Clonewheel
refers to a recent or current electronic keyboard instrument or MIDI module, (digital or analog), designed primarily to emulate the sound and functionality of an electromechanical Hammond tonewheel organ. Most such instruments have at least one set of drawbars similar to those on a Hammond B3. Many, though not all, also seek to simulate electronically, the effect of a Leslie cabinet, as this device is often associated with the archetypal Hammond sound.
Recently the meaning of the term has been extended to encompass software emulations of the tonewheel organ.
The word "clonewheel" itself is a portmanteau of "clone" (meaning a replica or copy) and "tonewheel". It was probably first coined by Keyboard Magazine in the late 1980s, when the magazine featured a "shootout" comparison of all currently available Hammond emulators.
Comments (2)
Dan A said
at 10:46 am on Apr 27, 2006
So would you consider the New Hammond B3 Organ a clonewheel, based on your definition?
Simon Beck said
at 12:34 pm on Apr 27, 2006
Absolutely. It is not a tonewheel organ. It uses digital tone generation and mechanical keying to simulate an original B3 as closely as possible. It could perhaps be described as the ultimate clonewheel... so far!
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