Al Kooper

Al Kooper is known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears, but  did not stay with the group long enough to share its popularity, providing studio support for Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965, and bringing together guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills to record the Super Session album. He has had a successful solo career since then, written music for film soundtracks, and has lectured in musical composition.

Headphone amp

Jut added an Audioengine D1 to my setup. This makes such a difference, the sound quality is so much better than using either the Steinberg CI2+ headphone output, and it also leaves the output from my Macbook Pro in the dust. Granted, I’m using an AKG – K-701 which is notoriously tricky to drive, but this little DAC / Headphone amp does it really well.

Most of you will know that I am quite an active contributor to Wikiloops, which involves download mp3 tracks and adding additional stems, and I really had a hard time hearing the previously recorded tracks – with the Audioengine D1, this problem is now solved.

Only downside is the it takes only the small 1/8 ” mini plug size (3.5 mm), but with the appropriate adapter it will also drive headphones that use the larger 1/4” plug, like the AKG K-701.

More drawbar settings

Preset NameUpper BUpper ALower BLower ABassV/CPercussionVolDecayHarmonicLeslie speedComment
888 base88 8000 00088 8888 88872 7000 00000 6620 00073no (C2)OffNormSlow2ndSlowDrive
8888 base88 8800 00088 8888 88872 7000 00000 6620 00073no (C2)OffNormSlow2ndSlowDrive
Alone in the City00 7740 034Fast/Slow
Ballad80 0000 00073 5000 000
Billy Preston00 8000 000C3StopGlissando
Blues88 5324 588
Booker T. Jones 188 8800 000OffOn2ndNoGreen Onions
Booker T. Jones 288 8630 000On2nd
Brian Auger 188 8110 000C3On2ndNo
Brian Auger 288 8805 000C3OnNorm2ndNo
Bright Comping87 8000 456Fast
Brother Jack80 0000 888C3Fast
Dark Comping84 3000 000C1Slow
Dark Solo82 8200 00288 8888 88860 6000 00066 2000 00071OnNormSlow2ndSlow
Fatt88 8000 888C3Fast
Flutes00 6802 00020 7004 000OnSoftSlow2ndSlow
Full and High88 8666 888Fast
Full and Sweet86 8868 068
Full Organ88 8888 88885C3Fast/Stop
Funky Comping68 8600 004Fast
Gimme Some Loving88 8800 000OnSoftSlow3rdSlowDrive
Gospel 180 8808 008C1OnNormSlow3rd
Gospel 288 8000 008Stop/FastGospel
Greg Allman 186 8666 568FastMiddle kbd section
Greg Allman 288 8600 000C3OnNormFast3Slow
Greg Allman 388 6000 040C3OnNormSlow3rd
Greg Rolie 188 8800 088C3OffFastEvil Ways, Soul Sacrifice
Greg Rolie 288 6400 000OnSoftFast3rd
Greg Rolie 488 8886 66685C3OnSoftFast3rdFast
Jack McDuff00 0000 00060 6000 000C3OnNormSlow2ndStop
Jazz00 8800 000 (23)OnNormSlow2nd
Jimmy McGriff86 8600 00683 8000 000C3Gospel
Jimmy Smith88 8000 00088 8888 88883 8000 00000 7500 00073C2OnSoftFast3rdSlow
Joey DeFrancesco 188 8400 08083 8000 000C3
Joey DeFrancesco 200 0000 000C3OnNormSlow2Fast/SlowPiano sound
Jon Lord88 4400 000On2ndOverdrive
Matthew Fisher80 0808 000Procol Harum
Melvin Crispel86 8800 004C3
Paul Shaffer 188 6800 300OnSoftFast3rdStopThe Late Show
Paul Shaffer 288 8768 888C3FastI am So Excited
Paul Shaffer 388 8878 678C3Fast
Pink Floyd85 0005 000Slow/FastDon't leave Me Now
Power Chords88 8800 000
Ray Charles00 6876 400Stop
Reggae80 8000 008Slow
Shirley Scott00 8888 800StopChopped Chops
Shouting Chords87 6556 788
Slow Balllad00 8400 000C1Off
Slowly06 8840 003Slow
Soft Chords80 8400 008
Steppenwolf88 8643 200C3OnSoftSlow3rdFastBorn to be Wild
Steve Winwood88 8876 788Roll With It
Strings87 6543 211Slow
Sweet00 8000 000OnSoftSlow2ndSlow
Tom Coster88 8800 00088 4400 000C2OnSoftFast3rdFast/SlowAll perc "On"
Whistling80 0000 008
Whiter Shade Of Pale68 8600 00088 8808 00688 0070 77000 4440 000OnSoftSlow2ndSlowProcol Harum
Wide Leslie86 6800 000Slow

Common Hammond Drawbar Settings

DescriptionUpper ManualLower ManualBassComments
Jimmy Smith88800000080800000070Percussion: On, Soft, Fast, Third
C3, Leslie: slow
Rock, R&B88880000084800000070Percussion: Off
C3, Leslie: slow, fast
Simmering830000378Percusion: Off
VC Off, or C3, Leslie: Fast
Mellow803600000Percussion: Off
No VC, Leslie: alternate slow/fast
Shouting668848588Percussion: Off
VC: Off, C3
Leslie: alternating slow / fast
Whistle888000008Percussion: Off
C3, Leslie: fast for solo, slow for comp

It is important to note that no Hammond sounds the same, so to get the desired sound you may have to adjust the drawbars slightly from the settings shown above. Especially on wax-cap Hammonds, which can sound more muted, you may want to add some more treble (higher drawbars).

Hammond drawbar settings – Gospel

Here’s a number of setting that are commonly used in gospel – a good starting point for experimentation.

Gospel Hammond Drawbar Setting

DescriptionUpper manualLower manualBass
5th Organ08008088300880600073
America88772411000660600061
Born to B388880800800772540084
Full B3 Clean88888888877777777785
Groove Holmes88842008000050500072
House Bass88000000000808000080
House Church8088080080880802180
Jimmy McGriff88320012544865000083
Latin88006000000667600062
Meditation Time00780045300670054063
Progessive88880000000888400075
Screaming80038888800703333372
Shouting87864546688880000084
Soft Backing88870000055540000062
Speaker Talking67840423100660202463
Testimony Service78774604600880067371
Theatre Organ87865646700884400075