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organ from “fever” by the black keys | ToneDB

fever

the black keys

organ

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

A gritty, vintage organ sound with a slightly overdriven character, providing a haunting and atmospheric vibe.

Gear

Hammond Organinstrument
Reverb$600Sweetwater
Leslie 122amp
ReverbSweetwater
Sennheiser MD 421microphone
ReverbSweetwater

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The Story

The organ sound on "Fever" was recorded at Sumo Sounds in Los Angeles with producer Danger Mouse and engineer Kennie Takahashi using a Hammond organ through a Leslie 122 speaker cabinet, captured with a Sennheiser MD 421 microphone. The distinctive gritty, overdriven character comes from the Leslie's rotating speaker system combined with additional gain staging during recording.

Production Credits

Producer: Danger Mouse

Engineer: Kennie Takahashi

Recorded at: Sumo Sounds (Los Angeles, CA)

Signal Chain

Instrument: Hammond Organ

Amp: Leslie 122

Microphone: Sennheiser MD 421

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a Hammond organ VST or a real Hammond if available.
  • Use a Leslie speaker simulator or a rotary effect plugin to replicate the swirling sound of the Leslie cabinet.
  • Apply a touch of overdrive or saturation to add grit and character to the organ tone.
  • Experiment with microphone placement techniques on the Leslie simulator to fine-tune the sound.

Original Gear

  • Hammond Organ(keyboard)
  • Leslie 122(amp)
  • Sennheiser MD 421(mic)

Substitutions & Recommendations

IK Multimedia Hammond B-3X$150-200

Alternative to: Hammond Organ

Accurately models Hammond tonewheel organs with authentic drawbar response and vintage character needed for this gritty tone

ReverbSweetwater
Strymon Lex$270-300

Alternative to: Leslie 122

Provides authentic Leslie cabinet simulation with proper rotor speed control and overdrive characteristics essential for this atmospheric sound

ReverbSweetwater
Native Instruments Vintage Organs$99-150

Alternative to: Hammond Organ + Leslie 122

Includes both Hammond modeling and Leslie cabinet simulation in one package, perfect for recreating the complete vintage organ chain

ReverbSweetwater
Boss RT-20 Rotary Sound Processor$180-220

Alternative to: Leslie 122

Dual rotor simulation provides the swirling Leslie effect that creates the haunting atmosphere in this recording

ReverbSweetwater
Shure SM57$90-110

Alternative to: Sennheiser MD 421

Dynamic microphone that can capture the Leslie cabinet's full range while handling the overdriven signal without distortion

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

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