Ventura Keyboards | Armadillo

Ventura Keyboards

Introducing the Ventura Epoch

We at Ventura are proud to intriduce the Epoch, a neo-vintage keyboard featuring electric pianos and Ventura's flexible organ model. Finally meeting the needs of keyboardists who use the "meat and potatoes" keyboard sounds, the Epoch is loaded with practical features.

And we do mean "meat and potatoes", as the Epoch is two-voice polytimbral, allowing users to create dual organ, dual piano, or piano & organ programs that can be layered and/or split. A full set of drawbars is included, as well as a built-in half-moon switch, to give players the control they expect to have over their organ tone and the internal rotary sim.

The panel gives you everything you need to set up and control your sound in real-time. A large display shows all active functions, and makes it easy to see what's being adjusted in low-light conditions. All major functions have a dedicated button or knob -- the buttons have built-in LEDs to indicate whether a function or effect is activated, and effects parameters and EQ are adjustable with heavy brass knobs.

The Epoch is still in development, and will be available in 61- and 74-key models. Photos here are of a prototype unit; physical specs are subject to change. Price and availability TBA.

For those visiting NAMM, we are located in Hall E, Booth 1102.

Ventura Epoch Images

Ventura TX5 Combo Organ

We at Armadillo are always seeking new ways to expand, and to that purpose we introduce a new brand of professional performance keyboards, Ventura. When we went to NAMM 2009, we saw this unassuming-looking organ sitting in a small booth, and tried it out. It may look pretty traditional, but when we got into it, we realized this was a force to be reckoned with. We immediately began a dialog with it's makers -- 30-year Brazilian organ maker Tokai -- about distribution. We both soon saw a greater opportunity, though, and Armadillo has created the Ventura brand in partnership with Tokai.

Almost a year later, we're really excited to introduce everyone to the new and improved TX5 Classic combo organ. This tonewheel-modeling organ provides something that others have reached for, but haven't fully grasped: organ players want a variety of tones at their fingertips, not what a programmer decides is the "ideal" organ tone. Loaded with five different tonewheel models and seemingy endless customization options, the TX5 Classic will satisfy even the most demanding of purists.

Read more below ...

Ventura TX5 Sound Clips

The TX5 is one beast of an organ, with customization options that far outweigh those of other clonewheels on the market. Because of this customization potential, players are able to create the organ sound they prefer, rather than make a choice between two or three different instruments to find the one that most closely approximates their ideal organ sound. The real beauty of it all, though, is that these parameters are all storable per program.

Below are sound clips which demonstrate some of the potential of the YX5's customization.

The first seven recordings were made sequencing (for uniformity) with, and recording into, Apple Logic Studio and an M-Audio Firewire 1814 interface. The last three examples are preformance clips provided by Tokai.

Organ Models

Presented here are the five organ models found within the TX5, each building from the 16' to the 1' partial, and without rotary speaker. These models, in order, are (1) Classic, (2) Clean, (3) Dirty, (4) Heavenly, and (5) Metallic. Each model can be configured to 82 or 91 wheels, its loudness curve set, the mod wheel assignment set, and pitch bend range selected.

Key Click Types

The TX5 simulates a tonewheel organ's key click. Heard in this example are the styles available: (1) (no click), (2) Clean, (3) Classic, (4) Dirty, (5) Filthy, and (6) Trash. The click's intensity can be set on a scale of 0 to 20 (the examples were set to 15). You can also choose whether to have the click on or off upon release of the key.

Percussion Settings

What would a tonewheel be without percussion? Not much of an organ, that's for sure! The TX5's percussion settings offer tons of options. In this example, you'll hear each percussion setting as accessed on the front panel are (1) (none), (2) 2 2/3', (3) 2 2/3' Slow, (4) 2 2/3' Fast, (5) 2 2/3' Fast, Slow , (6) 4', (7) 4' Slow, (8) 4' Fast, and (9) 4' Fast, Slow. You can set the Soft's gain and the Fast's decay time as well.

Rotary Speaker

The TX5's rotary speaker simulation is one of the most versatile available in a clonewheel. Adjustable parameters include the slow and fast speeds of both upper and lower horns (independently, by RPM), treble and bass acceleration speed (ind., 0 - 20), upper and lower horn spin direction (ind., clockwise or counter-), microphone spread (0° - 180°), microphone distance (0 - 20), microphone height (bass +10 to +1, center, treble +1 to +10), speaker resonance (on, off), horn beam width (0 - 20).

Vibrato & Chorus

The TX5 offers three algorithms each of Vibrato and Chorus. In this example, you'll hear the dry signal followed by Vibrato 1, Vibrato 2, Vibrato 3, dry again, Chorus 1, Chorus 2, and finally Chorus 3; the sequence is repeated with the rotary speaker sim turned on. Parameter settings include routing the vibrato or chorus to upper and lower horns, independently or together, and setting the rate from 3.5 Hz to 12.0 Hz. The examples feature Vibrato and Chorus on both upper and lower horns, and set to 5.2 Hz.

Overdrive

The TX5's tube Overdrive sim is warm and inviting, but can be growling and rude with the turn of a knob. The modulation wheel can be set to control overdrive if you like. In this example, the changes are heard at increasing degrees of saturation, starting at 0%, then ~20%, ~40%, ~60%, ~80%, and 100%.

Reverb

Reverb is a vital part of sculpting an organ sound, and the TX5 offers a rich and bright Reverb, whose saturation is controlled right on the panel. Like the Overdrive example, the riff in the example is heard at increasing degrees of saturation, starting at 0%, then ~20%, ~40%, ~60%, ~80%, and 100%.

Performance Demos

The following demo MP3s come from Ventura Keyboards in Brazil, and were recorded direct with no preamp:

Blues for Fonseca

Sao Paulo Strut

Testify

Ventura TX5C Images

Top View

Front View

Rear View

With Lower Manual & Stand

PD2 PedalBoard

Where to Buy

Gand Music
780 W Frontage Road
Northfield, IL 60093
847-446-4263

Gand Online

JRR Shop
2166 Michelson Dr
Irvine, CA 92612-1304
(949) 553-1022

JRR Shop Online

Main Drag Music
330 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718-388-6365

Main Drag Online

Speakeasy Vintage Music
3250 Schoolhouse Road
Dover, PA 17315
717-292-1086

Speakeasy Online

Sweetwater Sound
5501 U.S. Hwy 30 W
Fort Wayne, IN 46818
800-222-4700

Sweetwater Online

Summit Consultation
209 Fourth Avenue South
Suite 101A #1010
Edmonds, WA 98020
206-919-9466
Summit Online