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Not much is known about the Vermona range of organs other than they were made in East Germany (or the Deutsche Demokratische Republik) in the late 60s/early 70s. They made quite a range of models including two manual organs witrh presets, etc., but being behind the iron curtain back then, they didn't make much of an impression here in the west. Which was a shame really because Vermona were also making some great amps and a spring reverb at the time.
We've teamed up with Charles Tyler who owns a working Vermona ET3 in excellent condition...
The ET3 was a typical 'divide down' organ much like the Vox Continental and Farfisa organs. However, Vermona did things a little differently in that they had drawbars for 'Flutes' (sine waves) and 'Formants' (filtered square and pulse waves) at various footages which could be mixed at will using the continuous sliders for a wide range of tones. There was a simple tone control in there too ('Brilliant') which is a simple lowpass filter and there was also a vibrato LFO with variable rate and depth.
It was, of course, totally transistorised but built like the proverbial brick sh!thouse with a solid, tolex covered case (although we've also seen an ET3 with an attractive wooden cabinet). Internally, it was simple but wonderfully over engineered - the top panel hinged upwards to reveal and give access to the electronics...
We've recreated the panel with complete control over the the drawbars, tone control and vibrato...
However, we've taken some liberties and added an envelope shaper and filter to expand the Vermona's noise making possibilities turning it, in a way, into a simple additive synthesiser...
To round this off, we've added a comprehensive multiFX chain with distortion, cab simulation, chorus, phase shifting, rotary speaker, echo and convolved reverb ...
And we've also added a 'Damage' control that allows you feed some 'bleed' from the divide down oscillator.
Of coiurse, easy to think, being a transistor organ, that the sound will be thin and weedy but you'd be wrong - the sound of the Vermona is surprisingly beefy and solid and with all drawbars open and a hint of amp distortion, cab simulator and rotary cabinet, it can give a tonewheel a good run for its money!
Vermona's innovation is still going strong with their excellent range of pure analogue synth and drum modules, details of which are HERE
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| NOTE : It will work with the Kontakt Player but only in 'demo' mode and the session will be time limited. |
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I was blown away by the uniquness of the Vermona sounds. Authentically and lovingly recreated and giving us composers (of retro music in particular) access to a new, inspiring palette of sounds that complement exisiting HS classics such as the Vox Continental
Chris Salt - Composer, Riffs TV
You've done a wonderful job with both the authenticity side of
things and in adding some very cool new synth controls. The vibrato
was already quite mental on the real thing, this version just got a
lobotomy! Great fun to play with.
Charles Tyler - Vermona owner
no brainer ! immediate purchase as soon as i received the newsletter ! Steve never disappoints and the Vermona is a very gritty and dirty sounding mother which fits in many a genre !
States - KVR
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