Diversi Musical Products, Inc is a manufacturer of

electric organ An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has since developed ...

s. It specializes in making clones of the

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...

and became popular when jazz organists "Papa" John and

Joey DeFrancesco Joey DeFrancesco (April 10, 1971August 25, 2022) was an American jazz organist, trumpeter, saxophonist, and occasional singer. He released more than 30 albums under his own name, and recorded extensively as a sideman with such leading jazz perfo ...

"defected" from Hammond to using their organs instead.

History

The company was formed by former Hammond-Suzuki Northeast Regional Sales Rep and Marketing Services Manager, Tom Tuson, who had been impressed by a drawbar

MIDI MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and re ...

module manufactured by

Voce Voce (Italian for ''voice'') was a premium Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) using the AT&T Mobility, AT&T GSM network sold by Neiman-Marcus and created by Japanese company Faith Communications. During the month of January 2008, ownership was ...

, which used physical modelling instead of

sample Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of s ...

s. He became friends with Voce's

Dave Amels Dave Amels (born 1960) co-founded music technology companies Voce musical instruments and Bomb Factory. Both companies are known for detailed and realistic mathematical models of complex physical systems. Amels also plays organ in The Reigning S ...

, and the two decided to collaborate on a project to create their own organ. They came up with the Diversi DV, which earned immediate critical acclaim for its accuracy. In an interview with ''

Keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

'' magazine, Don Bosco said the DV "feels to me exactly how a vintage Hammond would have when it was new." The company received a major boost when Joey DeFrancesco, self-described as "the finest jazz organist on the planet", publicly announced he had "defected from Hammond" and was now actively endorsing Diversi and owning a stake in the business. His 2008 album ''Joey D!'' was recorded entirely on a Diversi, with sleeve note author Michael G Nastos declaring that "the instrument DeFrancesco plays acts and sounds like an organ, if possible with a richer, deeper tone, especially in the bass foot pedals.” His father, Papa John DeFrancesco also used the Diversi to record ''Big Shot''. Tom Tuson has made a specific point in interviews, that Diversi could offer a more affordable drawbar organ with a better sound engine alternative than Hammond Suzuki's "New B3," while being at a lower price and including a built-in

Leslie speaker The Leslie speaker is a combined amplifier and loudspeaker that projects the signal from an electric or electronic instrument and modifies the sound by rotating a baffle chamber ("drum") in front of the loudspeakers. A similar effect is provided ...

simulator. Though he once, like many organists, thought the Hammond and Leslie were inseparable, he now thinks the simulation on the Diversi is so good that "I don't care if I ever see another Leslie in my life". Diversi sponsors the Bobby Jones Gospel on the B.E.T. Network and has provided equipment for the show since 2003.

References

;Books * {{refend American musical instrument makers Companies established in 2003 Electronic organ manufacturing companies