How to mic an organ for recording

I am going to deal with the Hammond B3 w\leslie in this article, because this is the organ that gives the most trouble when recording. It is also the most popular organ in blues\jazz\rock, and pop music. The B3 is the ultimate in organs, it has a unique punch that will be copied and synthesized until the end of time. This ain't your Grannies church organ.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• studio equiptment
• good microphones

1. What makes the B3 special, and difficult to record at the same time, is the Leslie rotating speaker horns. These horns spin around in circles creating a Doppler effect, and this wavering is what gives the B3 it's unique sound.
   
   You can close-mic these horns using two condenser microphones. However, you need to be aware that the Leslie is a mechanical device, and placement will have to be tweaked to eliminate noise. The Leslie also creates wind due to the spinning of the horns, so windscreens are a must.
2. A lot of engineers insist that the Leslie is best recorded from a distance of 12 to 15 feet. They believe that the Leslie's sound doesn't develop until it reaches that distance. They may be right, the Leslie at the church I attend, seems to sound better about 3 or 4 pews back, this would be about 15 feet.
3. Play with these mic placements until you find something that works for you, remember the noise and air problems. You should be able to record some solid tracks with a little experimentation.