Mic Archive

Instrument

Hammond organ and Leslie speaker

The Hammond is an electromechanical organ: until 1975 a spinning metal tonewheel near an electromagnetic pickup made the signal, which went to a speaker cabinet, and drawbars set the mix of harmonics. The Leslie speaker is the usual cabinet. Models: 2 x 61-note manuals and 25-note pedals (console), or 2 x 44-note manuals and 13-note pedals (spinet). The organ makes no sound by itself; the mic goes on the Leslie, so the Leslie is the source.1

Sources
5 (3 independent)

Recommended mics

Mics sources recommend

21 setups from 5 sources, 3 of them independent of any mic maker. Each mic shows how many sources name it for that role, and how many of those are independent. Listed alphabetically: there is no ranking.

Studio

Multi-mic plan

Close

Distant

Main pair or array

The 11 setups behind this: placement and quotes
  • Multi-mic plan top rotor: Shure SM57 + Electro-Voice RE20 + bass rotor: Electro-Voice RE20
    top rotor and bass rotor
    Example 4, "A classic setup: a Shure SM57 very near the top rotor, and an RE20 on the bottom." ... Used on the low rotor in examples 1 and 4 (10 in away).2
  • Close 2 × AEA R84
    Leslie top rotor, about 14 in out from the corners, 90 degrees apart (pair)
    Example 1: a pair of AEA R84 ribbon mics about 14 in out from the cabinet corners, pointed at the upper rotor.2
  • Distant Royer R-122
    mono, 5.5 ft from the cabinet
    Example 3: a Royer 122 ribbon 5.5 ft away; "really close to what the Leslie sounded like in the room."2
  • Close Shure KSM44
    mono, about 2 ft in front of the cabinet
    Example 5: a KSM44 in cardioid about 2 ft away, the only mic placed in front of the cabinet.2
  • Close 2 × AKG C 480
    Leslie top rotor, 180 degrees, 9 in away (pair)
    "A number of engineers prefer the sound of small-diaphragm mics for the top rotor": AKG C 480s at 180 degrees, 9 in.2
  • Close Sennheiser MD 421
    Leslie bottom, 10 in; or top rotor 6 in (Lynn Fuston)
    Lynn Fuston: a dynamic like an MD 421 about 6 in from the top rotor and a small-diaphragm condenser on the bottom.2
  • Close Neumann KM 84 / KM 184
    Leslie bottom, about 12 in
    Fuston puts a Neumann KM 84 on the bottom; the author used the newer KM 184, about 12 in from the low rotor.2
  • Main pair or array 2 × Neumann U 67
    distant stereo pair, about 5 ft in front and 10 ft apart (pair)
    "A time-honored Leslie miking method includes using a pair of Neumann U 67 mics about 5 feet in front of the cabinet and 10 feet apart."2
  • Close Neumann U 67 / U 87 or ribbons
    Leslie bottom rotor
    "Some folks prefer to use condensers like Neumann U 67 or U 87 on the bottom rotor instead of dynamic mics, and others like ribbons."2
  • Multi-mic plan Sennheiser MD 421
    Leslie, four-mic setup with a Neumann U 47 FET on the low end (x2)
    Ben Fowler: "Sennheiser 421s with a FET 47 to perfectly balance the lower frequencies of the B3" (summary text of a video; four mics).3
  • Close Neumann U 47 FET
    Leslie low end
    Combines Sennheiser 421s with a FET 47 for balanced low frequencies (Ben Fowler, Blackbird).3

On stage

Named, no placement given

Multi-mic plan

Close

Clip-on

  • Shure Beta 98 maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
The 6 setups behind this: placement and quotes
  • Named, no placement given Shure KSM44 or Shure KSM32 or Shure KSM27 or Shure Beta 91 (earlier version of the Shure Beta 91A) or Shure Beta 57A or Shure Beta 56A or Shure SM57
    listed for Leslie speaker
    Listed under "Leslie Speaker" in the Shure Microphone Selection Guide (no argument given).4
  • Multi-mic plan top rotor: Shure SM58 (pair) + KSM44 + bottom: Shure KSM44
    top rotor and bottom
    "I would put something like a '57 or '58 mic on the left side and the right side close to the rotating horn about an inch or two away."5
  • Multi-mic plan top rotor: 2 × Shure Beta 56A + bottom: Shure KSM27
    top rotor (outside the wood) and bottom
    "I used 56s on Babyface. I mic on the outside of the wood because it gives the widest stereo response."5
  • Close 2 × Shure Beta 57A
    Leslie horns, loud or cramped stage (gospel/rock) (pair)
    On a loud stage a pair of Beta 57s works very well: good mid and high reproduction, "excellent off-axis rejection".5
  • Clip-on Shure Beta 98
    Leslie horns, clamped on the cabinet, 90 degrees to the horn axis
    Wilco FOH engineer likes Beta 98s for the Leslie high mics; one capsule outside, one far inside the cabinet.5
  • Close Shure KSM137 / KSM141 / SM81
    Leslie horns, quiet jazz stage
    Jazz: a pair of SM81s or another cardioid condenser (KSM137 or KSM141) on the vents or open back, but not too close.5

Studio and stage

Close

The 4 setups behind this: placement and quotes
  • Close 2 × Shure SM81
    Leslie horns, pointed at the vents, quiet stage (pair)
    "A Beta 52A aimed at the rotating baffle and a pair of SM81s pointed at the vents by the horns can yield excellent results."5
  • Close Shure Beta 52A
    Leslie bottom, aimed at the rotating baffle, a little off axis
    "For Leslie low, I always use a kick drum mic (Beta 52) pointed at the rotating baffle a touch off axis."5
  • Close Shure SM57
    Leslie top rotor (horn), 1 in from louvres or 12 in away
    "The standard miking approach is a single mic in front of the bass rotor and a pair for the treble horns, and usually dynamic mics are used, such as Shure SM57s or Sennheiser MD421s."6
  • Close Sennheiser MD 421
    Leslie top and/or bottom
    "Usually dynamic mics are used, such as Shure SM57s or Sennheiser MD421s." (Paul White)6

Where the sound goes

The classic cabinet has three parts: the bass speaker fires down into a rotating drum with an angled baffle, the treble driver feeds a rotating horn at the top. The crossover is at about 800 Hz. The horns and drum turn in opposite directions with slow ("chorale") and fast ("tremolo") speeds. The model 122 has one 15 in woofer and one compression driver with horn; the horn is double, with one side blocked for balance. There are several variants (single rotor, extra reverb channel).6,7

Recording it

On stage

Shure gives advice by stage: a loud, cramped stage (gospel, rock) calls for a pair of dynamic cardioids or supercardioids (SM57, Beta 57, Beta 56) close to the louvres; a quiet jazz stage allows a pair of SM81, KSM137 or KSM141 on the vents or open back; for the low rotor a kick drum mic (Beta 52A) at the baffle a touch off axis, or a KSM44 or KSM27. Beta 98 clip-on mics are used on the horns.5

Problems to watch

Wind noise from the spinning horns and drum when close-miked (use windscreens or move off the airstream); a loud relay click when the speed changes, so put the bass mic on the far side of the cabinet; phase between a spaced pair; condensers picking up other stage sound.6,2,5

About the range

No figures found for the Hammond's sounding range; pedals and manuals as above. No level found for a Leslie.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, Hammond organreference · en.wikipedia.org
  2. Recording Magazine: Miking the Hammond and Leslie (Dave Martin)magazine · recordingmag.com
  3. Sonicstate / Inside Blackbird: Professionally Record a B3 Organ with a Leslie Cabinet (Ben Fowler, 2024)engineer · sonicstate.com
  4. Shure: Microphone Techniques for Live Sound Reinforcementmanufacturer · 2007 · music.arts.uci.edu
  5. Shure: Miking the Legendary Leslie Tone Cabinetmanufacturer · shure.com
  6. Sound On Sound: Q: How do you record a Leslie speaker? (Sound Advice, 2008)magazine · soundonsound.com
  7. Wikipedia, Leslie speakerreference · en.wikipedia.org