and punch that's lethal! Intro to DP's Perfect Strangers? No problemo whatsoever. And then some \,,/
I've kept the Leslie amp standard, just swapped that venerable and lovely sounding Jensen driver with an Atlas that can handle those immens harmonics better, while still sounding sweet enough when needed...
We do what we need to do to keep our heroes remembered, and no simulation comes close to thát roar :)
Keep rockin'!
Just off my phone, I can already tell that that tone's pretty killer! Has such a percussive bite, and the potential to really cut through the mix at the same time! 👌
So glad I had been able to catch one of the dates of that tour (the one in Minnesota). Such a killer lineup of acts indeed!! 👍 Ritchie wasn't on guitar, but I don't think you'll find a better alternative than Steve Morse!
R.I.P., Jon & Keith (Greg as well). 😔
The Schaffer Replica is a clean boost which adds a destinctive colour (EQ) and compression to the tone. It's known to work well with low gain tube amps and was used on many guitar recordings in the 70ies and 80ies.
damn! That Hammond has got some serious balls! Thanks for sharing this with us. Dream Theater's "The Mirror" live intro "A Crack in the Mirror" would sound so killer with this setup.
That tone........ I love it!
.....only genuine, when you feel it in your belly ! :-)
You rock, Derek. Love the Hammond tone, man.
An Eddie Van Halen Flanger-hmmmm.
Always loved your playing and absolutely can't wait for the next BCC album!