Roland U.S.

Matt Segawa

Modern Organ in Worship

by Matt Segawa

Today’s modern worship music is a melting pot of the last 40 years of music: Sting-influenced rhythm guitar sounds, U2-influenced electric guitars of the ’90s, rich synth pads and effects of the ’80s, the Fender Rhodes piano of the ’70s, and the Hammond B3 organ of the ’60s. With modern worship being driven by electric guitars, we keyboard players are being pulled away from traditional pianistic stylings, requiring us to play less rhythm.

One of the most popular keyboard sounds used in today's worship and recordings is that of a tone-wheel organ played through a rotary speaker. The organ has the capability of being very expressive in changing volume, tonality, effects, and is an excellent complement to a guitar-driven song.

In the past, I used organ sounds from various synthesizers. However, I always felt limited. Organ patches derived from standard synthesizers are static “snapshots” and they don’t “breathe.” They can’t change texture in real time or realistically emulate a rotary speaker cabinet. They just aren't musical enough and I would even occasionally break some of the keys when doing smears and glissandos.

Enter the Roland VK-8 Combo Organ. The VK-8 doesn’t derive its sound from static organ “samples,” but uses COSM modeling technology to create virtual tone wheels. It’s a living, breathing drawbar organ without the maintenance and mass. Since I started playing the VK-8, I have been able to play with ultimate expression and control. This single-manual organ has nine harmonic drawbars and several types of reverb that provide depth to the sound. Waterfall keys allow me to apply organ techniques such as grace notes, smears, and glissandos with ease. Best of all, the VK-8 has an amazing, authentic-sounding rotary speaker simulator with Slow, Fast and even Break settings. Of course, if you want to use it with a rotary cabinet, the VK-8 has an 11-pin connector on the back.

One of the VK-8’s most useful features for worship applications is the onboard instrument sounds such as piano, electric piano, strings, brass and others. These sounds are great and can be played individually or blended with the organ sounds. It also has plenty of built-in presets, plus you can create and store your own for instant recall. One of my favorites is a preset with lots of overdrive, which has that crunchy, grindy sound that adds so much character and defines the organ in any mix.

One thing the VK-8 has that the classic organs don’t, is the D Beam. The D Beam is an invisible light beam that you can manipulate with your hand to engage various effects. I use the D Beam for crescendos, and it gives me that added boost of sonic energy for a special riff or the last note in the song. I also use the Roland EV-5 expression pedal, which provides dynamic control of volume from my foot – just like on the vintage drawbar organs.

At 32 pounds, the Roland VK-8 is very portable but packs a huge addition to my keyboard rig. At the same time, the VK-8 is a giant in its class and has opened a new world of music for me.

Matt Segawa is a professional pianist and keyboardist in the Los Angeles area. He plays regularly with numerous Christian artists and worship leaders. You can get in touch with him at mattsegawa@cox.net.

No Room For Another Keyboard?

Another option is the Roland VK-8M Organ Module. This gives you access to a classic drawbar organ, with all the expressive controls and authentic sounds, right from your current keyboard. The VK-8M revitalizes any MIDI keyboard without straining your brain or your budget.