The first electronic organs were invented many decades ago and quickly became part of pop, jazz and prog-rock - styles in which organ builder Hammond is a particularly big name. Digital drawbar keyboards - so the drawbar organs of today - cost only a fraction of what tonewheel organs costed back in the day, and are a common sight on stage.
Check out our range of Stage Pianos if drawbar organs aren't what you came here looking for.
That Real Organ Feel
Since they're basically too hefty to be lugged from stage to stage, there's less need for tonewheel organs like Hammonds these days. Thankfully, modern drawbar keyboards are virtually all digital, which comes with massive advantages in terms of weight and size. That said, there's always the question of what's better, with digital drawbar organs one on side and regular keyboards, synthesizers, and MIDI keyboards with organ software on the other.
The Downsides of Standard Synths and MIDI Keyboards Plus Software
A MIDI keyboard in combination with software is great for making music at home or in the studio, but not quite as practical when it comes to gigs since this set-up also demands a laptop or computer. Synthesizers could work for gigs but often lack enough organ sounds (if they're loaded with any at all) and that genuine organ feel.
The Biggest Benefits of Digital Drawbar Organs
The first and most obvious perk of a drawbar keyboard is the drawbar section. The drawbars slide back and forth to tweak parameters such as volume. Secondly, there's the looks. Manufacturers typically go out of their way to make modern drawbar keyboards look like old organs, which is something that a lot of musicians appreciate. Then there's the keyboard. Most digital drawbar organs feature waterfall keys which have rounded edges to accommodate smooth-and-painless slides - a welcome touch for pop-style organ parts.
Practical Perks
While they can differ from one brand to another, there are various practical perks that drawbar keyboards boast that synthesizers and MIDI keyboards generally do not, including the option to hook up a real Leslie rotary speaker. What's more, some drawbar keyboards feature two keybeds: one for controlling organ registers with your left hand and one with another set of organ registers for your right hand. That's something you'll never get a from synthesizer. Lastly, you might want to perform using organ pedals which drawbar organs are usually prepared for, while this is not a given with synthesizers.
