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Which combo/transistor organ app?
The current sale on Audiothing apps, with their Philicorda emulation being on sale, has reminded me that I've wanted a nice combo/transistor organ app for a while.
But there are also a lot of other options as well.
All the ones I'm aware of:
Audiothing - Philicorda (Philicorda)
Fingerlab - iPhilicorda (Philicorda)
GSI - Compact Deluxe (Farfisa Compact Deluxe)
GSI - Red Animal (Vox Continental)
insideout - Combo Organ Model V (Vox Jaguar)
Klevgrand - Hillman Synth (emulation unspecified)
Julien Faure - Torero Organ ("A 1972 Italian Organ" - Farfisa Matador, I'm guessing?)
I'm not super-attached to having an emulation of any specific brand/model, but my touchstone for being interested in transistor organs is Stereolab's extensive use of them. They seem to have favored Farfisas most, but also used Vox organs as well. So there's perhaps a slight sentimental bias toward a Farfisa emulation as a result.
But really, I'm primarily interested in just having an app that really nails the sounds of those octave divisions in a way that samples just can't. So more of a circuit-modeling approach as opposed to sample-driven.
Reviews for all of these are pretty scant, so I'd love to hear from any of you who own one or more of these about which ones you like, which ones you love, which ones are meh.
And if you could only have one, which one would you choose?
Comments
We have such an "abundance of wealth" when it comes transistor / combo organs for the iPad. You can get the basic version of Fingerlab's iPhilicorda for free. it is only 45 MB and sounds great. The full version upgrade is only $8 USD (I haven't done this yet because I already have several other similar instruments). GSi's Red Animal is an incredible emulation of the Vox Continental. It is better than the Combo Organ Model V from Inside out (I have both). The Red Animal is $15 USD and only 7 MB in size. Hillman from Klevgrand is more flexible and can produce a wider variety of sounds compared to the Red Animal. Hillman is $10 but frequently on sale for $4 (unbelievable!). Compact Deluxe is terrific too (same size and price as Red Animal), but not as useful for me. I think Stereolab used more Vox than Farfisa on their albums (but they definitely used both). They also used a Harmonium and you can get Harmonium Plus HD for free (26 MB). Another option in the same family is Electrorchestra from GSi. This is more of a string box synth ($12 , 8 MB).
If I had to pick only 1, I would get Red Animal based on some of the classic rock songs I cover in my bands. Otherwise, I would get Hillman because of the versatility.
Galileo 2 includes several transistor models, including "F" and "V". It's not just a tonewheel simulator.
If going for a Philicorda, I would prefer the Audiothing one over the Fingerlab one - it is modeled rather than sampled and the transistor emulation sounds good, nice meaty sound. Love the flexibility of Hillman. Keep hearing good things about Red Animal but have not tried it
The GSI apps sound the most authentic to my ears. I feel that Torero is pretty underwhelming. I can’t comment on the others.
Don’t think I’ve ever seen Red Animal or Compact Deluxe on sale. Sounds like I should just bite the bullet.
When GSi first launched them, they offered both for $20 USD (bundle purchase). I haven't seen that offered since then (or any other sales on either app).
For transistor organ emulation, consider the "Combo Organ Model V" app. It faithfully recreates the vintage sound of transistor organs, offering an authentic playing experience with adjustable drawbars, percussion effects, and vibrato. Whether you're a seasoned musician or a hobbyist, this app delivers classic tones for your compositions and performances.